https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/5ec469b0-8518-42a7-a7c4-3c44cc2d7797

Parallel cinema is an Indian film movement that originated in the 1950’s in West Bengal, acting as an alternative to the mainstream “commercial” Indian cinema (Bollywood).

Parallel Cinema is characterized by its serious content, realism and naturalism, symbolic elements with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times. With its purpose to express the director’s frustration with society and to make people think about issues that are plaguing them.

Key Directors and Films:

The movement was initially led by Bengali cinema and produced internationally acclaimed filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Tapan Sinha e.t.c.

Apu Triology (1955-1959) Satyajit Ray (Includes- Pather Panchali (1955) Satyajit Ray)

Nagarik (1952) Ritwik Ghatak’s

Garm Hava (1974) M. S. Sathyu

Themes/Characteristics of Parallel Cinema:

• Movie tries to make a direct connection with the audience by telling its stories through characters who are common people.
• Portrays India’s problems through cinematic art – violence, corruption and inequality were among those issues.
• Genre of parallel or art films is realistic drama, which is mostly based on social issues. With non-linear story telling revolving around the protagonist.
• Films used minimalistic sets, little or no musical score, and often shooting on location.

The Breakfast Club appears to have been influenced by Soviet Cinema, specifically due to its use of montage emphasising the passing of time in detention along with unity between the students – Rhythmic montage can be seen as the club dance to We Are Not Alone by Karla Devito.

Metric montage in The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson effectively uses metric montage in many of his films to give the movie a fluid flow (creating tempo).

Rhythmic montage in Rocky

This montage allows Rocky’s training to be condensed into a short musical montage highlighting his determination/triumph.

Over-tonal montage in Up

Here the over-tonal montage functions almost as its own short film compressing the couples love story.

Intellectual Montage in Strike

The intellectual montage allows those two images to juxtapose, forming a new meaning/connection between the cow and the civilians (the series of shots of the deceased and murdered civilians sprawled on the ground runs parallel to the cow’s throat being brutally slashed open with a knife, as the cow slowly bleeds to death).

how does the Gerasimov Institute operate now?

VGIK is the world’s oldest film school founded in 1919 by Lev Kuleshov and Vladimir Gardin, outstanding Russian filmmakers. It’s the oldest film school in the world. ‘More recently, its alumni were drawn both from the USSR (Soviet Union) and from other socialist and other countries, though it was a requirement for students to first learn Russian prior to attending. It is among the few film schools which offer scriptwriting courses.’

Constructivist art- ‘For the Constructivists, artworks were part of a greater visual program meant to awaken the masses and lead them towards awareness of class divisions, social inequalities, and revolution…  they thought that art should reflect the industrial world and that it should be used as a tool in the Communist revolution… Constructivist art focused on industrial production. Constructivists used stripped down, geometric forms and modest materials.’

Explain how the political, social and economic upheaval created by the aftermath of both the Russian Revolution and WW1 affected the production and content of classic Soviet Constructivist Cinema.

Politically, the Soviet Union utilised cinema as a propaganda tool. However after The Russian Revolution had taken place in 1917, the country was freeing itself from the grips of the ruling elite so it desired to revolutionise all aspects of Russia, including its cultural life. Art was to be in service of the new, Communist society.  ‘Constructivists believed that art should reflect the modern industrial world. Hence they disapproved of any kind of stylization.’

The Soviet montage also became an influential film movement focusing on the editing techniques of a film compared to content alone. The concept is that different sequences edited together in juxtaposition can express a new and separate complex idea. (Kuleshov effect). However, The Soviet Montage movement officially ended when the Marxist leader Joseph Stalin rose to power after Lenin’s death.

https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/2501c254-7858-4a41-b6b7-f09459288b03