Film History Exam - Uwm

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HUAC

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(House Un-American Activities Committee)

set up hearings to uproot communist filmmakers within the Hollywood industry; small collection of screenwriters/directors deemed unfriendly

1947

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Paramount Decision

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US Government found that the Big Five production companies were forming a monopoly over the film business; focus pushed to fewer, more expensive films to carry profits

1948

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Marshall Plan

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also known as 'European Recovery Plan,' America offered billions of dollars in aid to war-torn European countries; allowed for a "great boom" in employment, standard of living, and productivity

1947

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Melodrama

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enhanced productions drove up the popularity of this genre; Douglas Sirk (!) perfected the the style using expressionistic colors and revealing mirrors

1955 - All That Heaven Allows

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Italian Neorealism

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having been wrought WWII destruction, Italy was in a de-habilitated state physically and economically; modernist style: shot on location, untrained actors, working-class character plot-line, and dubbing excellence

1945-59; 1948 - Bicycle Thieves (Vittori De Sica)

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Continuity style

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editing of a scene which makes sure not to draw attention to itself; sense of space present

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Modernism

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general rejection of traditions in any art form; questions art and film itself;

1890-1960, 1966 - Persona (Ingmar Bergman)

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Dubbing

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editing if dialog into a film during post-production; most important example can be seen in Bicycle Thieves which showcased Italian expertise in dubbing; it was required due to filming in noisy, urban setting


1948 - Bicycle Thieves

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World War 2

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shifting point for many film industries throughout the world; need to adapt to altered landscape and de-habilitated physical/social conditions; America found many boons from the aftermath

1939-1945

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3D Films

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a failed gimmick of the post-war era which was a direct response to booming TV market and the fledgling film industry; expensive process; gimmicky visuals and lack of narrative; horror/action films

1953-1954

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Art Cinema

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art films with independent productions targeted at specific audiences; resurgence of modernist impulses throughout the world

100 film houses in 1950s - 600+ in 1960s

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Francois Truffaut

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one of the founders of French New Wave; self taught critic turned filmmaker found success in the New Wave era

French New Wave 1959 - 67

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Henri Langlois

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led the cinephile and cineclub culture before and during the French New Wave

French New Wave 1959 - 67

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French New Wave

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distancing from traditional filming techniques ("cine du papa") and romanticizing young filmmakers trying to make personal films in defiance to industry

commonalities: shot on location, portable equipment, unknown actors - cheap and quick

1959-67

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Michelangelo Antonioni

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Italian Neorealist director; focus on psychological effects of the war and recovery; concentration on wandering narratives and mundane events/characters

Italian Neorealism 1945 - 59

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Jean-Luc Godard

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French New Wave director; challenges idea of narrative and story; collage structure and elements; relationship of word and image

"Vivre sa Vie" - 1962
French New Wave - 1959-67

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Observational style

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detached/directoral approach; associated with realism; New Wave and Godard

French New Wave - 1959-67

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Cinecitta

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primary Italian film studio; used as a filmmaker refuge during post-war reconstruction

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Reflexivity

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style of filmmaking which directly addresses the audience and 'breaks the fourth wall'; seen in many periods of film; ex.: "Persona" - film breaks down to film material itself in middle

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Film genre

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differs from a mode/movement of film; refers usually to narrative qualities; ex. westerns, action

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SCAP

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(Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces) introduced by McArthur during the occupation of Japan; sought to 'Americanize' or 'democratize' Japanese culture and avoid communist tendencies; discouraged nationalism and militarism

ca. 1945

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Film noir

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film movement/genre of post-war America; low key lighting, oppressive compositions and tension, obscured vision, romantic narration, flashbacks; femme fatal, themes of failure

1940s - early 1950s
1950 - Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder)

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Hiroshima

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site of drop of the Atomic Bomb in Japan; cause obliteration of Japanese physical/social landscape; allowed for US post-war occupation and democratization

1945

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180-degree rule

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spatial relationship between two characters in a scene; general guideline for traditional filmmaking; modernists and New Wave filmmakers disobeyed this rule at times

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Causality

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narrative style when one event causes another event to happen; Art Cinema and New Wave challenged this traditional guide

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Jidai-geki

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historical films; "The Seven Samurai"

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gendai-geki

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contemporary films, "Late Spring"

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Narration

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"Sunset Boulevard" (1950): main character narrates the film in the past tense even though he is dead

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Ambiguity

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found in Modernist and Art cinema films; narration over narrative

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Andre Bazin

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film critic and founder of Cahiers du Cinema; nurtured fledgling critics/filmmakers; godfather of New Wave

French New Wave - 1959-67

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Cesare Zavattini

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screenwriter for "Bicycle Thieves"; wrote an article about Italian Neorealism and the importance/influence it had on film industry

Italian Neorealism - 1944-52

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cinephile

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person who loves cinema/film; resurgence during French New Wave period which brought popularity to cineclubs and period

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Tradition of Quality

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'cine du papa'; New Wave directors critiqued this tradition with more authorial and expressive filmmaking

1940s - 1950s

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camera-stylo

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'camera-pen'; term used by Alexandre Astruc referring to auteur filmmakers and their ability to be authorial with their film making

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Auteur theory

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a film should reflect the creative vision of a director; reliance on chance and observational style; response to traditions of filmmaking and industry

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Cahiers du Cinema

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art cinema magazine created by Andre Bazin; cineclub lifestyle highlighted and brought attention to many young French New Wave directors

French New Wave - 1959-67

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Studio system

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began to decline with the introduction of TV and the general migration of families into suburbs

1947-57

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Aspect ratio

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after TV was popularized, film industry used enhanced aspect ratios in order to draw in more attendants

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Avant-garde

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in comparison to Art Cinema, it seeks no commercial boon; experimental filmmaking

1958 - "A Movie" (Bruce Conner)