Description
Book SynopsisA new temporal aesthetic in films such as
Memento,
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,
2046, and
The Hangover.
Trade Review"With its unique mixture of detailed apercus and large synthetic visions, Todd McGowan’s new book will finally establish him as the leading US cinema theorist. Out of Time elicits in me as a fellow writer not only admiration but envy—why didn’t I write that? How could I have missed that point? But my envy is mixed with hope: with writers like McGowan, the future of cinema studies is safe!" —Slavoj Zizek
"Todd McGowan theorizes a recent moment in film history when the question of temporality is reformulated in new and unexpected ways. He describes these ‘atemporal’ films through a sequence of astonishingly brilliant readings, guided by his strong, clear grasp of psychoanalytic theory, in an account of an important trend in contemporary cinema. Moreover, McGowan’s analysis opens up fundamental questions concerning the relationship of art and temporality more generally, and as such will be of compelling interest to a wide range of philosophers, critical theorists, and art critics." —Kenneth Reinhard, UCLA
Table of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Origins of the Atemporal Film
1. Temporality after The End of Time in
Pulp Fiction 2. Not the Worst of All Possible Worlds: Sacrificing the Object in
Butterfly Effect 3. Eternity without Sunshine:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the Hopelessness of Love
4. The Path to Politics in
The Constant Gardener 5. “Something Is Lost”: The Ethics of Absolute Negativity in
21 Grams 6. Timeless in Space: Placing Eternity in
2046 7. Affirmation of the Lost Object:
Peppermint Candy and the End of Progress
8. The Temporal Flight from Trauma:
Irréversible and the Critique of Experience
Conclusion: An Infinite
Memento Notes
Index
