Un Chien Andalou is a highly surreal film, a fact that is completely expected given it was a collaboration between Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali. In the past I have studied the works of Dali (The Persistence of Memory and Metamorphosis of Narcissus being among my favourite artworks) which is one of the reasons I found the film interesting to begin with, and was wholly unsurprised by its disturbing qualities; Dali enjoyed throwing himself down the stairs, anything with his input is bound to be exceedingly surreal and often disturbing.
At its heart In Chien Andalou is an experimental film; not only does its themes belong to the avant-garde, but it also subverts all that is considered necessary to construct a film.
The exposition of the film is fairly a fairly disturbing series of shots that lead to the mutilation of an eye, in spite of this, it does raise an interesting point in regards to the film making process. This sequence cuts from the woman - whose eye you are led to believe is mutilated - to a shot of a cloud cutting through the moon, and finally to a close up of the razor slicing through the eyeball. By concluding with a close up of a pigs eyeball, Buñuel is stating that filmmakers are deceiving - cutting - what you see - this is further evidenced by the cloud cutting through the moon. This formal subversion, a key aspect of avant-garde, continues throughout the fifteen minutes that Buñuel and Dali hold our attention; a lack of any sense of time thanks to the misplaced time connectives. I find this formal subversion to be an intriguing facet of Un Chien Andalou and one of the reasons as to why it is amongst my favourite experimental films.
Another quality of avant-garde that is present within Un Chien Andalou is thematic nihilism (a general loss of faith in absolutes) - accepted social values and the like are essentially rejected. This concept is present within several points of the film, one example of this being what is perceived as the incorrect use of time frames. However this is not just Buñuel adding to the surrealism, although it does do that, instead he is challenging time, a concept that not only holds a prestigious place in our society, but also governs our lives. Buñuel and Dali are expressing the idea that time is man made and unnatural, something that can also be linked to the gender stereotype issue that is present (the androgyny of the girl with the stick).
Although the challenge to time is extremely clever, what I find to be the most symbolic is the dead donkeys. The imagery of the man dragging the donkeys, pianos and priests as he attempts to reach the woman he desires is very powerful: he is dragging the weight of expectations caused by starting a relationship. The piano is a representation of the romantic expectations, the Priests are the religious, whereas the donkeys while dead can alternatively be seen as the dead weight of all these expectations.
Ultimately I view Un Chien Andalou as one of my favourite experimental films due to the surreal and artistic nature of the symbolism, but also as a result of the formal subversion of the norms in our culture that have become our reality.
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
FM3: Small Scale research Project
To what extent does Alfred
Hitchcock’s recurring theme of fate indicate the signature style of an auteur?
Annotated Catalogue
Films
Item 1
Psycho (1960)
– Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho is
considered amongst the greatest of Hitchcock’s films and the beginning of the
slasher genre. The film follows Marion’s theft of $40,000 (the MacGuffin) and
her subsequent murder in the famed shower scene by ‘Mrs Bates’. Psycho reflects the theme of fate, as it
was only through fate that Marion ended up at the Bates Motel and her harsh
treatment at the hands of Mrs Bates. With Psycho
being considered the peak of Hitchcock’s career, it makes it a perfect resource
for my topic.
Item 2
The Wrong Man
(1956) – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The Wrong Man
details the consequences of people’s actions and the effects of false
imprisonment. The Wrong Man contains
the theme of, obviously, mistaken identity; this theme is believed to have
stemmed from Hitchcock’s past and his fear of policemen. While fate dictates
that Marion be murdered for her theft, in The
Wrong Man it results in Manny arrested and prosecuted for a crime he did
not commit. As such it becomes an interesting comparison for Psycho.
Item 3
The Birds
(1963) – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The Birds is
thought of as the start of Hitchcock’s downward spiral; Hitchcock began
improvising during the filming, something he did not do all that often. The Birds is another good comparison
with my main film, Psycho, as it is
only through fate that Melanie arrived in the town at the time that the birds
began to attack the citizens.
Books
Item 4
Film Art: An Introduction
Item 4 is a book regarding
how we can define films as art pieces. It is not only limited to the films, but
also the people behind the films, namely directors, and how we can categorise
them. Film Art looks into who we
define as an auteur and why, I can relate this to my topic of fate and how it
can define Alfred Hitchcock as an auteur making it a highly useful source.
Item 5
Alfred Hitchcock – Paul Duncan
Chapter 6 of Alfred Hitchcock by Paul Duncan deals
with auteur theory, not only as a concept, but also in relation to a number of
Hitchcock’s films, Psycho (1960) and The Wrong Man (1956) being among them.
This is useful as it gives an opinion regarding the films and their recurring
themes, e.g. fate, and also shows how Alfred Hitchcock could be considered an
auteur.
Item 6
Hitchcock’s Motifs – Michael Walker
Motifs are a major part of
deciding whether or not a director is an auteur; should these motifs (themes)
recur, then in the director could be considered an auteur as consistency is a
valid part of determining authorship. In this item, Michael Walker focuses
solely upon Hitchcock’s motifs – not only does he list them and where they are
present in his features, Walker also provides reasons behind their use. Certain
aspects of Hitchcock’s motifs are thought to have been influenced by his
childhood; this is useful to formulating an answer to how Hitchcock’s past has
made an impact upon his films – particularly with the theme of fate deciding
what happens to the characters. I will be using quotations from this to help
support my argument.
Item 7
Film Studies
– Andrew M Butler
Andrew Butler’s Film Studies is a comprehensive book
regarding various film studies topics – genre, psychoanalysis and auteur theory
amongst them. The third chapter focuses on the numerous auteur theories and how
they can be applied to directors and the like. These explanations are highly
relevant to deciding how an auteur can be defined, and I shall be using this to
show how Hitchcock can be defined as an auteur.
Item 8
Film Authorship: The Director as an Auteur – Warren Buckland
Item 8 is an extract that
focuses on film authorship; the director as an auteur in particular. Not only
does outline the various ways that a director can be classed as an auteur, and
the various theories concerning authorship: Francis Truffaut and Andrew Sarris most
notably. It also provides several ways in which Alfred Hitchcock could be
considered an auteur. Collectively, this makes Item 9 a highly useful source in
regards to the topic and I may quote from this in my presentation script.
Item 9
Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962 – Andrew Sarris
Item 9 is Andrew Sarris’
notes on the auteur theory. Whilst Item 8 touches upon this theory, and
summarises it succinctly, Item 10 is the opinion of Andrew Sarris, and would
include pieces of information that may have been left out by critics who may
not think it relevant. These notes are useful as they are highly detailed in
how you should define a director as an auteur, and whether or not they are of
use to the film making process.
Interviews
Item
10
Alfred Hitchcock – Masters of Cinema (Complete Interview 1972): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umfiwI-7I0M
The
interview above, Alfred Hitchcock –
Masters of Cinema, is a complete interview filmed in 1972 regarding Hitchcock
and his cinematic style. This would allow for direct quotes to be taken from
the man himself regarding how he wished to have his features filmed and how his
past/personal life may have influenced his work and the themes within them,
i.e. fate.
Documentaries
Item
11
Item 11 is the first half of
a two part documentary regarding Alfred Hitchcock that looks into his past as
well as his films. Within the first five minutes of this documentary, you learn
of Hitchcock’s family, in particular his mother, and how his past may have affected
the way he presents various characters in his films. The reason for the fates
of many of his characters may stem from his childhood, making this source
highly useful. The information provided by this will feature in my presentation
script.
Item 12
Item 12 is a continuation of
the documentary in Item 11; this item however, deals with Hitchcock as an
auteur and, more specifically, his later films: The Birds and Psycho
included. Alfred the Auteur contains
quotes from, not only Hitchcock, but also members of the Cahiers du Cinema who were partly responsible in the determination
of directors as auteurs. The quotes and opinions regarding Hitchcock and his
works are highly useful in determining whether his past/personal life has influenced
the theme of fate in his films.
Websites
Item 13
This item, an online
biography of Alfred Hitchcock, is highly useful in providing information about
the personal life of the man himself. Considering my question focuses on how
the recurring theme of fate indicates the signature style of an auteur, it is
highly possible that this idea is a result of events that occurred during
Hitchcock’s childhood; the fate of Manny in The Wrong Man could be one such
example. Due to this item 13 provides evidence that could help determine if
Hitchcock’s personal life has influenced the theme of fate.
Item
14
Item
14, like Item 13, is a website that informs the reader of the past and personal
life of Alfred Hitchcock; this item is far more detailed, and even states how
the area in which Hitchcock was born may have affected his films – this information
would be useful, as it could be used, like item 13, to determine if the idea of
fate in his films, is one that has been influenced by his childhood.
Item
15
Item
15 is a website with plenty of information on directors and films, it has a
whole section dedicated to Hitchcock and his most notable films. Cinearchive
not only has detailed notes regarding Hitchcock’s films, but it also has
documentaries, letters and scripts for films like The 39 Steps and Rebecca.
There are plenty of interviews with Hitchcock, and opinions from other
directors concerning the Master of Suspense.
Item
16
The Hitchcock Effect: Hitchcock’s
influence as an Auteur: http://eng3122.wordpress.com/group-3-main/
This item is useful as it
provides information regarding Hitchcock as an auteur. This website alludes to
the possible reason behind his consistent use of blondes and how his childhood
has influenced Psycho. I believe that the idea of fate (and subsequently the
idea of being harshly punished or wrongly accused) is evident in the above
examples, making it, in my opinion, a fairly useful source. I hope to use these
aspects to aid in the creation of my presentation script.
Magazines
Item 17
Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho – Empire August 1998
Item 17 is a magazine article
regarding Psycho, Hitchcock’s most
famous film. The article not only explains the origins of the film, but also
quotes from those involved in the making of the feature, namely actors and
scriptwriters, as well as direct quotes from Alfred Hitchcock regarding how he
wished to have it made. This item is useful as my focus film is Hitchcock’s Psycho.
Rejected Items
Rear Window (1954)
Rear Window
is a rather voyeuristic film as it follows a photographer who is trapped in his
flat due to a broken leg and spends his days essentially spying on his
neighbours. Although Rear Window is
at the top with Psycho and is filled
with plenty of recurring themes, I felt that it is not one that presents the
idea of fate.
Even though this item, Auteur Theory in Film Criticism,
summarises what it is to be an Auteur, it focuses mostly on Tim Burton and
Peter Jackson. Its auteur theory is based around how Andrew Sarris defines an
auteur, a theory which is already an Item in the catalogue; to include this
would be highly repetitive. This and the lack of information regarding Alfred
Hitchcock, makes this source not as useful.
Concepts in Film Theory – Dudley Andrew
The book Concepts in Film Theory by
Dudley Andrew focuses, as the title states, on the various theories in the film
industry. Chapter 7: Valuation (of Genres
and Auteurs), whilst being highly detailed, focuses solely on auteurs in
relation to genre; this is not relevant to the idea that Hitchcock’s theme of
fate is a signature style of an auteur.
In the Master’s Shadow
Whilst In the Master’s Shadow is a highly useful documentary in regards to
Hitchcock’s influence upon other films and directors, it does not relate to the
idea that the theme of fate could constitute the signature style of an auteur. For
this reason, I have rejected In the
Master’s Shadow.
Traditions in World Cinema
The book Traditions in World Cinema explores the various traditions from
various countries and how they work. In European Traditions, there is the French
New Wave, from which the term auteur emerged; this alone makes the item useful.
However I already have plenty of information on auteurs, and to add more would
be rather pointless and repetitive.
Presentation Script
SPEAKER:
Alfred Hitchcock is perhaps
one of the most famous directors of all time; with a career spanning six
decades and a filmography of over fifty films, it is not hard to see why.
Hitchcock is well known for his distinctive style that boarded horror, and for
being able to psychologically manipulate his audiences’ emotions to an art. (Item
16)
Many of the techniques that
film makers across the world use today were developed by The Master of
Suspense, while an entire genre was created in the wake of his most well known
film, Psycho.
While the world recognises
Alfred Hitchcock as one of the greats in the film industry, is it possible to
call him an auteur? To even define an auteur, you must understand what the
theory is there for, as Item 8 clearly states: “The aim of the auteur policy is to distinguish between directors as
artists (auteurs) and directors as mere technicians (metteurs-en-scene).”
Although it is rather easy to
understand the difference between the director as an auteur or a metteur-en-scene,
the question still remains as to why it is the director that is classed at the
auteur, and not the writers. This is because during the filmmaking process,
scripts change dramatically from what the writers proposed; ultimately, it is
the director whose role is the closest to arranging all stages of production
that affects how a film is finished. (Item 4)
PROJECTOR:
Display quote on Power-point: “Alfred Hitchcock
reportedly sat on the set during filming, never looking through the camera’s
viewfinder. Yet he sketched out every shot beforehand and thoroughly explained
to his cinematographer what he wanted.” – Item 4
SPEAKER:
When it came to the assembly
of his films, Hitchcock did not just make them; he spent hours creating them,
writing down everything on paper frame by frame, working out every shot, camera
movement and every technical issue. This control over the creation of films is
solely given to the director – although it is possible for producers or writers
to influence it slightly – and this is why the directors are the ones
distinguished as the authors of films. (Item 14, Item 10*)
As the auteur policy is
designed to classify directors, there is still the matter as to how to identify
them.
PROJECTOR:
Display quote on Power-point: “An auteur is a director who manifests a consistency of style and theme
across his or her films” – Item 8
SPEAKER:
As shown on the slide, a
consistency of style and theme throughout a director’s various films is the way
in which to identify an auteur. While this is an accurate definition, Sarris states,
“The three premises of the auteur theory
may be visualised as three concentric circles: the outer circle, as technique;
the middle circle, personal style; and the inner circle, interior meaning.” (Item 9)
PROJECTOR:
The next slide is shown as you talk. It features three
concentric circles, each labelled with, technique, personal style, and interior
meaning – Item 9
Few disagree with the idea
that Alfred Hitchcock should be classed as an auteur, but in what ways do his
features define him as thus? The topic of this presentation is the theme, the idea,
of fate within Hitchcock’s films that classifies him as an auteur.
PROJECTOR:
Bullet points of the way fate can be defined.
SPEAKER:
Fate can be defined in three
basic ways:
- The supposed force/principle/power that predetermines events
- The inevitable events predestined by this force
- A final result/consequence/doom
With this in mind, we can
easily apply this to Hitchcock’s films and easily see how the main characters
are treated harshly in the midst of events outside of their control; their
fates are all cruel.
PROJECTOR:
Display Shower Scene from Psycho (Item 1) –approx. 1mins.54secs.
To begin with, Psycho embodies this idea of fate and
harsh treatment – this occurs through the character Marion. At the beginning of
the film, Marion steals $40,000 and runs away – by sheer chance, she ends up
staying at the Bates’ Motel where she meets Norman, who later murders her when
his mother takes over. Her brutal murder could be seen as the consequence of stealing the money in the
first place. Another perspective, however, could be that Marion’s death – and
the subsequent death of Arbogast – could be fate predetermining the events that
led to Norman’s arrest. (1)
While Marion’s fate is
unmistakeably tragic, so too is Norman’s fate: Norman, as we learn at the very
end of the film, has a split personality – we also learn in the denouement that
‘Mrs Bates’ has completely taken over his mind and body. In this way, Norman’s
fate is seemingly more tragic; he has no control over his life: his mother has
shared her illness with him.
With the idea of fate and a
controlled existence being such a prominent theme within Hitchcock’s works, it
makes sense to assume that this was present with the Auteur’s life. In an Empire Magazine article (written in
1998) concerning Hitchcock’s Psycho,
the Master of Suspense admits to essentially controlling the emotions and
thoughts of his audience; for a short time, he minutely controlled their fates.
It is my personal belief that this need to control how his audience feels has
greatly influenced the theme of fate; he becomes the executor of fate in
regards to the characters he presents, and thusly controls his audience.
PROJECTOR:
Display quotation from Item 17 (magazine article): Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho – Empire August
1998:
“That game with the audiences was
fascinating. I was directing the viewers. You might say I was playing them like
an organ.” – Alfred Hitchcock.
SPEAKER:
The idea that Hitchcock
allowed his past/personal life to affect the themes within his films is fairly
evident, especially as his theme of fate is often tied in to being harshly
treated. Brought up by strict, Catholic parents, discipline was often present within
his life; it is believed that Hitch’s mother often made him stand as the foot
of her bed for hours – this was alluded to in Psycho. He also attended the Jesuit run college, St Ignatius. The
Jesuits are notorious for their approach to discipline and often taught that “you have to live life in fear and guilt”
as there is evil in everyone. (Item 13)
Though both of these may have
influenced the themes and motifs within his films, the most prominent example
from Hitchcock’s past that greatly ties in to this theme of fate and harsh
treatment is his encounters with the police as a child. Hitchcock often told
the story of when his father sent him to a police station with a note, where he
was locked in a police cell for ten minutes and was told, “That’s what we do to naughty boys”. (Item 11, Item 12)
We can see this idea of a
harsh fate/treatment very clearly within The
Wrong Man. The Wrong Man follows
the arrest and incarceration of Manny, a man completely innocent of any crime,
and the subsequent it has upon his life and family. Manny is a completely
average man: he has a wife, two kids and a job – not much different than the
rest of the human race. It was only through fate that someone else looked like
him and happened to be robbing premises in the area. (Item 2)
One most notable fact in
regards to this film is that the police are presented as incompetent; it was
because of their lack of a thorough investigation that Manny was the accused in
the first place. Hence the MacGuffin in this is Justice, something that Manny
does not seem to get. Item 6 states, in regards to the MacGuffin and the
Police, that “The British and American
police are much too bust pursing the falsely accused hero to be of practical
use in such matters.” This is fairly evident within The Wrong Man: they do not take Manny’s pleas of innocence
seriously, and refuse to pursuit justice until the end of the film where it
became clear that Manny did in fact have a double. (Item 6)
The effect that this
miscarriage of justice has upon Manny and his family is far reaching; not only
does Manny lose his credibility, but Rose also becomes unstable. This is
evidenced through the film with Rose seen as small or at angles to show her
retreating from the world as a whole. This film embodies the true cost of
peoples’ actions, and the fates they are left with due to the mistakes of
others. (Item 5)
PROJECTOR:
Display quote on Power-point: “In this case, it is not some symbolic villain, a reincarnation of
fate, who picks The Wrong Man out of a hat and does bad things to him. In this
case, it is the System of Justice which is the villain – not only does it
physically incarcerate Manny, but it mentally traps Rose’s mind.” Item 5 – Alfred Hitchcock, Paul Duncan
The final film that relates
to this topic of fate and harsh treatment is The Birds. The Birds is
often considered the beginning of the end for Hitchcock, and – as Andrew Butler
says – “the canon of auteurs is one
shifting reputation”. Although The
Birds is not considered one of the films that makes Hitchcock an auteur, it
does hold the theme of fate and harsh treatment; Melanie, who tries to do
something relatively nice, ends up being attacked and almost killed by the end
of the film –she was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time. (Item 3,
Item 7)
PROJECTOR:
Display clip on power-point. Hitchcock’s The Birds – Original Ending (From Item 15) approx. 4mins
As the original ending to The Birds was to show how the avian
animals were, not just attacking Melanie and the town, but the world, it brings
an interesting light into how the theme of fate can be perceived. Instead of
the birds attacking because of Melanie’s arrival, you gain the impression that
it is the fate of the human race as a whole to suffer at the beaks of the birds
for something more than just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Revenge, perhaps.
Overall then, the ever
present theme of fate within Hitchcock’s films does indicate the signature
style of an auteur to a certain extent. Whilst it does recur, it cannot alone
provide Alfred Hitchcock with the title of auteur but instead contributes to
why The Master of Suspense is considered, by many, to
deserve the auteur status.
Friday, 16 January 2015
Experimental Film Task - Practical and Reflective Analysis
It's just a chair
The concept behind our experimental film was that of perception; in other words, we were attempting to express how different things could be perceived in different ways. With this in mind, we decided to use a combination of still shots and video, cemented together to give the illusion of a moving image using cross dissolves.
As a group, we wandered around the college trying to find items, pictures or scenes in which we could include - this was my role in the group. An example of one of our shots would be a close-up moving image of a painting in one of the corridors. The part we captured was a collection of rust which we decided looked like a mountain range if you removed the rest of the painting. We decided to use a moving image so as to make it seem the camera was in fact panning a mountain range, not a painting.
Another example would be a knot in some wood that looked like an eye. This not only deceives the audience, but also relates to the idea of perception: our eyes are vital in seeing, and often deceive what we see.
However, whilst we were editing our film, we experienced problems, mostly due to how slow the computer was in processing our actions. Also, due to time constraints and a limited location, it became exceedingly difficult to find scenes that pertained to the topic.
Overall, I fell that, in spite of the problems we came across during the entire project, we worked well as a unit, and we did our best to create an experimental film within the time allowed.
The concept behind our experimental film was that of perception; in other words, we were attempting to express how different things could be perceived in different ways. With this in mind, we decided to use a combination of still shots and video, cemented together to give the illusion of a moving image using cross dissolves.
As a group, we wandered around the college trying to find items, pictures or scenes in which we could include - this was my role in the group. An example of one of our shots would be a close-up moving image of a painting in one of the corridors. The part we captured was a collection of rust which we decided looked like a mountain range if you removed the rest of the painting. We decided to use a moving image so as to make it seem the camera was in fact panning a mountain range, not a painting.
Another example would be a knot in some wood that looked like an eye. This not only deceives the audience, but also relates to the idea of perception: our eyes are vital in seeing, and often deceive what we see.
However, whilst we were editing our film, we experienced problems, mostly due to how slow the computer was in processing our actions. Also, due to time constraints and a limited location, it became exceedingly difficult to find scenes that pertained to the topic.
Overall, I fell that, in spite of the problems we came across during the entire project, we worked well as a unit, and we did our best to create an experimental film within the time allowed.
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
La Haine
How far does the
impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses
of film techniques? (35)
La Haine (Hate) directed/written by Mathieu Kassovitz is a
film depicting the way society is falling, and how the conflicts that arise are
circular unless the human race, as a whole changes. This concept is shown
through the main protagonists: Said, Vinz and Hubert. The three are struggling
to live their lives trapped in a system that results in a life where they are
seen as the lowest of the low, and ultimately resort to crime just to gain a
leg up in the world. They are also a limited representation of the sixty
nationalities that are suffering from discrimination within the same area.
In La Haine, Kassovitz continuously presents the idea that
the violence/racism in this world is circular – “hate begets hate” – it will
continue to be so long as we allow it continue by society turning its back to
the problem.
This idea of circles is shown frequently throughout La
Haine, one such example being the 360 shots that Kassovitz uses. When Hubert,
Said and Vinz are arrested, they are taken to a police station at which point,
Kassovitz uses the 360 shot; this shows the grim faced police and how apart
they are from Vinz and Hubert. The use of this 360 shot clearly shows how these
problems in society (e.g. racism) are going to keep circling around until we
fix them.
Another way Kassovitz impacts the idea of racism being a
circular problem is the clock. The clock is shown to display certain times, we
do not see it move until the end, but the audience can always hear it ticking.
This can be taken as another way to show the idea of circular problems, but I
personally see as time running out; there is only so long we, as a community,
can let these problems remain before we create our own apocalypse. (Rwanda, Nazi Germany)
“It’s about a society
on its way down. And as it falls, it keeps telling itself: ‘So far so good… So
far so good… So far so good.’ It’s not how you fall that matters. It’s how you
land.”
The quote above is from the end of the film, overlaying the
seconds after Vinz’s death; the most obvious part about it is that it is a
parallel to the exposition quote. The next is that it essentially sums up the
purpose of this film; a very prevalent society, one that is considered amongst
the wealthiest of countries, is failing in a way that no one is willing to
stop. It will just keep failing as it has yet to fail.
The ending quote one way in which La Haine makes an impact
upon the audience without the need for a series of images; in my opinion, it is
powerful enough on its own. However, this quote is made even more powerful by a
series of techniques that surround it.
After Vinz is accidently shot, the clock is introduced once
again, but this time the audience sees it change, referring to the idea that
the cycle has begun again, but also to the possibility that time is running out
before society “lands”. This idea of an
immediate circular problem is the siren on the police car, that, as the camera
zooms onto Said shutting his eyes, coincides with the sound of a gunshot and
lights the side of Said’s face. This creates the illusion that someone may have
been shot, but we are unsure as to whom considering the credits have appeared;
immediately you have the concept of Schrodinger’s cat – we are unsure of what
will happen, the only thing we are certain of is that conflict is going to
emerge from this.
Once again, this reinforces the idea, and the impact, that
the quote (see above) brings forth: society is failing due to circular problems
resulting in circular conflict. This impact is created from a variety of film
techniques collectively.
While I may have dwelt upon the end of La Haine a lot, I
believe it delivers a huge impact upon the audience who have grown to know the
characters that the film focuses on. Said, Vinz and Hubert have arrived back at
the Les Banlieues which have been decorated by famous images (Sistine Chapel
Ceiling on one), the image that is set in the background of this scene is the
face of Charles Baudelaire – a famous philosopher.
Charles Baudelaire once said, “The world only goes round by misunderstanding”, this quote ties in
very well to the theme of La Haine, and even more so with the accidental
shooting that it concludes with.
Personally, I believe that La Haine does rely upon film
techniques frequently to impact upon the audience and convey its message about
a society that is falling, and how it is not as distant as we might believe.
Friday, 12 September 2014
Annotated Catalogue - Ist Draft
To what extent does Alfred
Hitchcock’s recurring theme of fate indicate the signature style of an auteur?
Annotated Catalogue
Films
Item 1
Psycho (1960)
– Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho is
considered amongst the greatest of Hitchcock’s films and the beginning of the
slasher genre. The film follows Marion’s theft of $40,000 (the MacGuffin) and
her subsequent murder in the famed shower scene by ‘Mrs Bates’. Psycho reflects the theme of fate, as it
was only through fate that Marion ended up at the Bates Motel and her harsh
treatment at the hands of Mrs Bates. With Psycho
being considered the peak of Hitchcock’s career, it makes it a perfect resource
for my topic.
Item 2
The Wrong Man
(1956) – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The Wrong Man
details the consequences of people’s actions and the effects of false
imprisonment. The Wrong Man contains
the theme of, obviously, mistaken identity; this theme is believed to have
stemmed from Hitchcock’s past and his fear of policemen. While fate dictates
that Marion be murdered for her theft, in The
Wrong Man it results in Manny arrested and prosecuted for a crime he did
not commit. As such it becomes an interesting comparison for Psycho.
Item 3
The Birds
(1963) – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The Birds is
thought of as the start of Hitchcock’s downward spiral; Hitchcock began
improvising during the filming, something he did not do all that often. The Birds is another good comparison
with my main film, Psycho, as it is
only through fate that Melanie arrived in the town at the time that the birds
began to attack the citizens.
Books
Item 4
Film Art: An Introduction
Item 4 is a book regarding
how we can define films as art pieces. It is not only limited to the films, but
also the people behind the films, namely directors, and how we can categorise
them. Film Art looks into who we
define as an auteur and why, I can relate this to my topic of fate and how it
can define Alfred Hitchcock as an auteur making it a highly useful source.
Item 5
Alfred Hitchcock – Paul Duncan
Chapter 6 of Alfred Hitchcock by Paul Duncan deals
with auteur theory, not only as a concept, but also in relation to a number of
Hitchcock’s films, Psycho (1960) and The Wrong Man (1956) being among them.
This is useful as it gives an opinion regarding the films and their recurring
themes, e.g. fate, and also shows how Alfred Hitchcock could be considered an
auteur.
Item 6
Hitchcock’s Motifs – Michael Walker
Motifs are a major part of
deciding whether or not a director is an auteur; should these motifs (themes)
recur, then in the director could be considered an auteur as consistency is a
valid part of determining authorship. In this item, Michael Walker focuses
solely upon Hitchcock’s motifs – not only does he list them and where they are
present in his features, Walker also provides reasons behind their use. Certain
aspects of Hitchcock’s motifs are thought to have been influenced by his
childhood; this is useful to formulating an answer to how Hitchcock’s past has
made an impact upon his films – particularly with the theme of fate deciding
what happens to the characters. I will be using quotations from this to help
support my argument.
Item 7
Film Studies
– Andrew M Butler
Andrew Butler’s Film Studies is a comprehensive book
regarding various film studies topics – genre, psychoanalysis and auteur theory
amongst them. The third chapter focuses on the numerous auteur theories and how
they can be applied to directors and the like. These explanations are highly
relevant to deciding how an auteur can be defined, and I shall be using this to
show how Hitchcock can be defined as an auteur.
Item 8
Film Authorship: The Director as an Auteur – Warren Buckland
Item 8 is an extract that
focuses on film authorship; the director as an auteur in particular. Not only
does outline the various ways that a director can be classed as an auteur, and
the various theories concerning authorship: Francis Truffaut and Andrew Sarris most
notably. It also provides several ways in which Alfred Hitchcock could be
considered an auteur. Collectively, this makes Item 9 a highly useful source in
regards to the topic and I may quote from this in my presentation script.
Item 9
Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962 – Andrew Sarris
Item 9 is Andrew Sarris’
notes on the auteur theory. Whilst Item 8 touches upon this theory, and
summarises it succinctly, Item 10 is the opinion of Andrew Sarris, and would
include pieces of information that may have been left out by critics who may
not think it relevant. These notes are useful as they are highly detailed in
how you should define a director as an auteur, and whether or not they are of
use to the film making process.
Interviews
Item
10
Alfred Hitchcock – Masters of Cinema (Complete Interview 1972): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umfiwI-7I0M
The
interview above, Alfred Hitchcock –
Masters of Cinema, is a complete interview filmed in 1972 regarding
Hitchcock and his cinematic style. This would allow for direct quotes to be
taken from the man himself regarding how he wished to have his features filmed
and how his past/personal life may have influenced his work and the themes
within them, i.e. fate.
Documentaries
Item
11
Reputations: Hitch: Alfred the Great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKdorJi6G08
Item 11 is the first half of
a two part documentary regarding Alfred Hitchcock that looks into his past as
well as his films. Within the first five minutes of this documentary, you learn
of Hitchcock’s family, in particular his mother, and how his past may have
affected the way he presents various characters in his films. The reason for
the fates of many of his characters may stem from his childhood, making this
source highly useful. The information provided by this will feature in my
presentation script.
Item 12
Reputations: Hitch: Alfred the Auteur: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkiJ6zcyLRw
Item 12 is a continuation of
the documentary in Item 11; this item however, deals with Hitchcock as an
auteur and, more specifically, his later films: The Birds and Psycho
included. Alfred the Auteur contains
quotes from, not only Hitchcock, but also members of the Cahiers du Cinema who were partly responsible in the determination
of directors as auteurs. The quotes and opinions regarding Hitchcock and his
works are highly useful in determining whether his past/personal life has influenced
the theme of fate in his films.
Websites
Item 13
Alfred Hitchcock Biography: http://www.biography.com/people/alfred-hitchcock-9340006
This item, an online
biography of Alfred Hitchcock, is highly useful in providing information about
the personal life of the man himself. Considering my question focuses on how
the recurring theme of fate indicates the signature style of an auteur, it is
highly possible that this idea is a result of events that occurred during
Hitchcock’s childhood; the fate of Manny in The Wrong Man could be one such
example. Due to this item 13 provides evidence that could help determine if
Hitchcock’s personal life has influenced the theme of fate.
Item
14
Alfred Hitchcock: http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/plain/A2984051
Item
14, like Item 13, is a website that informs the reader of the past and personal
life of Alfred Hitchcock; this item is far more detailed, and even states how
the area in which Hitchcock was born may have affected his films – this
information would be useful, as it could be used, like item 13, to determine if
the idea of fate in his films, is one that has been influenced by his childhood.
Item
15
Cinearchive: http://cinearchive.org/search/alfred+hitchcock
Item
15 is a website with plenty of information on directors and films, it has a
whole section dedicated to Hitchcock and his most notable films. Cinearchive
not only has detailed notes regarding Hitchcock’s films, but it also has
documentaries, letters and scripts for films like The 39 Steps and Rebecca.
There are plenty of interviews with Hitchcock, and opinions from other
directors concerning the Master of Suspense.
Item
16
The Hitchcock Effect: Hitchcock’s
influence as an Auteur: http://eng3122.wordpress.com/group-3-main/
This item is useful as it
provides information regarding Hitchcock as an auteur. This website alludes to
the possible reason behind his consistent use of blondes and how his childhood
has influenced Psycho. I believe that the idea of fate (and subsequently the
idea of being harshly punished or wrongly accused) is evident in the above
examples, making it, in my opinion, a fairly useful source. I hope to use these
aspects to aid in the creation of my presentation script.
Magazines
Item 17
Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho – Empire August 1998
Item 17 is a magazine article
regarding Psycho, Hitchcock’s most
famous film. The article not only explains the origins of the film, but also
quotes from those involved in the making of the feature, namely actors and
scriptwriters, as well as direct quotes from Alfred Hitchcock regarding how he
wished to have it made. This item is useful as my focus film is Hitchcock’s Psycho.
Rejected Items
Rear Window (1954)
Rear Window
is a rather voyeuristic film as it follows a photographer who is trapped in his
flat due to a broken leg and spends his days essentially spying on his
neighbours. Although Rear Window is
at the top with Psycho and is filled
with plenty of recurring themes, I felt that it is not one that presents the
idea of fate.
Auteur Theory in Film Criticism: http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A22928772
Even though this item, Auteur Theory in Film Criticism,
summarises what it is to be an Auteur, it focuses mostly on Tim Burton and
Peter Jackson. Its auteur theory is based around how Andrew Sarris defines an
auteur, a theory which is already an Item in the catalogue; to include this
would be highly repetitive. This and the lack of information regarding Alfred
Hitchcock, makes this source not as useful.
Concepts in Film Theory – Dudley Andrew
The book Concepts in Film Theory by
Dudley Andrew focuses, as the title states, on the various theories in the film
industry. Chapter 7: Valuation (of Genres
and Auteurs), whilst being highly detailed, focuses solely on auteurs in
relation to genre; this is not relevant to the idea that Hitchcock’s theme of
fate is a signature style of an auteur.
In the Master’s Shadow
Whilst In the Master’s Shadow is a highly useful documentary in regards to
Hitchcock’s influence upon other films and directors, it does not relate to the
idea that the theme of fate could constitute the signature style of an auteur. For
this reason, I have rejected In the
Master’s Shadow.
Traditions in World Cinema
The book Traditions in World Cinema explores the various traditions from
various countries and how they work. In European Traditions, there is the
French New Wave, from which the term auteur emerged; this alone makes the item
useful. However I already have plenty of information on auteurs, and to add
more would be rather pointless and repetitive.
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