In various areas of life, the term “retrospective” is becoming very fashionable. They use it in different contexts and areas of interest - in medicine, art, history as such. So retrospective - what is it? This is a look to the past. In medicine, retrospective is a synonym for history, while in art, a look into the past is reflected in an exhibition of paintings, for example. The significance of retrospective is specific - it seems to open the veil of the past, allowing you to look into some secrets, to recognize certain mechanisms that led to the current state of affairs. This is an invisible bridge between the present and the past, the value of which is very high.
Retrospective - what is it: through the prism of cinema
Today, the concept of retrospective has become relevant in the cinema. Here the word acquired a peculiar meaning. They began to call a retrospective a selection of the best and most grandiose films of the time for one actor, as a rule, who had long since graduated from his career. The very phrase “retrospective of films” itself causes associations with very old films, often in black and white. For example, Orson Welles’s retrospective program will include such films as Citizen Kane 1941, The Process 1962, and F Like a Fake 1973.
And, perhaps, the unconditional retrospective belongs to Charlie Chaplin. All the ribbons cannot be listed, but the brightest ones are the “Gold Rush”, “Parisian”. The first thing that frankly rushes to the cinema: retrospective is an incomprehensible term that is used in the wrong sense. A selection of films is a filmography, and a selection of precisely old films is already a retrospective. You can not call the “Fight Club” and “Troy” a retrospective of Brad Pitt. In order for the film to go into retrospect, time must pass for the descendants to study history and the life of the past on its basis. That is why a retrospective has now become popular because it allows us to draw conclusions - a certain time has passed, and by watching these old films, you can realize and feel the spirit of the past.
Abuse of the term
Another problem associated with retrospective is the abuse of the term, which takes place in connection with the hype around it. It is necessary to understand the meaning of the word retrospective, which is a very narrow term that does not tolerate fashionable interpretations. And when something becomes fashionable, it is rarely possible to save it. Now everyone around us believes that old films are cool, and boast of their versatile hobbies - here are Claire Denis, Seijun Suzuki, and the same Charlie Chaplin. People do not even realize the significance and deep meaning of films; they blindly obey fashion, often defiling the tribute to the past with their conclusions. On the other hand, an excessive passion for the past should not change modern cinema so much. Needless to say, how much have the standards of cinema changed, and it is unlikely that society will visit theaters for the sake of black and white tapes, which, to be honest, are difficult enough to perceive. A retrospective reflects a very important part of our life, but the rank that society has given it defiles and changes it for the worse.