Neprijatni najbliži rođak: naučne i pokretne slike majmuna

Abstract

Tema ovog rada su predstave majmuna na filmu i, šire, u zapadnoj kulturnoj tradiciji. Detektuje se obrazac ambivalentne recepcije te vrste života: prepoznavanje najbližeg srodnika neprijatno podseća na zajedničko poreklo. Film je, načelno, umeo da čovekolikog majmuna i augmentizuje, učini neodoljivo pretećom (King Kong), i da ga personalizuje i paternalističkim sentimentalizmom posliči čoveku (Cheeta), i da izokrene čitav odnos čoveka i majmuna i signalizira političke konsekvence vrsne dominacije (Planeta majmuna), i, najzad, da razreši neprijatnu blizinu – sasvim približavajući čoveka i majmuna u zajedničkom katastrofičkom udesu (12 majmuna, Congo, Gorile u magli). U svakoj varijanti, pokazuje se da je znamenitu Marxovu formulaciju – „anatomija čoveka je ključ za razumevanje anatomije majmuna“ – zanimljivije sada obrnuti i misliti možda ne više samo metodološki.

This paper outlines the performance of monkeys in the film and, more broadly, in western cultural tradition. The pattern of ambivalent reception of that liveform is detected: recognizing the closest relatives uncomfortable resemblance to a common origin. In principle, movie used to augment ape and make him irresistibly threatening (King Kong); to personalize and with paternalistic sentimentalism assimilate him to human (Tarzan’s Cheeta), to distort the whole relation of humans and apes and signalize political consequences of species domination (Planet of the Apes), and finally, to resolve an uncomfortable closeness – with complete approximation of humans and monkeys in common catastrophic accidents (12 Monkeys, Congo, Gorillas in the Mist). It is demonstrated that, in whatever version, it is more interesting now to reverse the famous Marx’s formulation –„the anatomy of man is the key to the anatomy of the ape“– and think it not only methodologically any more.