Spotlight on the Star

We can distinguish between several different forms of adoration of the star: (a) celebration of the great mime in the acting tradition, and also in film; (b) admiration of physical beauty, as evidenced by the fulfillment of classical requirements (symmetry, harmony), and often supplemented by traits of movement that get attributed to character attributes (e.g., gracefulness, ‘fire’); (c) the supposition that these external qualities are only revealed through interaction with the recording devices—that is, the star is made manifest in and via the ‘screen test,’ with the camera discovering something that had previously been hidden from human sight; (d) the recognition that—when it comes to stars—the events onstage or screen cannot be disassociated from the rest of the star’s life.