Features of Artistic Space and Time in the Predestination Plot

Abstract

The plot in which the protagonist is condemned by an external power to a predetermined future is well known. Possessing an enormous potential for confliction, it is referred to in the article as the “predestination plot”. The study explores the patterns of constructing artistic space and time for this particular type of plot. It is shown that the dominant temporality for a film with a doomed character is the “future in the present” time form. It implies a special type of causality that leads to the elimination of rigid logical connections, giving rise to an absurd reality. That’s exactly why the predestination plot is marked by spatial and temporal anomalies. The features of artistic space and time in the films with predetermined future are illustrated by examples of “The Green Knight” (2020) directed by David Lowery, “I'm Thinking of Ending Things” (2020) by Charlie Kaufman, and some others.

The plot of a hero condemned by an external force to a predetermined future, where the forces of predestination hold sway over him, is not new. Possessing enormous conflictual potential, this article dubs it the “predestination plot”. The study explores the patterns of constructing artistic space and time for this type of plot. It is shown that the dominant temporality for a film with a doomed hero is the “future in the present” temporal form. This implies a special type of causality that leads to the elimination of rigid logical connections, leading to the emergence of an absurd reality. This is precisely why the predestination plot is characterized by spatial and temporal anomalies. The features of artistic space and time in the plot of predetermination are examined using the examples of the films “The Green Knight” (2020) directed by David Lowery, “I'm Thinking of Ending Things” (2020) directed by Charlie Kaufman, and several others.