Cinematic Modernism And Contemporary Film

The cinematic has been a springboard for the work of many influential artists, including Victor Burgin, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Stan Douglas, Nan Goldin, Douglas Gordon, Cindy Sherman, and Jeff Wall, among others. Much recent cinema, meanwhile, is rich with references to contemporary photography. Video art has taken a photographic turn into pensive slowness; photography now has at its disposal the budgets and scale of cinema.

This drama takes the form of a story told using documentary material as an intrinsic part of the narrative. In this journey through the dark side of 1950s urban life, the camera follows Judith –a newly divorced woman looking for a fresh start– through the streets of Los Angeles as she encounters the strange denizens of the city, ranging from trendsetters to religious fanatics. All the tawdry and desperate faces of this world become a mirror for Judith's personal failures and struggles to claim her new life.

Judith McGuire débarque à l'aéroport de Los Angeles. Elle vient de divorcer et espère refaire sa vie dans la cité des anges. Une voix l'accoste, c'est le narrateur du film. Un dialogue s'instaure entre cette âme troublée et celui qui se présente comme "le poète". Ensemble, ils traversent la ville, en s'enfonçant toujours plus loin dans les sept cercles de l'enfer.