This article talks, among other things, about the character selection which the director undertook in order to mold the story into an interesting and subversive narrative about the criminal justice system in France at the time. He made an effort not to chose people who committed similar crimes, e.g. not too many thieves. Additionally, he decided to not portray any drug dealer as he believed they matched too closely with the perception that the general public already had of them. Finally, he chose characters, who bucked convention. One example is the tagger, who unusual because of his background. The tagger came from an educated family, with his father being a modern bourgeois. What this article really shows is that it is crucial to the narrative of the story that the character is just right. This means that they are unique enough to their own sense of depth to the storyline.
dimanche 24 novembre 2019
A self made hero
https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/a-self-made-hero-1200445819/
This article from Variety magazine talks about how the film was meant to contradict the belief of a "universal resistance" to the Nazi occupation by the French people. The film does this through its main character, Albert Dehousse. Albert Dehousse through his actions brings into question the very meaning of what a hero is, in historical terms. Those who are villains one day might ultimately be remembered as heroes, and vice versa. And so Albert Dehousse represents the revisionism of French history that occurred after the war. Many in France attempted to go back and paint French actions during the war in the best of lights, minimizing large scale French collaboration and maximizing French Resistance. The film's aim is to show the simple fact that many in France were indifferent about the occupation. Furthermore, the way that the director blends the film with fake news interviews of historians and neighbors blends fiction with reality, further distorting the true. Additionally, it also creates a sense of collective revisionism as it is everyone who is now connected to Albert Dehousse.
samedi 23 novembre 2019
Blog Post: A Self Made Hero
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-03-ca-38614-story.html
This article goes through the plot of a Self Made Hero while also talking about Audiard's motivation for the movie. The author talks about the elements of the movie that make it so well-loved. We watched the main character, Dehousse, create his life that was a lie. We see the immoral lifestyle he lives, yet there is something very intriguing about this life that makes it difficult for those watching to dislike him. The author of the article states that this is because Audiard makes the audience a willing participant in the deception that takes place in the movie. He states that the person watching finds it amusing watching Dehousse trying so hard to become an insider.
This article brought to my attention to another aspect of the movie that we did not discuss in class. In the movie after Dehousse learns that his father was not the person he believed he was, he feels the need to lie as a way to ignore the shame he felt. Many articles I read connected this to France denying its history of collaboration during WWII. The author states that this was one of the main reasons Audiard was drawn to the novel that the movie was based on. Whether or not this was the intention, I now look at Dehousee as some sort of metaphor for France as a country. This could also be a reason many felt connected to the movie.
This article goes through the plot of a Self Made Hero while also talking about Audiard's motivation for the movie. The author talks about the elements of the movie that make it so well-loved. We watched the main character, Dehousse, create his life that was a lie. We see the immoral lifestyle he lives, yet there is something very intriguing about this life that makes it difficult for those watching to dislike him. The author of the article states that this is because Audiard makes the audience a willing participant in the deception that takes place in the movie. He states that the person watching finds it amusing watching Dehousse trying so hard to become an insider.
This article brought to my attention to another aspect of the movie that we did not discuss in class. In the movie after Dehousse learns that his father was not the person he believed he was, he feels the need to lie as a way to ignore the shame he felt. Many articles I read connected this to France denying its history of collaboration during WWII. The author states that this was one of the main reasons Audiard was drawn to the novel that the movie was based on. Whether or not this was the intention, I now look at Dehousee as some sort of metaphor for France as a country. This could also be a reason many felt connected to the movie.
mardi 19 novembre 2019
Le Bonheur
https://celluloidwickerman.com/2014/06/09/mozart-in-le-bonheur-1965-agnes-varda/
Just as Summer turns to Autumn so does Autumn turn to Winter. In the film Le Bonheur by Anges Varda, there is a noticeable change in the color scheme as the setting of the film goes from Summer to Autumn. However, there is a deeper symbolic meaning than just the changing of the seasons, it is that of cycles. When we are introduced to the happy family, it is summer and they are strolling through the woods about to eat a picnic. As the film progresses, the husband falls in love with another woman who isn't his wife. And it wasn't by mistake that the misteress bares a striking similarity to the wife. In fact, in many scenes, it is hard to discern which woman is on the screen. When the movie ends, the wife is dead, either from accidental drowning or a suicide, and the mistress has neatly taken her place, accompanying the happy family on one of their picnics in the woods. This analogy of replacement is further illustrated by two scenes, one of the dead wife and one of the mistresses. In the scenes, the women are doing chores, however, every chore that the late wife did at the beginning of the movie was done either prettier or better by the mistress. It seems that the mistress is, in fact, the perfect match for the husband. However, there seem to be a few things that point to something more sinister. Firstly is the music that is played during the scenes in the woods. It isn't at all pleasant or anything one would expect to hear in accompaniment with scenes of a happy family. It is suspenseful and almost uncomfortable, ominous would be the aptest description for it. The other fact is the ease with which the husband replaces his late wife, in less that one full season she has been replaced and forgotten. All seems well and everyone is happy. However, seasons are cyclical and continue on endlessly until the end of time. And so with both the ominous music and the ease and lack of consequences by which the husband moves from one lover to another, we can infer just as the husband replaced the wife with the lover so will he replace the lover with another. The cycle continues, unbroken, just like the season of the year.
Just as Summer turns to Autumn so does Autumn turn to Winter. In the film Le Bonheur by Anges Varda, there is a noticeable change in the color scheme as the setting of the film goes from Summer to Autumn. However, there is a deeper symbolic meaning than just the changing of the seasons, it is that of cycles. When we are introduced to the happy family, it is summer and they are strolling through the woods about to eat a picnic. As the film progresses, the husband falls in love with another woman who isn't his wife. And it wasn't by mistake that the misteress bares a striking similarity to the wife. In fact, in many scenes, it is hard to discern which woman is on the screen. When the movie ends, the wife is dead, either from accidental drowning or a suicide, and the mistress has neatly taken her place, accompanying the happy family on one of their picnics in the woods. This analogy of replacement is further illustrated by two scenes, one of the dead wife and one of the mistresses. In the scenes, the women are doing chores, however, every chore that the late wife did at the beginning of the movie was done either prettier or better by the mistress. It seems that the mistress is, in fact, the perfect match for the husband. However, there seem to be a few things that point to something more sinister. Firstly is the music that is played during the scenes in the woods. It isn't at all pleasant or anything one would expect to hear in accompaniment with scenes of a happy family. It is suspenseful and almost uncomfortable, ominous would be the aptest description for it. The other fact is the ease with which the husband replaces his late wife, in less that one full season she has been replaced and forgotten. All seems well and everyone is happy. However, seasons are cyclical and continue on endlessly until the end of time. And so with both the ominous music and the ease and lack of consequences by which the husband moves from one lover to another, we can infer just as the husband replaced the wife with the lover so will he replace the lover with another. The cycle continues, unbroken, just like the season of the year.
dimanche 17 novembre 2019
Blog Post: Agnes Varda
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/film/2019/04/agnes-varda-director-filmmaker-women-feminism-death-legacy
This article talks about Agnès Varda and her revolutionary films. Varda made her first film 5 years before the New Wave cinema started. The article points out that even during the New Wave, women were portrayed in a way that was relatively traditional. Varda's movies did not necessarily break these roles but instead focused on "male callousness." Her movies focused on the inner lives of women and as they progressed, they began to have more radical themes for their time. While watching Le Bonheur, I was at first confused by the message she was portraying. The two women protagonists in the movie did not have personalities that were not in relation to François. Without knowing the point of the movie, I think its feminist intentions were a bit lost. Knowing that this was a specific choice that Varda made as a way to comment on and critique the male character made the message of the movie more clear.
Varda had also engaged in many social movements throughout her life. This article briefly talks about her life outside of films. In the late 1960's she began to study and make documentaries on the Black Panther movement. In 1977, she made her movie: One Sings, the Other Doesn't that talked about the pro-choice movement in France. She played a very important role in exposing social issues through her films.
For my next project, I think I will be continuing the topic of how sex is portrayed in movies. My initial two movies were considered very feminist films, and both essentially surrounded female sexuality. I want to explore this subject by looking at women editors that find it empowering, and others that believe it caters to the male gaze.
This article talks about Agnès Varda and her revolutionary films. Varda made her first film 5 years before the New Wave cinema started. The article points out that even during the New Wave, women were portrayed in a way that was relatively traditional. Varda's movies did not necessarily break these roles but instead focused on "male callousness." Her movies focused on the inner lives of women and as they progressed, they began to have more radical themes for their time. While watching Le Bonheur, I was at first confused by the message she was portraying. The two women protagonists in the movie did not have personalities that were not in relation to François. Without knowing the point of the movie, I think its feminist intentions were a bit lost. Knowing that this was a specific choice that Varda made as a way to comment on and critique the male character made the message of the movie more clear.
Varda had also engaged in many social movements throughout her life. This article briefly talks about her life outside of films. In the late 1960's she began to study and make documentaries on the Black Panther movement. In 1977, she made her movie: One Sings, the Other Doesn't that talked about the pro-choice movement in France. She played a very important role in exposing social issues through her films.
For my next project, I think I will be continuing the topic of how sex is portrayed in movies. My initial two movies were considered very feminist films, and both essentially surrounded female sexuality. I want to explore this subject by looking at women editors that find it empowering, and others that believe it caters to the male gaze.
Le Bonheur
https://medium.com/@larissaoliveira./agn%C3%A8s-vardas-le-bonheur-and-the-patriarchal-psyche-75dad1c82d9c
While doing research on Agnes Varda and her films a subject that continuously appeared in feminist analyzes was the idea of the female gaze and the revolution of Varda's film for the purpose of removing the male gaze simply by producing her own work.
In this article the author questions the difference between Varda's female gaze projected onto a male subject and if it can be compared to Godard's male gaze projected onto a female subject. I personally believe they are incomparable, as Varda is flipping the pre-conceived power roles of man and woman, while Godard is working from behind these roles.
In Le Bonheur, Varda challenges this view of male behavior at every turn. She simply presents a man and his actions, with little conjecture as the director. Without a clear judgement on him within the film, the audience must make their own. As the traditional judgement on a man committing infidelity is historically less damning than the judgement on a woman who may commit the same act, the audience is most likely to take the passive stance the film does. That is until Varda reveals her true feminist stance, which is not passive in the least. After first showing a submissive wife, able to forgive and excuse her husbands behavior, she reveals the emotion below the surface. The death of Therese Chevalier highlights the confrontation between societal expectations and the reality of an intimate matter such as marriage and infidelity. She separates the two, allowing Therese to express happiness in the moments after her husband admits to an extramarital affair, while under the watchful eye of Francois. But while alone, the reality is too burdensome. The conflict between the private and public, even thought he public is intimate itself, is strong.
Varda is not necessarily condemning Francois, however, or making a saint of Therese. They are both characters living inside these societal restraints, taking drastic measures to free themselves. To tell the story from Francois's point of view is interesting after Varda has created a film such as Cleo from 5 to 7, which is told solely from the point of view of Cleo. Varda's idea of a muse or narrator is expanded in this film.
For my next essay, I am choosing to build on the topic of filmmakers and their muses. While previously I analyzed the complex dynamics of male directors and their wives as muses in their films, I would like to update this idea in the present day with an expanding film industry. The industry has become more inclusive to hold the narratives and views of female film-makers and female driven narrations alike. From this we have seen new and exciting works by female and non-binary filmmakers, conveying stories outside of the male gaze. In my next essay I would like to analyze the platonic relationship between female and non-binary filmmakers and their female muses.
Most notably the films of Jill Soloway and her muse Kathryn Hahn, and Greta Gerwig and her muse Saoirse Ronan.
mardi 12 novembre 2019
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
http://sensesofcinema.com/2010/cteq/les-demoiselles-de-rochefort/
This article talks about how Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is both a clear nod to the American Musical Cinema of the time and "Tradition of Quality". In the film, it takes its happy, upbeat, and hopeful tone from American cinema, drawing from movies like singin' in the rain. Meanwhile, stylistically it takes its inspiration from "Tradition of Quality". "Tradition of Quality" was a French film movement that was characterized by its polishedness and Frenchness, two things which are in great abundance in this film. We can see this polishedness mainly in the color scheme of the film. Although many of the shots are films outside in the street, there is never a lack of bright colors. Furthermore, upon closer look, one will notice that it is often the case that both the background and the foreground match, colorwise. "This strategy recurs throughout the film, contributing to a constant, distancing interplay between the realism of the locations and the stylisation of the colour schemes."(Hill). However, while Demy makes clear nods to American musical theater he isn't making an American musical, instead as the author of the article writes, "he made the first true french musical", making sure to add uniquely French qualities to it.
This article talks about how Les Demoiselles de Rochefort is both a clear nod to the American Musical Cinema of the time and "Tradition of Quality". In the film, it takes its happy, upbeat, and hopeful tone from American cinema, drawing from movies like singin' in the rain. Meanwhile, stylistically it takes its inspiration from "Tradition of Quality". "Tradition of Quality" was a French film movement that was characterized by its polishedness and Frenchness, two things which are in great abundance in this film. We can see this polishedness mainly in the color scheme of the film. Although many of the shots are films outside in the street, there is never a lack of bright colors. Furthermore, upon closer look, one will notice that it is often the case that both the background and the foreground match, colorwise. "This strategy recurs throughout the film, contributing to a constant, distancing interplay between the realism of the locations and the stylisation of the colour schemes."(Hill). However, while Demy makes clear nods to American musical theater he isn't making an American musical, instead as the author of the article writes, "he made the first true french musical", making sure to add uniquely French qualities to it.
French Film Blog 3
http://www.screeningthepast.com/2013/06/a-musical-neorealism-jean-luc-godard%E2%80%99sune-femme-est-une-femme/
Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are useful tools for a filmmaker to tell a story. Both have been an integral part of film making since the end of the silent film era. And as film and film-techniques, there seemed to have evolved a basic foundation of rules on how to employ both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Enter A Woman is a Woman by Jean-Luc Godard. This film takes the playbook on diegetic and non-diegetic sound and throws it out the window. The film’s first scene quickly sets the tone by having the sound cut in and out, so much so that it appears that the film’s sound isn’t working. As the main character, Angéla is walking down a busy Parisian street the only audio noise is that of the clacking of her shoes as she walks. Then, the sound completely stops altogether, leaving to film totally silent for a good 5 seconds. As the film progresses there are several instances where the music is building towards the character breaking out in song, only for that musical tension to halt abruptly. In other instances, a soundtrack will play, be interrupted, and continue back up again. Sometimes a single soundtrack will be interrupted multiple times. These radical techniques employed by Godard are all part of Musical Neorealism, a movement aimed at bucking the conventions on the use of sound in film. Additionally, Godard also wanted this film to also stand as a new and unique take on traditional musical films.
Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are useful tools for a filmmaker to tell a story. Both have been an integral part of film making since the end of the silent film era. And as film and film-techniques, there seemed to have evolved a basic foundation of rules on how to employ both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Enter A Woman is a Woman by Jean-Luc Godard. This film takes the playbook on diegetic and non-diegetic sound and throws it out the window. The film’s first scene quickly sets the tone by having the sound cut in and out, so much so that it appears that the film’s sound isn’t working. As the main character, Angéla is walking down a busy Parisian street the only audio noise is that of the clacking of her shoes as she walks. Then, the sound completely stops altogether, leaving to film totally silent for a good 5 seconds. As the film progresses there are several instances where the music is building towards the character breaking out in song, only for that musical tension to halt abruptly. In other instances, a soundtrack will play, be interrupted, and continue back up again. Sometimes a single soundtrack will be interrupted multiple times. These radical techniques employed by Godard are all part of Musical Neorealism, a movement aimed at bucking the conventions on the use of sound in film. Additionally, Godard also wanted this film to also stand as a new and unique take on traditional musical films.
French Film Blog 2
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-miracles-of-grand-illusion
By the time, Grand Illusion was shot, the landscape of film had changed drastically since its humble beginnings. The biggest change that had taken place was the introduction of sound. The advent of sound shook up the industry so much that many silent-era stars, like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, were completely sidelined. The two biggest effects of sound were that the movie could now be longer, as the audience was more likely to sit through a one hour film with sound and dialogue than one without, and secondly, it allowed storytellers to add nuance and depth to both their stories and characters. Another film technique that was now employed in Grand Illusions was camera movement. The camera zoomed in and out to draw the audience's attention to a specific subject and it was also able to do tracking shots. Cameras also now needed less light and so many scenes in the Grand Illusion are shot outside an even at night.
By the time, Grand Illusion was shot, the landscape of film had changed drastically since its humble beginnings. The biggest change that had taken place was the introduction of sound. The advent of sound shook up the industry so much that many silent-era stars, like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, were completely sidelined. The two biggest effects of sound were that the movie could now be longer, as the audience was more likely to sit through a one hour film with sound and dialogue than one without, and secondly, it allowed storytellers to add nuance and depth to both their stories and characters. Another film technique that was now employed in Grand Illusions was camera movement. The camera zoomed in and out to draw the audience's attention to a specific subject and it was also able to do tracking shots. Cameras also now needed less light and so many scenes in the Grand Illusion are shot outside an even at night.
French Film Blog 1
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/georges-melies-filmmaker-silent-cinema-moon-rocket-paris-vr-google-doodle-a8333896.html
George Melies was a pioneer doing the age of silent films. Even almost 100 years later, many of the techniques that he invented are still being used, such as the use of editing to join cut together. However, Melies was still confined by the constraints of his time. His movies had no sound and so his films could neither belong (Journey to the Moon was about 12 minutes) nor could they capture nuance. Silence films’ main way to convey action was through over-emphasized gestures and the music that in-theater bands would play. Melies also wasn’t able to zoom in and out or pan, so watching his films was simple to watch a play in that they were all shoot from one wide-shot perspective. Another one of Melies revolutionary ideas was to shoot a film with multiple scenes and sets. In his glass studio in Paris, he creates a spectacular set. During filming, he would show the changing of one set to another by showing the character literally move from the sets. This was one of the first types of transitions that came before fades and screen wipes. Yet despite all of these innovations, his biggest contribution to filmmaking was treating it like art, not just a technical science. Melies was one of the first to realize that auditions didn’t just want to watch videos of trains and daily life, but that they wanted stories.
George Melies was a pioneer doing the age of silent films. Even almost 100 years later, many of the techniques that he invented are still being used, such as the use of editing to join cut together. However, Melies was still confined by the constraints of his time. His movies had no sound and so his films could neither belong (Journey to the Moon was about 12 minutes) nor could they capture nuance. Silence films’ main way to convey action was through over-emphasized gestures and the music that in-theater bands would play. Melies also wasn’t able to zoom in and out or pan, so watching his films was simple to watch a play in that they were all shoot from one wide-shot perspective. Another one of Melies revolutionary ideas was to shoot a film with multiple scenes and sets. In his glass studio in Paris, he creates a spectacular set. During filming, he would show the changing of one set to another by showing the character literally move from the sets. This was one of the first types of transitions that came before fades and screen wipes. Yet despite all of these innovations, his biggest contribution to filmmaking was treating it like art, not just a technical science. Melies was one of the first to realize that auditions didn’t just want to watch videos of trains and daily life, but that they wanted stories.
Post 11/1 - Cassie
Delits Flagrants http://www.objectif-cinema.com/pointsdevue/0793.php
This film is not only a commentary on crime but on the psychology and humanity behind crime and the reasoning of individuals when confronted with the reality of their actions. This film also,without inherently drawing any conclusions of its own, allows the audience to judge the social system performed in front of them. After learning many of the individuals in the rooms had been in similar situations before, and we are led to believe that potentially the system is inherently flawed. Our job however is not to judge the person accused as a crime, as the film itself does not. We are merely required to watch as a human character takes on the role of crime and attempts to explain themselves.
Post 11/12 - Cassie
Les Demoiselles de Rochefort https://www.popmatters.com/the-young-girls-of-rochefort-jacques-demy-awash-with-color-and-influence-2495389425.html
This article outlines all of the comparisons to be drawn between La La Land and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. La La Land directed by Damien Chazelle was made in 2016, just shy of 50 years after the creation of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort by Jacques Demy.
The similarities between the films was immediately apparent to me within the first five minutes of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Having seen La La Land first, to go back to its inspiration was extremely interesting. The opening sequence of the film, the silent dance sequence on the moving bridge, laid the groundwork for a similar commuting scene to open La La Land, this time set on an LA freeway. In addition to the creation of an elaborate commuting dance, which La La Land also borrowed some choreography from, the actors in both films wear monochrome outfits to individualize themselves and draw the eyes of the audience towards clear performers. The films are introduced as a performance, not a documentation of reality, giving it an extra theatrical effect aligning with classic hollywood musicals from MGM and Paramount Pictures.
Moving throughout the movie, other comparisons to be highlighted are the bright colors throughout the city, the thread of music which La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz delicately samples, and even the plot.
The plot of both centers around two young people hoping to create a name for themselves in a city famous for its art, while also believing they can find love in the process.
This artistic influence has been well noted by Chazelle and Hurwitz who say most of Jacques Demy's earlier work has been hugely inspirational, as well as Hollywood's Gold era musicals, which their own film pays homage to.
Discussion Post: Raymond Depardon
https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/en-1962-raymond-depardon-reporter-photographe-pour-l-armee-17-05-2019-2313186_23.php
This article discusses photographer and director Raymond Depardon's career. This article focuses on his photography career. He states that photography is a movement. He used his photography to shed light on many social and political problems, with a focus on modernity and post-colonial France. In this article, they quote him saying "Cinema is speech, photography is a movement." Délits Flagrants is a very obviously political movie. While there is not indicated during the movie of Depardon's political stance, this quote makes it clear that it was not essential to him. His real political action was in his photography.
This article discusses photographer and director Raymond Depardon's career. This article focuses on his photography career. He states that photography is a movement. He used his photography to shed light on many social and political problems, with a focus on modernity and post-colonial France. In this article, they quote him saying "Cinema is speech, photography is a movement." Délits Flagrants is a very obviously political movie. While there is not indicated during the movie of Depardon's political stance, this quote makes it clear that it was not essential to him. His real political action was in his photography.
Discussion Post: Jacques Demy
https://www.cinematheque.fr/cycle/le-monde-enchante-de-jacques-demy-103.html
This article discusses the world that Jacques Demy creates in his films. The author goes through all 18 of Jacques Demy's films and how he made sure they were all related. All of Jacques Demy's films take place in very colorful and fairytale-like lands. They explain that many of his movies have some connection to his life or his childhood.
One of the most interesting points that the author makes in this article if the world that Demy created in all of his films. He is able to make many different worlds and time periods seem to exist in one single space, while still highlighting the unique story being told. This article discusses how Demy uses realism but also the marvel in his movies. The two are polar opposites, however, in Demy's film this does not result in confusion about the storyline, it rather enhances the story he is telling. For these reasons, Demy's movies are very influential. He was able to fuse many different styles of film, without his movies feeling confusing or cheesy.
Despite having only seen two of Demy's films, I agree with the points made in this article. There is something very alluring about Demy's films that were not the same in regular musicals.
This article discusses the world that Jacques Demy creates in his films. The author goes through all 18 of Jacques Demy's films and how he made sure they were all related. All of Jacques Demy's films take place in very colorful and fairytale-like lands. They explain that many of his movies have some connection to his life or his childhood.
One of the most interesting points that the author makes in this article if the world that Demy created in all of his films. He is able to make many different worlds and time periods seem to exist in one single space, while still highlighting the unique story being told. This article discusses how Demy uses realism but also the marvel in his movies. The two are polar opposites, however, in Demy's film this does not result in confusion about the storyline, it rather enhances the story he is telling. For these reasons, Demy's movies are very influential. He was able to fuse many different styles of film, without his movies feeling confusing or cheesy.
Despite having only seen two of Demy's films, I agree with the points made in this article. There is something very alluring about Demy's films that were not the same in regular musicals.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)