Buckland-Warren-Puzzle-Films-Complex-Storytelling-Contemporary-Cinema

120 Chris Dzialoinexorably forward, drawing in the future (“the past” from the point ofview of the narrator), illuminating it in the present, and discarding it onthe take-up reel (the past). According to Mary Ann Doane:In his essay on photography, Kracauer claims, ‘A shudder runs through theviewer of old photographs. For they make visible not the knowledge of theoriginal but the spatial configuration of a moment’. Similarly, film makesvisible not a knowledge of the original but a certain passing temporalconfiguration. The grandchildren in Kracauer’s essay shudder when confrontedwith the photograph of the grandmother because they see not the grandmotherbut an image of time, and a time that is not necessary but contingent.This is the pathos of archival desire. (2002, p. 23)Joel tries to hold on to the contingent, to a “certain passing temporalconfiguration,” but is frustrated time and time again. This is particularlytraumatic when, hiding with Clementine in a memory of being bathed asa child by his mother in the sink, the scene fades, and Joel is sucked downthe sink. He finds himself watching a drive-in movie with Clementine –who impersonates the characters onscreen:CLEMENTINEYes, but who could love a man namedWally?She starts to fade. Joel looks confused. The scene starts to fade.Oh!JOEL(remembering)CLEMENTINEShhh! I want to watch the movie!JOELClem, think! They’ll find you here.He looks over and she’s gone. (p. 77)After we see Mierzwiak deleting the blip of memory from the computerscreen, Joel actually wills Clementine back into existence (making the blip