Film theory 1

Lecture 4 23/11/2011

Film theory 1

The auteur – Hitchcock

What is an auteur? The director moulds the film e.g. Alfred Hitchcock, Jean Luc

Where did this come from? Andre Bazin 1950’s Paris (politique des autears), inspired by Hollywood cinema

Approach of auteurs – like artists, original work, creative control, set new rules/genres

Paris 1962: innovative, technical, competence, personality, deeper meanings (definition/ his theory a auteurs)

Hitchcock

Long career – from silent cinema onwards

Influential in genres like physic thriller

Interested in manipulating audience

Great technical ability by working in silent cinema

Subjective camera (cameras in characters?)

Clever use of montage/ cutting (in spite of laws against lighting)

1920 – started off drawing sets (artist background)

Apprentice at gainborough (expressionism audio)

1927 – ‘the lodger’ – mood lighting, exaggerated, (steps on glass ceiling scene) – creative idea

Subjective camera – jam inn – looking through ceiling

Cutting & montage – ‘what is drama without life and boring bits cut out’

Juxtaposition of imagery, problem solving (women being killed in shower couldn’t show nudity or stabbing etc.)

Pure cinematic – one scene of ‘action’ and character close up/ reaction (can shape character)

Expressionism – working emotion, cameo appearance, visual, certain characters, not realistic, plays on the audience emotion

Obsessive use of blondes – Dorris Day, Grace Kelly – virginal, suppressed characters (Hitchcock hairstyle_

Suspense – when the audience see the danger

Vertige – high angle shot to show height, ‘loud screams as woman jumps’ – flashes to mans face/reaction – (death of Madeline)

[NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS!]

Trauma – man is suspended from high building & falls – as a witness breaks down, he is obeyed to spy on Madeline (for her husband)

Madeline tries to commit suicide – Scotty saves her – we see her flowers

Suicide of Madeline – lots of scale shots to show height/vertigo. He can’t save her

Muting of Judy – Green and profile. Green = ever living (like trees to show

Madeline) colour and narrative together.

People/audience have the same fears as ever. Hitchcock aims to scare women = make up, more audience, chose film.

Audience expect cliché – Hitchcock will not allow cliché

Hitchcock says pictures of people talking (no longer about the imagery)

Believes in putting the horror in the mind of the audience not on screen!

Interior meaning – fascination of workings of the mind is introduced.

Films like Rebecca 1940

Collaboration with – dreams – where deeper meanings lie)

Eyes, view, perception, looking isn’t always pleasurable.

Donald Spetto – writes about Hitchcock

Birds = doom, warning danger sign

Hitchcock’s tears: small children heights, policemen,

Next film not as good as others + search for identity = order/ tension between men + & women.

Critique of auteurs

Mostly men

Hides the work of; art director, screen writer, cinematographer, editors, sound

Presumes universal view of quality

Barthers 1977 – death of the author

Do we get meaning from the intention of the filmmaker?

Do we have the same desires? … No

Hitchcock’s women, cliché, sexiot?

Laura Malvie – 1970’s – the male gaze – women are accessories to male roles

Escapism in fashion and cinema

Burberry forest vs cocaine D

Aspirational vs candid