Thursday, 19 May 2011
Emotional Cinema
An emotion is "a mental state that arises spontaneously rather than through concious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes: a feeling; the emotions of joy, sorrow, reverence, hate and love."
The exploration of people's responses to film is termed 'Spectatorship'
Preferred Reading; Emotional response expected from the viewer. When the viewer accepts the intended emotional response.
Oppositional reading; When the viewer rejects the intended emotional response.
Negotiated reading; When the viewer partially accepts the intended response, own opinion and views adapt it.
Stuart Hall states that "emotional involvement and identification encourage us to identify with characters and become emotionally involved. The process of identification is sometimes referred to as 'alignment'. Emotional impact of a film frequently depends on spectator alignment with central characters."
THE EXORCIST
William Friedkin, 1973
- Considered the 'Scariest film of all time'
- Based on novel by Anthony Burgess
- Banned in UK in 1986, re-released in 1998
- Some audience members fainted during its initial release in the cinemas
- Shows christianity in a positive light
- Conflict between generations
- Theme of Science vs Religion
- Follows a priests attempt to rid a 12 year old girl, Regan, of the devil possessing her
DRAG ME TO HELL
Sam Raimi, 2009
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
Stanley Kubrick, 1971
Surrealism: Films, Years and Directors
- The Phantom of Liberty - Luis Bunuel - 1974
- Blue Velvet - David Lynch - 1986
- Un Chien Andolou - 1929
- Food - Jan Švankmajer - 1992
- Salad Fingers - David Firth - 2004
Conventions of Surrealism
- Subconscious
- Dreams
- Sexual Desires
- Anti-narrative
- No narrative
- Unable to connect to the characters
- Focus on relative issues in society
- State institutions
- Religion
- Nothing is out of bounds
- Critiques organisations/institutions/society
- Social taboos
- Juxtaposition
- No morality
Surrealism - Overview and Background Information
Surrealism is a distinctive style of cinema, which began as an artistic movement in the late 1920's. A famous painter, Salvador Dali, was well known for his surreal pieces of art including his "Melting Clocks" and "Lobster Telephone". Sigmund Freud is considered the father of psycho analysis and many of his ideas are considered to be surreal conventions. Surrealism is different to mainstream films in terms of narrative and conventions. Surrealism has no boundaries and doesn't conform to societies expectations. It usually critiques bougouis society and comments on certain institutions. It questions ideas and attitudes as well as religious and political beliefs.
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