OUTLINE CHAPTER 4 and 5

docx

School

College of the Canyons *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

131

Subject

History

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by MajorGazelle3521

OUTLINE CHAPTER 4 - FRANCE IN THE 1920S The French Film Industry after World War I ● France was severely affected by WW1. Only 20-30% of films screened in France were actually French made Competition from Imports ● The USA, and then gradually, the UK and Germany dominated the already small French domestic market ● French films were not popular anywhere other than French colonies and neighboring countries with substantial French culture ● Abel Gance, Marcel L’Herbier, Germaine Dulac, and Jean Epstein all made films for large firms because the French film industry was desperate for the development of a unique French style Disunity within the Film Industry ● Pathe and Gaumont cut back on film production because of the high cost and high risk of production ● High taxes kept profits low ● Competition from the US was fierce as their film industry was following the American trend of corporate conglomeration. The US outspent French firms on film production ● The government refused to use protectionist policies to nurture the industry until the 30s

Outdated Production Facilities ● Filmed on location instead of in sets because the film companies had small studios in french suburbs ● Lighting was not as good as in America. They used shadow techniques with natural lighting instead of creating lighting effects with all artificial sources ● Generally just low capital in filmmaking Major Postwar Genres ● Serials were popular and were pushed by industry because they were the only way to make adaption films profitable ● Crime-related thrillers were popular but the popularity stagnated when there was a social push against indecency ● Most big production films were historical epics ● Comedy and fantasy were popular. Fantasy used effects in the same vein as early french filmmakers like Melies ● Andre Antione - a theatre legend, moved into cinema at the end of his life. Known for naturalism and lyricism The French Impressionist Movement ● 1918 to 29. Admired Hollywood obsession with pictorial beauty and psychological exploration The Impressionists' Relation to the Industry

● Impressionists had to make commercial films in addition to their experimental works in order to make ends meet ● Sought to convey emotional “impressions” ● Towards the later years of the the movement, there were finally some impressionists who were intertwined with the mainstream film industry ● Albatross left russia after communist takeover and became influential ● Many famous and successful filmmakers went and formed their own companies, which helped spur artistic development Impressionist Theory ● Believed that art is a form of expression where artist creates experience which evokes emotions without being overt Formal Traits of Impressionism ● focus on conveying character subjectivity via mental images ● Used blurring and distortion to communicate subjectivity ● Gance used triptych for wide shots, symbolic juxtaposition, and subjectivity ● Also utilized fast and rhythmic editing ● Shot with filters and in real locations ● Narratives were conventional and the effects listed were only used for important scenes ● A few films did try to use innovative narratives, focusing on subjectivity The End of French Impressionism

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

● Impressionism died out because 1) filmmakers tastes and interests changed and 2) the industry changed to make it harder for filmmakers to retain control of their films The Filmmakers Go Their Own Ways ● Impressionist Filmmakers got bored when their style became mainstream. Switched gears Problems within the Film Industry ● Impressionist films did poorly in the US market ● Impressionist filmmakers lost out with the changing film industry where firms merged to form bigger companies. Smaller firms could not compete

OUTLINE CHAPTER 5 - GERMANY IN THE 1920s The German Situation after World War I ● Germany protected their film industry from imports for a few years after WW1 ended. It helped them become a strong international producer with high production sophistication ● Inflation spurred investments and spending because saving was pointless ● Inflation encouraged export of films Genres and Styles of German Postwar Cinema ● Fantasy genre was prominent ● Left leaning political atmosphere inspired raw, real films on prostitution, disease, and social issues ● The most prominent genres were the spectacle genre, the German Expressionist movement, and the Kammerspiel film. Spectacles ● The high inflation made huge costume historical spectacle films very cheap to produce ● The german film companies were able to sell their films very cheap to other countries, making them very popular abroad ● The popularity of spectacles ended when inflation made spending harder The German Expressionist Movement

● An extension of expressionism in art, these films had distorted, stylized sets and acting that were the result of practicing expression in the most direct and extreme way possible ● Fashionable by 1910 Kammerspiel ● Focus on few characters, exploring individual crisis ● Very different from expressionist film. Focus on character psychology, and used slow, detailed acting. ● If the sets were distorted, it was to create a dreary atmosphere, as opposed to expressionist fantasy ● Typically, the films had unhappy conclusions ● Main force behind the style was Carl Mayer German Films Abroad ● German films in the expressionist and Kammerspiel styles became in vogue in france ● Japan had a german film fad as well Major Changes in the Mid- to Late 1920s ● Neue Sachlichkeit displaced Expressionism by the mid 20s ● Foreign influence had a huge effect on german style ● Successful german filmmakers got lured away to Hollywood ● Most german filmmakers spent the mid to late 20s trying to emulate Hollywood rather than respond to it with a unique german style

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

The Technological Updating of the German Studios ● German studios heavily invested capital into technology ● Germany was one of the only places other than the USA where filmmakers could make films using 100% artificial lighting ● Huge sets and huge backlots, much like hollywood The End of Inflation ● The german government ended inflation very abruptly, forcing huge firms with lots debt to close or scale back production ● Protectionism and import quotas were scaled back by the government and cheaper foreign films became the favorite to german distributors ● Ufa became a core part of the Nazi-run film industry The End of the Expressionist Movement ● Metropolis (1927) marked the end of expressionism ● Corporate support dried up and artists interests in expressionism fizzled New Objectivity ● Cool headed commentary and realism became in style, replacing expressionism Export and Classical Style ● German films basically were emulations of Hollywood and this was incentivized because it made USA export easier ● German films were made with remarkable camera skill and respect to groundbreaking filming conventions