What is cinema?

A piece of corn skin has been stuck between my upper right canine and premolar for the past two days. Each time my tongue grazes the sharp edge of the skin, attempts to wrestle it out and inevitably fails, I am reminded of the film I watched two nights ago, Avatar: The Way of Water. I really should start flossing.

            Whether it’s a chocolate bar, some scooping-candy, an extra-large Coca Cola Zero, nachos loaded with too much cheese and guacamole, or just a regular old bucket of buttery salty popcorn, cinema is and has always been a tasteful experience. Popcorn in particular has been a movie snack staple for so long that its mere smell will spark your urge to go watch a film. Snacks such as popcorn therefore are an essential element of the cinematic apparatus, a concept posed by Jean-Louis Baudry. He believes the physical and psychological aspects of seeing a film (the assembly of the room, your emotional response etc.), as well as the physical and psychological aspects of making a film (production, implicit meaning), are all interrelated via this overarching dynamic system. Each element of the cinematic apparatus supports a common set of beliefs, an ideology.

The dominant ideology of cinema is one of conveying taste. You could thus argue that cinema facilitates a bodily experience in a similar manner to a restaurant. The customer (spectator) can pick a meal (film) from a limited menu (program) which is carefully assembled by the restaurant staff. This is exemplified by different programs of a theater, streaming service, or any other film facilitator, which align with the ideology of that institution (e.g. an independent arthouse film will not play blockbusters), akin to how a restaurant limits your choice to a menu that aligns with their style.  Just like meals, films have various tastes throughout; the first bite (initial thoughts), a taste while chewing (watching), and an aftertaste (feelings after finishing the film). This idea is supported by the sociolect used in film discourse: calling the ending of a movie ‘distasteful’, expressing that a scene ‘left you with a bitter aftertaste’, or claiming that you ‘needed to digest that scene before understanding it’ are common phrases when discussing films, and mirror the bodily experience of films. Using culinary terms to describe films also makes film discussions more accessible, as most people can easily relate to the sensory experiences these words evoke.

Finally, it is critical to keep in mind that any commercial institute, whether it be gastronomical or cinematic, will always strive to maximize profit. A restaurant that leaves you with a delicious aftertaste will naturally be recommended by many. A cinema on the other hand, will most likely also profit from disgusting experiences, like one might have when viewing a body horror. You could therefore argue that cinema is not simply a tasty experience, but an experience of extreme taste, where intensity triumphs over quality. That is why I always bring popcorn when visiting the cinema; at least one flavor is guarenteed.