The Last Angel of history: A world built by fragments
The article Monad Database Remix: Manners of Unfolding in the Last Angel of History by Laura U Marks analyzes the different layers and techniques of the film The Last Angel of History by John Akomfrah. Marks makes several conclusions about the content and style/structure of the film that I found to be particularly interesting and informative to the process of this film's creation. One of the first points she makes in the text contextualizes the significance of the sci-fi approach in a film addressing the intricacies of the black lived experience. She connects the forced abduction and dislocation of African people to the estrangement that science fiction movies often try and convey through sensationalized scenes of alien abduction. The film focuses on the story of Robert Johnson (Data Thief) selling his soul to the devil for the trade of unlocking the black secret technology of the Blues. Music is a focal point of the film and Marks analyzes how music is used as a tool to transport the audience. She touches on the significance of music in Afrofuturism and how it is used to bring the listener into an otherworldly scenario. Music not only fills the ears with unnatural sounds but also urges your body to move in new ways. Music’s connection not only to the soul but also to the physical body makes it an extremely powerful mechanism for transporting an audience into an extraterrestrial atmosphere. Marks comments on the filming style of the movie with a specific focus on the technique of montaging. The use of montage not only sets rhythm and pace in the film but also acts as a visual manifestation of the idea of fragmented history. Moreover, the montage shots help to distort reality and again transport the viewer to a new world.
I liked your emphasis on sci-fi as addressing the intricacies of the black lived experience, particularly forced abduction and dislocation. Also, your description of music is very powerful! Particularly how music is not only auditory, but can encompass a variety of the sense through dance. The soul and body connection of music do make it a powerful medium to transport listeners (and dancers) to an extraterrestrial atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThe connections to music and technology are really interesting. This is a theme that we have seen in other places of our studies like with Sun Ra and his use of music as the technology of literal transportation. I like how you discuss here how music can literally and figuratively be a transformative force and this is the power many Afrofuturists tap into. The idea that music as the technology / the mechanism as you mention, being used to enhance the human body is something very interesting that I hope we explore more of.
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