Filmikunsti ajalugu (0)

Filmikunsti ajalugu
31.01.12
The age of pioneers: the early history of film
How the horses helped to ivent the cinema .
Cinema was invented by accident . 1872, west coast: leland standford, party , rich people, end of the 19 century , bored. Stanfrod talks friends about horses: problem: question is, what happens with the hooves while its moving , running. Bet, with eyes, can’t settle this. Cannot ever see if the hooves touch the ground . Stanford has enough money , hires most famous photographer. Eadwerd muybridge, comes to usa. Tells him to settle this with photography. That time with photography you cannot get any informatio either. Started to install boxes, in each box, there was a camera . Does the hooves touch the ground or not? Fast shutter, can freeze the moment. Makes fast shutters, to record this. Finds solution, hooves are touching.
The prerequisites for cinema: camera( edison and dickson), film stock that is flexible and stable to run through camera( kodak , celluloid film), projector, can show the image on a screen( 1895 -max skladanowsky, lumiere brothers )
The lumiere brothers and cinematographe
Father was a wealthy factory owner . Thomas edison-worked with moving images. They thaught they can do that also: called it cinematograph-the recording of movement. Started to film on the streets, how they are coming from factorys and called this actuality. They thaught that they are filming the world the way it is. Why do u need to show people things they see every day?
The first „cinema“: cafe . Le grand cafe, paris . 28th of december 1895. Watched the lumiere brothers film. „Arrival of the train at le ciotat“ the first horror film ever made? People were scared that the train will hit them . That category didnt exist in their brains. Whats wrong ? The fact that noone minds the camera. Noone bothers to look into the camera, why didnt nobody looked in the camera. The machine maded noise, but people didnt mind that. The film was staged. It wasn’t documentary , like they said. The idea of fake, manipulation. People were manipuating. Cinema is a manipulation. Even documentary is manipulation.
First comedy : auguste ad louis lumiere „l’arouseur arrose“ the waterer who is being watered
Purpose was pure entertainment. Gradually those projectors were becomeing populars. Were many fun fairs. Werent no distripution.
Pathe- inventor of film industry. Whole principle was affected by hollywood . Rent out cameras and projectors, you make money from rents. The infrastructure with making money.
Studium. Black maria-first film studio . It was turnable to catch light .
George melies(1861-1938)
Brought the film from the street to studio. Magic . He was hacing a background in the theater and was a musician and thought that it is a good idea do produce fictional movies . He was disliked by lumiere brothers, they thought that cinema should be documentary. He was the man who did it all. You can tell cinema storys if u use tricks, costumes , you create illusiona nd tricks in technological way. „ special effects “. He was interested how to make things to look like magic. Some tricks came by accident. Melies was filming in the street. He saw a horsecar passing by. Camera stopped and started later , there was a horsecar with a coffin. Appearing and dissapearing things. It was the beginning of special effects. Tricks nowadays are more and more sophisticated. Cinema ca produce things that are magic. He became incredibly popular , most popular film director . He had all those ideas and made all the films , became the victim of that. More and more people who produced films, where was more money involved. He sold his studio to a big industry. He stopped filmmaking . Lived last 20 lives in total misery , cinema had moved on and melies was more than a sidenote. People at the end of his life organised a retrospective.
Wanted to shoot actuality but was interested in illusion. It is fundament that hollywood is built on. Hollywood is selling illusions. Cinema can become the theater, magicshow.
Melies the first „auteur“. Film is not like in hollywood, but the maker is an author . The keygenius to make it all happen -„auteur“. Demonstrated that feature film production can be the work of a single creative mind(not industry)
Melies: wrote the scripts, controlled every aspect, in front of and behing the camera, hired the actors , took care of shooting, develping and editing of the film.
The father of indipendent film .
Cinem ais an art form that is controlled by an artist with a personal vision
European film industry is cultural , state money. European art directors stand for the film they are making. People go there to see an art exhibition . Directors in hollywood doesn’t matter .
Melies technical innovatios:

• Mix of traditional stage craft with filmic special effects
  
• Fixed camera: everything is staged for the camera
  
• Simuated forward of travelling shots
  
• Different angles on same object
  
• Dissolves
  
• Model shots
  
• Stop camera techniques
  
• Developer of the irst roper film studio and artificial lightining
  
• Deep - space staging
  
• Expressive manipulation of the film stock
  
• Split screen
  
• Advances in editing
  

„trip to the moon “: no sound , no characters , no realistic background, massscenes, no colour , sound
Was inspired by jules verne“the first men in the moon“
First science - fiction film. It was also first pirated film. Melies 400th film. Became a worldwide success , pirated in the usa. Europeans was showed violent, ww1. Melies mocks the scientists.
Barbe-bleue-sinihabe. Fairytale /horror.
He invented the fiction film and profounfly influenced specific film genres :

• German expressionism (set design)
  
• Surrealism(playfulnessm spontanitym sybolism)
  
• Comedies
  
• d.w. griffith
  
• charlie chaplin
  

13.02.12
D.W.Griffith(1875-1948)
The birth of hollywood
Born in Kentucky, osn of a condeferate officer. Kept a life-long nostalgia for the values of „The Old South “. Initially actor , lot of peopleat that time credited him for his good looks. Real burning intension was to become a writer . Inspired by Charles Dickens . 1907 hired the „biograph“ film company as a script-writer. Film making wasn’t something glamorous, filmbusiness didn’t have structure. 1908 starts directiong one reel films for Biograph. 1914 separation from Biograph, move to hollywood, work for Mutual. Has his first worldwide success with the film „The Birth of a Nation“. 1919 co-founder of United Artists (together with Charlie Chaplin etc.)1920 makes films that areinsignificant as a director. 1913 last film „The Struggle “.
The cinema before D.w Griffith
Static, shot sith a fixed camera, mainly use of long shots, chronologial order / character actions separated, ambigious time and space relationships, actions
The first „biograph“ years
Develops new editing techniques that change the „ inter -frame narrative “, screen direction, 180 degree shooting, cun-in, parallel editing in a non- chase svene, first elements of associative editing, pint of view of shots, alternate shots of fifferent spatial lenghts, close -up, three parallel actions cross -cut, rapid aternation of shotrer and longer duratioin, use of fade -in/fade-out in the beginning /the end of a film
The last „biograph“ years
Innovations in the intra -frame narrative, focus on actor’s directing. Attempt to get acting more natural). More attention to set design, use of expressive lighhtning, use of moving camera, tracking shots,(camera on cars, rails etc), composition of shots in depth ( action in the foreground, middle-ground and background)
American cinema becomes „Hollywood“
1911 whole film production was in new york . By 1914 the most influental studios have moved to Los Angeles .( Didnt want to pay the copyright fees for cameras to thomas edison, big city Los Angeles, quiclky run to mexico , copyright infrigement)
Features of the studio system:
Industrial mass producton of films, mega -productions, establishment of a star sustem, press agents , fan cult , rich producers .
European film industryin ruins due to the war after world war 1: 80% to0& market shares in many countries
The struggle for feature length
People believed that cinema is a short film. If you have a long film then have a longer time with the stars . Griffith believed in long films. 24 minute film, 48 minute film, 3 hours. People went to see it.
The manipulation of history through film
Optimistic film isn’t possible
The birth of a nation.
Is based on a novel „the clansman“, melodrama. Mixes historical events with characters. Racism. The political implications: black people are with shoepolish in the movie as actors. First propaganda film. Had agenda, that white people are good, ku klux klan is good. Membership of kkk baceme high. Lot of people joined kkk.
Intolerance 1916
1)the siege of babylon
2)the story of jesus
3)the assassination of the huguenots in France in the 16th century
4)modern day, story of a couple facing the vice of the city
Expressionism
german expressionst cinema wasn’t so advanced . Films werent so good edited.
Roughly between : 1918-1926
After D.W.Griffith and before the soviet cinema
The idea behind expressionism
Art should reflect the inner feelings of the artist. Art expresses te subjective vision by a disorted depiction of reality . Expressionism=anti- naturalism .
Sets, makeup, lighting, costumes-all the elements are connected
German expressionism . forced all the movie companies in one(UFA)
The UFA. Universum film ektiengessellschaft. Dominating position on the german film market. Production of historical costume ramas. Expressionist films, adaptsion of literature . Silent film, quality films. Ufa would actually overtake hollywood. Hollywood wanted to get rid of them, signed an agreement, buyed them. Ufa needed money because of the german invasion. Ei tohtind enda filme eriti toota, aga palju hollywoode filme näitama. Used the opportunity to buy the best people. Läksid ikkagi sest hitler tuli võimule ja raha pärast.
1913 der student von prag . Self-consicoisuly an art film. Films are set in contemporary times . All set in a distant middle age or smth. Filtered all the misery. To see human being as several . Every human has some bad in him and every good human some bad.
1920 das kabinett des dr caligari
Directed by Robert Wiene. Story of a madman.
Mise en scene -all the elements all the elements you find in a theater on the stage.
Studio productions, unreal dark settings, contrasted light, extreme stylisatsion, focus on the mood.
Narratives: portrayal of subjective realities in objective terms , thematic ambiquity, dark-distorted characters, stories related to the topic of death
Influence of german expressionism:
Alfred hitchcock , film noir , horror film, fantasy ilm. And via the idea of the artist as an author on the Nouvelle Vague.
F. W. Murnau (1888- 1931 )
Initial education: art historian. Started directin feature films in 1919: der knaube in blau. One of the founding fathers of expressionst film and kammerspielfilm.
Most influental films: nosferatu , der letzte mann, faust , sunrise.
UN CHIEN ANDALOU, ANDALUSIAN DOG, BUNUEL AND BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN.
20.02.12
Soviet Montage Cinema
Sergej Eisenstein- most important russian film director. Born in riga. Grew up in st petersubrg. Came to the cinema from different background, japanese , kabuki theater. Started with working in theater. His cinema was based on editing. Invented a film school. Esenstein was first film maker who wrote books. Published his first book, before first movie. „the montage of attractions“. Becomes world- wide famous for prpagandafilm „battleship potemkin“. . attempted to start a career in hollywood, continued his career in Soviet Union.
Russian cinema before the october revolution
before WWI more than 90 % films were imported. Cinema not as popular as in other countries. The revolution and the end of the 1st world war lead to an economic crisis .
During the war/beginning of the revolution: 1919 nationalisation of the major film companies. Most of the pre-war filmmakers and producers fled??. Lack of film stck due to important embargos.
Soviet cinema after the october revolution: 1919 the first film school: bring the cinema to the countryside . Agit trains -theatergroup performing a pie ce of communism.
New generation of filmmakers start to create avant -grade: verto, kuleshov, pudovkin dovzheno, eisenstein
The age of soviet montage cinema: the classical perion 1920s .
The idea behind montage cinema:

• promotion of communist ideals via the means of film
  
• editing is the tool to achieve new expression, a new cinematic language
  
• two tendencis: eisenstein: reproduction of historiccal events in feature films.
  
• Vertov: radical realism , only documentary films, feature films are „impotent“
  

The kuleshov workshop
Lev kuleshov was one of the few pre- revolutionary filmmakers who stayed in russia
Gave a workshop at the VGIK that turned out to be influential for Soviet Cinema
Aim: tried to define general principles. Showed films to people and tried to understand how to they interact to those images. Tried to undeerstand the effect of cinema. The film they used and according to the legend, was „intolerance“. Understood how griffith was using the film language. How can i achieve the effect. Usge of editing to create metaphors. Revolutionary idea: discovery of a cinematic language.
The kuleshov experiments:

• 1: the expressionless face .
  
• 2: three shots, happy man, revolver, sad man
  
• 3: creation of artificial landscapes by editing together shots of toally different locations
  

Eisenstein:
Seleced filmiography: strike ! Battleship potemkin, october, alexander nevsky, ivan the terrible part 1, ivan the terrible part 2
During his filmmaking career esenstein was under permanent critiscism from the soviet authorities because his approach was considered to be formalistic and arty . His american adventure was a largely faailure.
The battleship potemkin:
Divided in 5 acts, film based on editing rather than narration. Gropus shots juxtaposed with etreme close-ups, multiple directions of movements, manipulation of time for dramatic purpose. High amount of shots. 86 min long film contained 1375 shots.
Psychologial manipulation of time and showing the enemies not as human beings and the victims as humans
Luis Bunuel-surrealism and its aftermath
Born in spain , in bourgeois family, went to jesuit school, studied agriculture in madrid and met salvador dali. Leaves paris, wants to fight for republicans, wants to fight for homecountry, other forces win. Goes to hollywood, working, loses his job, accused of communism, goes to mexico, becomes a filmmaker. Dies in mexico city as a result of liver disease, liver cancer
Bunuel three periods:

The surrealist period . Parents money. „Le chien andalou“ ad „L’age d’or“

The mexican period. Broke parents. Franco forces bunuel to live abroad .

The second french period. Creative freedom .
Two of bunuel’s films were banned from distribution: l’age d’or and virdinia
Filmiography: un chien andalou, l’age d’or, los olivados, viridiana, le journal d’une femme de chambre, belle de jour, le charme discret de la bourgeoisie, cet obscur du desir
1930- l’age d’or. Portrays two lovers and their „amour fou“ who are facing obtacles of society in the pursuit of their passion
Technical features:
Narrative: questioning of the narrative logic of films, questioning of the validity of perception, often open end narratives, radical shifts of focus within the narratives
Cinematography: long takes , often long pan shots, in his later career: long, mobile , fluid camera shots
Directing actors: bunuel often refused to give any indications to his actos
Sound: very ecnomical use of non-diegetic sounds (often only sound effects, rarely music)
27.02.12
Jean Renoir
Humanism on celluloid
Was born in a bohemian, wealthy family in Paris, son of August Renoir. Worked as a potter and ceramics . Served in the French army during the first world war. After the end of the war Renoir developed a passion for the cinema that was initiated by watching Chaplin movies. Directed his first film „La File de L’eau“ with his first wife Andree(catherine Hessling) in the main role. Emigrated to the United States in 1940, took American citizenship in 1946. 32 films
The silent period
„La Fille de l’eau“ bug budget film. Emile Zola book „ Nana “. The film was shot in germany and became a commercial failure . In the following years Renoir directed smaller, more experimental films, where he developed is in depth composition skillls and started to work on the visual connection of differnet spaces.
1930
Poetic realism-whole film movement that was popular in France 1930. Contradiction, reality can’t be poetic. Realism lies in the subject . Subjects are not glamorised. Stories are not about a dishwasher who becomes a star or something. Showed social group, social class . Showed everyday failures and so on in well composed style. Had strong fatalism. His films were very complex. 3 classical films „Le grande illusion“, „La bete humaine“, La regle du Jeu“.
Renoir in the American Studio-system
9 years, 6 films. Feels miserable, films are not commercialy succesful. Had problems dealing with the working method .
Return to Europe
Went to India. „The river “. Renoir returned to Europe and started to make movies which reflected more firectly his preoccupation with the theatre . „Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde“
Renoir’s themes
The class differences in French society, the complexityof human nature , racism, war, theatre, identity
1932 „Boudu sauve des eaux“, „Boudu saved from drowning“. Saves a homeless guy who jumps from the bridge . Gets him out of the river. Hosts him. Homeless becomes the member of the household. Homeless is an unsymphatetic man. They want him to marry his mistress. Homeless man jumps back in the river and excepts being homeless.
1936 „Le crime de Monsieur Lange“, „The crime of monsieur Lange. Armedee Lange commits a murder . Kas mõrv on üigustatud kui sellel on õilis poliitline eesmärk. Renoir doesn’t tell the answer . First ever 360 shot.
1937 „La grande illusion“. „Grand illusion“. Doesn’t have a single fighting scene. Anti-war film without battle scenes that shows what connects human beings are involved in the fighting.
1939 „La regle du jeu“, „The rules of a game“. Party in a countryside. Two love-traingles. The jealosy of the love-intoxicated men will lead to murder. Seems like a comedy. Everybody is running around , chasing each other. Portrays a cynical society in a state of decomposition that ultimately does not value human life anymore.
The renoir style: deep focus photography, long takes. Mise en scene-on location shooting, improvised performances, occasionally: work with non-professional actors. Multpile layers of action.
Orson Welles
Insane after Kane ?
Megalomaniac, smart, tricky. Succesful broad -way director and radio star. „war of the worlds“fake news cast. 1940 deal with RKO pictures: six film contract with complete control .1941 Citizen Kane released , Welles only 25 years old. 1940’s: career as an actor.
Influences on Welles. German Kammerspielfilm, expressionst cinema, chiaroscuro lightning (Lang), fluid camera (Murnau), baroque mise e scene, french poetic realism, john ford , theatre, radio
Welles major themes: shakespeare adaptions ( Macbeth , Othello ), corrupting nature of ambition, obsession, mportance of a sense of the past, complexity of human characters (and human interaction), lost innocence, power and impotence.
Welles vs Hollywood
Citizen Kane was too much for 1940’s audience . „The magnificant Ambersons“-studio edits, commercial failure. Journey into Fear -commercial failure. It’s all True-all material was dumped into the Santa Monica Bay. The stranger -commercial success/Welles „my worst film“. The Lady from Shanghai -commercial failure. Welles films in Europe „Othello“ (cannes), short return to Hollywood „touch of evil “-commercial failure. Return to Europe: Kafka, Shakespeare.
WELLES CHAMPAIGNE COMMERCIAL
Filmography: need ülevalt ja mr arkadin, the trial , falstaff.
1941 Citizen Kane
H. J. Makiewicz. Story of the media magnate Charles Foster Kane. Fragmentation of the story. Overlapping narrative from multiple zanras.
The anti-hollywood approach Citizen Kane and its innovations
Narration technique an deep focus/sequence shot style imitated by countless directors. Sophisticated deep focus photography and sequence shot: attemptm to technically reporduce the human vision, give the audience the decision where to watch, more „realistic“ reproducction of real time (of the narrator ). Welles rebelled against the Hollywood Studio system: technical experimentation, the production mode, the story-telling, the absence of stars.
1958 Touch of evil
Inspector Vargas has to solve a case in the Mexican-American borderland. His counterpart is the corrupt American inspector Quilan. In times when the classical film noir was considered to be over Orson Welles produced the swan song to the genre . Tale about the corruption of human nature. The film was initially recut by the studio.
12.03.12
COURSE 09: Alfred Hitchcock: Thrills as a Transatlantic Bridge
COURSE 10: Nouvelle Vague: Breathless on 400 Blows