THE LAST WORD

Essays and ET’s marked.

Grades submitted.

I’m boarding the plane to Thailand.

I’ll think fondly of our semester together.

Thanks for all your good work.

Happy Break!

COMPARISON ESSAY COMMENTS

My comments on your comparison essays are numbered. The numbers reference margin points on your hard copies. If you are interested, you can pick up your hard copy at the beginning of next semester. The number at the bottom is your grade.

Under this Post, please link to your final blogged comments about the course.

BLOGGED ESSAY: FILZA ATHIRA JUHARI

 

The Ziegfeld Walk (ET12)

December 5, 2011 by filzajuhari

As I pressed the rewind button of ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream”, I suddenly realized this was not the first time I had a look at women parading glittery, expensively lined – looking, sexy revealing clothes. Where else have we seen beautiful women showing off the clothes that seem to be exclusively made as if just for their bodies? Where else have we judged women through their face expression, attitude and graceful movements? Fashion shows! Fashion shows are always associated with soft-core exhibitionism, men fetishism, and women’s sexual attraction. Hence, my analysis will be on the women’s portrayal through this number, the role of the judges (in this context, the men as audience) and how the mise-en-scene creates its ‘magic’ to build up the arousal in the audience.

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN

The costumes and choreography go hand in hand. Quote Cantor and Freedman, they gave a lot of emphasis on the clothing and each of it had its own quality and uniqueness. Why so? They insisted that these costumes would make the women feel more feminine and the high level of confidence is needed to bring the clothes to “life”. Hence, the graceful choreography and disciplined attitudes are directly affected by the costumes. Thus, strengthens my initial statement.

The opening sequence of this number displayed a man confessing his love towards a woman. The costumes portrayed the newly wed look where the guy had a tuxedo and the woman in a beautiful white gown with a ribbon as a headgear. Marriage and love are usually linked together as marriage is seen as a true bond of love. The woman seems dazed by the dreamy words sung by the man. The look indirectly gives out the wish-fulfillment vibe to the audience.

Then as we were brought into the “window” (mind) of the singer’s (in fact, we can even see him as a narrator throughout this number), there begins the Ziegfeld Walk, the fashion parade by Ziegfeld line. Based on “Ziegfeld girl: Image and icon in culture and cinema” by Linda Mizejewski, she defined the Ziegfeld Walk as a logical element in the theatricalization of the fashion industry and also a common urban merchandising technique.

The angelic looking girls were seen to be seating on a zigzag ramp (widely known as the runway), then the shot was quickly changed into girls coming out of the hole and there comes the stairs. Not like any other fashion shows, the usual straight ramp was replaced with flight of steps. The women who glide down the stairs seemed very goddess-like as if we were not on Earth anymore. Back to the stairs, it is not Stairways to Heaven, but a representative image of Stairways to Venus instead. As we are acknowledged, the Venus planet is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

In the verse where women were coming out of the hole of the ground (2:12), they can be seen as stars that just got back to its origin planet. Stars can be represented as bright-lit personalities and granted wishes (wishes upon the stars). Every each of them seems to be very happy but not the last star. Even though she was the biggest star, she does not seem lit up. The costume makes her different than any other ‘smaller stars’; she seems to be the most dominating and of course, she was the only one who had the attention from the only male around.  Her facial expression was stoic yet it tells a lot of story. Is she sick with the males’ attention? In my opinion, she is the most powerful role and the male seems to be enslaved by her beauty and attraction.

By that, I do not believe in the theory of this woman being seen as sexual objectification, but it certainly is a sexual attraction. We were told that sexual attraction is not similar as sexual objectification because objectification only occurs when the individuality of the desired person is not acknowledged. In my stand, she acknowledges the attention; in fact she embraces the male attention. Besides that, at 2:28 and 5:51, the same phrase was confessed to her, “And have you all to myself, alone and apart.” This proves that she is the major star in this number, the central of attention. Mizejewski mentioned that Judy Garland’s performance make heterosexuality look difficult – explaining why straight women, as well as gay men would find her appealing. She is undoubtedly the essence of Ziegfeldness.

Later on, we were displayed with women ‘gliding down’ the stairs. Some analysts insisted that they sashayed down effortlessly but I beg to differ. To me, a lot of energy seemed to be put to create such graceful synchronized gestures and much of discipline is needed to create a positive attitude in parading their costumes with pride. They were never seen to be unhappy or ashamed of their body postures, instead exhibit them with gratification.

However, it is impossible to not notice animals’ representation in their costumes.

The girl on the furthest left can be seen as a large poodle. Poodle is usually related to high-end fashion. A dog specialist reviewed poodle as stubborn if untrained but they can also be wonderful dogs that no matter what, you cannot help but fall in love with, as they are very cheerful and lively. Just like women, women are known to be exquisite and ‘stubborn’ when they do not get their way but as mentioned, their virginal attitudes are certainly a man’s desire of a woman. In addition, the second left girl imaged a peacock. Peacock is allied with an arrogant personality. Like women, peacock loves talking, being the centre of attention, is passionately enthusiastic and optimistic.

The reason to this semiotic aspect can be inferred in many ways. In my positive judgment, Busby Berkeley had a thorough thought and is futuristic in putting subliminal images that connects animals with feminism, through the costumes. Some may say it is demeaning, but I see it as somewhat an affirmative symbols in relating them back to the ‘nature’ and other form of living things. (The nature itself is related to feminism – ‘Mother’ nature). They do not only look unique but at the same time, graceful and dignified.

MEN AS THE JUDGES

The singer, the narrator of this number, Tony Martin seems to be enslaved by the women parading around him. However, it is seen that his attention was highly given to his ‘bride’ and the biggest ‘star’. The other women may be his mental images in building up his perfect woman. In other words, he may fantasize about all these sensuous beautiful women, but the most respectable, non-revealing delicate looking ones caught his utmost attention instead. Martin also represents Busby Berkeley himself. Berkeley took pride on his Ziegfeld girls and always made sure they are all depicted elegantly. The women in this number are as his virtual depiction on how women should display themselves, not too revealing but enough to show the feminine curves, enough to arouse a man.

Other men were portrayed as the audience, the “judges”, and the “voyeurs”. Voyeurism in this number is seen as transparent where the girls knew they were being gazed at, bringing pleasure to the men’s eyes. The men had different facial responses towards the women. At 2:55, the man has a hesitant look on his face, questioning the social ethics. This expression opposes the wide grin the old man has at 3:18; a sign of enjoyment. At 5:09, the comparison between the positive and negative responses by both of the men seems much clearer.

THE MAGICAL MISE-EN-SCENE

The number started off with a long shot spotlight on the man, soon to be shared with another woman. Slowly, the camera closes up to the couple’s faces creating a two shot to highlight their facial expressions, ignoring their outfits. As they kissed, high key lighting was used to create a noir effect for the intimate gesture. The camera then brings us inside his mind, through the window. Then, as soon as the new verse, the surrounding was brightly lit to create a warm ambience. From there, the lighting did not change until it displays the chorus girls where it got a little dimmer. The camera again closes up to their tender faces as they synchronizedly stretch their hands out revealing their faces. Shortly, it was vibrantly lit again, and the shots were all full shot, from the head to bottom; an emphasis on their costumes and gestures at the same time. Reaction shots were used few times to show the audience’s responses. This number ended with an establishing shot of the whole casts and sets. The mise-en-scene is expressionistic. The audience is witnessing an unreal world that triggers subjective responses depending on individual’s psychological state.

Ultimately, I have clearly proved that these women in this number were displayed positively sensual yet demure at the same time who had been judged and observed with guilty pleasure by the anima characters. The powerful mise-en-scene certainly completes this number and acts as a bonus point.

References:

Ziegfeld girl: Image and Icon in Culture and Cinema By Linda Mizejewski

http://allpsych.com/disorders/paraphilias/voyeurism.html

http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/03/23/faq-what-is-sexual-objectification/

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: THE COLD WAR

Our final two films are The Atomic Cafe, written by Michael Edwards and Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb directed by Stanley Kubrik.

Both require a basic  knowledge of the Cold War — the period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that immediately followed World War II and lasted until the late ’80′s.

In particular, each film deals in its own way with the “atomic age” — a period of great anxiety that climaxed with the Cuban Missile Crisis in August 1962. For a two week period, there was the likelihood of “Mutually Assured Destruction” (MAD) as both countries faced off in what looked to be a final confrontation.

During the entire thirty year period, the American government used propaganda first to instill a deep fear of Communism in its population and second, to minimize fear of the effects of nuclear war. Politicians feared the growth of an anti-nuclear weapons movement that would derail military expenditures and encourage compromise.

The Atomic Cafe is a compilation of that propaganda and the media coverage of certain key events, such as the Rosenberg execution.

Dr Strangelove is a comedy about nuclear Armageddon. It had it’s premiere in January 1964 but was originally scheduled to open the week after President Kennedy’s assassination.

COLD WAR TIME LINE

	1945	Defeat of Germany and JapanFebruary 4-11: Yalta Conference meeting of FDR, Churchill, Stalin – the ‘Big Three’ Soviet Union has control of Eastern Europe. The Cold War BeginsMay 8: VE Day – Victory in Europe. Germany surrenders to the Red Army in BerlinJuly: Potsdam Conference – Germany was officially partitioned into four zones of occupation.August 6: The United States drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima (20 kiloton bomb ‘Little Boy’ kills 80,000)August 8: Russia declares war on JapanAugust 9: The United States drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki (22 kiloton ‘Fat Man’ kills 70,000)August 14 : Japanese surrender End of World War II August 15: Emperor surrender broadcast – VJ Day
	1946	February 9: Stalin hostile speech – communism & capitalism were incompatibleMarch 5 : “Sinews of Peace” Iron Curtain Speech by Winston Churchill – “an “iron curtain” has descended on Europe”March 10 – Truman demands Russia leave IranJuly 1: Operation Crossroads with Test Able was the first public demonstration of America’s atomic arsenalJuly 25: America’s Test Baker – underwater explosion
	1947	ContainmentMarch 12 : Truman Doctrine – Truman declares active role in Greek Civil WarJune : Marshall Plan is announced setting a precedent for helping countries combat poverty, disease and malnutritionSeptember 2 – Rio Pact – U.S. meet 19 Latin American countries and created a security zone around the hemisphere
	1948	ContainmentFebruary 25 : Communist takeover in CzechoslovakiaMarch 2: Truman’s Loyalty Program created to catch Cold War spiesMarch 17: Brussels Pact organized to protect Europe from communismJune 24 : Berlin Blockade begins lasting 11 months
	1949	ContainmentApril 4 : NATO ratifiedMay 12 : Berlin Blockade ends29 August : Russia tested its first atomic bombOctober 1 : Communist Mao Zedong takes control of China and establishes the People’s Republic of ChinaDecember 1 – Chiang Kai-shek moved to Formosa and created Nationalist government
	1950	January 30 – Truman approved H-bomb developmentFebruary : Joe McCarthy begins Communist witch hunt and loyalty testsJune 24: Korean War begins. Stalin supports North Korea who invade South Korea equipped with Soviet weapons
	1951	January 12 : Federal Civil Defense Administration establishedApril 11 – Truman fires MacArthur
	1952	A-bombs developed by Britain
	1953	March 17-June 4 Nuclear Arms Race atomic test series of 11 explosions at Nevada Test SiteApril 15: RAND report on the “Vulnerability of U. S. Strategic Air Power”July : Korean War endsDecember 8: Ike’s Atoms for Peace speech
	1954	March 1: H-bomb Castle-Bravo testMarch : KGB establishedCIA helps overthrow unfriendly regimes in Iran and GuatemalaJuly : Vietnam split at 17th parallel
	1955	May : Warsaw Pact formed
	1956	June 29: USSR sent tanks into Poznan, Poland, to suppress demonstrations by workersSeptember 4: USSR sent military aid to AfghanistanOctober – November : Rebellion put down in Communist Hungary.October 29: Suez Crisis began with Israeli attack led by Moshe Dayan against Egyptian forces in the SinaiEgypt took control of Suez Canal
	1957	August 26: Vostok rocket launched 1st ICBMOctober 4 : Sputnik launched into orbitNovember 3: Sputnik II launched – Laika died in space
	1958	January 31: Explorer I launchedJuly : NASA began Mercury project using Atlas rocketNovember : Khrushchev demands withdrawal of troops from Berlin
	1959	January : Cuba taken over by Fidel CastroSeptember : Khrushchev visits United States; The Kitchen Debate
	1960	A-bombs developed by FranceMay : Soviet Union reveals that U.S. spy plane was shot down over Soviet territoryNovember : John F. Kennedy elected President of USADecember 19: Cuba openly aligns itself with the Soviet Union and their policies.
	1961	April : Bay of Pigs invasion see Cuban Missile Crisis TimelineAugust 13 : Berlin border is closedAugust 17 : Construction of Berlin Wall begins
	1962	U.S. involvement in Vietnam increases see Vietnam War TimelineOctober : Cuban Missile Crisis see Cuban Missile Crisis Timeline
	1963	1963: July : Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ratified1963: November : President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas
	1964	August : Gulf of Tonkin incident – see Vietnam War TimelineOctober: A-bombs developed by China
	1965	April : U.S. Marines sent to Dominican Republic to fight CommunismJuly : Announcement of dispatching of 200,000 U.S. troops to Vietnam
	1966	B-52s Bomb North Vietnam
	1967	The US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara admits that the US bombing raids had failed to meet their objectives
	1968	January : North Korea captured U.S.S. PuebloPresident Johnson does not run for the presidency and Richard Nixon Elected President of the USAAugust : Soviet Red Army crush Czechoslovakian revolt
	1969	July 20 : Apollo 11 lands on the moon
	1970	April : President Nixon extends Vietnam War to Cambodia
	1971	Publication of the Pentagon Papers
	1972	February: President Richard Nixon visits ChinaJuly : SALT I signed
	1973	January : Cease fire in Vietnam between North Vietnam and United StatesSeptember : U.S. supported coup overthrows Chilean governmentOctober : Egypt and Syria attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet aid
	1974	1974: August : President Nixon resigns
	1975	April 17 : North Vietnam defeats South Vietnam which falls to Communist forces
	1976	February: Soviet and Cuban forces help to install Communist government in Angola.
	1979	January: U.S. and China establish diplomatic relations.July : SALT II signedNovember : Shah of Iran overthrown; Iranian Hostage CrisisDecember: Soviet forces invade Afghanistan
	1980	August: Polish shipyard workers strike Solidarity Union formed. Strike leader Lech Walesa is elected as the head of Solidarity
	1983	President Reagan proposes Strategic Defence Initiative1983: October : U.S. troops invades and overthrows regime in Grenada
	1985	Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the Soviet Union initiating a campaign of openness called “glasnost” and restructuring called “perestroika”
	1986	October : President Reagan and Gorbachev resolve to remove all intermediate nuclear missiles from Europe
	1987	October : Reagan and Gorbachev agree to remove all medium and short-range nuclear missiles
	1989	January : Soviet troops withdraw from AfghanistanJune : Poland becomes independentSeptember : Hungary becomes independentNovember : Berlin Wall is demolished and East Germany allows unrestricted migration to West GermanyDecember : Communist governments fall in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and RumaniaDecline of the Soviet empire
	1990	March : Lithuania becomes independentMay 29 : Boris Yeltsin elected as President of RussiaOctober 3 : Germany reunited
	1991	August : End of Soviet Union and the Cold War Ends

BLOGGED ESSAY: DAVID CHIA (#3: A RECORD!)

CAMPBELL IN CHINATOWN

Hogwarts, Wonderland, Neverland, and CHINATOWN — Aside from the fact that these worlds exist in groundbreaking movies, they all share something in common. They are our dreams made public.  According to Joseph Campbell, all stories are one story, and all heroes are one hero: the mono-myth and the journey. CHINATOWN directed by Polanski features a detective named Jake Gittes who is set into a labyrinth of unknowns bringing back a revelation – that the world we live in is controlled very much by ‘other’ forces. Gittes discovers that, and “we” discover that. Campbell divides all stories into three parts: the ordinary world, the special world, and the road back. Similarly, CHINATOWN can be divided into three: the detective world of Jake Gittes, the special world of Noah Cross, and the return to Chinatown.

 

Sequence 1: Detective World of Jake Gittes (Ordinary World)

The hero, Jake Gittes, is first introduced to us in his ordinary world: the world as a detective. Jake is in an office. He is properly dressed. Nice artwork. Everything is arranged neatly, and professionally. His operatives are all properly dressed, and not the scraggily dressed typical down-and-out drunk kind. We are introduced to a hero that himself is not doing too badly. His sits opposite his client Curly who heads towards the window blinds as he begins to chew them in frustration. Cynically, Gittes cautions him on his newly installed blinds. “All right, You can’t eat the Venetian blinds, I just had them installed yesterday.” Interestingly enough, those blinds would become a recurring motif throughout the film. He has just installed the blinds that would soon lay the path of being blinded to almost all the ‘right’ answers. Indeed, the central image of Chinatown is sight, or rather seeing. We see through binoculars, eyeglasses. There are shots in mirrors and film lenses. And of course, the flaw in the eye, and the shot of the fish-eye. (‘fisheye’ could also mean suspicious or unfriendly; obvious characteristics of the hero, Gittes). It isn’t a surprise that one of the first words Gittes says in Chinatown is “blind”, a clue which at first ‘we’ think isn’t relevant.

A phony “Mrs Mulwray” then enters the office, calling Gittes into the adventure. She thinks her husband is having an affair and needs the ‘help’ of Gittes. According to Jung’s archetypes, Mrs Mulwray in many myths is the herald; she is the calling.

Gittes realizes the foreboding danger, so he at first refuses to the call. “Let sleeping dogs lie, you’re, you’re better off not knowing,” Gittes warns Mrs. Mulwray (and ironically also warning himself). But he accepts the offer when Gittes finds out that “money doesn’t matter.”

The scene then takes us into an L.A. courtroom where Gittes is met with his mentor, Mr. Mulwray. Mr. Mulwray sets for us a backstory. L.A. is in drought, and farmers and city dwellers are getting desperate. Officials argue that a dam would save the city, however Mr. Mulwray does not want to go there again. At this point of the movie, Gittes has limited knowledge to the problem (if there is any at this point). He puts his newspapers down and begins to listen to Mr. Mulwray’s speech as he then follows him into the special world.

The scene cuts into the valley, the special world. Gittes has left his ordinary world, and delved into an unfamiliar world with new rules and values. Mr. Mulwray himself is new to this world. In both Gittes’ and Mr. Mulwray’s inner self the recurring question “what is going on?” haunts them. Gittes voyeurs at Mulwray through his binoculars (the seeing) at sees him talking to a Mexican boy on a horse. It is a powerful archetype, mysterious-like symbol: a young boy on horseback. Symbolically, horses are seen as sex – “hung like a horse.” Another motif that is seen throughout the film. Sex. Mulwray is led on; he is hooked. Mulwray is enigmatic. There is something mysterious about the way he stares into the ocean with a starfish in hand. And more interestingly, there is a doubleness in this scene. The way Jake voyeurs a voyeur. Jake is investigating Mulwray who is investigating a mystery. They are alike. They want to discover the same things. Both equally minded. And both equally doomed.

Jake is then tested and begins to find allegiances in this special world. He is introduced to his shadow, his enemy. Operative Walsh brings to Gittes photos of Mulwray getting into a fight with an older man outside Pig and Whistle restaurant. This is our first look at Noah Cross, the enemy. (Funny to name a restaurant Pig and Whistle, what more to fight outside it. Perhaps Cross was the “Pig” who was about to be “Whistle”d by Mulwray). Walsh also added that he only heard the word “apple-core”, a word that would sooner make clear sense. Not too long after, Duffy, a corrupt looking operative says that he has caught Mulwray with a ‘girl’ in Echopark. This in fact is Mulwray’s first test: to trust Walsh (who seemed to be the smarter of the operatives) or to trust the corrupt looking Duffy? He chose to trust Duffy, and dismisses Walsh’s evidence. Gittes jibes Walsh by saying that this art requires some “finesse” as he leaves the real evidence and goes to Echopark.
In Echopark, Gittes finds Mulwray with young blond girl rowing on a boat. He continues to follow them to an apartment and snaps more photos from the roof. We see the reflection of the girl and Mulwray in the camera lens(again, the seeing). The case is solved! Gittes has found the girl whom Mulwray is having an affair with(if only that were true)

 

Sequence 2: The World of the Rich//Noah Cross (Special World)

In the second sequence of CHINATOWN, Jake is taken deeper into the labyrinth. He meets with the real Mrs. Mulwray, ironically while he is telling a screwing like a Chinaman joke(a sex clue). The real Mrs. Mulwray is in tandem with a Chinaman. In fact, anything Chinese in this film conveys what will eventually turn out to be Jake’s wound. In a way, Mrs. Mulwray is his ghost. Mrs. Mulwray reveals to Gittes that she is indeed the real Mrs. Mulwray, and that Jake has been taken for a ride. “I will not be the one caught with my pants down,” says Gittes. He is slowly lured into the secret life of Mrs. Mulwray. “I want to help.” Gittes slowly finds himself meeting up characters that remind him of his days in Chinatown: Khan, and Lou Escobar.

Khan is a threshold guardian of entering deeper into the rich world. The Chinese butler(note again Chinese brings him closer to his doom). Khan is an important character. In fact all the servants in Mrs. Mulwray’s home are Chinese, slowly reminding him of Jake’s wound back at Chinatown, like a preparation for change.

Lou Escobar sometimes is an ally and sometimes an antagonist. In a sense, he is Gittes’ mirror image. It’s who he could be if he stayed at Chinatown. There is an awkward conversation between them at the reservoir.  At the reservoir he finds out that Mr. Mulwray is dead. At this point of the film, Gittes changes his focus from who set him up to who killed Mulwray – of course we know that the answer to both those questions are the same.

Gittes is preparing for a major change. Mulwray is dead. Some say that he committed suicide, but he thinks otherwise. He is determined for change. He is determined to find out who killed Mulwray, and why. He goes down to the morgue and finds out the Mulwray died of salt water.  “L.A. is in drought and people are drowning,” the coroner jokingly remarks.

As part of the approach, he finds himself in many challenges. He goes to the reservoir at night, and gets his nose cut for being nosy.  The cutting of the nose could be a castration metaphor, an initiation that he has entered the world. He has changed. There’s no going back now. He’s in the world, and he’s ready for the ordeal.

Gittes faces the ordeal in the middle of the story. He enters a central space in the special world. He is in Mrs. Mulwray’s bathroom. We learn that Gittes fears Chinatown, he fears going back to when he did “too much”. He told himself to do “as little as possible.” And he did the complete opposite. That was his biggest fear. He didn’t want to talk about. He avoided as much talk about it as he could. And when the bandage of his nose was removed, he has faced his biggest fear. Mrs. Mulwray opened her hear to him. Chinatown is now repeating itself. He has reaped the reward of love, and acceptance. He is now in the rich world. However, there’s a chance of losing it.

 

Sequence 3: Return to Chinatown (Journey Back)

Gittes’ road back is one filled with blindness after blindness(relating again to the window blinds). He accuses Mrs. Mulwray wrongly. And sees the wrong clues that lead towards him (us) thinking that Mrs. Mulwray killed her husband. But the resurrection happens when he finds out that Evelyn had incest with her father, Cross, and she ran away to Mexico when she was 16. The entire story changes, the polarities that were at conflict at the beginning is resolved. That revelation answers everything.

The final battle occurs at Chinatown itself. He is back at the place where he suffered, a place he told Evelyn is “bad luck”. And true enough it was, Evelyn was shot, and her life ended with more knowledge of her dad owning the police.
With Walsh’s final statement, “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown,” Jake has brought back the elixir, a knowledge that could change the world. The film CHINATOWN has changed our world, we, the audience, are reap the reward for Evelyn’s death. We learn the knowledge that the world we live is controlled by ‘other’ forces. In other words, Jake’s tragedy has transformed the way we view our world.

BLOGGED ESSAY: AMELIA PHUA WEAN LU

 

aA

Gruesome. Unnerving. Macabre. Among the many adjectives that describes the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin. But most of all, shocking. So how exactly did Eisenstein construct this sequence to evoke such strong unpleasant feelings in the audience?

Eisenstein held that proper film continuity should not proceed smoothly, but through a series of shocks. Whenever possible, he tried to create some kind of visual conflict or discontinuity between two shots, with the goal of creating a jolt in the spectator’s psyche.

And this he did.

Chaos first ensued after the intertitle “Suddenly…” which was followed by a mad lady, mouth agaped shaking her head as thought in fits of an epileptic episode. Perhaps I might be wrong, but this seem to have been shot not on location. My initial reaction to these few shots was  perplexity, and to a certain extent even ridiculing the unexpected close-up. But that got me thinking. Eisenstein didn’t shoot this lady being attacked or impaled or shot, instead he focused the shot to a close-up of her face. His method of repeating these four shots immediately grips the audience by the throat. Her eyes were obscured by her hair which forced the audience to concentrate on what’s left – her agaped mouth (which interestingly enough, is what we instinctively do when being chocked)

As people panicked and started running down the steps, there were a few scenes of men being shot down. Eisenstein captured these through canted framing and prediction shots. What I meant by prediction shots is at 1:13 of the clip, the camera predicted and followed where the man was going to fall. We never see the actual action of them being shot or neither do we get a view of their faces. This drives the audience to conclude that these harmless commoners were being shot mercilessly. The canted framing reinforced this, giving an impression of “frantic rhythm”, further reeling the audience into the violence.

The Cossacks.
We soon see them running for their lives. As soon as her boy got shot, we see yet again several close-ups of the mother’s face. Her face is very unique in a sense that it isn’t entirely feminine, but rather rugged with very masculine features. Her expression carried more anger, horror and frustration than it did helplessness or vulnerability. This carries very well when she later rebels in sheer wrath by marching her son’s injured body up against the stream of people. As a distraught woman, she did not pose a threat to the rifle-wielding officers, but was shot dead nonetheless. This is very metaphorical, depicting how a select few unwavering citizens who rise against the government are usually shut out without a second thought.

As she walked the final few steps and stopped in front of the officers, there wasn’t any music. This silence echoes through the audience’s consciousness, drawing out our own sense of what is right and wrong. By not having any audio stimulus, it leaves us holding our breaths wondering how their fates would end, and also allowing uninterrupted contemplation on how we ourselves would have dealt with the situation given we were the officers. Which truth be told, made the following scene of her being shot dead all the more horrifying. When she stood in front of the officers, the lighting was perfect. There were just huge shadows of the officers, almost overwhelming and engulfing the Cossacks into nothingness. Also important to note, we never get to see the faces of any of the officers. This element of being faceless might have been to portray a very unemotional, inhumane administration.

Then we see close-ups from different angles of the young boy’s legs, hands and torso being trampled on by the frenzied crowd. Eisenstein utilized the child as the subject because it heightens our emotions of pity and dread. We could see that the young boy was still very much alive as his body was still responsive when his hand was being stepped on. This is a powerful shot because it causes the audience to imagine the pain in their own hands. When the audience begins to imagine themselves living the nightmare, Eisenstein has successfully achieved his mission of creating a “continual source of stimulants or shocks to keep the audience wide awake”.

Moving on from the Cossacks, we see a baby carriage moving down the steps. But before it was pushed down, there was a clear shot of the baby reaching out as dozens of people passed it. Once again, Eisenstein utilized a child. Children represent the pinnacle of human innocence and by making them the subject, Eisenstein is appealing to our inherent desire to nurture and protect the young. But in this case, no one did so. It goes to show that in the true face of danger, every man is for himself. This scene was placed there to engage the audience, to deliberately make them go crazy wondering “Why isn’t anyone helping the baby?! SOMEONE, HELP THE BABY!”

Finally, as the baby carriage reaches the bottom of the steps, we were shown a close-up point of view shot of two men beating us (the child). In my opinion, this is by far the most powerful jolt. The audience doesn’t really know if it was the child who was beaten but the shots were arranged in a way that forces us into that conclusion. This point of view shot really captured Eisenstein’s trademark of a “series of shocks”. It was completely unexpected that a little harmless baby would be beaten to death. Simultaneously, we were shown another close-up of the elderly woman who was shot in the eye. Her expression was one of shock, as though she wasn’t expecting to be shot at all. Very much like our own expression while watching this final scene.

All in all, Eisenstein was on to something with his discontinuing shots. But I believe it has to be used sparingly and at all the right moments because if this technique was overused, it might potentially ‘wear out’ the audience. Continuously being shocked into something unexpected would prove to be very unwise and tiring.

 

 

ET 23: PARIS BURNING IN MALAYSIA

Assume that Paris is Burning is banned in Malaysia.

EITHER

Write a letter to the Censor appealing the ban explaining why it should be shown to public audiences in this country.

OR

Write a letter supporting the ban, explaining why the movie should not be shown.

Before you write, do some online research into the status of transsexuals/transgenders in this country — in the social, legal, and religious context. Bring your research to bear in your argument.

BLOGGED ESSAY: ADRIAN ANTHONY

Dennis Lim of the LA Times said it set a standard that proved impossible to match. Empire Magazine considers it among the best non-English films ever made. Many others agree that it was Fritz Lang’s best work. Such was the praise for M; such was the quality it possessed. The film was revolutionary in terms of the directorial technique which Lang employed, of which significant portion can be observed in the film’s opening sequence.

The linear opening sequence can be divided in terms of the three-part structure of setup,  conflict and resolution. In the setup, Lang chooses to give us clues to the story’s exposition instead of showing us the main characters. The film begins with a few children playing a game involving a song about a murderer. Curiosity is further aroused when the adults speak of the children’s safety and a murderer in their conversation. Conflict then arises when little Elsie converses with a mysterious figure. The shot of Elsie, the “wanted” poster and the figure’s shadow over it foreshadow the climax to come. As Elsie’s mother ponders her whereabouts, and as we await the horror that is to come in the resolution, Lang instead spares us by showing us Elsie’s ball rolling out from the bushes and her balloon floating away. This signifies the climax of the scene, and the fate that has befallen little Elsie. A simple narrative, with touches of Lang’s improvisation, provides an entertaining introduction to M.

Narrative aside, the mise-en-scene of M is equally captivating. Riding on the genre/theme of social ills, M opens with an aerial shot of our young subjects and their aforementioned pastime. Lang then brings forth our apprehension using the chiaroscuro technique for the shot. Such expressionism, coupled with the uncertainty as to who will be “out” in the game, provides an undertone that danger lurks everywhere and any child could be a victim. Lang continues to manipulate lighting on many occasions in the movie and it is evident when Elsie’s mother looks at the clock. The key light is placed at the left of the clock so as to create a larger shadow behind it. The choice of clock is interesting as it creates an oddly shaped shadow. Like the game, this suggests that a child’s life could be in jeopardy soon. Furthermore, when Elsie’s mother looks down the stairway, the expressionist point-of-view shot of the stairs represents not only the fear and anxiety of her, but ours as well. With the bird’s eye view of the staircase, it may also seem that we are looking straight into a dark tunnel with no clear knowledge of the peril that awaits us. This peril is later revealed in the scene of Elsie’s ball and her balloon. Lang’s choice of the balloon is important, as it resembles Elsie – an adorable child with a grey dress. The low-angle shots of the balloon getting tangled in the telephone lines and floating away, symbolize the suffering Elsie endured, and her soul gaining rest in the end.

The compelling visual composition of M could not have been brought together without the notable editing of Paul Falkenberg. M’s trigger starts with a cut from Mrs. Beckmann to the clock, followed by the cross cutting sequence between Mrs. Beckmann preparing lunch and Elsie’s meeting with Hans Beckert. Mrs. Beckmann’s growing concern is then depicted with a series of cuts from the expressionist staircase, to the dark basement, and the empty plate and chair. With each shot, the implication that she is going to lose Elsie grows stronger. The most significant piece of editing is the fade-out of Elsie’s balloon, and the 4 seconds of silent darkness that follow. This not only signals the climax, but also allows us time to digest the evil that we just witnessed.

Another aspect that highlights the genius behind M is its sound/music, or lack of it. Lang chose not to include a film score for M; the only sounds that we hear are diegetic ones. This way, Lang compels us to give our fullest attention to the diegesis. Moreover, the absence of background music allows us to give our own interpretations of the expressionistic elements of M, like the staircase. The only significant piece of music that we hear comes from our murderer, who whistles the famous 2 phrases of Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King. It is used as a leitmotif for him, and is a technique that has since been applied to other iconic characters such as Darth Vader. According to Adam Batty (author of Hope Lies at 24 Frames Per Second), the allegro tempo of Grieg’s piece is in contrast with the measured pace of M. He goes on to state it is ironic that this B-minor tune complements the movie as well for it slices through the silence, alerts us about the murderer and denotes the danger he brings.

From its engaging narrative to its arresting absence of music, M never ceases to intrigue us. So much so it has been studied over by both film scholars and directors. It is no wonder that it is often declared as Lang’s magnum opus. Speaking of which, over 800 words, and all I’ve analyzed are the first 8 minutes of M…

DOCUMENTARY FILM: WHAT IS TRUTH?

The truth is rarely pure and never simple. – Oscar Wilde

This course has focused primarily on fictional narrative films, but we have screened a few documentaries. Night and Fog, The Man With a Move Camera, Triumph of the Will. Even from these examples, you can see that the subject is a complex one.

We are bombarded with documentaries, pseudo documentaries, propaganda films. They create the images in our minds — and the narrative in our heads, of history, politics, products — truth. Every night, we watch the news: mini-documentaries. We watch commercials – which can often seem like documentaries. In school, the teacher sets up the projector for a documentary on how to protect yourself from HIV. You access YouTube to watch a comparison of two smart phones. And then there’s the History Channel!

We have all been in documentaries and made documentaries. Are the subjects of our family videos. We record history with our cellphones.

So what is a documentary? Bordwell’s discussion of the subject in the textbook is an excellent place to start. Please read it.

A documentary is any film that says it’s a documentary. It pretends to present “factual information about the world”.

But what is fact? What is truth?

A better question to ask is what creates the impression of truth.

In between the subject and the audience is the film. It is assembled, shot, edited, staged (or not) narrated (or not), performed (or not) set to music (or not). In short, it is manipulated. But in such a way that we say “this is true”.

This is not a pipe.

Bordwell talks about the types of documentary. Often, these types are combined.

• The compilation film: archival images assembled by the director. Night and Fog is a powerful example of this.
• The interview or talking heads documentary.
• The direct cinema documentary: records an event as it happens.: cinema verite.

With a documentary, the willing suspension of disbelief is that we are not suspending our disbelief. (a new quotation from Chairman Rey)

This is the most famous influential, and most debated. documentary of my lifetime: The Zapruder record of John Kennedy’s assassination. Do not watch it if you are squeamish.

 

What is truth?

TWO NEW FILMS

Two movies just released reference topics we have covered in this course.

• The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius, is a homage to the silent era: From AO Scott’s review in the New York Times; But the passing of the silent era from memory into myth is what “The Artist,” Michel Hazanavicius’s dazzling cinematic objet d’art, is all about. This is not a work of film history but rather a generous, touching and slightly daffy expression of unbridled movie love. Though its protagonist mourns the arrival of sound, “The Artist” itself is more interested in celebrating the range and power of a medium that can sparkle, swoon and suffer so beautifully that it doesn’t really need to have anything to say.

• Martin Scorcse’s Hugo – an orphan boy fantasy that takes place in Paris during the 1930′s. In it, the young protagonist encounters an aging and lonely Georges Melies —  who gave us Voyage to the Moon. This is a story shared by all children, who begin as observers and turn (if all goes well) into participants. But “Hugo” is specifically about those observers of life who, perhaps out of loneliness and with desire, explore reality through its moving images, which is why it’s also about the creation of a cinematic imagination — Hugo’s, Méliès’s, Mr. Scorsese’s, ours.