Classical Hollywood Cinema
The Cheat, Source
Even from the beginning of the filmmaking, the Hollywood
studios were controlling the industry. We can see certain similarities between
the early Hollywood movie and the present ones. The use of “appealing stars and
splendid sets” with a clear storytelling is a trait of Hollywood movies used
since early cinema till this moment. Moreover, most of the movies presented two
interdependent plot lines, a conflict between romance and the character’s
struggle to achieve its goal. In addition, Thompson and Bordwell (2003, p.73)
state that “The plot also arouses suspense through deadlines, escalating
conflicts, and last-minute rescues.” These principles are at the base of
Hollywood movies during time and made the American films successful all over
the world.
Animation
The Artist`s Dream, Source
During 1910s in America there has been increased interest in
animated filmmaking, with many technical innovations like the mechanical printing
of background setting, the use of transparent cels, and the slash technique of
drawing action.( Thompson and Bordwell, 2003, p.77)
Bray's The Artist's Dream (or The Daschund and the Sausage),
released in June 1913, became the first animated film distributed commercially
in theatres. Moreover, in The Artist`s Dream, Bray "managed to create extremely fluid animation as well as to imbue his dog character with a crucial quality-personality, as shown in the dachshund`s movements, facial expressions, and the story-driving gluttonous desire."
German Expressionism
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Source
In German Cinema, John D. Barlow (1999, p.84) says “two goals were to be achieved
with expressionist film: to regain export territory closed to German films
because of the world war I, and to attract new, socially and artistically more
sophisticated audiences to the cinema without scaring the traditional viewers.
Critics announced
that the expressionism style made its way into the cinema with Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari/The cabinet of Dr Caligari in 1920. The first motif of the German
expressionism film is the stylisation of the decor. Thompson and Bordwell (2003) state that “The
film used stylized sets, with strange, distorted buildings painted on canvas
backdrops and flats in a theatrical manner.” Effective lighting design with the
play between lights and shadows is another characteristic of German expressionism.
The lights help in constructing the story and enhance the mystery and the
action presented. In addition, stereotypical characters and exaggerated acting
were used in order to “express various anxieties about the modern condition,
and the nature of contemporary life.” German expressionisms movies are
characterised by focus on the characters` faces to highlight expressions and
create the mood and the atmosphere of the movie.
Kracaur (2004, p67)
says that “Caligari exposes the soul wavering between tyranny and chaos, facing
a desperate situation. Like the Nazi world, that of Caligari overflows with
sinister potents, acts of terror and outbursts of panic.”
French Impressionism
El Dorado, Source
Central to the Impressionist Movement are the attempts to transmit
sensations and emotional `impressions`. Thompson and Bordwell (2003, p91) say that “Film
techniques often function to convey character subjectivity. This subjectivity
includes mental images, such as visions, dreams or memories (…).” Because of
this, many Impressionists` innovations involved camerawork in order to distort
the look of the photographic image. For example, in L`Herbier`s El Dorado, a
filter placed over the lens is used in order to suggest the distraction and the
worries of the actress. In the film we
can see that slow motion plays an important role in producing mental images.
Other French Impressionist would shoot into a curved mirror to distort the image
or thru curtains to create subjectivity or would show us the point of view of
the actor. Impressionists were focused on the effects of camerawork and editing
and less importance was on the narrative or the settings. Thompson and Bordwell (2003) suggest the idea
that other film makers have been influenced by the Impressionism characteristics
saying that “was quickly picked up by German film makers, who popularized this
technique and usually have gotten credit for inventing it.” For example,
Hitchcock’s 1927 film –The Ring- can be seen as an Impressionist film.
Soviet Montage movement
Strike, Source
Eisenstein`s Strike (1925) movie is the first major film of
the Montage movement. In Film History,
Thompson and Bordwell (2003, p. 130) state that Eisenstein believed that “the
filmmaker should assemble a series of exciting moments to stimulate the viewer’s
emotions.” Therefore, an important aspect of the movement is the area of
cutting in order to stimulate the spectator. Montage films are supposed to have
the greater number of shots then any other movie of that time and Thompson and
Bordwell (2003, p.131) say that “Montage cutting often created either
overlapping or elliptical temporal relations.” In addition to that, in Strike
we can notice that individual characters are replaced by masses or
stereotypical representations and shot in a realistic location. Furthermore, in
the film we can see the use of another Montage device: the nondiegetic insert. This means the use of one or several shots with
no relevance to the story in order to make a “metaphorical point”.
Reference List
BOOKS
- Aitken, I. (2001). European Film Theory and Cinema. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
- Barlow, J. (1999). German Cinema. London: British Film Institute.
- Kracauer, S. (2004). From Caligari to Hitler. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Thompson, K. and Bordwell, D. (2003). Film History . New York: McGraw-Hill.
ONLINE
- J.R. Bray's Cartoons (1913-1916). Available: http://brayanimation.weebly.com/jr-brays-cartoons.html.Last accessed 2nd March 2012.
- Evamaria Trischak. (1998). Soviet Montage. Available: http://cinetext.philo.at/reports/sv.html. Last accessed 4th March 2012.
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