Abstract This paper examines David Bordwell's critical article "The ArtCinema as a Mode of Film Practice." It shows how Borwell aims to propose that the 'artcinema' is actually a real form of film practice, with a historical background and distinct procedures that are taken in order to generate its formation. The paper examines Bordwell's ideas and the examples that he provides.
From the Paper "The article then goes on to explain the use of narrative intelligence. Usually the narrator makes it known that he or she is well informed of the future events that the characters in the story will experience. Using this knowledge, the film may use various techniques such as the flash-forward to exercise the narrator's power over the viewer. In this way, Bordwell explains that the art cinema is more focused on plot rather than story. Therefore the who, how and why are central to progressing the plot further in art cinema. The conclusion of art films is then discussed. Bordwell, outlining the fact that the characters lack particular goals explains that because of this, the story itself will quite often lack a particular ending. Or at least one with a solid, understandable resolution. This assists Bordwell in implying that art cinema is just a reflection of life itself, which also has no clear resolution."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts classical Hollywood films with Italian artcinema. It explores the characteristics and elements of each. The paper provides examples from "Casablanca," "The Bicycle Thief," "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Last Tango in Paris." The author discusses the Hollywood star system and principles of Neo-Realism.
A comparison of Hollywood classicism and artcinema using the films "Singin' in the Rain," directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and "My Life to Live" (Vivre Sa Vie) directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
Abstract This essay attempts to broadly define the characteristics and underlying principles of both Hollywood classicism and the artcinema. It references one film from each category - "Singin' in the Rain," directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen and "My Life to Live" (Vivre Sa Vie) directed by Jean-Luc Godard, respectively. The paper argues that the predominant stylistic distinction between the two modes lies in the artcinema's subversion of logical causality.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Hollywood Classicism
The ArtCinema Conclusion
From the Paper "Moreover, Godard is also situating his work in the context of New Wave cinema for his audience. This is evident towards the end of My Life to Live in which - in one of the moving, documentary-like boulevard-scanning shots that are commonplace in the film - Godard shows and has his characters comment upon a line-up of movie patrons to see Truffaut's Jules et Jim; a work by his New Wave rival. Within the broader span of cinematic history Godard situates his protagonist, Nana, in a mirror relationship to the protagonist of La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc. As Nana watches her cinematic predecessor crying in closeup there is a closeup of a tear running down Nana's face as well; a referential cinematic relationship that Godard's audience would both expect and understand."
Abstract This paper discusses, identifies and defines art films, focusing specifically on British art films of the 1980s and 1990s. The paper discusses sources of funding for the films and the importance of Peter Greenaway's films. The paper also takes a look at Greenaway as a postmodern artist.
Tags: film, artcinema, British films, Peter Greenaway
Abstract The paper explores Walter Benjamin's, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" and looks at how digital cinema may be interpreted as a classic instance of technology democratizing the creative and artistic process. The paper discusses how the camera in general is a tool that can become exploited by those with political objectives in mind. Finally, the paper looks at the redemptive aspects of modern mass-produced art. The paper shows how the age of mass-produced and mass-replicated art offers much that is promising and redemptive, but also presents some genuine challenges.
From the Paper "Benjamin begins by writing that works of art, at least in principle, have always been reproducible. To wit, man-made creations could always be replicated by man - such as students in an art studio creating copies for the honing of their craft. In the age of mechanization, however, the mechanical mass-reproduction of art meant that an item could be replicated at an astonishing speed - indeed, with a speed that previous generations would have found bewildering (Benjamin, 2). Suffice it to say, digital cinema intersects with Benjamin's observation to the extent that this commonplace piece of contemporary technology now makes it easier than ever before for someone to capture an object - be it a painting or any other form of art - and to distribute said image to whomever and wherever they wish (via electronic transmission, of course)."
Abstract This paper explores the evolution of film from a technology to an art form. The changes that took place in filming technology, the changes in the approach to filming, and changes in attitudes towards film are cited as reasons why the early perception of film changed from that of a new technology to that of an art form. The paper also talks about how the introduction of the narrative helped enforce the growing belief that film was an form of art, not just another new technology.
From the Paper "Although it may be difficult to conceive of in our modern era, as film has taken its place alongside the long-accepted artistic mediums of painting and sculpture as an ?art form,? during the early era of silent film this was far from the case. At the beginning of the 20th century, film had the status more of a modern technological curiosity or "freak show" rather than the status of art. The earliest works of film of the very end of the 19th century encouraged the viewer to simply marvel at the "moving picture" before his or her eyes, almost regardless of its content. Quite often these early clips of film had no narrative to speak of. The purpose of such shorts was to simply show the nature (and the limits) of the medium and to capture, however imperfectly, dancers, actors, and other noteworthy individuals of the day in motion, much like a moving newspaper."
Abstract In this paper the author highlights many of the uses of cinema as a means to political and social communication. He cites many examples of where politics have been affected by the use of cinema and social trends have been established as a result.The author also centres on cases where American movies have been banned due to political issues and influences. The paper concludes by stating that cinema is not the only influence on the changes that have occurred in politics and society.
From the Paper "A lot of Canadians seem to be loyal to Canadian art, Canadian music, orchestras perform works by Canadian composers, and theatres that perform Canadian plays. But at the same time there are movies that are being now produced and shot in Canada when once they sued to be shot and filmed in the US. Although a lot of Canadians say that they would prefer to be distinctive of their own culture and society at the end of it seems like if they were given a choice they would rather opt for the American way of living."
Tags: attitude, censor, hollywood, regulation, cluture, art
Abstract The paper examines "Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America" where King attempts to explore how nationalism and the regional identity of Latin America have evolved along with the growth of cinema. The paper outlines the main discussions in the book and identifies its weaknesses. The paper concludes that while the work is a valuable overview to a neglected subject area, it does not do justice to the whole of the region and does not enable the region's artists to be rendered in their own context, but instead seen through a Western gaze.
From the Paper "Increasingly, scholars are focused on analyzing art, including cinematic art, not in the abstract, but as a cultural product or artifact. However, in doing so, an interesting question is raised: is the culture of a society to be studied as merely a 'national' product, when that construct itself is somewhat problematic, given the difficulty of determining national borders in a postcolonial world, where the former European imperial powers drew the border lines of those nations? Or is it too subsuming of local differences to speak of, for example, a 'Latin American' identity? As its title indicates, Magical Reels: A History of Cinema in Latin America by the cultural historian John King offers the thesis that studying Latin America as a cultural project is valuable, because it highlights some of the unexplored and under-examined aspects of Latin American cinematic culture and the films produced in once-overlooked nations of the region. However, because of the limitations of available documentary evidence, King is to a degree forced to repeat the mistakes of previous studies of this region, namely to focus only on countries with political controversies of interest to the West, or upon films that drew international acclaim and attention."
Abstract This paper discusses the pantheistic view of the world revealed in the 1992 movie "Baraka," in which art is used to highlight the concept that nature is religion. The writer describes the film and its artistic heritage, and explains how the images are sequenced to influence the viewer in a very specific way.The writer concludes that by juxtaposing what is considered sacred with the supposedly profane and showing that they are all part of the ebb and flow of life on earth, the movie relays the message that all is one, and there is spirituality to be found even in the rawest and most ordinary aspects of nature.
From the Paper "One response to the movie at the time of its release was: "Baraka tries to make the argument that there is no single cultural legacy but rather all aspects are important" ("The Movie Baraka as Evidence of a Human Cultural Legacy," Anthology of Ideas, 2006). It might be added, it suggests that the human legacy itself can only be understood as important and valid if it is taken into consideration holistically, rather than piecemeal. No aspect of the world, even the parts seen as particularly sacred are superior to other aspects of life. This may seem to contradict the centrality of religious images in the iconography of the film."
Abstract This paper summarizes Scott Cooper's 1989 article third cinema in the United States". It emphasizes the need for disenfranchised peoples to tell their stories from their own perspectives. The author discusses the problems of ideology. The paper also explores common characteristics of Third Cinema and Third World Cinema.
Abstract This paper states that few texts can make claims to possess the kind of methodical comprehensiveness as George Melnyk's "One Hundred Years of Canadian Cinema". The author discusses various aspects of the text to provide an evaluation of the importance of the book's contribution to the study of cinema in Canada. The paper includes the author's argument, the credibility of the evidence and the overall value of the book.
From the Paper "Few texts can make claims to possess the kind of methodical comprehensiveness that George Melnyk's One Hundred Years of Canadian Cinema does. It is a massive, tome of a book whose physical heft correctly suggests all of the intellectual and academic weight that the author imbued within the pages of the three hundred sixty-one page work on the history of the Canadian cinema. Not to give away my feelings on the book prematurely, but the work that Melnyk managed in composing this piece of much-needed non-fiction should be considered one of the author's greatest achievements. The remainder of this review will be divided into four sections. The first will examine Melnyk's thesis, argument, and goal in writing "One Hundred Years of Canadian Cinema"."
Abstract The evolution of Italian cinema, from the neorealism of the 1940s and early 1950s to the more personal realism of the late 1950s and early 1960s, was defined by complex forces at work in Italian cultural, political and economic life at the time.
Abstract The writer of this paper centers on the fields of Far East and Near East art also known as Orientalist art. This paper presents figures and facts pertaining to the genre of Orientalist art from the auction houses of Christie' and Sotheby's as well as others. This well-researched paper discusses the general status of the art industry, while also delving into current trends. This paper examines how the 9/11 terror attacks caused sales and prices in the art industry to drastically fall around the world. This paper discusses the published reports that claim that even prior to 9/11 the art market was showing signs of slowing down. This paper contains published statistics and data pertinent to the art market in general while also presenting 6 illustrated charts and graphs relevant to this particular topic.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
General Art Market Analysis
Orientalist Art Market Analysis
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "Luckily, the art market was able to rebound quite quickly, despite challenges in other sectors. "After the tragedy of September 11th, the art market has consistently trumped the performance of sluggish equities markets" ("Art investment", 2003). For this reason, the art market, in general, has seen a resurgence, despite the downturn attributed to September 11th. However, not all is smooth sailing for the industry. This was evidenced just prior to perhaps one of the largest events in the art market history was the sale of artwork collected by the late Malcolm Forbes. Forbes was an obsessive collector. From Faberge eggs to Orientalist paintings, Forbes collection grew for more than three decades. 361 pieces of art, from this lifetime of collecting went under the hammer at Christie's in London, in 2003."
Abstract This paper discusses how the human body has always been a constant subject in art and in particular western art from the ancient times. This essay examines the various ways in which the body was represented in art from ancient to modern times. Many great pieces of art have had the nude as their theme, or at least contained nudes. The nude is often the subject of art but can also be considered an art form. The paper also looks at the nude as a subject of art and how notions of gender differences, desire and identity reflected on the female nudity in art.
Abstract This paper analyzes Martin Heidegger's definition of art. The author claims that the origin of art is created from some form of activity on the part of the artist, whether it be creating a painting, song, sculpture or poetry. This paper focuses on Van Gogh's painting "A Pair of Shoes" and describes Heidegger's view of this particular work of art as well as his perception of the artist. The writer of this paper questions whether the artist creates the art or if art in fact creates the artist. This paper also discusses the significance of technology and nature in any work of art while describing Heidegger's definition of the 'thing' needed when creating art.
From the Paper "After mentioning the artist, Heidegger begins to question what the artist is. We must question then if the work is what makes the artist, or is it the artist that makes the work. He tells us that the artist is the source of the work, and the work is the source of the artist. Both the work and the artist depend on each other, and one of them cannot exist without the other. Both the artist and work are related to a thing that comes before each, and that is what Heidegger calls art. If artist and work are both dependent on each other to be the source of the other, so do to both depend on art as their source. Heidegger asks if art can be a source of a work of an artist. Heidegger then claims that art is nothing more than a collective noun that signifies nothing now."
Tags:art, book, literature, van, gogh, painting, poetry, technology, review, perception
