PREP FOR EXAM

Experimental film , names , dates info:

Un Chein Andalou - 1928 - directed by - Luis Bunuel / Salvadour Dali
The film begins by introducing us to a male character with an old barbers shaving tool as the character exits onto the balcony a cut is used to show us the moon . Later we see a female sat with her eyes open as he cuts the eye open this is also shown as the clouds pass the moon this immediately shocks myself as a viewer as it's the first thing we come to in a narrative and its body gore. This film follows a non - linear narrative as it cuts from , once upon a time to 8 years later , Spring with no change in characters appearance or lifestyle resembling that time is nothing. The score that is used within this film draws me into wanting to watch more as it changes for each story from a confused way to a fast pacing for example when the scene cuts from seeing a member of public hit to the ground to then cutting to a rapey scene where the male character beings to grope at the female role as he does this a body morph is used to change her breasts into a bum this confused me as a viewer and as the cut is so quick i didn't realise this even happened. This film is very confusing to watch as a mainstream cinema viewer we are fed a narrative and meaning however in Un Chien Andalou this is not the case. It leaves me with enigma codes as to what was the point in that and why ? for example when the male character begins to drag two pianos with two dead and rotting donkeys and the ten commandments and the two priests which one is Salvador himself. All the issues and themes brought up in this film revolves around , life , death , sex , religion and time.

Fireworks - 1974 - directed by Kenneth Anger
This film follows through the view of a homosexual. This film was caught on tape whilst Kenneth's parents went away for the weekend allowing him to express himself through a form of visual art. This film represents how the public would accept or not accept the homosexual act at the time of day as this was a disrespectful and religion breaking thing in which wasn't looked up upon. Framing in this film is used very well as low angle shots are used around the homosexual to show how he is being rejected for being who he want's to be. A Christmas tree is set a light as one of the sailors passes it to the homosexual to light his cigarette this highlights that he is against the religion factor of being in a straight relationship. This film expresses his sexuality and what he stands for as he is beaten by the sailors it contrasts visually in costume with the masculinity of the well built male to the band village boys 'ymca' who express there sexuality, which is what happens at the end of the film as one sailor lets of his firework as he lets out his sexuality after the beating. Blood isn't dark or red in this film its white like milk or seamen as it exits his body pushing his sexuality. As an experimental film i have a greater response to this more than the other films this is due to a linear narrative which follows an equilibrium making more sense as a film. It makes me sympathies the character as now homosexuals are accepted more than ever however in this date all i can gather is that everyone was against it. As a spectator this film informs me about a day in age i was not born to.

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The Act Of Seeing With One's Own Eyes - 1971 - directed by - Stan Brackhage
Food - 1991 - directed by - Jan Svankmajer
Koyannistqatsi - 1982 - directed by Godfrey Reggio

Crisis Of Masculinity Within Fight Club

- How Useful Has A Particular Critical Approach Been In Gaining A Deeper Understanding And Appriciation Of Your Chosen Film?

Crisis Of Masculinity is applied within 'Fight Club' this has helped me gain a better knowledge of the character Jack and how is sexuality is shown throughout the film not only is his character not in the right zone the film portrays a crisis of masculinity within Jack. This is shown at the beginning of the film as Jack approaches the help group centre a male character is moping; cleaning is classed as a females job ,  we are introduced to the help groups that Jack attends ; one of these groups particular is 'testicular cancer' this suggests a group only for the male gender to attend in order to speak there mind, escaping from the female form , hiding away in shame to talk as a group to get over the issues and to help one another by keeping this as group mixed in with the other groups which both sex's attend 'testicular cancer' is only for the males which is the first time Jack has been able to cry and sleep in this group. The gathering is in a sports gym in which you would associate the sport with athletics and strong male personas , muscular  this is contrasted with the males sat in a circle crying and speaking there emotions as they aren't playing the sport this shows Jacks feminism side as females are associated with being emotional and talking about there emotions. A 360 degree turn is used around Bob and Jack when they are cuddling showing this state of mind and confusion into Jack's sexuality portraying the issues in which circle his mind as Jack leaves Bob's cheats a christ / cross tear imprint reminds Jack that he is commenting a sin to his religion if he becomes a homosexual. Bob is referred to as 'bitch tits' from Jack this enlightens the crisis of masculinity as Bob was a strong male body builder who now has put on weight has testicular cancer and has been given oestrogen to help him recover giving him breasts ; Jacks head is forced into Bob's breasts as this is the first time he cries to another male giving a sense of relief / belonging i.e being homosexual. When Marla begins to join the groups a change in pattern happens as Jack begins to become paranoid and agitated by Marla which is an anagram from ALARM which is a reoccurring motif showing the reality/ fantasy of Jack being conscious/unconscious the alarm bells ring when Marla enters the situation demonstrating a Femme Fatal in which in film noir uses there sexuality and body to manipulate others.

By taking a critical response towards fight club associating with having a crisis of masculinity homage is played to the experimental film 'fireworks' which expresses sexuality. Fight Club highlights the issues of being homosexual as the approach given to Jack's character makes him confused and finds it hard to express his sexuality within groups. By keeping this theory in mind i have discovered how sexuality can effect the find of one and confuse them for Jack's sake he creates Tyler ; a fragment of his mind a imaginary friend who expresses the masculinity within Jack's character he has everything that Jack doesn't, the looks , women , attitude and confidence everything Jack lacks in is shown through this character . Within the beginning sequence Tyler appears four times in flashes portraying his masculinity escaping allowing Jack to be a homosexual in the groups the flashes are used to show Jack's state of mind.

collection of top gangster films

Exam Response

Experimental Film requires a different kind of spectatorship.' Has this been your experience? [35]

Experimental films are full of strange mixtures of images, situations, words and expressions that may not tell a cohesive story but, in the end, don't have to in order to achieve an emotional goal. This type of film therefore requires the spectator to shift their conventional cinematic expectations to accommodate more radical narrative techniques, themes and meaning construction. 

Un Chien Andalou, the infamous 1929 surrealist short film from Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, attests to this.

Un Chein Andalou offers a dramatic impact on a spectator as this film holds values of artistic work of Salvador Dali who I pay great interest in his work this grasped me .The way of life this film uses this art to show the dream state of mind holding metaphorical religious connotations. This film offers me a surrealist viewing as it disorientates the mind and make’s it believe the showcasing however this is in the dream state so by allowing my mind to take a preferred reading I am able to escape into this experimental film. This film uses anchorage to confuse it’s audience by displaying ‘once upon a time’ , ‘8 years later’ e.c.t by using this anchorage the spectator is confused by the mix of other genre’s conventions in its use. The opening scene shows an extreme close up of a female’s eye being cut this instantly grabbed my attention into reading the film as ‘gore’ attracts me in films by using this shot it gains and arouses the audience as I expected more ‘gore’ within this film I feel for the first scene and no real ‘gore’ was used after disappointing me as a spectator. Un Chie Andalou holds disorientating unrealistic scene’s within for instance a scene where ants are growing out of the characters hand , this shows feeding and rotting. The end scene shows the characters in the mise-en-scene of a beech with half their body’s buried representing the date in which the film was set representing the trenches in the World Wars. This film offers excitement and disappointment in my opinion. One of the scene’s in Un Chien Andalou shows the female and male character as he begins to gropes

 and harasses the female this scene is particularly upsetting as a female viewer I had watch a perverted scene. Overall I enjoyed Un Chien Andalou as a spectator as an experimental film the attributes used in the film really attracted me.

Chris Marker became known internationally for the short film La Jetée (1962). It tells of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel by using a series of filmed photographs developed as a photomontage of varying pace, with limited narration and sound effects. 

La Jetee’s story is told via the uses of voice over to narrate the story , a collection of images were edited together with use’s of still’s being a very static film to watch. I found this film very mind numbing as an interaction was connected with the film. However compared to the other films with no narrative this holds a narrative yet leaving my mind in a tedious state. The use of stills cross fades between images I enjoy the aesthetics of stills but with no moving film at all I was in a sleepy state of mind as I was just listening to the voice over. Artistically one scene drew my attention back to the film once a moving film was used to show the movement of an eye movement this left me to enigma codes as to weather the eye did move making this contrast to the whole of the film making it a very memorable scene as a spectator to rember.

Presentation Script:

To begin the presentation script you will need to finish the annotated catalogue with at least 15 min items to 20 max include at least 5 rejected items make sure you state why you are using it or why you are not, why is it rejected?
The presentation script is a 25 mark - small scale project. Write up all research from the annotated catalogue and refer to this in the presentation script. When referring to films use sequences not trailers as you need to highlight the key aspects. Write the presentation in first person imagine you are saying it to an audience and actually presenting it. You will need to use an introduction , outline what you shall be discussing you may use images and clips make sure you reference back to everything in the catalogue. When writing up the presentation script refer to the speech as 'speaker:' and when showing images or sequences you can refer them to 'projector:'
BE SPECIFIC
BE DIRECT
BE CONSTANT
1'500 words however  you may go over by 10% which will be 1'650.
Make sure you are well argued.
When referring to images you can use stills put these towards the end of the catalogue.

How Far Do The Films You Have Studied For This Topic Offer An Analysis Of Social Issues They Present?

How Far Do The Films You Have Studied For This Topic Offer An Analysis Of Social Issues They Present?

In the three films I have analysed they all seem to hold three constant running themes these being power, conflict and poverty, which evolves around each storyline. In the films they hold a constant social issue of having the confidence and ability to communicate with each other especially male to female issues of drugs appear in the films and change. All three films La Haine, City Of God and Chunking Express follow the lives of different cultures in different time periods to showcase the issues within urban stories in each of there own environment which becomes Westernised to change.

Chunking Express conveys an issue through visuals this films follows a linear storyline with flashbacks of character 663. This film showcases two stories of different characters living in Chunking Express. This story follows the issues of when China was being handed over back to the Chinese law 1997 showing how everyone is a product of their environment showing a culture dominated by a more powerful ideology being Western this is shown all through-out the mise-en-scene in the Chungking Express chip shop where we see an illuminated coke a cola drinks dispenser a counter separates 663 to the rest this counter also separates him from a romantic alliance due to the social conditions and upbringing. Chunking Express expresses that the society looks and is wanting to have an identity due to the westernised globalisation. This film shows the struggle with the cross roads between eastern and western cultures. In both stories we are shown the policemen have no name they are always referred to as their number, which represents the lack of identifying the film. Smudge Motion is a technique used through out this film as a form of art to express that the time is passing but the subject is at a standstill waiting for his future to approach him showing the time passing by. Time is used through- out all films, La Haine shows a 24 hour story where as City Of God uses time change between 60’s – 80’s where as Chunking Express doesn’t give an actual time and date we see clocks but are not given an exact date we know that it’s during the hand over due to the iconography of westernised props we see clocks to give a sense of time as low key lighting is used mainly in this film as it is mainly dark in Hong Kong which represents the claustrophobic confined areas in which they live in. ‘California Dreams’ is used as diegetic and non diegetic throughout this film which is a western song representing the characters wanting to live somewhere else and be in a western culture instead of eastern as they prefer it the mise-en-scene and location chosen to film shows an urban claustrophobic living conditions which contrasts with the location used in La Haine. Chunking Express doesn't as such offers an analysis of of social issues it is shown through representation and hidden meanings in the film.

La Haine is filmed in the projects of France this film follows the life of a group of youth which holds three characters, Vinz, Hubert and Said in the space of 24 hours showing the rioting in 1994-95 when the film was made showing how the media can show present youth as being useless criminals the rioters were happening when this was filmed the opening sequence shows anchorage of ‘to those who were killed in the riots’ a type writer font format was used to show a documentary view on the issue this is reinforced with the camera’s and televisions constantly used in the mise-en-scene in the background constantly reminding the characters and audience about the rioters and social issues. This film shows no farther figure in each of the family homes which can be shown as an issue as we see Hubert come back to his family home after selling drugs which the money is used to pay for the bills. La Haine shows intertextual issues with use of drugs and the corruption with gaining money and living the life and social issues of not holding a relationship with either sex as the film develops the separation of characters get progressively worse this is shown through positioning and camera angles. This film shows the poverty between Paris and the Projects this is shown through an extreme change of props. The group begin with the use of cannabis however this progresses to cocaine and also iconography of guns which are used in the film represent the difference in poverty. Each sector of the French flag is shown through each character being Liberty – Vinz , Fraternity – Said and Freedom being freedom we see this approach used in the way the characters are positioned and act around each other. An overhead remote control plane is used in this film attached is a camera this is to show the issues from a birds eye view of the projects passing through the neighbour hoods. La Haine again follows the same system as Chunking Express it welcomes us to the issue but gives no explanation as to why the issues are participating making us seek further information as to what happened when it was filmed La Haine definitely gives off the fact that its how the issues are represented and not given an analysis this is through the way media is shown straight from the beginning which clearly tells us that is about representation and offers no analysis.

RARE Scarface 1983 Behind the scenes on THE MOVIE CHANNE