ABSTRACT
This chapter explores two ways of looking at time used by the ancient Greeks: chronos, ordinary sequential time, and kairos, rare moments when time appears to be suspended. A remarkable phenomenon depicted in Dr. Strangelove is the repression and suppression of consequences by the major characters. The essence of Up in the Air is in the meanings of the critical events in Ryan Bingham's life. The opening credits are run against a backdrop of abstract landscape seen from high in the air. Ronald Neames' film, Tunes of Glory, made in 1960 and based on a novel by James Kennaway is, at first glance, a study of the splits between male and female, educated and working classes, war and peace, and charismatic vs. bureaucratic leadership. Ryan Bingham, the protagonist of Up in the Air, specializes in awakening people to the finitude of their lives.
