Introduction to Film Introduction to Film Studies 1:Studies 1:

Hollywood CinemaHollywood Cinema

Lecture Three:Lecture Three:

AuthorshipAuthorship

Critical Discourses:Critical Discourses:Art vs. CommerceArt vs. Commerce

Commerce = Hollywood, production line, Commerce = Hollywood, production line, mass audiencemass audience

Art cinema = Europe, individualism, select Art cinema = Europe, individualism, select audience (subsidy)audience (subsidy)

Rudolph Arnheim: Rudolph Arnheim: Film as ArtFilm as Art What is an artist? Personal vision, What is an artist? Personal vision,

creativity, mastery of form, a message for creativity, mastery of form, a message for the worldthe world

Critiques of the romantic notion of the Critiques of the romantic notion of the artistartist

The Auteur TheoryThe Auteur Theory Germany 1913: The autorenfilmGermany 1913: The autorenfilm Auteur = AuthorAuteur = Author Les Politique des Auteurs: Les Politique des Auteurs: Cahiers du CinemaCahiers du Cinema, ,

1950s1950s French ‘quality’ cinema: ‘cinema du papa’French ‘quality’ cinema: ‘cinema du papa’ Establishing cinema as an art formEstablishing cinema as an art form Why the directorWhy the director ‘‘Camera-stylo’Camera-stylo’ The ‘Metteur-en-Scene’The ‘Metteur-en-Scene’ From theory to practice: Jean-Luc Godard, From theory to practice: Jean-Luc Godard,

Francois Truffaut, Eric Rohmer, Claude ChabrolFrancois Truffaut, Eric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol The Hollywood film artist: Welles, Hitchcock, The Hollywood film artist: Welles, Hitchcock,

Howard Hawks, John FordHoward Hawks, John Ford

Widening the TheoryWidening the Theory

America: Andrew Sarris at America: Andrew Sarris at Village Village VoiceVoice

UK: Robin Wood at UK: Robin Wood at Movie,Movie, writing writing on Hitchcock and Hawkson Hitchcock and Hawks

Contemporary film criticism: Contemporary film criticism: Sight Sight and Soundand Sound, broadsheet newspapers, broadsheet newspapers

Applying the TheoryApplying the Theory

Consistency of styleConsistency of style Consistency of story contentConsistency of story content Thematic concernsThematic concerns Underlying purposeUnderlying purpose

Critiques of the TheoryCritiques of the Theory A collaborative mediumA collaborative medium Why only directors?Why only directors? How do we decide if a director is an auteur How do we decide if a director is an auteur

or not?or not? Historical contextHistorical context AudiencesAudiences Structuralism (Roland Barthes): meaning is Structuralism (Roland Barthes): meaning is

coded in the text – how do we know what coded in the text – how do we know what the director intended?the director intended?

Marxist-Feminist perspective: dominant Marxist-Feminist perspective: dominant ideology is the key factorideology is the key factor

Postmodernism: multiple meaningsPostmodernism: multiple meanings

Restating the TheoryRestating the Theory

The Structuralist Auteur: Robin The Structuralist Auteur: Robin Wood – shaping the codesWood – shaping the codes

Subverting dominant ideology: Peter Subverting dominant ideology: Peter Wollen, Wollen, Signs and Meaning in the Signs and Meaning in the CinemaCinema

Postmodernism: audiences use the Postmodernism: audiences use the auteur as they wishauteur as they wish

HitchcockHitchcock

Content: an ordinary man in extraordinary Content: an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances, the ice-cold blonde, a circumstances, the ice-cold blonde, a persecuted hero on the run, the ‘McGuffin’persecuted hero on the run, the ‘McGuffin’

Style: slow tracking shots, odd angles, Style: slow tracking shots, odd angles, expressionist lighting and colour, shock expressionist lighting and colour, shock cuts, black humourcuts, black humour

Themes: psychological breakdown, Themes: psychological breakdown, ‘transference of guilt’, order vs. disorder, ‘transference of guilt’, order vs. disorder, fear of women – misogynyfear of women – misogyny

Intention? ‘To put the audience through it’.Intention? ‘To put the audience through it’.