Slow motion has become perhaps the least special effect in film and media, a stylistic technique for showing violence, dream sequences, and flashbacks or other experiences outside ordinary time. We see so much slow motion on our screens today that we can look past its history and forget how rare it was before the 1960s, when films such as The Wild Bunch, Bonnie and Clyde, and 2001: A Space Odyssey helped it explode in popularity at a moment of cultural change and social upheaval. 

Mark Goble (English) tells the story of slow motion, tracing a broader fascination with the uneven speeds of modern life and our ability to comprehend them. Downtime: The Twentieth Century in Slow Motion (Columbia, 2025) explores the history and aesthetics of slow motion, from its origins in early film to its prominence today. 

Goble is joined by Kristen Whissel (Film & Media).