Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The cinematic present tense

You know how when you are retelling the story of a movie you've seen, how you kind of naturally fall into the present tense?  Is there a name for that phenomenon?  Besides the one I've just made up?

Yes, this query is related to my essay grading.  I have a very consistent example of the use of the "cinematic present tense" right here.  (But I can't show you.)

7 comments:

Unknown said...

It's standard practice in literary studies (and the same is true with film) to use the present tense.

Steve Muhlberger said...

Interesting! Has anyone discussed this choice?

Unknown said...

It is a literary device to use the progression of tense to show progress: 'He gathered his forces, marched them across the country, and there he stands face to face with the foe'. The present tense - the here and now - is the point of focus.

Steve Muhlberger said...

The fault I am calling the cinematic present tense is not nearly so subtle. All the verbs go into the present tense. I am sure that this is not what literary studies and film studies people do.

Anonymous said...

That's the historical present tense, isn't it?

Historian on the Edge said...

I thought it was called the present historic. Or that's what I've been telling my students for the last twenty years... 'If it happened in the past, use a past tense' is my stock phrase.

Anonymous said...

In Latin it's called the dramatic present and was a legitimate stylistic choice. I'm not convinced about it in English, but I have seen the phrase `historic present tense' for it. I think I like `cinematic present' better, but it will date, alas.