The Body of the Machine: Computer Interfaces in American Popular Cinema since 1982

Abstract

Human-computer interaction in the late twentieth and early twentyfirst century has been aided by the graphical user interface (GUI). Cinematic representations of the GUI have reflected its pervasive quotidian presence and expanded beyond to create spectacular technophilic Hollywood blockbusters. The screen-based interaction, which computers and the cinema share, offers an important point of reflection upon the embodied relationship among screen, spectator, and the onscreen computer user. By examining cinematic representations of hackers, experts, and users and the extent to which they manipulate or submit to the computer’s vision, this article considers the possible future interaction between spectator and the digital medium of cinema.