With Arafat and his galvanising effect goneforever, the evolving Palestinian leadership would be less able and probably less inclined to confront Hamas head-on.
Mr Hytner decided that the cinema audience must feel that it is in a theatre watching a performance that is ephemeral, happening now, and then goneforever.
He has less scope to cut his pace and learn new tricks, and if Lawson is right and he has developed a technical flaw due to his injury, even his relentless accuracy may have goneforever.