Different Styles in Movies - Essay Example

Different Styles in Movies French Impressionism: French Impressionism provides an alternative style to Hollywood’s style of film making. It transforms nature by imagination for the expression of feelings. The aesthetic approach to the cinematography had a great potential in portraying mental states of characters; and also with suitable use of flashbacks, memories of characters could be depicted. Equally important is the use of dream sequence to penetrate in to the layers of mind – conscious and subconscious. This style the focuses on the characters’ state of mind, impression of feelings and emotions rather than on the plot or drama of the story. Cinematography and editing are used to illustrate the state of mind, and dream sequences are used to reflect on the conscience. The wide use of impressionist methods is so palpable in Francis Ford Coppola’s film, The Conversation (1974) that brought the internalized life of a detached expert ‘bugger’ Hary Caul on the scene. He would pass for a modern recluse, donned with headphones, holding an extended shot gun microphone. He probes into the private life of Ann and Mark. The film revealed contradictions in the inner and outer life of the protagonist through the subtle emotions on his face, physical movements, and also in his dialogue which intermittently gets spiced with silence. The camera opens with a bird’s-eye-view on the busy lunch time at Union Square in downtown San Francisco, with frames having visual details of pedestrians, workers on lunch break, and Christmas shoppers. As a backdrop, there emerges the cadence of street musician’s concert which gets mingled with the gruff and hoarse noise produced by certain mechanical devices in the street. The inner conflicts of the character are illustrated through the varying degrees of music and cacophony. The focus of the film is directed to the life the ‘bugger’ who could record any conversation between two people anywhere. This eavesdropping ventures, involving invasion of others’ privacy, are without any obvious personal interest but as part of assignment. The movie dwells on the internal conflicts like this rather than on a detailed storyline. This becomes more pronounced when one considers that on the personal front, Caul is very particular about keeping others at an arm’s length. His phone call to the landlady downstairs for the bottle of wine she leaves as birthday gift for him when he was away busy with eavesdropping illustrates the contradiction of his occupation with personal life. German Expressionism: Expressionism is an artistic movement in which “the forms arise, not directly from observed reality but from the subjective reactions to reality...in which conventional ideas of realism and proportion seem to have been over-ridden by the artists emotion, with resultant distortions of shape and colour." (Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art Terms). German Expressionism in cinema offers a stark contrast to the usual Hollywood films which are very life-like and realistic, with greater emphasis on development of the characters and set designs. Screenplay, narrative and story-telling techniques in Hollywood films are crafted to either make the viewer love or hate the character. Entertainment is the prime objective and the favorite themes are love and war. In contrast, expressionist movies attempt to engage the audience with ideas, and always deliver a message. Most of the time, German Expressionism conveys the idea that people in authority are corrupt and evil, that society is in a mess and that insanity and the loss of humanity are inherent in the system. These ideas make it ideally suited to the visual media of cinema. The 1999 movie, Batman Returns, directed by Tim Burton belongs to the genre of German Expressionism, with the sets and photography demonstrating the influence candidly. The film exhibits a dark atmosphere and intense characters, and its German Expressionist slant becomes obvious right from the story’s beginning where Penguin is discarded by his family because of social stigmas. His unique ugliness culminates into essential evil not because of his congenital defect but due to the pain and sufferings he goes through as a result of his rejection, literally by his family and figuratively by the society. Some critics consider the movie too dark and sadistic and unsuitable for children because of Penguins physical deformity and homicidal tendencies, Catwomans degenerative mental state, and Batmans brooding melancholy. These characters accentuate to the somber and unsettling nature of German Expressionism. The specific characteristics of German Expressionism like chiaroscuro lighting, surrealistic setting etc are evident in the way Tim Burton presents the Penguin’s abode, a labyrinthine underground drainage. The remarkable fluidity of mobile framing and heavy use of light and dark contrasts which constitute the other features of German Expressionism reflect in the settings of Batman’s dwelling unit, where the spectator enters a dreamlike atmosphere of intrigue and awe. Surrealism: Surrealism as an art form seeks to express the workings of the subconscious with the use of fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of subject matter. Surrealism can be defined as “the principles, ideals, or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations.” (Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary). Surrealism found expression through the media of films that attempted to comment on social and political conditions that exist in society. Shattered dreams and drugs induced utopia often formed the background to surrealistic films. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a literary adaptation based on the 1971 classic by Hunter S Thompson is an outstanding example of surrealism in movies. The movie attempts to match the surreal style of prose Thompson wrote, viewed through a haze of drug-induced sense of well-being, hope and despair. Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the world; it necessarily is not accurate either. It is a commentary on the social situation; a vicious lash on the oppressive manifestation of greed and materialism that existed in society. It becomes impossible to confine this tremendous concept in the folds of reality, and hence movie resorts to its surrealistic canvas. Prevailing conditions are illustrated by involving the characters in many kinds of unlawful activities and of hallucinogen-driven debauchery. The characters use drugs to fuel their outrage, which tries to convey that drug induced oblivion, is the only solution to escape from the sordid realities of corruption and ignorance that ruled the society. The movie has Johnny Depp as sportswriter Raoul Duke, on a drug and liquor binge from the word go. His partner in the movie is played by Benicio Del Toro in the role of a pot bellied attorney Dr. Gonzo. The movie is directed by Terry Gilliam, “the visionary purveyor of crackpot myth and fantasy with an expansive mind” (www.pantagraph.com). The message that these escapades are their way of rebelling against the prevailing corruption and materialism is conveyed through the surrealistic setting and drug induced hallucinations of these characters. Soviet Montage: The Soviet Montage style of editing in movies is characterized by the use of cuts and non-linear editing techniques. Its origin can be traced as long back as 1924 and it is used to enhance the emotional power of a story. Switching between various aspects of the story and emotional drama, nationalistic stories are presented in an innovative, symbolic manner. Single characters are presented as representatives of social classes rather than as individuals. Cuts, particularly ‘jump cuts’ are used to stimulate spectators. In contrast with continuity editing, Montage cutting relied on overlapping or elliptical methods of representing time and sequence. While overlapping involves repetition of shots and action, and uses up more time, elliptical cutting achieves the opposite by avoiding parts of the action, especially when used in the form of jump cuts. Montage is considered to be a dramatic form of parallel editing. The different techniques of editing are often used in combination within a film to create a better effect. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is an example of a film that uses a combination of styles of editing. While continuity editing ensures smooth flow of action, idealistic visual imagery is achieved by the use of dissolve techniques, another form of continuity editing. The influence of European cinema can be seen in the use of lighting techniques and Montage. This extreme form of parallel editing is used extensively in the Godfather trilogy. Juxtaposition of images of depicting the planned and deliberate murders of the five Mafia family heads with scenes of the baptism of a young member of the Godfather’s family is a striking example of montage being used to impart new meanings to the narrative. The technique suggests that the violent murders and the peaceful and serene baptism, taking place in starkly contrasting settings, occur simultaneously and thus depicts irony with a forceful impact. The Godfather reaffirms his status as Godfather to a baby by answering “I Do” to the priests’ traditional questions, even as the murders confirms his status as a Godfather of another sort. The montage sets the theme for the Godfather’s new life, so like his father, but so very different too. Works Cited Movie Review, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Accessed on 29 November 2003. Read More