Evolution from Kuleshov to GoPros
Early Soviet experiments proved context changes emotional reading; POV became grammar for empathy. Horror classics like Halloween weaponise POV to implicate viewers in violence. Digital action cams introduced literal head-mounted POV, culminating in the feature Hardcore Henry (2015).
Ethical and Aesthetic Implications
POV blurs voyeurism and identification. In courtroom dramas, it can bias juries by privileging a single truth. Editors often insert reaction cuts to remind viewers of framing artifice.