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Month: September 2021

Postmodernist Film Theory

Published by benjaminlewis on 14th September 2021

An Introduction to Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a complex reaction to paradigm of high modernism, that explored ideas of cultural unity and artistic divide, specifically between high and low forms of art. Postmodernism seeks to break this divide, re-evaluating culture entirely, as well as concepts like ‘subjectivity, meaning, gender, power, discourse, pleasure and language’; in a post-capitalist world, where the dominant economic force is not manufacturing but consumerism, the line between official and popular culture is blurred, as we gain our understanding of the world through media. The postmodernist desires contradiction, fragmentation, and instability in a world no longer moved by war or revolution, and implements this through pastiche: the fusion of different times, periods, and styles of art.

Film Movement Research

Relevance to Comparative Essay

Postmodernism seems an interesting lens through which to approach the comparative piece. I find the concepts of high and low art interesting, as I feel I myself used to categorise things in such a manner, and would be intrigued to explore how blending forms of art could lead to new innovations and interpretations. Additionally, the original Blade Runner is one of my favourite films, and its diegesis and mise-en-scene are fascinating due to its unique fusion of Eastern and Western, as well as science fiction and neo-noir, influences. I imagine I would separate the films through time, analysing a modernist piece, and then study how the postmodern piece strives to ascend beyond it.

Film Movements – La Nouvelle Vague

Published by benjaminlewis on 13th September 2021

Ten Significant Film Movements – Research

The 400 Blows (1959, dir. François Truffaut) – Trailer

Relevance to Comparative Essay

Unfortunately, as interesting as I find the French New Wave, I’m unable to use it in my comparative project due to the fact that I’ve already drawn on it heavily in my Extended Essay, as the notion of auteur is intrinsically linked to the theories of vision and innovation formed during La Nouvelle Vague. To quote from that essay: ‘ (Wes) Anderson clearly draws influence from the directors of the French New Wave, citing them as inspirations in press and even referencing them on screen which raises debates about: firstly, Anderson’s originality; and secondly, whether the director has achieved the status of auteur, a role inspired by the French pioneers and detailed by American film critic Andrew Sarris.’ Ideally, I would have liked to compare a film like ‘The 400 Blows’, one of the most significant coming of age films of all time, to Richard Ayoade’s ‘Submarine’, which he has cited as the first English coming of age film since the 1960’s, and which also prominently features struggles with maternal affection.

An Investigation into the Genre of Horror/Slasher

Published by benjaminlewis on 13th September 2021

Examples

Seminal/Archetypal: Halloween (1978, dir. Carpenter) & Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, dir. Craven)

Non-Hollywood: Ringu (1998, dir. Nakata)

Recent: Scary Movie (2000, dir. Wayans)

Analysis of a Corpus

The Corpus→

The Repertoire of Elements↓

 Film 1: Halloween  Film 2: Nightmare on Elm Street Film 3: Scream
Typical Locations Swamps, rural towns, forests, dark alleyways, isolated locations.
Characters / Groups Naïve, carefree teenagers. Reluctant police officers who don’t initially believe protagonists, but often end up saving them. Seemingly unconquerable, supernatural antagonist. 
Conflicts & Themes Protagonist v. Antagonist, Bravery v. Fear
Filmic Technique Montage, parallel editing. 
Iconography /  Mise-en-Scene Knives, claws, blood, torn clothes, old cars, police sirens, night, thunder, lightning, rain, masks.
Shape of the story Beginning

Young group goes out on an adventure, sticking it to the world. 

 Middle

Monster/Killer strikes. Mystery ensues. Characters begin to die.

 End

Typically one character remains, they find  a way to defeat the monster/killer.

Trailers

Relevance to Comparative Essay

Personally, I wouldn’t further investigate the horror genre for a comparative piece due to my own tastes, but I think the slasher genre specifically is one of the most pertinent examples of Rick Altman’s theory of genre cycles. Thanks to the initial boom of slashers during the 1980’s, as well as their immediately recognisable iconography, generic conventions, and narrative tropes, the genre was parodied mercilessly after their period of relevancy faded, with films like Scary Movie and Scream satirising the formula. However, in our modern context of reboots and remakes, revivals of classic slasher franchises like Halloween are beginning to make a resurgence, with more sincere horror narratives coming to the forefront of cinema again, at least before the pandemic. It would be interesting to investigate an authentic film originating from the start of the slasher genre cycle and compare and contrast it to a film separated by time later in the cycle to to observe what conventions became outdated.

Slumdog Millionaire Micro-Analysis

Published by benjaminlewis on 9th September 2021

Slumdog Millionaire (dir. Boyle) Cinematography Sequence

TEAS Analysis

Danny Boyle’s 2008 drama film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ follows Dev Patel’s Jamal Malik as he competes in the Indian version of ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?’. Critically, the film was a sleeper hit, gaining wide acclaim after its nationwide release.

Cinematographer Dod Mantle shoots using high angles, principally in the establishing shot of the sequence, forcing us as the audience to look down on the slums of Mumbai as we are introduced to them. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for India’s economic divide, with the privileged elite looking down on the impoverished, or, perhaps given the film’s focus on the social context of late twentieth century India, a commentary on how the Hindu majority saw the Muslim minority as below them; a social division that informs the conflict later in the scene.

However, as the conflict evolves into a chase sequence Dod Mantle instead utilises low angles that don’t always track the subject, exaggerating the frenzied and chaotic feel of the escape. The low angles allow us to see the world from the perspective of the children we are following, and thus relate to their turmoil and confusion, reminding us of their vulnerability in such a conflict.

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