...Italian Neorealism is arguably one of the most influential film movements of the mid-1900s. Exemplified by Italian director, Vittorio De Sica’s critically acclaimed film Bicycle Thieves, distinct neorealist techniques can be found worldwide, notably in François Truffaut’s French New Wave film The 400 Blows. Though released 11 years apart in different parts of Europe, both of these films showcase a similar Italian Neorealist method of filmmaking. This essay will explore the influence of Italian Neorealism on French New Wave filming techniques by comparing a significant film from each movement. Post-World War II Italy was a time of political and economic crisis. The war left Italy in a distressed state characterized by huge rates of unemployment,...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...The early films noir (before being considered noir) were influenced by pulp stories and hard-boiled fiction by authors such as Hammett, Chandler and Caine, whose novels were often a base for the films; as a matter of fact, many of their novels were adapted to films. The attempts to explain film noir were often challenged by the fact that there is no official explanation instead various scholars have formed their own view on what film noir is starting by identifying it either as a genre, cycle, style or movement. As example, Mayer and McDonnell introduce different statements by different scholars in the preface of their book to illustrate how complex it is to discuss the film noir, as each of them has a different opinion. They add that the term is a discursive construct created by critics and scholars of the time but also a cultural phenomenon that changed the previous cinema. When talking about noir in the Italian context, it has to be noted that it does not exist in the same form as in Hollywood. Italian genres are traditionally more flexible and can share the same elements, so we have different trends. As example, Riso Amaro and Ossessione are usually considered to be neorealist films, but they contain many noir elements and for...
Words: 1003 - Pages: 5
...THE UNITED STATES The U.S. had emerged as the world's wealthiest and most powerful country- untouched from the horrific destruction of World War 2. The dollar was the strongest currency and foreigners flocked to invest in American companies and to buy U.S. government bonds. They played a leading economic role, as other nations needed American goods and services; transforming life in the United States itself. Many Americans prospered in the world's wealthiest economy, although some segments of the population were left to struggle. As Americans became more affluent, many moved from the cities to the suburbs and also to the states in the Southern and Southwestern parts of the country- where jobs were becoming more plentiful than in the industrialized Northern states. The vast popularity of American culture abroad confirmed the global influence of the U.S., as the world embraced their various art forms. Elvis Presley, musical comedies, Hollywood romances, and action movies were recognized worldwide. The federal government also contributed to this boom, as the congress created programs that helped the veterans, the elderly, and the poor; as well as approving government funding to build a major interstate highway system. After World War 2, conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust caused divisions between the former Allies, leading to the conflict known as the Cold War- a state of tension and hostility between nations aligned with the United States on one side and the Soviet Union...
Words: 2327 - Pages: 10
...Film 101 Mansour Week 4 – The Foreign Film (400 Blows, 1959) French New Wave (1959-1964) BREAKDOWN FROM CH 10 READING Origins Early French Cinema of 1930’s A period of Poetic realism which meant treating everyday life with emotional sensitivity, showing us how the hardships or highs/lows are supposed to FEEL Jean-Paul Sartre, philosopher with existentialist philosophies: Artists should rebel against societal constraints Responsibility for their own actions Create their own world Alexander Astruc French film critic who said filmmaker needs to use all aspects of camera as a pen Compares it to a novelist and his novel French documentary filmmaking, called “cinema verite” of the 1960’s featuring: Portable camera equipment to make films mobile and flexible Rough, intimate look Informal framing, unsettled camera work British Free Cinema/Italian Neorealism Influence of surrounding film movements in Europe which used Advanced narrative structure Focus on real stories about real people New Wave Tenets Developed by Film theorist Andre Bazin Realism Realistic depiction of everyday life as opposed to exaggerated Hollywood style Mise-en-scene Meaning focusing the elements within the frame Characters, background, ANYTHING in the frame Authorship Director’s style – his vision/perspective Soon-to-be called “Auteur Thoery” New Wave Film Traits (moves away from traditional film making) Unsettled camera movement Unusual angles Addressing the camera Improvisational Rejecting traditional linear...
Words: 708 - Pages: 3
...Film, like any other medium, serves as a means for the communication of ideas. Motion pictures can illustrate the same points as other art forms, but do so through the use of unique techniques. Mis en scene, or what appears prior to the camera’s presence and arrangement, is one such element exclusive to film that allows for the demonstration of themes and ideals. The Italian neorealist movement of the mid twentieth century exemplifies the power of mis en scene as a manner of promoting ideas within a movie. Neorealist filmmakers used myriad methods, including nonprofessional actors and shooting on location in order to accurately portray the struggles of their country after World War II. Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thieves offers a gritty portrayal of urban hardship that stands out as a shining example of the period’s meticulous use of mis en scene. The film tells the tragic story of Antonio Ricci, who sells his sheets to afford a bike that he needs for his new job, which he has been searching for tirelessly. A thief, however, steals his bicycle shortly thereafter. Ricci strives valiantly, though to no avail, to regain possession of the bicycle, and at the film’s conclusion resorts to unsuccessfully attempting to steal another man’s. The Bicycle Thieves paints a picture of an urban man’s alienation and economic struggle. De Sica makes this possible largely through his masterful use of mis en scene. He utilizes the mis en scene elements of set, prop usage, and costuming...
Words: 1502 - Pages: 7
...L. Choi Christmas in August: the Conventional Unconventional Following the Korean War, South Korean film industry faced its “Golden Age”, thriving with a series of vibrant, high-quality domestic film productions. While directors during this period produced a body of work as “historically, aesthetically, and politically significant as that of other well-known national film movements such as Italian Neorealism, French New Wave, and New German Cinema” (McHugh and Abelmann 2), the dictatorship of Park Chung Hee in the late 1960s put an end to creative freedom. The South Korean cinema resurfaced in the 1990s, taking a new step and presenting films that mix a variety of genres and different sensibilities. After the 1997 International Monetary Fund economic crisis, South Korea experienced an unusually rapid growth in the film industry and faced its first “stirrings of what was to develop into a creative and commercial boom” (Paquet 37). In early 1998, in the midst of the industrial transformation, director Hur Jin-Ho released a “muted, tragic-themed melodrama” (Paquet 37) - Christmas in August. The film ranked as one of the highest grossing at the domestic box office in 1998, benefiting greatly from its casting of the two lead roles - actor Han Seok-Kyu and actress Shim Eun-Ha. The two leads carry out a natural performance throughout the film and display a remarkable chemistry with their delightfully low-key and perfect depiction of each of the protagonists. Unlike the traditional...
Words: 1643 - Pages: 7
...Question 1 Why have American films been so successful over the last half century? Outline what you consider to be key success factors for a film (type of story and genre; actors; directors, pace, music, and so on). Was the fascination for the American culture and way of life the prominent reason for that success? What was the contribution of the American melting pot with its huge diversity of migrants’ origins to the creativity and global outlook of the American movie industry? There are several reasons for the success of American movies: the budget, the Hollywood brand, the directors and the universal themes that appeal to a broad public. When the production can cover most of its costs by the local profit, it allows for a relatively low selling price to the foreign distributors. A large budget also makes it possible to use expensive actors with a recognized name that attracts visitors, as well as developing an efficient distribution system. The US has the most prominent country-brand equity in the world, which has without a doubt contributed to the Hollywood success. Therefore one might say that the fascination for American culture has helped their movie industry, but there are too many other factors to say that this is the main reason for its success. Several of the well renowned Hollywood directors have origins outside of the US. This knowledge of more than one culture might have contributed to a more international touch to their films, appealing to many different cultures...
Words: 3243 - Pages: 13
...Dirty Dancing ENG225: Introduction to Film Instructor: Michael O'Donnell August 27, 2012 DIRTY DANCING Dirty Dancing came out in 1987 and they didn’t have the technology they do today to make it fancy, but they didn’t need to. It was supposed to show the transition of a girl becoming a woman by falling in love with someone no one saw as her equal, according to society. Although the movie was made 25 years ago, it still brings a good message to the audiences that watch it. It has become a classic movie that no amount of technology could change. It takes so much to make a movie, and no one realizes it, but in this paper, it’s going to analyze what made Dirty Dancing become such a classic movie. Storytelling The narrative structure of the movie is told from Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman’s point of view as it was the summer she fell in love. The storytelling in Dirty Dancing is told in chronological order because she sees the dancers, wants to be one, then the female dancing lead, Penny Johnson, became pregnant. Baby fills in for her and Johnny teaches her dance in her place. The story takes place at Kellerman’s country club where she goes on vacation for the summer with her family. The conflict in the story is that Baby comes from a respectable family and falls in love with Johnny, the dance teacher, and Baby’s father does not like Johnny because he believed that Johnny got Penny pregnant and then moved on to be with his daughter. The conflict is resolved when Robbie, the man...
Words: 2218 - Pages: 9
...An artistic movement whose influence on film has been as profound and enduring as that of surrealism or cubism on painting, the French New Wave (or Le Nouvelle Vague) made its first splashes as a movement shot through with youthful exuberance and a brisk reinvigoration of the filmmaking process. Most agree that the French New Wave was at its peak between 1958 and 1964, but it continued to ripple on afterwards, with many of the tendencies and styles introduced by the movement still in practice today… French New Wave The New Wave (French: La Nouvelle Vague) was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and their spirit of youthful iconoclasm. "New Wave" is an example of European art cinema. Many also engaged in their work with the social and political upheavals of the era, making their radical experiments with editing, visual style and narrative part of a general break with the conservative paradigm. Using portable equipment and requiring little or no set up time, the New Wave way of filmmaking presented a documentary type style. The films exhibited direct sounds on film stock that required less light. Filming techniques included fragmented, discontinuous editing, and long takes. The combination of objective realism...
Words: 10418 - Pages: 42
...the Impact of Images 187 Early Technology and the Evolution of Movies 192 The Rise of the Hollywood Studio System 195 The Studio System’s Golden Age 205 The Transformation of the Studio System 209 The Economics of the Movie Business 215 Popular Movies and Democracy In every generation, a film is made that changes the movie industry. In 1941, that film was Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane. Welles produced, directed, wrote, and starred in the movie at age twenty-five, playing a newspaper magnate from a young man to old age. While the movie was not a commercial success initially (powerful newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, whose life was the inspiration for the movie, tried to suppress it), it was critically praised for its acting, story, and directing. Citizen Kane’s dramatic camera angles, striking film noir–style lighting, nonlinear storytelling, montages, and long deep-focus shots were considered technically innovative for the era. Over time, Citizen Kane became revered as a masterpiece, and in 1997 the American Film Institute named it the Greatest American Movie of All Time. “Citizen Kane is more than a great movie; it is a gathering of all the lessons of the emerging era of sound,” film critic Roger Ebert wrote.1 CHAPTER 6 ○ MOVIES 185 (c) Bedford/St. Martin's bedfordstmartins.com 1-457-62096-0 / 978-1-457-62096-6 MOVIES A generation later, the space epic Star Wars (1977) changed the culture of the movie industry. Star Wars, produced, written, and directed...
Words: 19373 - Pages: 78
...International Relations Theory The new edition of International Relations Theory: A critical introduction introduces students to the main theories in international relations. It explains and analyzes each theory, allowing students to understand and critically engage with the myths and assumptions behind each theory. Key features of this textbook include: • discussion of all of the main theories: realism and (neo)realism, idealism and (neo)idealism, liberalism, constructivism, postmodernism, gender, and globalization two new chapters on the “clash of civilizations” and Hardt and Negri’s Empire innovative use of narratives from films that students will be familiar with: Lord of the Flies, Independence Day, Wag the Dog, Fatal Attraction, The Truman Show, East is East, and Memento an accessible and exciting writing style which is well-illustrated with boxed key concepts and guides to further reading. • • • This breakthrough textbook has been designed to unravel the complexities of international relations theory in a way that allows students a clearer idea of how the theories work and the myths that are associated with them. Cynthia Weber is Professor of International Studies at the University of Lancaster. She is the author of several books and numerous articles in the field of international relations. International Relations Theory A critical introduction Second edition Cynthia Weber First published 2001 by Routledge Second edition published 2005 by Routledge...
Words: 74303 - Pages: 298
...Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 i RTNA01 1 13/6/05, 5:28 PM READING THE NOVEL General Editor: Daniel R. Schwarz The aim of this series is to provide practical introductions to reading the novel in both the British and Irish, and the American traditions. Published Reading the Modern British and Irish Novel 1890–1930 Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Daniel R. Schwarz Brian W. Shaffer Forthcoming Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel Paula R. Backscheider Reading the Nineteenth-Century Novel Harry E. Shaw and Alison Case Reading the American Novel 1780–1865 Shirley Samuels Reading the American Novel 1865–1914 G. R. Thompson Reading the Twentieth-Century American Novel James Phelan ii RTNA01 2 13/6/05, 5:28 PM Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Brian W. Shaffer iii RTNA01 3 13/6/05, 5:28 PM © 2006 by Brian W. Shaffer BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Brian W. Shaffer to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and...
Words: 123617 - Pages: 495
...GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY STUDENT GUIDELINE NOTES GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY MODULE Paste the notes here… Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government. Political economy originated in moral philosophy (e.g. Adam Smith was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow), it developed in the 18th century as the study of the economies of states — polities, hence political economy. In late nineteenth century, the term "political economy" was generally replaced by the term economics, used by those seeking to place the study of economy upon mathematical and axiomatic bases, rather than the structural relationships of production and consumption (cf. marginalism, Alfred Marshall). History of the term Originally, political economy meant the study of the conditions under which production was organized in the nation-states. The phrase économie politique (translated in English as political economy) first appeared in France in 1615 with the well known book by Antoyne de Montchrétien: Traicté de l’oeconomie politique. French physiocrats, Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Karl Marx were some of the exponents of political economy. In 1805, Thomas Malthus became England's first professor of political economy, at the East India Company College, Haileybury, Hertfordshire. The world's first professorship in political economy was established...
Words: 39122 - Pages: 157
