SCREENING: I WAS BORN, BUT ...

Directed by master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, I WAS BORN, BUT ... (1932) is a story about two brothers, who loose faith when they see their father bowing to his boss.  The boys suddenly realize that their father may not be the hero they imagined him to be, he may simply be human.  True to Ozu's oeuvre, the film is simple yet complex, the static camera allows for the characters to reveal themselves.  Note the distance of the camera in comparison to Deyer's camera in THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC.

Originally not known internationally, Ozu's work has grown in prominence outside of Japan after his death.  His influence can be seen in a variety of international filmmakers including Jim Jarmusch, Claire Denis, Deepa Mehta, and Wim Wenders to name a few.  Paul Schrader, the screenwriter of TAXI DRIVER, even wrote about the transcendent elements of Ozu's work in relation to filmmakers Robert Bresson and Carl Theodor Dreyer.

Ozu returned to I WAS BORN, BUT ... when he made a loose remake of the film in 1959 called GOOD MORNING.

Suggested Supplemental Screenings:  TOKYO CHORUS (Ozu, 1931), THE GODDESS (Wu Yonggang, 1934), and LATE SPRING (Ozu, 1949).

SCREENING: THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC

Produced in France in 1928 by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer, THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC ranks as one of the best films ever made.  Playing Joan, Renée Jeanne Falconetti's performance is frequently praised as one of the best performances ever committed to celluloid.  This was Falconetti's second film role and her last. 

The film is known for its use of the close-up to capture the pain plastered on Joan's face.  To capture a more naturalistic tone, Dreyer did not allow any actors to wear make-up and he even used a new type of film (panchromatic film) which better recorded skin tones.  The film was considered lost after the negative was destroyed in a fire, but a complete print of the original was discovered in 1981 in the closet of an Oslo mental institution.  The tense and often sadistic relationship between Dreyer and Falconetti can be seen repeated in the working relationship between Lars Von Trier and Bjork during the filming of DANCER IN THE DARK (it marked Bjork's first and final film role).

Suggested Supplemental Screenings: VAMPYR (Dreyer, 1932), GERTRUD (Dreyer, 1964), JOAN OF ARC (Fleming, 1948), ST. JOAN (Preminger, 1957), THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC (Bresson, 1962), and THE MESSENGER (Besson, 1999)

Also take a look at this new and comprhensive site dedicated to the work of Dreyer.

SCREENING: THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI and MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA

This week's screening is a European double feature consisting of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, an example of German Expressionism, and MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA, an example of Soviet Montage.  These films showcase two very different but equally important parts of filmmaking:  mise-en-scene and montage.  Both these films and their respective movements would have tremendous impact on the art of filmmaking and especially the development of Classical Hollywood cinema that we will look at in a few weeks. 

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI is considered one of the best horror films ever produced.  The film follows a series of murders in a German mountain town after the arrival of Dr. Caligari and his assistant Cesare.  With amazing sets and performances, the film takes the viewer into the deranged psyche of the human mind.  The visuals of MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA are equally disorienting but in a different way.  Constructed from images of Soviet citizens, with no plot, the film is an experimental documentary that features numerous cinematic techniques including double exposure, split screens, and jump cuts.

Suggested Supplmental Screenings:  For German Expressionism -- NOSFERATU (Murnau, 1922), METROPOLIS (Lang, 1927), and SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS (Murnau, 1927).  For Soviet Montage -- THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (Eisenstein, 1925) and STRIKE (Eisenstein, 1925).

SCREENING: SILENT COMEDIES

While the feature films discussed in class are examples of melodrama, another popular genre was comedy.  This weeks screening encapsulates three of the leading silent comedians of the era:  Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd.  In the essence of time, the films by Chaplin and Keaton are short films and Lloyd's a feature film.  It is important to note that Chaplin and Keaton also produced feature films and all three were very hands-on with their productions whether they are credited as director or not.  These comedies, like the melodramas, provide entertainment as well as a window on life during that time.

You should notice a connection between these comedians and later comics such as Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey.  Pay attention to the intricate visuals of these films since they are paramount to the successful completion of the gags.  Also of importance is the way in which each of these silent comedians honed their skills and cultivated distinctive personas that made them famous.  Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd were all very aware of the roles they were playing and very protective of their work, especially Lloyd (who witheld his work for decades).

Suggested Supplemental Screenings:  SHOULDER ARMS (Chaplin, 1918), THE KID (Chaplin, 1921), CITY LIGHTS (Chaplin, 1931), MODERN TIMES (Chaplin, 1936), SHERLOCK JR. (Keaton, 1924), GO WEST (Keaton, 1925), THE GENERAL (Keaton, 1926), STEAMBOAT BILL JR. (Keaton, 1928),
GRANDMA'S BOY (Lloyd, 1922), and GIRL SHY (Lloyd, 1924)

Chaplin and Keaton appear together in LIMELIGHT (1952).  We will watch Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) at the end of the semester.

Surprisingly a new Charlie Chaplin film was recently discovered through ebay when a man purchased a film canister labeled "an old film," which turned out to be CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN ZEPPED, a 1916 World War I propoganda film that was considered lost.

SCREENING: THE BLOT

Directed by pioneer filmmaker Lois Weber, THE BLOT, made in 1921, is a feature film detailing issues of poverty, class, and ethics. Weber made great attempts to keep a level of realism to this family melodrama through her use of location shooting, natural lighting, and non-professional actors in supporting roles.

Weber was a director, producer, and actress. In 1914 she became the first woman to direct a feature film. She even formed her own production company in 1917. THE BLOT, which was not successfully received, marked a turning point in Weber's life, professionally and personally. The 1920s were a rough period of the director as she experienced both the loss of her company and the end of her marriage.
THE BLOT was restored by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill and showcased at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. The restoration of Weber's work has secured her a place in the annuals of film history next to directors such as D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille.

Suggested Supplemental Screenings: BIRTH OF A NATION (Griffith, 1915), THE CHEAT (DeMille, 1915), BROKEN BLOSSOMS (Griffith, 1919), WAY DOWN EAST (Griffith, 1920)

SCREENING: LES VAMPIRES

Make sure to screen Louis Feuillade's 1915 Serial film LES VAMPIRES before Thursday.  Copies of the film can be found in the Reading Room and on hold at the Library.  You only need to watch part 4 -- Le spectre (The Ghost) (32 min). If you feel like watching the entire 399 minutes, please do.
The story will be somewhat complete and somewhat incomplete.  Consider the similarities of this format to more recent films such as the HARRY POTTER SERIES or the TWILIGHT SAGA.  These films stand on their own but they are part of a continuing story.  Serial and series films, we'll discuss the difference on Thursday, can be seen as precursors to the popularity of sequels, the development of series television, and the ubiquity of modern film marketing tie-ins.

Suggested Supplemental Screenings:  THE PERILS OF PAULINE (1914), THE HAZARDS OF HELEN (1914-1917), JUDEX (1914/1916)