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La Jetée analysis sheet (Marker, 1962)

4 April 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

Part 1: Brief Reference

What did you like about the film? I liked how it still managed to keep me engaged through narration, shot length, and music despite it only having one motion shot.	What didn’t you like? Why was the man from the present timeline doing the experiments in the future timeline, when the protagonist was shot – this would mean that the man was there in the past where the protagonist witnessed a man die on the observation platform as a child. Plot hole.
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? Using liminal space to convey a sense of futurism, I liked how they got rid of all defying elements of reality in the setting when showing the future timeline. Allowing music to carry the narrative instead of dialogue, music is a universal language.	What ideas won’t you use? Why? The narration as it was taking away from the mystery.

Part 2: In-Depth Study – Narrative

Narrative Feature	Example	Your own example
Establishing protagonist – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed?	Introduced only in narration – first in third person as “a man marked by an image”; then in first person -memory of incident at the airport. We don’t see him until the first experiment is shown. This shows how core the act of remembering is to his identity – indeed we find out very little about him (he remains nameless) apart from his ‘remembering’ (even when he is travelling in time).	Before we are shown the man himself, the narration points out that this is a story of the child who was taken by his parents to watch the airplanes on the observation platform. Later stating: “Or had he invented that tender moment to prop up the madness to come?” This foreshadows the plot twist at the end of the short film, where he is shot. Establishing that memory is the only thing that can keep post-war citizens going.
Establishing other characters – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed?	The Woman is the first person we see (“the only image to survive the war”) – and she is defined only by the fact the narrator remembers her. Feminist critics may comment on the fact she barely seems to exist outside the experiences of the narrator and her growing belief in him.	During the experimentation shots, there is a whispered voiceover of the experimenters speaking in German. This could be throwing shade at communist parties through film propaganda, given that Germany has links to Russia, France holds democratic values unlike the USSR.
Establishing location (time and place) – what information do we find out? How is it conveyed?	We are told immediately that the location is Paris. The bombed out wreckage of the city (real WW2 images) don’t immediately establish that this is the future until the narrator mentions radiation. The underground location beneath the Palais de Chaillot is shown by intercut images of broken cherubs and other sculptures.	In the opening still we’re shown an observation platform, ‘la jetée’ which is also the title of the short film, establishing that this is the place where the pivotal events take place – the protagonist witnessing a man die there when he was a child and then being the man who died on the platform. Circular narrative.
Creating Enigmas – what are they? How are they created?	The image the narrator obsesses over is the central enigma: who is the man he witnesses dying? How does he die? Who is the woman? The still images and voiceover powerfully evoke the nature of memory. What other questions are posed throughout the narrative?	Time. The short film proposes a question to the spectators, is time fixed? Therefore, questioning the inevitable, are we capable of preventing particular events? “there was no way to escape Time” is a quote spoken by the narrator when we’re shown the shooter aiming his gun at the protagonist. (Is there a reason why ‘Time’ is capitalised? Making into an entity on its own instead of a human construct.)
Narrative binary oppositions	The ‘Living Present’ vs Past/Future. As the film progresses, what constitutes the ‘present’ (for the protagonist) seems to shift from his dystopian subterranean society to the ‘past’ of pre-apocalypse Paris. This is conveyed by the faster rhythm of the montage and the sequence (18:00-18:49) where the images almost become like traditional cinema.	Romance and Fatality. During the romantic sequences between the woman and the protagonist the shot length is significantly longer in duration, holding our attention with them for longer; also the music becomes lighter and melodic compared to the operatic and dramatic score used during scenes where experimentation takes place or the situation of Paris is being explained by the narrator. For fatality, in the final sequence where the protagonist is running towards the woman the cuts become more frequent as the intervals between each shot is shortened, creating a sense of urgency.
Crisis – how was this conveyed? Is it the first experiment? The moment the man spots the woman from the airport? Or is it when the future society offers him the chance to escape to the future? What do you think is the crisis point? How does this affect the rest of the narrative?		I think the crisis is when the future society offers him the chance to escape to the future – by doing this the man is faced with uncovering the full story of him seeing the woman on the observation platform, revealing quickly that he was the man he witnessed dying when he was a child. The reason why the initial experiment isn’t the crisis, in my opinion, is because the protagonist has been a prisoner for much longer, preceding the beginning of the short film, so I personally don’t believe that this was a crisis, especially for him since he’s probably been subjected to similar in the past. This heavily affects the narrative because it provides us a plot twist – the sequence of events leading up to this moment didn’t indicate that he might have been the man he witnessed as a child dying,
Resolution – is it closed or open narrative? The narrative is closed – but it is also in a loop: the narrator is both the dying man and the child watching the scene. This ‘time paradox’ has inspired films as diverse as The Terminator and Looper (as well as 12 Monkeys which is almost a remake). What do you think about the end? Is it closed – or endlessly circular?		It is an open narrative because inevitably the narrator is bound to be stuck within this time frame. We start off with him in the underground prison being experimented on, present, his past consists of a memory witnessing a man dying on the observation platform as well as seeing the woman. His future is him dying on that platform, seeing the woman, yet there’s also a man there who kills him; he is the man who died in his past. Resolution isn’t truly met as the narrative is endlessly circular.

Part 3: Meaning and Effect

What did you think was the intention of the filmmaker(s)? Intellectual message? Emotional response? Everyone is trapped in their time – they cannot escape it, even through memory. It is also about concept of photography and cinema itself, trying to ‘freeze’ time with images despite time always being in motion.
How was this achieved? The use of photomontage separates each frame of the story into a frozen image – even though these are joined together using traditional narrative film techniques such as voiceover, dissolves, fades and music. As the man begins to ‘live’ more and more in the ‘past’ with his lover, the space between these frames speeds up to resemble ‘motion picture’ speed at one point. The stuffed animals in the museum are also ‘frozen’ in a single moment.

Your own idea: Memory is static, you cannot change it, so by continuing to use a photomontage for the final sequence where the man is being shot dead on the observation platform, it conveys a message to the audience that you also can’t outrun fate. The protagonist was bound to witness a man die, whilst being the man who dies. This would, and probably still does, coax an emotional response from the audience by eluding to ideas of existentialism.

Aesthetic binary oppositions The use of still photo images are combined with traditional narrative cinematic techniques that bring them ‘to life’… until the moment around 18:00 when they flow together.
Effect of these oppositions? Shows the intensity of emotion the narrator feels with his lover: like he is finally ‘living’ in moving time rather than a series of frozen, separated moments.

Your example: The speed of cutting between clips used to reflect slower, romantic moments between him and his lover, letting us get drawn into their world compared to the fast-paced cutting which forces us to feel the imminent danger which is felt by the protagonist.

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film?

Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme The opening/establishing shot which is what the title is: an observation platform. I like how it is obvious at first, but as the story progresses it becomes clear how significant that location is for the protagonist – it’s where his most profound memory took place, as well as his death.	Creating enigmas In La Jetée the enigma is him, which only becomes apparent in the final sequence, but I like how the enigma was right in front of us the entire time. Subtly hinting at the answers throughout the short film.
Narrative structure (non-/linear? Open/ closed ending?) I’d argue that this short film has an open ending. This is because the ending is also the beginning (his childhood memory which is why he’s selected for the experiment), a circular narrative which I think would be interesting to implement into my own short film.	Striking use of technical features The shift from still images to a second long motion shot of the lover opening her eyes was impactful because I had become so accustomed to the still images used up until that point.

Bonnie and Clyde, French New wave, New Hollywood

Bonnie and Clyde – breakdown

6 March 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

Clyde Barrow played by Warren Beatty

Beatty made an impressionable screen debut in Splendor in the Grass (Kazan, 1961) as a tortured teenager. Prior to this film, Beatty earned a reoccurring role in the television series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in 1959 – which he left before the first season concluded to make his first and last Broadway appearance, in A Loss of Roses (1959). In the lead up to Bonnie and Clyde, Warren Beatty had worked with Arthur Penn on Mickey One (1965), and then in 1967, Beatty assigned himself the duty of star and producer on Bonnie and Clyde – the film was a huge success, nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Warren Beatty’s Best Actor nomination. The reason behind Warren Beatty being cast as Clyde Barrow is that screenwriters, David Newman and Robert Benton, submitted the screenplay to François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, which Truffaut then showed the script to Beatty, resulting in him buying the option. Beatty hired Arthur Penn as the director, casting himself as Clyde.

Bonnie Parker played by Faye Dunaway

Dunaway won critical acclaim for her role in Hogan’s Goat (Alfred, 1965 – play) as Kathleen Stanton. During the same year as the release of Bonnie and Clyde, she began her film career in The Happening (Silverstein, 1967) as Sandy and Hurry Sundown (Preminger, 1967) as Lou McDowell. Bonnie and Clyde (13/08/67) is considered her breakout film, given that she received her first Academy Award nomination. In my own opinion, I believe Dunaway was cast for this role as she was young and ambitious, just like Bonnie, and with further research it seems that Faye Dunaway relates to the character: “Never have I felt so close to a character as I felt to Bonnie…She was yearning, edgy, ambitious southern girl who wanted to get out…I knew everything about wanting to get out” – quote from her 1995 autobiography, Looking for Gatsby.

C.W Moss played by Michael J. Pollard

Before Bonnie and Clyde, he starred in Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962), The Russians are Coming The Russians are Coming (1966), The Absent-minded Professor (1961), It Happened To Jane (1959), and Summer Magic (1963). Pollard was often typecasted as the impish or eccentric character. He is widely known for his role as C.W. Moss in Bonnie and Clyde, he was also nominated an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role due to this role. I think he was cast because Moss is the eccentric sidekick character in Bonnie and Clyde, he was the perfect fit.

Buck Barrow played by Gene Hackman

Best known for his role as a detective, Popeye Doyle, in The French Connection (1971), Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor because of this film. His first credited film was Lilith (1964, Rossen) which also starred Warren Beatty, which is why I think he was cast for the role of Buck Barrow because of his connection to Beatty.

Blache Barrow played by Estelle Parsons

Bonnie and Clyde put her in the spotlight, earning her an Academy Award for her role as Blanche. Her career began in 1954 on a television show called “Today”, playing herself. Parsons was also in The Absent-minded Professor in 1961 alongside C.W. Moss. I think she was cast for the role because of her strong reputation as an actress prior to the film, proving herself fit for the role.

Frank Hamer played by Denver Pyle

Most known for his role as Briscoe Darling in multiple episodes of The Andy Griffith show which began in 1960. Starring in Gunpoint (1966), Tammy and The Millionaire (1967), The Left Handed Gun (1958), The Horse Soldiers (1959). He made a career playing drawling, Southern characters, which isn’t far from what officer Hamer was in Bonnie and Clyde, hence why I believe he was cast for the role.

Ivan Moss played by Dub Taylor

Most famous for You Can’t Take It With You (1938) as Ed Carmichael, having a reputation for playing supporting roles in Westerns, yet also having a knack for blending comedy and pathos, which is why I think he was cast for the role of Ivan Moss – a pivotal character yet still holding the fractured comedy often seen in French New Wave films.

Eugene Grizzard played by Gene Wilder

Best known for playing Willy Wonka in “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” (1971). Wilder was a comedian, starting out in serious plays on Broadway, such as, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1963) and “Mother Courage and Her Children”(1963). Bonnie and Clyde was his film debut in 1967.

Mise-en-scéne

Locations: Unlike Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde was shot on location for the most part – Texas to be exact. This created a strong sense of verisimilitude because the original Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were from Texas.

It is believed that the real Bonnie and Clyde first met in 1930 at a friend’s house on Herbert Street in West Dallas, however, in the film they meet at her mother’s home which is also located in Dallas (Waxahachie), providing the film good historical accuracy.

In the scene where Clyde takes Bonnie out into town to impress her with his criminal credentials, staging a robbery on a grocery store. Another point for historical accuracy, the film is set in 1930s America, where businesses were deeply affected by The Great Depression; the deserted streets highlight this point further unlike in Casablanca which portrayed 1940s French Morocco inaccurately, the real city a far cry from its depiction in the film aside from a few cultural decorations.

Sets (interiors):

The interior of Bonnie’s room seems to be reminiscent of a childhood bedroom with porcelain dolls and various figurines, which juxtaposes with Bonnie, naked, in the foreground. Despite her obvious womanhood and sensuality, she is still surrounded by her past, weighing her down. This is a common theme throughout the film: Bonnie’s lust for life, to get out into the world, away from her dead-end job, and her life as it is.

This shot in particular, successfully encapsulates Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship: tumultuous yet inseparable. According to those who were close to Parker and Barrow knew that their relationship was just as fractured as it was romantic, notorious for their constant bickering. Also, there are multiple photographs of the couple kissing, and Bonnie still has her wedding ring on from a previous relationship with Roy Thornton (according to www.vocal.media) – the two got married when Bonnie was 16 years old, yet it quickly turned physically abusive, resulting in the separation.

Costumes:

In the scene where we meet Clyde’s brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche, Bonnie poses for a photograph with a cigar hanging from her lips and a pistol held to her hip. This is a replication of Bonnie Parker in the 1930s, both wear a black beret, long black skirt, slight differences in pattern and colour with the top and cardigan, but overall an accurate nod to the original Bonnie.

The lack of clothing in this opening scene suggests to the spectator that Bonnie is a provocative character, modesty and conformity aren’t her priority as she has gone down in history as one of the most famous outlaws in America. Also, around the time the film was made (1967), the Hayes Code was no longer in effect, meaning that films could get away with kissing, nudity, and violence; the impact on audiences at the time must have been shocking, however, it stood as a turning point for society and modern cinema.

Props:

The cars in this film were rented by Arthur Penn from a Mr. Seng (lived in Castro Valley, California) to give the film a layer of historical authenticity, keeping the vehicles accurate to 1930s America.

Guns in Bonnie and Clyde stood true to the era it was set in, according to imfdb.org, the guns used in he film included: (handguns) Smith & Wesson Model 10, Colt New Service, Colt Police Service, and Colt M1911A1. (submachine guns) Thompson M1928. (rifles) WInchester Model 1892. (shotguns) Winchester Model 1897, Double-barrelled shotgun – along with an Mk 2 hand grenade used by C.W. Moss. The usage of these weapons amplifies the historical accuracy and the notion of Bonnie and Clyde being reckless criminals trying to get by during the Great Depression through robbery.

Editing:

What style of editing is used in Bonnie and Clyde? Straying away from the Classical Hollywood style of invisible editing, Bonnie and Clyde takes inspiration from the French New Wave style: discontinuity editing, which consists of jump cuts and non-linear, or confusing narratives. This can be seen in French films from the era, for example, Plein Soleil (1960) which uses a jump cut to show a skip in time:

An example of a shot sequence that has been constructed and what impact does it have on the audience: In the opening scene we’re shown Bonnie in her bedroom, and immediately the audience is informed of her ambition, frustration, and desire to get out. The bedframe resembles prison bars and the fractured jump cuts showing her hitting the bedframe further conveys her frustration.

Sound:

The dialogue in Bonnie and Clyde is a strong tool for foreshadowing the ultimate end of the couple, for example, when Clyde is speaking to Bonnie’s mother:

Bonnie’s Mother: You know Clyde, I read about you all in the papers, and I just get scared.

Clyde Barrow: Now Ms. Parker, don’t you believe what you read in all them newspapers. That’s the law talkin’ there. They want us to look big so they gonna look big when they catch us. And they ain’t gonna catch us. ‘Cause I’m even better at runnin’ than I am at robbin’ banks! Shoot, if we’d done half that stuff they said we’d done in that paper, we’d be millionaires by now, wouldn’t we? But Ms. Parker, this here’s the way we know best how to make money. But we gonna be quittin’ all this, as soon as the hard times are over. I can tell ya that. Why just the other night, me and Bonnie were talkin’. And we were talkin’ about the time we’re gonna settle down and get us a home. And uh, she says to me, she says, “You know, I couldn’t bear to live more than three miles from my precious Mother.” Now how’d ya like that, Mother Parker?

Bluegrass music is used throughout the film to adhere to the French New Wave’s disjointed humour, abruptly shifting moods, for example, during a lighthearted moment between Bonnie and Clyde bluegrass music can be heard playing under the dialogue, then cutting to show an ice cream parlour with C.W’s dad speaking with Frank Hamer – planning the inevitable death of the couple.
Editor Dede Allen was an innovator for using sound bridges in film, in 1967 they weren’t that popular, yet now it’s a given in all Hollywood films. On the contrary, Casablanca used a nearly continuous underscore to avoid abrupt audio shifts.
Foley sounds were used to amplify the visceral effect on the spectator. Specifically in scenes where there were gunshots (diegetic), the gunshots were intensified in post-production with the help of sound effects created by foley artists, as the violence increased so did the volume of the gunshots.

Aesthetics:

Realism – Given that the story of Bonnie and Clyde is real, I believe it is important that film was historically accurate, visually speaking. The film had strong social realism as it drew attention to the social and political conditions of 1930s America, showcasing gender roles and how they can be challenged, however they barely showed the reality of people of colour during this time.

Tone – Bathos is a reoccurring tone in Bonnie and Clyde, scenes often shifting from trivial and humorous to serious, this is reflective of the French New Wave’s impact on New Hollywood.

Visual style (French New Wave) – The fractured editing style, documentary-esque shots, such as long tracking shots and jump cuts all showcased the clear inspiration Penn took from the French New Wave visual style, and I believe it was fitting given the story of the couple – a real couple, so a documentary-esque visual style makes perfect sense, sometimes characters looking straight down the lens.

Also, intertextual referencing was used to amplify the historical realism, one of Bonnie Parker’s poems, “The Story of Bonnie And Clyde”, was read by Faye Dunaway in the role of Bonnie.

Political and Social Contexts of Bonnie and Clyde:

What global events had just taken place and were taking place at the time of the film’s production? The JFK assassination in 1963, Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, Vietnam War (1955-75) along with the White House protests in 1966, protesting against America’s involvement in the war, second-wave feminist movement – fighting for equality within the workplace as well as sexual liberation. France was also getting back on its feet after the Second World War, rebuilding the country and nation’s identity, which ultimately led to the French New Wave.

How did these events impact the style and content of the film? During the 1960s, America and the world were going through numerous shocks, changes, and movements in the culture, which caused the French New Wave – France was craving experimentation, this brought filmmakers like Godard and Truffaut into the spotlight. Godard and Truffaut played a big part in the style of Bonnie and Clyde, making the film experimental, explicit for the time with implied nudity and excessive violence.

Representations featured in Bonnie and Clyde:

WOMEN: Bonnie and Blanche. Bonnie represents the new generation of women at the time, second-wave feminist movement during the sixties so that would’ve influenced the character despite the real story was during the 1930s. Reflecting the youth. Blanche is a more traditional female character, her characteristics are shown in Casablanca as well with people such as Ilsa, who is docile, are only mentioned or regarded when their male counterparts are there.

MEN: Clyde, Frank, Eugene and C.W. Heavy male cast which isn’t shocking given that the industry, even today, is still dominated by male actors. Represented by the typical authoritative characteristics, carrying the narrative for the most part just like in Casablanca.

AUTHORITY FIGURES: Frank Hamer, the officer who Bonnie humiliated instead of the killing him, he sought revenge on the couple, orchestrating an ambush with C.W’s father to kill them in the final scene.

PEOPLE OF COLOUR: Only shown in two scenes, when the original owners of the home Bonnie and Clyde were staying in returned, the black man didn’t have any dialogue, only getting to fire the gun Clyde gave him at the sign, an act of defiance. And in the final shoot out scene there’s two black farmers driving past just before the betrayal and Bonnie and Clyde meet their demise.

Bonnie and Clyde, French New wave, New Hollywood

French New Wave

12 February 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

What is meant by the cinematic term French New Wave? A film movement which emerged in 1958 up until the late 1960s, which was characterised by its rejection of traditional/mainstream filmmaking. Many directors who played a part in this movement started out as film critics for Cahiers Du Cinéma – a French magazine – which encouraged experimentation and innovation. Pulling away from studio success and control, directors become the most credited for the films success (auteur theory). Often they were low budget projects due to the aftermath of World War 2, lack of resources and money.

What specific stylistic and structural elements are present in French New Wave films? The stylistic and structural elements included narrations, breaking-the-fourth-wall, non-linear storylines, music to shift emotion, tone and to create a distinctive aesthetic. Using locations to film instead of built sets, natural lighting which allowed the camera to move 360 degrees. Handheld camera which gave a documentary-esque style, jump cuts – a ‘fractured’ style of editing – sometimes used non-actors, often improvising dialogue and movements. Democratisation of cinema: it was all fair, anyone could be a filmmaker.

Which directors and films from the French New Wave influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde? Why? The directors François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard heavily influenced Penn when he was making Bonnie and Clyde – they were even approached by writers, Robert Benton and David Newman about directing the film, yet they turned it down. Two films by Truffaut influenced Penn when he was making Bonnie and Clyde: Shoot The Pianist (1960) and Jules et Jim (1962).

Their influence could’ve partly been to do with the fact that screenplay writers, Newman and Benton were French New wave fanatics. Also, the theme associated with French New Wave films was that they broke away from traditional norms; the story of Bonnie and Clyde is about two lovers who committed robberies, burglaries and murders, straying away from the traditional American law-abiding citizens, as well as their relationship dynamic which was tumultuous.

Identify at least 3 scenes from Bonnie and Clyde where stylistic links are created with French New Wave cinema and say why this was the case.

This scene pans over to Bonnie’s reflection in the mirror from her lips using a handheld camera.

During the opening sequence we’re shown Bonnie in her bedroom, there are multiple shots of her spliced together in a rather fractured style – one moment she’s still the next she’s hitting the bed frame with her fist.

Natural lighting is used in this scene as they are on location, downtown Texas.

Bonnie and Clyde, New Hollywood

New Hollywood/Bonnie & Clyde 1st response

12 February 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

What is meant by the term New Hollywood? (Consider how this links to the decline of the Hollywood Studio System of the Golden Age) New Hollywood refers to the shift in habits amongst Americans in the early 1960s, television took away audiences from cinemas.

Name some of the films, directors and stars from this period. Cleopatra (1963, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz– the release of this film coincided with the collapse of the studio system), Easy Rider (1969, directed by Dennis Hopper), Carnival Of Souls (1962, directed by Herk Harvey), The Godfather(1972, directed by Francis Ford Coppola). Some stars included: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster.

What events were taking place in America around the period identified as the New Hollywood era of cinema? The New Hollywood era of cinema spanned from the mid-1960s to the 1980s, and within that time frame America endured: Three assassinations on public figures, John. F. Kennedy (1963), Martin Luther King Jr. (1968), and Malcom X (1965). In 1959, through till 1973, America was involved in the Vietnam war, soldiers were fighting in Vietnam whilst American citizens protested against the war (1966, White House protests) because Americans wanted to halt the spread of communism from soviet powers. President, Richard Nixon’s, Watergate Scandal from 1972 until his resignation in 1974. The Civil Rights movement which aimed to abolish legalised racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement in the country (1954-1968).

How did New Hollywood directors like Penn approach film narratives? Many directors, such as Arthur Penn, approached film narratives with an ‘anti-establishment’ point of view, meaning that they went against the established norms for Americans and how they should behave. This typically involved ‘outsider’ characters and the pursuit of freedom which laid outside of societal norms; this was reflected in the real world with protests, riots, and movements.

What is discontinuity editing? A noticeable cut in a sequence which grabs the audience’s attention due to its unnatural and ridged nature. This jump cut technique is typically used to indicate a significant jump in time.

Why is this time in film production sometimes referred to as “The Rise Of The Auteurs” in Hollywood? A lot of the biggest names in Hollywood today gained notoriety during this time period, to mention a few: Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorcese. Unlike Old Hollywood, where the actors in a film created excitement around a film, this era shone the spotlight on the directors behind the films – a result of this was films being recognised for their ‘auteur style’.

What was the lasting impact of the New Hollywood style on modern films? The New Hollywood style left its mark on the film industry by allowing and encouraging director-driven creativity and experimentation.

Initial Rating – 5/10

Favourite moment – A moment which stands out to me the most is when they take pictures together with Clyde’s brother, Buck Barrow, and his wife Blanche. This stood out to me the most as Blanche seems to represent the ideals and morals of old Hollywood films, as well as, American society during the 1900s-1950s – as a woman she is defined by her husband and is almost docile. In the pictures, Blanche takes one with her husband whereas Bonnie, who stands for the second wave, feminist movement during the 1960s, poses alone with a cigar and a pistol.

Casablanca

31 January 2025 Alex Gajdosova 1 Comment

cast

Humphrey Bogart: Rick Blaine, born in New York.

His breakout role was in High Sierra (1941) as Roy Earle. Bogart was known to have played gangsters, starting out in Broadway productions, this could’ve influenced his casting as the film was originally a stage play – Casablanca solidified his presence in Hollywood, making him an icon to this day. “Tough without a gun” he was described. Worked with Warner Bros in the past, they were working him up to be a romantic lead, he was also on a contract with Warner Bros, they wrote the film with Humphrey in mind. This studio was known as the gangster studio, their style consisted of gritty dramas and mysteries, which is why Bogart was chosen to play Rick Blaine (also due to type-casting).

Ingrid Bergman: Ilsa Lund, born in Sweden

Ingrid began her career in Swedish and German films, that was until the English remake of Intermezzo in 1939, she continued her acting career in American films, one of them being Casablanca in 1942 which cemented her as one of Hollywood’s greatest.

Paul Henreid: Victor Laszlo, born in Italy

In 1933, Paul made his acting debut at the Reinhardt Theatre in “Faust”. He had several leading roles on stage, starring in various Austrian films before his role in Casablanca – however, unlike most this movie came as a curse rather than a blessing for Henreid, he attempted to try and play more villainous characters in order to break away from the romantic lead typecast.

Claude Rains: Captain Louis Renault, England

Claude made his sensational film debut in the 1933 horror film “The Invisible Man”, he had been in the acting business since he was 11, mainly doing backstage work until 1911. Casablanca was a huge success for Rains as he received 4 Oscar nominations.

Conrad Veidt: Major Heinrich Strasser, Germany

In 1920, Veidt achieved long lasting stardom with his role of the sleepwalking murderer in “The Cabinet of Dr Caligari”, continuing to work with directors such as F.W Murnau and Robert Wiene. He was the highest paid member of the Casablanca cast.

Sydney Greenstreet: Signor Ferrari, England

He debuted in “The Fat Man” in 1941 as Kasper Gutman, as well as co-starring with Humphrey Bogart in “The Maltese Falcon” 1941.

Peter Lorre: Ugarte, Slovakia

He began his stage career in Vienna, going by his birth name László Löwenstein until 1922 when he changed it to Peter Lorre, later moving onto films in Berlin until he left Germany once Hitler came into power, Lorre was Jewish.

S.Z Sakall: Carl, Hungary

Despite being in the industry since 1916, his most memorable role was as the waiter in Casablanca. Throughout his career he has been cast as generally bubbly characters due to his rotund body type, Hollywood deemed that as “cute”.

Madeleine Lebeau: Yvonne, France

Her acting career was active from 1939-1970, had an uncredited role in her first film called “Young Girls in Trouble” – 1939, June 1940 she fled from France to avoid the German invasion and into Lisbon, much like the refugees in Casablanca.

Dooley Wilson: Sam, Texas

Joy Page: Annina Brandel, California

Jon Qualen: Berger, Canada

Michael Curtiz: Hungarian, Director of Casablanca

Nationalised American, made 173 films for Warner Bros. Made sure everyone was at the top of their game, all extras were immigrants of the war, Curtiz understood, had empathy, knowing hat it was like to flee your own country. Pioneered the dolly, using it to highlight emotions, such as hesitation, broke away from the usage of fixed cameras in Hollywood – choreographing the camera and actors.

H.B Wallis: American, producer.

H.B. Wallis was the producer, his role was to oversee all aspects of production, claiming rights, puts together the production team and has the final say on everything e.g. script and casting.

Mise-en-scene in Casablanca

Objects such as exotic plants to give the spectator the , Moroccan panels to give the feeling of a prison. artificial sets, escapism and romance. It was not shot on location, it was all filmed in Burbank, California at the Warner Bros. Studios – however the finale was shot in a Los Angeles airport.

Editing in Casablanca

Casablanca adheres to the invisible editing style of golden age Hollywood, allowing the spectator to become immersed into the story instead of being consciously aware that they’re watching a film.

06:45 introduction to Rick’s Café Americain, meeting Rick for first time and getting to know the setting

Sound in Casablanca

Max Steiner composed the music. As time goes by was nearly cut from the film entirely, thanks to Bergman it wasn’t, ended being the theme and produced into different variations and keys, became a motif.

Aesthetics in Casablanca

The film noir style creates an artificial world , which in most cases would not be a strength, however, at this time people didn’t want to be in their reality considering that the world in the 1940s wasn’t a pleasant one.

Even though the film is in black and white, light and shadows have been utilised to create an atmosphere; venetian blinds casting shadows across Rick’s face, each time there was an intriguing or intimate moment the tone got darker – characters hidden in the shadows.

Themes and Issues

Isolationism: the policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups – this relates to Rick’s character as in the beginning he doesn’t pick a side (allies or axis forces). He is a cynic to begin with, but by the end he becomes a sentimentalist, sacrificing his own selfish whims for Ilsa and her husband, also there’s a message of patriotism, best shown with Victor’s line, “Welcome back to the fight.”

What was America’s view on WW2? 96% of Americans opposed the idea of declaring war against the Axis powers in Europe. They used a Gallop poll. They wished to remain neutral on the matter.

Representations featured in Casablanca

Women – Drastically less females in the cast, however they do go hand-in-hand with the men, especially Ilsa as she is the driving force for Rick’s actions and personality. Mainly consisting of background roles or lovers.

Men – Abundant male cast, they all carry the narrative of the film. All authority figures are men, reflecting the gender roles of the 1940s.

Authority Figures – They’re all men, mostly army men, white, policemen.

People of Colour – Sam plays a large part in Casablanca as a pianist and singer in Rick’s café, being a close friend of Rick’s back in Paris however he is easily disposed of when Rick goes leave Casablanca.

Americans – There’s only two Americans, Sam and Rick,

Europeans – 34 different nationalities across the cast and production team. Given that there’s only two Americans in the cast, the numerous Europeans is a direct reflection of those fleeing European countries due to German occupation, amongst other things, at that time.

Political and social contexts in Casablanca

Allies: Great Britain, U.S.A, U.S.S.R (now Russia)

Axis powers: Germany, Japan, and Italy.

WW2 began in 1939, however America didn’t join until 1941 – this was due to the Pearl Harbour attack on December 7th, the script for Casablanca was sent out the day after. Whilst filming was being wrapped up, Casablanca was being invaded by American troops (Operation Torch).

France:

They’re invaded and defeated early on into the war, however the Free French continued to fight for the allied countries , they were French soldiers and generals. Vichy, France is a territory, about half of France, had its own government however they were controlled by German forces. Vichy controls Casablanca, Morocco (Morocco is part of French territory).

Operation Torch

“Captured the zeitgeist” of patriotism.

zeitgeist: a defining spirit or mood of a period in time.

From November 8th-16th 1942, Operation Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale.

Casablanca Conference

January 14th-24th 1943, held with American president, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister, Churchill. They focused on coordinating Allied military strategy against the Axis powers over the course of the coming year. On the final day of the conference, President Roosevelt announced that he and Churchill had decided that the only way to ensure post-war peace was to adopt a policy of unconditional surrender.

The first Casablanca screening was November 26th, 1942 in New York City. Released nationally throughout the U.S.A on January 23th, 1943.

In a pre-internet age, Americans found out their information about the world through films (movie reels) essentially a newscast, which is how they learnt about the war. Other, less impactful sources, were newspapers and radio broadcasts.

serendipity: coincidence, by chance.

Hollywood

Film Noir

22 January 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

film noir: a style or genre of film defined by its themes of cynicism, crime, and mystique.

film noir (classic)

neo-noir

Casablanca

Casablanca – First Response

16 January 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

9/10

In this scene, it is established that Rick Blaine is a cynical, apathetic man, as Ugarte points out plainly. Ugarte is trying to sell letters of transit to refugees in Casablanca, preying on those desperate for escape – in short Rick ends up hiding two tickets for Ugarte. Throughout the film, desperation is a common theme, reflective of the time period through the characters relationships, an example of this would be Rick and Ilsa’s relationship, how fragile Blaine’s control on life gets once she re-enters his life, he’s always been in control of every life he has lived up until this point, an ex-lover who broke his heart is enough to crack through his cynical exterior. I also appreciate how the film hones in on ricks journey away from his cynical ways following the separation from Ilsa in France, by the end of the film he sacrifices his selfish whims for the greater good, sending Ilsa and Victor (her husband) away by choice this time.

Hollywood

The Birth of Hollywood (1900-1930)

7 January 2025 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood? Hollywood is known for its consistent climate, therefore making it easier to schedule filming – also to escape fees from Tomas Edison (who owned many patents on the movie-making process).
Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? Clara Bow (from New York), Buster Keaton (from Kansas), King Vidor (from Texas), Charlie Chaplin (from London), Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror(F.W. Murnau), The Last Laugh (F.W. Murnau).
In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League? The early Hollywood studio system was able to loan out their actors to other companies, just like how football clubs can loan out their players to other clubs.
When and what was the first “talking picture”? On October 6th, 1927 called “The Jazz Singer”.
Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry? Some actors didn’t have the right kind of voice for talkies, therefore making them disposable.
What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time? WW1 1914-1918, The Great Depression, The Wall street 1929, The Roaring 20s. All of these events contributed to the uprise in romance, mystery and comedy pictures, given that society sought out escapism from the real world.

Censorship

Hays Code

They were a set of guidelines introduced to the industry in 1934 and enforced until 1968. It prohibited studios from distributing films showing realistic violence, nudity, sex, prolonged kissing, and profanity.

The Hays Code was a way to maintain morality in Hollywood – especially for Americans. There were concerns about women, children, and lower-class citizens being susceptible to bad influences in film.

The Hollywood Studio System (1930-1947)

What were the 5 big studios and what movies was each famous for? Paramount Picture: Shanghai Express – 1932, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer): The Wizard of Oz – 1939, RKO: King Kong – 1933, 20th Century Fox: The Grapes of Wrath – 1940, Warner Bros: The Public Enemy – 1931.
Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was? Vertical integration is when a company takes ownership of two or more stages of its supply chain; in the film industry, this was when studios owned the cinemas which screened their films, having a direct link to the distribution of pictures. Block-booking was a system of selling multiple films as a unit, sequentially providing the cinemas a large portion of the revenues – which is actually giving the studios themselves the revenue, given that providers and distributors were vertically integrated.
Why and when did the original studio system collapse? By 1948, the original studio system had collapsed, losing their monopoly power within the industry, on May 4th 1948, the Supreme Court found that the studios had violated anti-trust laws.
What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time? The Great Depression, WW2, beginning of the Cold War.
What genres of movies were popular and why did people go to the movies in this time period? Gangster, Romance, Mystery, Comedy, Western, Musicals, cartoon animations. People went to the movies to escape the bleak reality of the world they were living in.

Classical Hollywood Style

What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling? Subtle cuts are made throughout the film to make the narrative draw the audience’s attention in, rather than the fact they’re watching a film. They become immersed. The focal point is character development and storyline.
What is continuity editing? When shots are ordered chronologically, creating a cohesive storyline whilst creating the illusion of a real world within the film – effectively making audience immersed into the storyline.

Representation, This is England

This Is England: Representation

8 December 2024 Alex Gajdosova Leave a comment

Young people in This Is England play a big part in representing this time period in England, the youngest being Shaun who’s 12, along with Woody’s group who are all young adults. For the most part, they’re depicted to the spectator as being reckless, carefree, and unified by style.

Older people in the film have a range of roles, there’s Cynthia who is Shaun’s mother, she is caring and down to earth, and then there is Combo who has an authoritarian approach to keeping people close to him, instilling fear and nationalist propaganda onto others. The audience is shown that this heavily impacts Shaun, since Combo hones in on Shaun’s grief, weaponizing it so that Shaun becomes an asset to Combo’s gang.

The working class is the prominent class in This Is England, this is important to the spectator because it signifies how Margaret Thatcher’s time in parliament wasn’t taken lightly by those in the working class, as shown multiple times with graffiti.

English people are only represented by those from the North of England, in depth, the only time we ever see Southern citizens is on news broadcasts about those in power, like Margaret Thatcher and the Royal Family. This indicates to the audience that it is a common occurrence that the South have an overpowering hold on the North, along with classism against northern England.

Asian and Black people are depicted in a bad light whenever Combo has something to say about it, casual racism is a common occurrence throughout the film, for example, when Combo first visits Woody and the others to tell them a story about his time in prison, openly discriminating a black inmate whilst Milky is in the room (a Jamaican man). Asian people are portrayed as “job stealers”, according to Combo, as well as being verbally abused and taken advantage of in the scene where Shaun and Combo’s gang raid Sandhu’s shop.

Uncategorised

Aesthetics

8 December 2024 Alex Gajdosova 1 Comment

Aesthetics: The overall style, feel, and texture of a film. This can involve scenery, costume, and how they all tie in

Realism: an artistic approach and narrative style that aims to represent life, characters, settings, and events as closely as possible to their real-world counterparts.

verisimilitude – the appearance of being real or true (in terms of world building and costume design)

social realism – drawing attention to the social and political conditions (issues) of a particular time period and location.

*Interview With The Vampire, 2022 (Rolin Jones)*

magic realism – portrays fantastical events in a realistic tone to successfully build a believable world for the spectator.

*Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006 (Guillermo del Toro)*

hyperreality – artificially created media that is perceived to be reality, a heightened reality.

Visual Style: The visual language of a film, the look and feel of the film.

iconography – the use of reoccurring visual images and symbols that convey specific themes, evoke emotions, and build the film’s narrative.

*The Silence of The Lambs, 1991 (Jonathan Demme)*

intertextual referencing – the overlap of media, utilised to support the narrative of the film. The media could be other films, music, poetry, and literature.

visual/sound motifs – a visible or audible element that reoccurs throughout the film to carry the storyline, plays a symbolic role.

colour grading -a post-production process to alter the visual appearance of the film/shot. This can either be to make it more vibrant to convey a lighter, happier narrative, or it could be desaturated to convey dullness or negativity.

auteur trademarks – a trademark style, making a directors work immediately recognisable.

*Lost Highway, 1997 (David Lynch) – surrealism*

Tone: The overall atmosphere or mood of a film.

pathos – appeals to the audience’s emotions, typically sadness.

Uptown Girls, 2003, (Boaz Yakin): This scene is sad because of Ray’s angry display of grief alongside Molly’s bittersweet nostalgia as she recreates the moment she did years ago when her dad passed – mirroring Ray’s situation.

bathos – an anti-climax or a juxtaposition of shots to create a humorous effect.

*Contact, 1997 (Robert Zemeckis)*: Instead of ending in Eleanor finally making contact with the aliens like the audience was lead to believe, the alien takes form of her deceased father to pass on a message.

suspense – excitement or anxiousness created by tension.

Suspenseful because it’s a Darren Aronofsky film; paranoia, perfectionism, and horror.

comedy – provides the audience with amusement, usually consisting of explicit one-liners, or on the other hand, intellectual pieces which are implicitly/unintentionally ‘funny’.

*Interview With The Vampire, 2022-present (Rolin Jones)*

For context, this episode is particularly funny because in the image on the left, Lestat is reassuring Louis (out of frame) that he is free to sleep with whoever he wants as long as Louis comes home to him. Image 2 completely contradicts Lestat’s plethora of “Of course! Of course!”, Louis comes home after having relations with another man, Lestat is clearly not that calm nor collected. There’s 15 minutes between these scenes.

dramatic irony – when the audience understands more about a situation that most characters do; an ‘inside joke’.

distancing effect – also known as ‘breaking the fourth wall’, is when the illusion of being an unseen spectator is shattered, the characters on screen are directly interacting with the audience.

postmodern humour – Challenges accepted notions and expectations of genre, philosophy, and humanity.