The Use of Film as a Medium for Voices Represented by Third Cinema - Research Paper Example

Introduction The concept of Third Cinema is one that works within marginalization to create a specific impact. However, the representation that it has created is one that has changed both representational systems and political systems. The definition of Third Cinema is one that was first defined by the rebellion against political, capitalist and other outside systems that were a part of both cinema and society. From the main statements that were created from this, the films that were created were able to redefine what was occurring in society during the time. The philosophies that formed Third Cinema led into a stronger set of statements that moved against the main systems and which allowed film makers and viewers to have a different representational view of society and what was considered as legitimate as a culture, beginning in the 1960s. The result was that viewers who saw Third Cinema were able to question the political and representational systems and the way that they worked within society. Defining Third Cinema The beginning of Third Cinema appeared soon after World War II and as a part of the postwar industrialization that was occurring throughout the West. Third world countries, such as Africa, India, Mexico and Brazil began to see an emergence of industrialization and were opened to the western countries in terms of production and capitalism. With the development that occurred, was also an opening into the film industry and the different types of technology which could be used as a part of society. The revolutions that occurred as a result of this were based on the industrialization of society and the continuous emergence of technologies into the different third world countries. However, many that were in the Third World also noticed that the new appearance of technology and industry brought in a sense of corruption to those that were in the area. The impact was one that led to several revolts, specifically in Latin America, because of the recognized complications that came with the opening of the land into the western type of capitalism. The revolts that were occurring in society not only affected the industrial and economic areas of the land. Third Cinema came out of this as a rebellion against the political and economic industries, as well as the desire to have a sense of liberalization and freedom from these arenas. The statements that were made in Third Cinema were used to represent the desire to move outside of the industrialization that was occurring within society and to represent a revolutionary approach to cinema and expression (Armes, 88 – 89, 1987). Politics and Third Cinema The way that Third Cinema was approached immediately created questions and concepts that were directly related to the politics of the time. Since the industrialization and the political agendas were at the center definition of Third Cinema, most of the content and the approach to creating the films in cinema were also considered by those who were making the films. The revolutionary stages that were occurring throughout the 1960s and 1970s directly affected the materials that different film makers decided to use in the presentation of different plots, scenes and content that was given to society. The result was that most of the Third Cinema was used to create a political agenda that moved against the mainstream and was able to provide a marginalized voice to the politics that were occurring. More importantly, the politics that were intertwined in the films were able to support the revolutions with a deeper understanding of why many of the individuals in different countries supported the revolts and overthrow of leaders during the time. The first concept that was used to define politics and cinema was based on the idea of moving against what audiences wanted and instead to create a different set of definitions toward what needed to be said in relation to politics. More importantly, this was done from a nationalist point of view, which meant that most film makers were interested in the politics of the country and what was occurring during the time. The two agendas that were created for politics were a revolt from the seen cinema from other countries, specifically related to Hollywood. The Hollywood style was one based out of pure entertainment and the agenda to provide audience members with the content and material that they wanted for a film. Many that looked at this also believed that it was a democratic value that was placed in the film and which created a specific response from the films. However, the absolutism of Hollywood in third worlds didn’t allow for a voice to be heard with the political complications that were occurring. Films took the perspective of moving away from what audiences wanted and instead to build a documentary type approach to creating different plots of what needed to be said in relation to the political agendas and revolts (Diawara, 315, 1989). The politics that were presented and questioned in films were not interested in the Hollywood production of giving audiences what they wanted because they were interested in forming a political and cultural identity. The communication that was used through the film, specifically with content that related to politics and the revolution, were based specifically on the agenda of representing a national culture that could be a part of the audience. By doing this, individuals would be able to respond to the politics of the nation and could be a part of the political representation that was in question. The more that philosophies and specific agendas were represented politically, the more likely that the audience would respond with a cultural identity. The idea was to create a sense of pride, self – worth and cultural affiliation with the nationalist culture that was a part of the time frame. Cultural politicians would be used to form the national identity and to create a representation of the community. As this was done, viewers would respond by forming a role of cultural processes that were related specifically to the film, political agenda and the philosophies that were intertwined with this (Schlesinger, 219, 1987). The idea of presenting a cultural identity is one that was able to move deeper into the political movements of the time to create specific agendas toward the revolutions that were occurring. This allowed the film producers to create a dark cinema, also known as a guerrilla cinema. The opinions that were stated in the films, even though marginalized, were a way of making specific statements against the political agendas that were in the nation. The metaphors that were used in this became a weapon as a voice, specifically because it was able to speak against the dictatorship, industrialization and the struggles that were being created through the imperialist structures that were taking over the nation. As the communication of the political ideologies was presented, many that were in the nation were able to have their voice heard with the revolt against the politics that were occurring. “A new historical situation and a new man born in the process of the anti – imperialist struggle demanded a new, revolutionary attitude from the filmmakers of the world. The question of whether or not militant cinema was possible before the revolution began to be replaced, at least within small groups, by the question of whether or not cinema was necessary to contribute to the possibility of revolution” (Solans, Nichols, 45, 1983). The concept of revolution as a way of fighting was one that was not only important with the agendas of the public. Film making became one of the methods to fight the political agendas that were sweeping across the nations. Since the political leaders had based several of the movements on the ideologies of policies and procedures, the revolt that needed to occur was based on communication of what should be accepted by the public. Cinema was able to move past entertainment and became a voice that moved against the basic agenda of politicians and the imperialistic agendas that were a part of this time frame. Representations of Third Cinema Another aspect that was used with third cinema was representation. There were different ideologies and philosophies that combined with not only politics, but also with the representation of being a third world nation. Similar to the revolts of the time, the representations of Third Cinema were able to create a voice that needed to be heard within society and which was used to defend the individuals that were in the nation. The film became a powerful force to state the different areas of marginalized individuals in third world countries. As different types of images and representation were presented, nations and cultures could respond to the situation. More importantly, the cultures that were in third world countries were able to question and identify the role that they played in their country with the voice of their culture being a part of the cinema that was being produced during the time. One way that cinema was able to create a representation of society and culture was through the use of the image. Different images and camera shots were used specifically to create a metaphor that was a part of culture and society and which related to the tensions of third world countries and the particular problems of the time. Meaning was created specifically by shooting different areas and creating images that were representative of the movements of the time. The characters, scenes and the camera images worked together not only for entertainment or to create a realistic point of view. More importantly, the images were used to represent ideologies of how individuals looked at themselves in a cultural and historical context. “Meanings are produced through the codes at work in representations, and that while meanings might appear to be natural, obvious, immanent, they are in fact produced: they are constructed through identifiable processes of signification at work in all representations. Meaning production takes place within social and historical contexts, and in a capitalist society representations are no more exempt than any other products from considerations of the marketplace” (Kuhn, 5, 1985). The concept of representation, through this quote, shows that the images produced were used for different symbolic meaning and the representation of a character, social movement or political concept. More importantly, the images that were used were to create a capitalist society and a product. For Third Cinema, this definition expanded into one that represented culture, political affiliations and the revolts that were occurring at this time, all which were specifically used to show a representation of the conflicts that were occurring. The image alone was able to produce a symbolic understanding of the revolts and struggles and was a metaphor for the culture and voice that moved against this. As the representation of different images were used in Third Cinema, were also specific types of symbols that were deliberately used to present what was occurring politically and culturally during this time frame. The cinema that was used during this time invoked the subconscious and psychological concepts that would create a specific response from society. The images that were used as a display were able to tap into the psyche and to create self – conscious development that was affiliated directly with the political agendas and revolutionary thought processes that were a part of the films. The aesthetic uses that were a part of the film were based on political agendas and the way that individuals would respond to the psychological understanding of the aesthetics. In some instances, this was based on images that produced pleasure as a part of the desire for film and for the cultural aspects that one was under. However, others would use the opposite ideal of aesthetics, with a deconstruction of the beauty and appeal that could be used in media. The deconstruction was used specifically to fulfill agendas with the images that created the opposite of appeal reaching to the psychological implications and symbols of what this meant for society. The images were able to create a specific agenda that related directly to the politics and industrialization of the time by deconstructing aesthetics and creating a symbol of the struggles that were a part of the third world countries (Mulvey, 3, 1981). The images that were used also led to plot lines, character development and other techniques that were able to create a specific response from society and to further the agenda of creating a marginalized voice. The concepts that were used moved further into the subconscious to display images that would represent the suffering of third world countries, as well as to show the voice against imperialism. Representation that was used for the third world countries was designed to create a sense of mental distress to those that were watching the film. The subconscious use would move into the deconstruction of not only the image but also from the main plot line. This was done through the use of violence, portrayals of mental illness and multi – dimensional images and plots that represented third world countries and the struggles that were a part of society. As this was done, it not only created a subconscious response to the deconstruction of aesthetics that was within a culture. More importantly, the filmmakers were able to create a new set of beliefs and philosophies that were represented by the films. The marginalized voice was a part of the struggles represented in the films, specifically which was created by furthering beliefs and identities within the culture. As mental disturbances were used through the films, the cinema was able to create and produce a response that was a part of society and which demanded that individuals understand the situation of third world countries and the problems that were a part of this time frame. The film was able to become a voice and identity that represented more than a story, and instead became the representation of a culture (Philo, 7, 1996). The representations that are used through images and information are important for several reasons. The first is that it is able to create a response on a psychological level toward society. However, this is not only legitimate because of the representation and the ability to get a response. More importantly, is the role of the mass media and cinema and the expectations that society has within this genre of film production. In different types of film and cinema, there is an expectation that the film will carry different roles and will produce factual, relevant and realistic information. More importantly, mass media becomes a main component for information, whether it is factual or based on truth. In cinema, the idea of information is presented through philosophies and the cultural understanding of what is needed in a given situation. The responsibilities that film carries are then able to create a direct response from society and what is expected within a given situation. “The mass media convey information to the public. Viewers and readers pick up specific knowledge through the media. They learn, for instance, about health issues – AIDS, cancer, addictions – through their media portals. They learn about history, about science, about legal issues…. Furthermore, consumers of mass media indicate that they tend to believe what they see and hear in the mass media” (Wahl, 87 – 88, 1995). Any of the given topics that are presented in Third Cinema becomes legitimate not only as a representation of symbolic information and as a voice. More importantly, the voice is one that depicts information that becomes believable by society. As this is integrated into belief systems, individuals will form a specific culture around the voice of the cinema and the representations that are created through the philosophies that are given to the public. The media portals are not only a voice and representation of what is occurring in the third world countries, but also becomes a relevant source of information and facts toward the cultures and the changes of the time. When the material is based on culture and representation of revolutionary features, then there is a belief that the third world countries are facing specific issues that need to be confronted. The most powerful part of Third Cinema then becomes the voice that speaks for the marginalized public and for the third world countries. Since there are so many aspects of representation in Third Cinema, there is also an obligation that many of the film makers faced when creating the different presentations on cinema. The obligations of using specific images, story lines and components of what it meant to be a third world country all became central to the making of the films. More importantly, the information that was presented had to be based on the obligations that were faced by film makers and which presented the main philosophies and agendas that were based outside of the revolution. Using deconstruction of images and plot lines, as well as representation that was a part of the marginalized voice became an essential component in the use of Third Cinema and the way that it worked with the revolutionary factors of the time as well as the cultural representations that were moving against the industrialization of the nations. The leaders in film making had to create specific attitudes that would change the belief systems and understanding of others that were watching Third Cinema and which had no other reference point to the information that was portrayed in the films. The main agenda that was a part of the representation as well as the aspects of Third Cinema then became based on ideas of liberalization. To control the industry, film makers would represent the marginalized voice and culture of the third world and the imperialism that was beginning to impact the area. More importantly, the films were able to represent the people that were struggling as a culture because of the political components of socialism and other political issues. The more that the voices of these areas were heard and the more that film makers were able to create a revolution from the different viewpoints, the more that politics and the culture were forced to change with the agendas that they held toward the country. The effectiveness of the representation of liberalization was one that was integrated into the belief systems of the national areas as well as from the general public and which became a force in the country for continuous change (Armes, 90 – 94, 1987). Conclusion The use of film as a medium for voices that are marginalized is one that began to be represented by Third Cinema. The agenda that was noted in these particular films was based on deconstructing the aesthetics of society and instead showing philosophies and viewpoints about third world countries. The specific focus was to provide information on political agendas and the cultural identity that was fighting for liberalization and freedom. The representations and the political components were then able to create a different understanding and belief system in society that became a voice toward third world countries and the voices that were needed to change society and culture during the 1960s. References Armes, R.(1987) Third World Film Making and the West. Berkley: University of California. Diawara, M. (1989) African Cinema Today, in Framework, no.37. Downing, D.H. (1987) Film and Politics in the Third World. Autonomedia: Brooklyn. Kuhn, A. (1985) The Power of the Image. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Mulvey, L. (1981) [1975] ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’, reprinted in T. Bennett et al. (eds) (1981) Popular Television and Film. London: BFI, and in L. Mulvey (1989) Visual and Other Pleasures. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Nichols, B. (1976) Movies and Methods. Berkeley: University of California Press; and online at http://info.interactivist.net/print.pl?sid=05/09/15/205253 Philo G. (1996) (ed.) Media and Mental Distress. Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman. Schlesinger, P. (1987) On National Identity: Some Conceptions and Misconceptions, in Social Science Information Vol.26 (pt 2). Wahl, O. (1995) Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. Read More