Design Context: Lecture 6 - Film Theory Lecture 3

Definition

Vernacular - Available to everyone

La Dolce Vita (1960) - by Fellini, was epitome of style and sophistication, this film made sunglasses fashionabl.

Prima Visione and Seconda Visione

These cinema's attracted more middle class sophisticated audience, these were more like the cinema we have today.

Terza Visione -

Audience in 1970's determined direction of the films and were mostly working class Italian families
People went to the cinema every night, so many films are needed to play, In many cases cinema used to be used mostly as social background noise. While people go there to socialise, talk, drink, eat.
People often entered the cinema at any point in the film

Wagstaff said, that terza visione is more like a television audience, who go to the cinema after their dinner, with no particular film in mind, using it often as a social event, similar way to mass in some churches.

Filone - has a similar meaning to genre but it is based on the idea of geology - layers of veins within a larger layer

Examples of Filone

"Giallo" - based on detective novels
Spaghetti Westerns
Mondo - Cannibal Films
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is an example of Filone
Use of sound and music to create tension, lack of dialogue, use of eye line and cutting to create a personal connection with the audience.
Differences in scale, Use of Camera to tell a story, Fragmentation of body and Catholic references.

Giallo

italian for 'Yellow'
Stem's from cheap paper back crime and mystery novels with trademark yellow covers
Made for mass audiences, gore and grime, some Giallo films are artistic, some are grind house and cheaply made
Gross out movies
These films challenge our senses and standards of 'good taste' at their worst
Mario Bava is famous as a 'Giallo' Director

List of Giallo Directors and their films

Often the protagonists that feature are American of British tourists visiting Italy.
They most commonly worked in the creative industries
This portraits a more cosmopolitan 'Jet set' life style to glamorise the life of the audience
A study was carried out on 'Giallo' films by Mikel J Loven and he discovered that the killer always was covered, wearing gloves, hat and overcoat, this was done purposefully to keep the gender and identity a total mystery.
Priests were often used as a gender confusing element to the killers identity

Dario Argento was known as the Italian Hitchcock
Like Hitchcock he also places himself in the film - usually as the killers black gloved hands
'Visually stunning 'set pieces''
Films were shot without sound so they could be dubbed in many different languages
He would ensure the solving piece was some form of art, this was purposeful as to hint to the audience that art and a jet set lifestyle solve the mysteries of life.
Most of his family also worked in the film industry
His Brother - Claudio Argento (producer)
His Father - Salvator Argento (Film producer)
His daughter - Asia Argento (actress)
Product placement of elegant products to evoke a sophisticated life style.

Often Fiallo demand to be viewed from a psychoanalytical point.
The Psycho often was that way dues to - false memory - childhood trauma - Fetish's

America/ Canadian giallo

Saturday, 10 December 2011