4.5 Slow Cinema

Slow Cinema is a filmmaking style that emphasizes long takes, minimal editing, and a deliberate pace. It challenges conventional narratives by focusing on mood, atmosphere, and the passage of time, often using static camerawork and minimal plot development.

This approach emerged post-World War II, influenced by Italian Neorealism and European art cinema. Directors like Béla Tarr, Tsai Ming-liang, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul have become notable figures in this movement, exploring themes of alienation, time, and the blurring of fiction and documentary.

Key characteristics of slow cinema

• Slow cinema is a style of filmmaking that emphasizes long takes, minimal editing, and a deliberate pace
• Static camerawork involves fixed shots that linger on scenes without movement, allowing the viewer to absorb details and atmosphere
• Long takes extend shot durations far beyond conventional editing, often minutes at a time without cuts (Russian Ark)

Static camerawork and long takes

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• Unbroken shots force the viewer to confront the image and consider the passing of time within the frame
• Stationary cameras remove the distraction and manipulation of editing, focusing attention on subtle changes in composition, light, and character
• Extended takes can create a hypnotic or meditative effect, immersing the viewer in the world of the film (Sátántangó)

Minimal plot and character development

• Slow cinema often eschews traditional narrative structures and dramatic arcs in favor of mood, tone, and theme
• Plots may be sparse or seemingly nonexistent, with little in the way of goal-oriented character actions or events
• Characters tend to be opaque or unknowable, lacking clear motivations or arcs, existing as figures within a landscape or environment (Wendy and Lucy)

Emphasis on mood and atmosphere

• By minimizing plot and character, slow films foreground the emotional and sensory experience of the work
• Atmosphere is built through the accretion of details, textures, and tones over extended periods of time
• Mood is often one of melancholy, alienation, or contemplation, reflecting the themes and pacing of the films (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives)

Origins and influences

• Slow cinema emerged in the wake of World War II as filmmakers grappled with trauma, disillusionment, and the search for new cinematic languages
• The style has roots in Italian Neorealism, which emphasized long takes, non-professional actors, and a focus on the everyday (Bicycle Thieves)
• Slow cinema also draws from the modernist traditions of postwar European art films by directors like Michelangelo Antonioni and Andrei Tarkovsky

Post-war European art cinema

• Directors like Robert Bresson and Yasujirō Ozu began to strip down cinematic language and embrace a more minimalist, contemplative style (Tokyo Story)
• These filmmakers rejected the artifice and spectacle of Hollywood in favor of austerity, realism, and introspection
• Their work laid the groundwork for the slow cinema movement by privileging mood, theme, and formal experimentation over plot and character

Structural film movement of the 1960s

• Avant-garde filmmakers like Michael Snow and Hollis Frampton created works that foregrounded the structural elements of cinema, such as duration, stasis, and repetition (Wavelength)
• These films challenged viewer expectations and demanded a more active, engaged form of spectatorship
• Structural film's emphasis on duration and minimalism would be a key influence on later slow cinema practitioners

Contemplative cinema of the 1970s

• Directors like Chantal Akerman and Theo Angelopoulos began to make films characterized by long takes, minimal narrative, and a focus on time and space (Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles)
• These works were a reaction against the style and politics of commercial cinema, offering a more challenging, introspective alternative
• The contemplative tradition would pave the way for the international slow cinema movement of the 1990s and 2000s

Notable slow cinema directors

• Slow cinema has been embraced by filmmakers around the world who share an interest in duration, atmosphere, and challenging narrative conventions
• While varied in their individual styles and concerns, these directors are united by a common aesthetic and philosophical approach

Béla Tarr

• Hungarian director known for his long, unbroken takes, bleak landscapes, and metaphysical themes (Sátántangó, Werckmeister Harmonies)
• Tarr's films often unfold in real time, immersing the viewer in the textures and rhythms of rural Hungary
• His work is characterized by a sense of apocalyptic dread and existential despair, reflecting on the human condition and the weight of history

Tsai Ming-liang

• Malaysian-born Taiwanese director who explores urban alienation, sexual desire, and the passage of time in his minimalist films (Vive L'Amour, What Time Is It There?)
• Tsai often frames his characters in static, unbroken shots that emphasize their isolation and disconnection
• His films blur the line between fiction and documentary, using real locations and improvised scenarios to capture the mood of contemporary Taiwan

Lav Diaz

• Filipino director known for his epic-length films that blend fiction, history, and mythology (Evolution of a Filipino Family, Norte, the End of History)
• Diaz's works often confront the traumas of colonialism, dictatorship, and globalization in the Philippines
• His films make use of long takes, black-and-white cinematography, and a mix of professional and non-professional actors to create a unique cinematic language

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

• Thai director whose films explore memory, folklore, and the supernatural through a slow, dreamlike style (Tropical Malady, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives)
• Apichatpong often blurs the boundaries between the real and the imagined, the human and the animal, the living and the dead
• His films are characterized by long takes, lush natural landscapes, and a sense of mystery and wonder that challenges conventional narrative logic

Thematic concerns

• While slow cinema is diverse in its subject matter and approaches, certain themes and preoccupations recur across the movement
• These themes often reflect the challenges and anxieties of modern life, as well as a desire to reconnect with the natural world and the fundamental elements of human experience

Alienation and disconnection in modern life

• Many slow films depict characters who are isolated, adrift, or searching for meaning in an increasingly fragmented and impersonal world (Wendy and Lucy, Vive L'Amour)
• The slow pace and minimalist style of these works can evoke a sense of loneliness, boredom, or existential crisis
• By lingering on moments of stillness and silence, slow cinema confronts the viewer with the emptiness and disconnection of modern existence

Passage of time and duration

• Slow films often emphasize the experience of time itself, using long takes and repetition to make the viewer acutely aware of the passing of minutes and hours
• This focus on duration can create a sense of boredom, frustration, or transcendence, depending on the viewer's perspective and patience
• By foregrounding the passage of time, slow cinema invites the viewer to reflect on mortality, change, and the ephemeral nature of human experience (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia)

Landscape and environment as characters

• In many slow films, the natural or urban landscape takes on a central role, becoming a character in its own right
• Long, static shots of mountains, forests, rivers, or city streets create a sense of place and atmosphere that is essential to the mood and meaning of the work
• By focusing on the environment, slow cinema asks the viewer to consider the relationship between humans and the world around them, and the ways in which we are shaped by the spaces we inhabit (Gerry)

Blurring of fiction and documentary

• Slow films often blur the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction, using real locations, non-professional actors, and unscripted scenarios to create a sense of authenticity and immediacy
• This hybrid approach can challenge traditional notions of narrative and character, inviting the viewer to question the line between reality and representation
• By mixing documentary and fictional elements, slow cinema can explore the porous nature of memory, identity, and storytelling itself (Colossal Youth)

Audience reception and challenges

• Slow cinema can be a challenging and polarizing form of filmmaking, demanding patience, attention, and active engagement from the viewer
• The slow pace, minimal narrative, and lack of conventional entertainment value can be frustrating or boring for some audiences
• At the same time, slow cinema has attracted a dedicated following of cinephiles, critics, and scholars who appreciate its formal rigor, philosophical depth, and emotional power

Patience and active viewership

• Slow films require a different kind of viewing than mainstream commercial cinema, one that is more patient, attentive, and open to ambiguity and abstraction
• Viewers must be willing to surrender to the rhythm and mood of the film, letting go of expectations for plot, character, and resolution
• This active form of spectatorship can be rewarding, allowing for a deeper, more immersive engagement with the work and its themes (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Sátántangó)

Rejection of mainstream narrative conventions

• Slow cinema often rejects the narrative and stylistic conventions of mainstream filmmaking, such as goal-oriented plotting, psychological character development, and rapid editing
• This rejection can be seen as a critique of the commodification and standardization of cinema, as well as a desire to explore new forms of storytelling and expression
• For viewers accustomed to the pace and structure of commercial films, slow cinema can be disorienting or frustrating, requiring a shift in expectations and attention

Polarizing critical responses

• Slow cinema has been both celebrated and criticized by film critics and scholars, who debate its artistic merits, political implications, and place within film history
• Supporters argue that slow cinema represents a vital alternative to the dominant mode of filmmaking, offering a more contemplative, challenging, and authentic form of cinematic expression
• Detractors criticize slow cinema as self-indulgent, pretentious, or boring, arguing that it privileges style over substance and alienates audiences

Festival circuit vs commercial viability

• Slow films have found their primary audience on the international film festival circuit, where they are celebrated for their artistic innovation and cultural significance
• However, the commercial viability of slow cinema remains limited, as the films often struggle to find distribution and audiences beyond the festival circuit
• This tension between artistic ambition and commercial realities has led some to question the sustainability and impact of slow cinema as a movement

Slow cinema's place in film history

• Slow cinema represents a distinct and influential strand within the larger history of film, one that challenges dominant modes of production, reception, and interpretation
• While rooted in earlier traditions of art cinema and avant-garde filmmaking, slow cinema has emerged as a vital and innovative force in the contemporary global film landscape

Reaction against accelerated pace of modern cinema

• Slow cinema can be seen as a reaction against the increasingly fast-paced, spectacle-driven nature of modern commercial filmmaking
• By emphasizing duration, stillness, and contemplation, slow films offer a critique of the attention economy and the acceleration of media consumption
• In this sense, slow cinema represents a form of resistance against the commodification and homogenization of cinema in the digital age

Continuation of art cinema traditions

• At the same time, slow cinema can be situated within the longer history of art cinema, which has always sought to challenge the conventions and expectations of mainstream filmmaking
• Directors like Béla Tarr, Tsai Ming-liang, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul can be seen as heirs to the modernist traditions of filmmakers like Antonioni, Tarkovsky, and Akerman
• Slow cinema thus represents a continuation and evolution of the art cinema project, pushing the boundaries of cinematic language and exploring new forms of expression

Influence on contemporary contemplative films

• The influence of slow cinema can be seen in a wide range of contemporary films that emphasize mood, atmosphere, and duration over plot and character
• Directors like Kelly Reichardt, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Carlos Reygadas have incorporated elements of slow cinema into their work, creating contemplative, immersive films that challenge viewer expectations (Meek's Cutoff, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Silent Light)
• The success of these films suggests that slow cinema has had a lasting impact on the global film landscape, inspiring new generations of filmmakers to explore the possibilities of cinematic time and space

Role in the global film landscape

• Slow cinema has emerged as a major force in the global film landscape, with directors from around the world embracing its aesthetic and philosophical principles
• The international success of filmmakers like Lav Diaz, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Tsai Ming-liang has helped to challenge Western-centric notions of cinematic art and innovation
• By foregrounding the work of filmmakers from the Global South and diaspora, slow cinema has contributed to a more diverse, inclusive, and polycentric understanding of world cinema
• At the same time, the global reach of slow cinema has raised questions about the politics of cultural exchange, translation, and appropriation in an increasingly interconnected world