You are here:

Ancient of Days

Name: Ancient of Days
Director: Bill Viola
Released: 1982
Duration: 12 min

Representation Score

6.0/10

Fair

1982

Director

Bill Viola

Runtime

12 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Bill Viola’s *Ancient of Days* succeeds in challenging traditional social hierarchies by moving away from the individual hero model. It replaces standard Western narrative structures with a view of humanity as a temporal phenomenon. The work's strength lies in presenting a deconstructed human experience that transcends specific demographic boundaries. By focusing on elemental imagery like water and light, it offers a nuanced perspective on existence. However, the lack of specific narrative context means that many forms of representation remain symbolic. While it avoids many clichés, it also lacks the active, character-driven engagement required for higher scores in identity-specific categories.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Ancient of Days have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The work does not include explicit references to sexual orientation or gender identity. It avoids depicting straight or cisgender relationships and does not actively show queer identities by focusing on a non-narrative framework.

How does Ancient of Days portray gender?

Good

The piece challenges traditional gender hierarchies by removing social roles and domestic expectations. Both men and women are shown in states of elemental vulnerability, highlighting a shared biological and spiritual reality.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ancient of Days?

Fair

The work uses a diverse range of human forms to illustrate the universality of experiences. However, without specific character arcs, the representation remains largely symbolic rather than socio-politically driven.

How does Ancient of Days represent religion and culture?

Good

The film emphasizes metaphysical inquiry over organized religion or cultural institutions. It avoids singular religious dogmas by focusing on the cycle of life through a secular, elemental lens.

Does Ancient of Days include disability representation?

Minimal

The work does not feature specific characters or plot points centered on disability. Instead, it focuses on the vulnerability of the human body and the aging process.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by removing social roles and domestic expectations.
Highlights a shared biological and spiritual reality through elemental imagery.
Replaces standard Western narrative structures with a focus on temporal phenomena rather than individual ability to act.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit narrative markers or active depictions of specific LGBTQ+ identities.
Racial and ethnic representation remains largely symbolic due to the absence of distinct character arcs.
Does not feature specific characters or plot points centered on disability.

Official Synopsis

Ancient of Days is a remarkable series of "canons and fugues for video" that comprises Viola's most sophisticated structural and metaphorical explorations of time. Mathematical notations of precise time-code editing were applied to construct illustrations of temporal symmetry, duality and transposition — time-based equivalents of musical compositional principles such as counterpoint and serialism. Astonishing temporal interventions — a 180-degree pan gazing downward on a New York City street that progresses from day to night, an image of Mount Rainier in which the foreground and background unfold in different time planes — unfold as symbolic transformations of natural and urban landscapes.

How are these scores produced? →