Benjamin Vs Horkheimer

The question of how film influences human imagination is hotly debated. In the Frankfurt School, Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno assert film is a manipulative technology that makes us intellectually docile and submissive. Walter Benjamin rebuts Horkheimer and Adorno's assertion by recognizing film's ability to expand our imaginations. Although Horkheimer and Adorno make good points, their argument seems cynical and one-sided. Within the context of modernity, Benjamin presents a moderate argument that is more convincing and empowering; he recognizes our ability to utilize film in mentally stimulating ways. Film is not inherently manipulative, but rather an untapped technology that can liberate us from mental lethargy. Horkheimer and Adorno

Horkheimer and Adorno are uncompromising with their criticism of film. They argue that film is a technology created by the culture industry to deceive the masses into mental lethargy; film inherently alienates us from our own humanity and leaves us in a state of false consciousness. Indeed, Horkheimer and Adorno's support of "differentiation" and "uniqueness" is disrupted by the ubiquitous nature of film. Their assertion, however, rests on the assumption the masses are blindly entranced and overstimulated by film. Of course, Benjamin counters this assertion. The psychology of the imagination and sensorium is complicated by their interconnectedness, not their separateness. Benjamin argues that film does not preclude critical thinking or thought. We process sensory information by sensorial perception and analyze its content by personal association. This phenomenon, of course, requires the use of our mental faculties. The mentally stimulating adventures of film, then, expand our imaginations. Film is not, as Horkheimer and Adorno believe, a technology that exists solely to manipulate us into docility and submission. Rather, film is a liberating agent which can expands our imaginations. Consuming film in the context of Benjamin's arguments will allow us to smoothly acclimate into

While Horkheimer and Adorno view film as solely manipulative, Benjamin believes we can use film to accustom ourselves to the oppressive "prison-world" that is modernity. In contrast to Horkheimer and Adorno's perspective, Benjamin's vision of film is empowering because it allows us to tap the liberatory potential of film in the oft-overwhelming modern era. As consumers, we have the power to stimulate our intellects and expand our imaginations with film. Given Horkheimer, Adorno, and Benjamin's arguments, we can either idly accept that film is oppressive or actively seek out the liberating qualities of film. Following Benjamin argumentation, I hope that we, the masses, will choose the