Introduction to Film

Late 19th century - A number of technologies related to motion and vision were developed that were precursors to the birth of the motion picture industry.

In 1893, the world's first film production studio, the Black Maria, was built

It was owned by Thomas Edison

Others throughout the world created new ways of projecting pictures and by the turn of the century Film houses were popping up everywhere!

George Melies

Frenchman Georges Melies was one such innovator

he exploited the new medium with a pioneering, 14-minute science fiction work, Le Voyage Dans la Lune - A Trip to the Moon (1902).

Edwin S. Porter - the "Father of the Story Film":

Directed the first American documentary or realistic narrative film, The Life of an American Fireman (1903).

The Great Train Robbery (1903)

it was ground-breaking

the first real motion picture smash hit, establishing the notion that film could be a commercially-viable

medium

Gone are the “flickers” escapist entertainment

medium for the working-class masses

the first real movie theatres opened and were nicknamed the nickelodeon because the admission charge was a nickel!

denounced as morally objectionable and as the cause of social unrest and criminal behavior - and they called for censorship.

D. W. Griffith: Early Film Pioneer

he experimented with early lighting and camera techniques

i.e.: split-screens, flashbacks, cross-cutting, frequent close-ups, fades, rises, inter-cutting, parallel editing, dissolves, changing camera angles, soft-focus, lens filters, and experimental/artificial lighting and shading/tinting.

The Birth of a Nation (1915) The first epic film ever

made. It cost Griffith $100 000

of his own money “a modern screen

masterpiece that advanced the art of film-making to new heights”

met with considerable controversy regarding its racist message, and a glorified portrayal of KKK members as heroes

Movies are my business and business is good!

profits could be made from expanding the film audience to the middle-class, women, and children.

William Fox

The Warner brothers (Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack)

Famous Players/ Paramount

Universal Film Manufacturing Co.

Filmmakers lured to L.A. because of incentives from city council

By 1918 “Hollywood” was born

Wanna be in movies? Movie mogul’s like Carl Laemmle created

the “star system” The star system was the method of creating, promoting and exploiting movie stars in Classical Hollywood cinema. Studios would select promising young actors and glamorise and create personas for them, often inventing new names and even new backgrounds”

Florence Lawrence

Canada’s Mary Pickford

Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

Tom Mix

Theda Bara

Charlie Chaplin

Mack Sennett

Pushing the envelope F. W. Murnau's

vampire film Nosferatu (1922) angular distorted sets

expressionistic shadowy images

encouraged experimentation.

Robert Flaherty’s landmark documentary of the Inuit Nanook of the North (1922).

Foreign Films - Metropolis

Germany, Fritz Lang's last major silent film was H. G. Wells' fantasy Metropolis (1927)

innovative techniques futuristic sets Expressionistic design allegorical study of

the class system

Foreign Films - Battleship Ptemkin (1925) Sergei Eisenstein The Soviet Union "unquestionably one of

the greatest motion pictures ever made"

advancing the art of cinematic storytelling with the technique of montage

The Odessa Steps sequence

Some of the major stars of the 1920’s and 30’s

John BarrymoreHarold LloydGloria SwansonTom Mix Rudolph ValentinoDouglas Fairbanks

Sr.Greta Garbo

First “talkie”

Jazz Singer1927The first line said

on Film…“You ain’t heard

nuthin yet!”

The 1930s and 40s Nostalgically known as “The Golden Age of

Cinema” Mostly Black and White…but change to

COLOUR development of film genres

historical biopics social-realism films lighthearted comedies westerns horror

Depression = lower attendance at cinemas People up set with rules and institutions In rode the gangster…own rules. These screen heroes made no attempt to

cover their greedy motives, and viewers loved them for what they saw as honesty.

In the figure of the gangster, the audience saw a man who was able to do what they could only dream about - make it to the gilded paradise using only his or her wits.

The Hay’s Office

acted as check on the graphic nature of gangster films

1934 outrage mounts…”promotes copycat crimes” to soften criticism, studios would:

1. alter otherwise violent gangster movies with obvious "Crime Does Not Pay" messages

2. scenes featuring disgusted and angry citizens and policemen were added.

3. The gangster hero was always delivered into the hands of justice at the end of the film, dead or alive.

Why did the film industry cave in?

It was time: the era of the bootlegger king was over.

By 1932, the year of the controversial Scarface's release, Prohibition was almost dead.

New Pres. Franklin Roosevelt, promised economic healing.

Without Prohibition, the liquor racket was a thing of the past.

economic recovery also tempted Americans away from the extreme individualism of the crime king.

1931 - Capone in jail 1934 - Bonnie and

Clyde shot dead 1934 - John Dillinger

deadin shootout All major Gangsters

out of the picture by 1936 (according to the FBI)

The Musical

So long as the Hollywood studios could produce these fanciful productions with talented stars, depression audiences continued to pay money to escape from the reality of the world around them.

Why go to a movie during such a troubled time? What made sitting in a theater for an hour and a half worth a hard-earned 15 cents?

Films reflected American desires just as American desires reflected films

Films took on the responsibility of reinstating the mythical American values of individualism, classlessness, and progress

Hollywood musicals often reflected America's growing need and desire for escapism

Gold Diggers, 42nd Street and Footlight Parade directly addressed the Depression.

These three musicals were the highest grossing of the 1930s

Golddiggers Opens with"We're in the

Money" luxurous and glamorous

depiction of broadway during the Depression destroyed by bankruptcy.

Celebrating those in financial need over the wealthy

obnoxious snobbery is ridiculed brings humor to hardship and

success to misfortune.

Overcome all obstacles!

It is primary to the American Dream!

Dorothy’s vulnerable innocence and persevering optimism not only pull the lion, tin man, and scarecrow through the obstacles of the yellow brick road but Dorothy also engages the audience to envision the hope of reaching a seemingly insurmountable goal.

But… “there’s no place like home”

The War Years…innocence lost

Hollywood film production reached its peak during the years 1943 to 1946…Europe was in ruins.

Film makers (and workers) became propagandists and even soldiers.

“star-studded, plot less, patriotic extravaganzas” G.I. Pin ups girls took on the silver screen (Rita &

Betty) Some of Hollywood’s best directors helped the

war effort.

Frank Capra

Why We Fight documentary series

Prelude to WarAnd plenty of “feel

good and support the soldiers from the home front” films

Casablanca

Subtle war film…main characters puts his love of freedom and “the right thing” in front of himself.

Sometimes not as subtle…Morale Films

The Story of G.I. Joe

Yankee Doodle Dandy

The Purple Heart

Since you went away

This is the Army

Joe Smith, American

Sahara

Meet me in St. Louis

Tender Comrades

Film Noir

literally 'black film or cinema'

'dark' look and themes of many American crime and detective films released following the war.

film noir is not so much a genre, as a mood, style, or tone of a film

took advantage of the post-war anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion

counter-balanced the optimism of Hollywood's musicals

Fear, mistrust, bleakness and paranoia are readily evident in noir

The criminal, violent, misogynistic, hard-boiled, or greedy perspectives of anti-heroes in film noir were a metaphoric symptom of society's evils

Film Noir showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love, and they emphasized the brutal, unhealthy, seamy, shadowy, dark and sadistic sides of the human experience

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