Walter Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"

Brando SC013
Originally uploaded by Fine Young Cannibal

One of Benjamin’s concerns with reproductions is that of fragmentation. The aura, or mysticism, that surrounds a work of art is what draws us to it. The more that a work of art is reproduced, the more fragmented it becomes, breaking down until the original is just like every other work of art that stems from it. As Benjamin contrasts stage actor to screen actor, I couldn’t help but think of Marlon Brando in the role of Stanley Kowalski. Although I have never heard specifically if he had preferred to play Kowalski on stage or on film, I do recall his concern that the film, because of how he was photographed, would pull the audience towards his character, when in reality they should be repelled. Benjamin states his concern for how an actor’s message can be lost in the fragmentation of film, and I think that this holds true in respect to A Streetcar Named Desire.