Aura
The aura of a particular piece of art is a central motif of the essay. Benjamin uses the term "aura" to denote the uniqueness of a piece of art. The term is traditionally used to describe an enigmatic energy associated with a person or object, and Benjamin retains some of that traditional meaning in his own use. He argues that when a piece of art is divorced from its particular time, place, and connection to ritual, it loses its "aura," and therefore the elements that make it valuable.
Film
For Benjamin, no contemporary art form illustrates the effects of mechanical reproduction more than film. He argues that the artifice of film is geared toward disrupting and dissolving the aura of the actors who perform in them, while the spectators no longer interact directly with the actors but instead assume the perspective of the camera. These two facets of technological advancement detach film from a specific place and time, thereby disconnecting it from art's original function as an element of ritual.
Ritual
A large part of Benjamin's argument focuses on the way mechanical reproduction has slowly separated art from its original function in connection to ritual. For Benjamin, "ritual" denotes traditions like ceremonies and spiritual services. Benjamin argues that art originally began as a form of magic, with pre-historic and ancient peoples attempting to communicate with the gods through drawings. Only later were these private works considered "art," as their original function was never aesthetic. Benjamin argues that this function of art—which he calls the "cult" function—has disappeared and has been replaced by the "exhibition" function—that is, art being made purely to be put on display.
