A Study on the Relationships Between Animal Documentaries and Modern Scopic Regimes
0
조회
0
다운로드
0
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
In the context of rising ecological awareness, animal documentaries explore how humans can coexist with animals, presenting diverse perspectives on animal lives. These films range from natural history documentaries showcasing wildlife survival strategies to topical ones addressing issues like industrial livestock farming and animal neglect. Regardless of their focus, they consistently elicit empathy for animals and engage viewers in ecological issues, leveraging anthropomorphic tendencies and visual storytelling. This study examines the visual modes employed in animal documentaries and their role in shaping human perceptions of animals. Drawing on Martin Jay’s analysis of modern scopic regimes, the discussion identifies three dominant visual modes: Cartesian perspectivalism, surface-level observation, and the Baroque vision. Cartesian perspectivalism emphasizes objective depth, as seen in Renaissance art, while the surface-level view focuses on fragmented immediacy, akin to photography. The Baroque mode, in contrast, rejects human-centered clarity, offering an exuberant, disorienting visual experience. Four documentaries illustrate the interplay of these modes: Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (1973) and Zoo (1993) adopt Cartesian perspectives to examine animals systematically; Bestiaire (2012) employs surface-level observation to create a detached yet intimate view; and My Octopus Teacher (2020) blends Baroque elements with fluid, personal human-animal relationships. These films challenge traditional documentary conventions, encouraging viewers to reconsider human-animal relationships and the modern, ocularcentric ways of seeing. By doing so, animal documentaries foster new frameworks for understanding animals, their representation, and their engagement with human audiences.
Abstract
In the context of rising ecological awareness, animal documentaries explore how humans can coexist with animals, presenting diverse perspectives on animal lives. These films range from natural history documentaries showcasing wildlife survival strategies to topical ones addressing issues like industrial livestock farming and animal neglect. Regardless of their focus, they consistently elicit empathy for animals and engage viewers in ecological issues, leveraging anthropomorphic tendencies and visual storytelling. This study examines the visual modes employed in animal documentaries and their role in shaping human perceptions of animals. Drawing on Martin Jay’s analysis of modern scopic regimes, the discussion identifies three dominant visual modes: Cartesian perspectivalism, surface-level observation, and the Baroque vision. Cartesian perspectivalism emphasizes objective depth, as seen in Renaissance art, while the surface-level view focuses on fragmented immediacy, akin to photography. The Baroque mode, in contrast, rejects human-centered clarity, offering an exuberant, disorienting visual experience. Four documentaries illustrate the interplay of these modes: Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (1973) and Zoo (1993) adopt Cartesian perspectives to examine animals systematically; Bestiaire (2012) employs surface-level observation to create a detached yet intimate view; and My Octopus Teacher (2020) blends Baroque elements with fluid, personal human-animal relationships. These films challenge traditional documentary conventions, encouraging viewers to reconsider human-animal relationships and the modern, ocularcentric ways of seeing. By doing so, animal documentaries foster new frameworks for understanding animals, their representation, and their engagement with human audiences.