The Society of the Spectacle (1974) User Reviews

It depends of political view

[tomyargo · 8/10 · 8 April 2024]

The movie is a critique itself. Depends of the political view of 'the spectator', it is masterpiece or rubbish. And another group will find this movie too hard to understand and confusing, a kind of mumbling gibberish or an intellectual fart. First two political perspective, I welcome respect and salute. The last group go back to your place in this world. You are travelling a wrong direction.

This documentary style of montage of images with reading a narrative and adding some scenes from other movies creates a boring style. The images very powerful but the ideas surpass images and take the focus from images and creates a thinking frenzy. Some very provocative, some subtle.

My critique to this movie, Could we use better images? More accurate timing, stronger images. Could we focus less idea? Instead try to answer and reach every aspects and create very concentrated movie, little diluted more visually pleasing and easily understandable movie/documentary.

Very interesting piece. It is very hard to watch without prejudice. Definitely recommend, even as a mental challenge. 8/10.

Revolutionary in style and philosophy.

[euripidies_1 · 10/10 · 22 May 2005]

This film by Guy E. Debord is based on his 1967 book of the same title both of which convey ideas about the consumer capitalism's mode of production and the effects on everyday life. Though both sources use a different means of communication they both powerfully convey the ideas of the situationists. I wont rant on about the ideas contain within this film which are quite profound and have influenced heavily on the Anti-Capitalist movement and post-structuralism through thinkers like Jean Baudrillard. The structure of the film itself is a series of shots from Hollywood films to soviet 'collective hero' film experiments to soft-core porn(nothing past topless) to archival footage of historical events(e.g. May 68 revolt in France) and representations of everyday life. The way in which the scenes are manipulated work well with the voice over commentary reinforcing the ideas while hitting emotional notes. The Music also contributes well to the emotional sentiment which the director wants to be associated with different ideas and issues. The technique used reminds me of Wagner, how he used the structure of music to convey hopelessness and the philosophy of Schopenhauer in "The Ring" covering over the once socialists allegory for the contradiction of modernity. Debord and the situationists used their music to convey of the feeling of hope and the spirit negation (the negation of capitalism and the creation of a new 'totality' of 'situations'). Debord during this film highlights the influences of the 'situationits' in the agitation for May 68 (the largest general strike in history). Henri Lefebvre criticized Debord on this point expressing the view that the situationists greatly exaggerate their influence on events. Other then the self-pampering which is small fraction of the film it is a well done piece of radical documentary both in form and content (style and ideas, though this dichotomy is to come degree false) which is quite interesting just for those uninterested or hostile towards Revolutionary Anti-Capitalism.

This film can be hard to find being played at university film theater's and art festivals. But because the creators of this work are 'anti-commodity' you can find the film online from different locations with English subtitles.

The worst movie ever made

[roedyg · 1/10 · 18 January 2008]

I think this was the worst movie I have ever seen, though I had a pretty low opinion of Last Year at Marienbad. It was so bad, I started to laugh. It consists of black and white footage of crowds, bullying soldiers and masses of people, punctuated everyone once in a while by topless women writhing and pawing at their bodies, and one scene of a young male pop singer silently writhing on the ground as if having an epileptic fit. The sound track is in French. I think the script was possibly composed by computer stringing together random abstract nouns. The effect is hypnotic and meaningless, though oddly depressing.

There is only the most tenuous thematic relationship between the narration and the video. I kept thinking the movie was over, and it would pick up again like some nightmare I could not wake from. It was amateurish and incredibly self indulgent and self important. The film could have been easily condensed to 60 seconds to put across its message, that civilisation imposes conformity and an empty pursuit of commodities.

Listen up silly children 😡

[Joeker_ · 3/10 · 16 February 2023]

Here to inform all those silly little children who criticize anarchists based on Debord's society of spectacle that Debor(e)d was NOT an anarchist and that he had made 6 films.

Just because you read him doesn't mean you understood him.

Your iq doesn't allow you to.

Also because I'm feeling myself at the moment I would like to inform you that when I was an anarchist, you were still sucking milk.

Oh you didn't find this review helpful? I bet 3-4 of your friends will feel the same way and you will think that you look like a lot of people.

Who are you convincing?

No one, but you strengthen the ties between your little sect.

In your eco chamber.