Theater 4 - Introduction to Film Theater 4 - Introduction to Film - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Theater 4 - Introduction to Film Theater 4 - Introduction to Film

Professor Michael Abbott Professor Michael Abbott

Fine Arts Center T113, x6448 Fine Arts Center T113, x6448

Office Hours: Office Hours:

MWF 10:00-11:00, 1:00-2:00 MWF 10:00-11:00, 1:00-2:00 TTh TTh 10:00-noon 10:00-noon

Syllabus Syllabus

! ! Mondays

Mondays

" " Lecture

Lecture

" " Text assignment

Text assignment

! ! Wednesdays

Wednesdays

" " Screenings - 2-hour class

Screenings - 2-hour class

! ! Fridays

Fridays

" " Discussion and analysis

Discussion and analysis

Cook, A History of Narrative Film, 3rd ed. Cook, A History of Narrative Film, 3rd ed.

! ! 1087 pages, most comprehensive text

1087 pages, most comprehensive text available available

! ! Bibliography of nearly 100 pages

Bibliography of nearly 100 pages

! ! Glossary of film terms

Glossary of film terms

! ! Movie stills and shot sequences

Movie stills and shot sequences

! ! Designed for a 2-semester film history

Designed for a 2-semester film history course course

Screenings Screenings

! ! Films begin promptly at 2:10

Films begin promptly at 2:10

! ! Guests allowed

Guests allowed

! ! Absolutely no talking, eating, or drinking

Absolutely no talking, eating, or drinking

! ! Supplementary Screenings

Supplementary Screenings

" " Selected Fridays at 3:15 p.m.

Selected Fridays at 3:15 p.m.

" " Attendance encouraged, but not required

Attendance encouraged, but not required

Grading Grading

! ! Paper

Paper 15% 15%

! ! Storyboard

Storyboard 15% 15%

! ! Quizzes/Writing Assignments

Quizzes/Writing Assignments 20% 20%

! ! Midterm

Midterm 20% 20%

! ! Final

Final 30% 30%

Overview of Course Overview of Course

! ! Film as Art

Film as Art

" " Directing

Directing

" " Cinematography,

Cinematography, editing, sound and editing, sound and music music

" " Narrative

Narrative

" " Acting

Acting

! ! History of Cinema

History of Cinema

" " 100 years: 1872-1972

100 years: 1872-1972

" " Technical evolution of

Technical evolution of motion pictures motion pictures

" " Significant films,

Significant films, movements, artists movements, artists

Objective: “Cinemaliteracy” Objective: “Cinemaliteracy”

! ! Viewing films with a critical eye

Viewing films with a critical eye

" " How films are “built”

How films are “built”

" " How movies communicate

How movies communicate

! ! Finding connections among films and

Finding connections among films and filmmakers filmmakers

! ! Observing how film reflects and impacts

Observing how film reflects and impacts culture culture

Origins and early development

1872-1903

Optical Principles

• Persistence of vision
• “Phi phenomenon”
• I llusion of continuous motion

– 16 fps - silent – 24 fps - sound – Rotating shutter – Each frame flashed twice on screen

Edward Muybridge

• Series Photography:

1872-1882

– Action simulated with still photos – Limitations:

• Long photographic

exposure times

– Needed to reduce exposure time from 15 minutes to 1/1000

• f a second
• Inflexible film stock

– Resolved by use of celluloid mass- produced by George Eastman

Thomas Edison

• Kinetograph

– first motion-picture camera, invented by lab assistant William Dickson

• “Black Maria”

– first motion-picture studio

• Vitascope

– projection system, post Lumieres

Lumiere Bros.

• Cinematographe

– Camera/projector/film printer – Established 16 fps standard

• Shot hundreds of

“actualities”

• First to project

motion-picture on a screen for an audience

Georges Melies

• Cinema’s first

narrative filmmaker

• Innovator
• fade-in, fade-out
• lap dissolve
• stop-action
• Influence
• D.W. Griffith
• Charlie Chaplin

Edwin Porter

• Began as projectionist
• Influenced by Melies’ A

Trip to the Moon

• Combined stock footage

with staged scenes for Life of an American Fireman

• Developed concept of

continuity editing

Continuity Editing

• New narrative form unique to cinema

– Illusion of separate, simultaneous parallel actions – Linear continuity from shot to shot – Unit of meaning in film language is the shot, not the scene.

The Great Train Robbery

• Continuity editing
• Unique camera placements and in-depth

shooting

• “Matting-like” double printing on film
• Panning shots
• Special effects
• Rise of nickelodeons in response to popularity
• f The Great Train Robbery

German Cinema between the wars

Murnau, Lang, and German Expressionism

UFA - 1920-1933

! Nationally subsidized film studio ! Consolidated existing production companies,

distributors into one giant film company

! Briefly competed with Hollywood ! Struggled financially throughout existence

• Parufamet Agreement

! Eventually became a Nazi propaganda tool

Expressionism

! Highly stylized subjective visual world ! Exaggerated spatial dimensions ! Unnatural human forms

• Heavy make-up
• 2-dimensional characterizations

! Mood, atmosphere over narrative ! Chiaroscuro lighting

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)

Expressionism - Key Figures

Fritz Lang F.W. Murnau

Original artwork for Metropolis (1922)

Original Poster The Robot (screen shot)

Additional Posters

The City (screen shot)

Soviet Cinema Soviet Cinema

Vertov Vertov, , Kuleshov Kuleshov, , Eisenstein Eisenstein, and , and the rise of Film Theory the rise of Film Theory

Early Developments Early Developments

! ! Moscow Film School (1919)

Moscow Film School (1919)

! ! “

“Agitprop Agitprop” documentary cinema ” documentary cinema

! ! Vertov

Vertov

! ! Kino-Eye

Kino-Eye

! ! Narrative cinema is “impotent”

Narrative cinema is “impotent”

! ! Film must capture reality and “arrange” it for

Film must capture reality and “arrange” it for meaning meaning

! ! Self-reflexive cinema (

Self-reflexive cinema (The Man with a Movie The Man with a Movie Camera Camera) )

The Rise of Montage The Rise of Montage

! ! The

The Kuleshov Kuleshov Workshop Workshop

! ! Rise of film theory

Rise of film theory

! ! Films without celluloid

Films without celluloid

! ! Dissection and

Dissection and reassembly reassembly of

• f Griffith’s

Griffith’s Intolerance Intolerance

! ! The “

The “Kuleshov Kuleshov Effect” Effect”

! ! Montage

Montage

! ! The shot has two values

The shot has two values

! ! That which it

That which it posseses posseses by itself by itself

! ! That which it

That which it aquires aquires in relationship to other shots in relationship to other shots

! ! The second value is greater than the first

The second value is greater than the first

KEY

Ramifications of Montage Ramifications of Montage

! ! Meaning is derived from the sequential

Meaning is derived from the sequential arrangement of shots, not photographed arrangement of shots, not photographed reality reality

! ! Film is an inherently manipulative art

Film is an inherently manipulative art form form

! ! The director (editor?) emerges as the

The director (editor?) emerges as the supreme creative artist of the cinema supreme creative artist of the cinema

Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Eisenstein

! ! Along with Griffith, a pioneering artist of the cinema

Along with Griffith, a pioneering artist of the cinema

! ! Began in the theater

Began in the theater

! ! Formulated a modernist theory of editing (Montage)

Formulated a modernist theory of editing (Montage) that transcended that transcended Griffith’s Griffith’s 19th-century aesthetic 19th-century aesthetic

! ! Battleship

Battleship Potemkin Potemkin (1925) one of the most influential (1925) one of the most influential masterpieces ever made, along with: masterpieces ever made, along with:

! !

Birth of a Nation Birth of a Nation

! ! Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane

! ! Breathless

Breathless

! ! Star Wars?

Star Wars?

Hollywood in the Twenties

The American Studio System

Hollywood Becomes an Industry

! In the 1920’s motion pictures became the most

popular form of entertainment for the middle class

! Filmmaking practice was standardized to facilitate

mass production

! Wall Streed invested heavily in motion pictures ! Major Hollywood studios consolodated power and

dominated the world market

The Big Five

! Paramount, Loews

(MGM), Fox, Warner Bros., RKO

• Universal, Columbia,

United Artists

! Studios dominated

through “vertical integration”

• Production
• Distribution
• Exhibition

Thomas Ince and the “studio system”

! Established “Inceville”

near Hollywood

! Built the first modern

Hollywood studio

! Mode of production

became prototype for American film industry

• separate shooting stages
• production units with

separate directors

• shooting scripts

Mack Sennett

! Founded Keystone Studios ! Created silent “slapstick comedies”

• Made thousands of 1 and 2-reelers, hundreds of features
• dominant film genre of the 20’s.

! Credited with discovering:

• Charlie Chaplin
• Buster Keaton
• Fatty Arbuckle
• W.C. Fields, et al

! Contributed to world-wide popularity of Hollywood films

Hollywood Scandals

! Jazz age Hollywood

decadence

! Fatty Arbuckle and

Virginia Rappe, et al.

! Formation of MPPDA ! Will Hays

• The “Hays Office
• The “Don’ts and Be

Carefuls”

The Sound Era Arrives

The effects and aftershocks of The effects and aftershocks of Hollywood’s transition to “talkies” Hollywood’s transition to “talkies”

Film before “talkies was not silent

! ! Dickson

Dickson achieved sound synchronization with achieved sound synchronization with Kinetograph Kinetograph as early as 1889 as early as 1889

! ! Examples of synchronized phonograph recording in

Examples of synchronized phonograph recording in France, Germany, and Britain France, Germany, and Britain

! ! Live sound effects machines were used to

Live sound effects machines were used to accompany silent films accompany silent films

! ! Live music was employed from the beginning

Live music was employed from the beginning – – Organ or piano music Organ or piano music – – Full orchestral scores with cue sheets Full orchestral scores with cue sheets

Experimentation

! ! Early sound-on-film invented by

Early sound-on-film invented by Dickson Dickson assistant in 1910 assistant in 1910

– – followed by similar European inventions followed by similar European inventions

! ! Phonofilm

Phonofilm process perfected by radio process perfected by radio pioneer Lee pioneer Lee DeForest DeForest (1922) (1922)

– – initial interest and implementation initial interest and implementation – – failure due to Hollywood’s reluctance to failure due to Hollywood’s reluctance to accept costly new system accept costly new system

Vitaphone and Warner Bros.

! ! Vitaphone

Vitaphone - sound-on-disc system invented

• sound-on-disc system invented

by Western Electric and AT&T by Western Electric and AT&T

– – ignored by major studio heads ignored by major studio heads

! ! Warner

Warner Bros

• Bros. establish

. establish Vitaphone Vitaphone corporation corporation

– – financed by Goldman financed by Goldman Sachs Sachs – – intended to provide musical accompaniment for intended to provide musical accompaniment for theaters with no orchestras theaters with no orchestras – – lavishly debuted in New York with MPPDA lavishly debuted in New York with MPPDA president Will Hays delivering filmed speech president Will Hays delivering filmed speech (1926) (1926)

Reasons for major studio resistance to sound

! ! Huge expense in converting to sound-proof

Huge expense in converting to sound-proof studios. studios.

! ! Huge expense converting movie theaters for

Huge expense converting movie theaters for sound. sound.

! ! Huge backlog of silent films would be

Huge backlog of silent films would be useless. useless.

! ! Overseas market decimated.

Overseas market decimated.

! ! Star system thrown into disarray.

Star system thrown into disarray.

The Jazz Singer

! ! 1927 Warner

1927 Warner Bros Bros. . builds first sound builds first sound studio and releases studio and releases The Jazz Singer The Jazz Singer

! ! The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer becomes a becomes a monumental hit monumental hit

! ! Studios rush to

Studios rush to convert to sound convert to sound

Problems of early “talkies”

! ! When the movies started to talk, they ceased

When the movies started to talk, they ceased to move to move

! ! Between 1928 and 1931, filmmaking

Between 1928 and 1931, filmmaking regressed to the Melies-era style regressed to the Melies-era style

– – Cameras were stuffed into sound-proof booths Cameras were stuffed into sound-proof booths – – Editing became transitional Editing became transitional – – Cross-cutting, montage, fluid camera movement Cross-cutting, montage, fluid camera movement were eliminated were eliminated

Theoretical question of sound

! ! Filmmakers like

Filmmakers like Chaplin and Keaton Chaplin and Keaton initially rejected initially rejected “talkies” “talkies”

! ! Eisenstein

Eisenstein and and

• thers saw it as a
• thers saw it as a

“two-edged sword “two-edged sword

! ! Synchronous

Synchronous vs vs. . Asynchronous Asynchronous sound sound

The Studio System

Genres new and old Genres new and old

Hollywood genres

! ! The Musical

The Musical

! ! Disney animated features

Disney animated features

! ! The Gangster film / Newspaper film

The Gangster film / Newspaper film

! ! The Western

The Western

! ! Biopics

Biopics

! ! Dialogue comedy

Dialogue comedy

! ! Screwball comedy

Screwball comedy

The Genius of the System

Hollywood and big business in the 1930’s

Hollywood as industry

! By the 1930’s Hollywood had become a dominant

American industry

! Nearly 100 million ticket-buyers per week ! Hundreds of films released each year

– most prolific, MGM, averaged 1 per week

! Major studios and investors earning huge sums of

money on hit pictures

– corporate profitability becomes the bottom line

Ramifications of corporate control

! Producers exert artistic control over filmmaking

process

! Proven successes exploited for maximum

economic gain

– sequals, remakes, and serials – formula pictures become “sure-fire” hits

! Quest for predictable sales vehicles

– Popular novels, plays translated for film – Popular stars billed over the title

The Star System

!Actors were under contract to studios !Projects were assigned by the studio !Studios cultivated star images

– managed appearances – orchestrated “romances” – trained budding stars for various skills

!Rewarded or punished stars based on

loyalty to studio

Stars of the golden era

Edward Edward Dmytryk Dmytryk Sen

• Sen. Joseph McCarthy

. Joseph McCarthy

Witchhunts Witchhunts and Blacklists and Blacklists

HUAC and Hollywood HUAC and Hollywood

Hollywood investigated Hollywood investigated

! ! HUAC undertakes a full investigation of

HUAC undertakes a full investigation of “communism in motion pictures” in 1947 “communism in motion pictures” in 1947

! ! Committee subpoenaed 47 witnesses

Committee subpoenaed 47 witnesses

– – “Friendly” Jack Warner, Louis B. Mayer, Ronald “Friendly” Jack Warner, Louis B. Mayer, Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney, others Reagan, Walt Disney, others – – “Unfriendly” Dalton “Unfriendly” Dalton Trumbo Trumbo, Edward , Edward Dmytryk Dmytryk, others , others – – 13 of 17 “unfriendly witnesses” were Jews 13 of 17 “unfriendly witnesses” were Jews

! ! Final list known as the “Hollywood Ten”

Final list known as the “Hollywood Ten”

! ! Committee for the First Amendment (CFA)

Committee for the First Amendment (CFA) formed formed

– – John John Huston Huston, William , William Wyler Wyler, John Ford, , John Ford, Humphrey Humphrey Bogart Bogart, others , others

! ! Hollywood Ten refused to testify

Hollywood Ten refused to testify

! ! All were convicted and sent to prison

All were convicted and sent to prison

– – No legal representation No legal representation – – No cross-examination of No cross-examination of accusors accusors – – No documented evidence No documented evidence

Reaction Reaction

Hollywood closes ranks Hollywood closes ranks

! ! MPAA and MPPDA produce the “

MPAA and MPPDA produce the “Waldorf Waldorf Statement” Statement”

– – Fired Hollywood Ten Fired Hollywood Ten – – Caused widespread blacklisting of other “communist Caused widespread blacklisting of other “communist sympathisers sympathisers” ”

! ! SAG, under Reagan, requires loyalty oaths from

SAG, under Reagan, requires loyalty oaths from each member each member

! ! In the end 324 people were fired by the studios

In the end 324 people were fired by the studios and no longer permitted to work in the industry and no longer permitted to work in the industry

Orson Welles and Citizen Kane

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)

Master of Suspense

Highlights

• Began as a young director in the silent era

working in German studios

– influenced by expressionism and kammerspielfilm

• Came to Hollywood in 1939
• Famous for “cameos” in his Hollywood

films

• Became a cultural icon for murder and

suspense

Classic Hitchcock

• An innocent man, falsely accused
• Spectacular chase scenes in prominant locales
• Avoidance of on-screen violence
• Psychological tension paramount
• Technical virtuoso
• Audiovisual montage
• Morbid fascination with death and murder.

Master at work

• Master of cinematic language

– Intraframe narrative (Griffith) – Expressive use of camera (Murnau) – Montage (Eisenstein)

• Master of genre - the suspense thriller
• Master craftsman

– Storyboards – Editing – Music

Bernard Herrmann

• Began working on radio

dramas with Orson Welles

• Famous for unorthodox
• rchestrations, “themes” and

avoidance of melody

• Nominated for 5 Academy

Awards, winner of 1 (Devil and Daniel Webster)

• Last film: Scorcese’s Taxi

Driver

Post-War Italian Cinema

Neorealism and its pioneers

The Bicycle Thief (1948)

The Effects of War

• W.W.II devastated the European film industry
• England: air raids destroyed 330 film theaters
• Germany: 60% of film-producing studios lost
• France: film production halted by Allied

bombardment and liberation fighting

• 48 million people killed in Europe, 35% of all

permanent dwellings in Western Europe destroyed

• Only Italy was left with film production facilities

reasonably intact

Mussolini and the Italian Cinema

• Mussolini re-organized Italian film industry ala

Soviet model of agitprop cinema

• Founded government agency to produce

documentaries for “civil and national education”

• Seized control of distribution and exhibition of

films

• Ordered the formation of a national film school
• Constructed vast Cinecitta studios in Rome,

rivaling UFA in size and facilities

Neorealism

• Cesare Zavattini - theoretical founder - called for

new kind of film that would:

– abolish contrived plots – replace professional actors – shoot on the streets, reject studio – establish contact with contemporary social reality – embrace the “dignity and sacredness of the everyday life of ordinary people”

Neorealism: Major Figures and Films

• Rome, Open City (Rossellini)

– considered first neorealism classic – shot just after Nazi occupation – shot silent on location, voices dubbed later – film stock assembled piecemeal from street photographers

• Won grand prize at Cannes, 1946
• Immense world-wide success
• Became paradigm for Italian neorealism, which changed

cinema history

Roberto Rossellini

Impact of Neorealism

Fellini

• Introduced some of the great directors of the cinema

– Rossellini – Fellini – Antonioni

• Liberated cinema from artificial confines of the studio and

studio system

• Incorporated unconventional filmmaking techniques which

have now become mainstream

• Embraced humanism in cinematic terms

The French New Wave

Breathless (1960)

The 1950s

! ! France rebuilt its film industry after W.W.

France rebuilt its film industry after W.W. II II

" " Modeled after Hollywood studio system

Modeled after Hollywood studio system

" " Dominated by stylish craftsmen and performers

Dominated by stylish craftsmen and performers

" " Elegant filmmaking, often adapted from novels

Elegant filmmaking, often adapted from novels

! ! Documentary movement spawned the

Documentary movement spawned the careers of young directors who would later careers of young directors who would later begin the “new wave” begin the “new wave”

New Wave

! ! Theory founded by critics

Theory founded by critics Alexandre Astruc Alexandre Astruc and and Andre Bazin Andre Bazin

! ! Highly influential journal,

Highly influential journal, Cahiers Cahiers du cinema du cinema

! ! Assembled a group of critics who later became the

Assembled a group of critics who later became the major directors of the New Wave major directors of the New Wave

" " Francois Truffault

Francois Truffault

" " Jean-Luc

Jean-Luc Godard Godard

" " Claude

Claude Chabrol Chabrol

" " Jacques

Jacques Rivette Rivette

" " Eric

Eric Rohmer Rohmer

Francois Truffault

Principles of the New Wave

! ! Cinema should bear the subtlety and expressiveness of

Cinema should bear the subtlety and expressiveness of novels novels

! ! A departure from the “tyranny of narrative”

A departure from the “tyranny of narrative”

" " rejection of heavy emphasis on plot, dialogue

rejection of heavy emphasis on plot, dialogue

" " challenge the “tradition of quality”

challenge the “tradition of quality”

! ! Reject montage theory in favor of

Reject montage theory in favor of mise mise-en-scene

• en-scene, long

, long takes, and deep focus composition takes, and deep focus composition

" " emphasis on emotional and psychological impact of film

emphasis on emotional and psychological impact of film

" " The cinema must express human thought

The cinema must express human thought

! ! Film is a medium of personal expression--authorship--

Film is a medium of personal expression--authorship-- auteurism auteurism

Major Films of the New Wave

! ! The 400 Blows

The 400 Blows -

• Truffault

Truffault

! ! Hiroshima,

Hiroshima, mon mon amour amour -

• Resnais

Resnais

! ! Breathless

Breathless -

• Godard

Godard

All three films made in 1959 All three films made in 1959

The 400 Blows

Technical characteristics of the New Wave

! ! Inexpensive, “unpolished” look

Inexpensive, “unpolished” look

! ! Shaky handheld camera

Shaky handheld camera

! ! Location shooting

Location shooting

! ! Natural lighting

Natural lighting

! ! Improvised dialogue

Improvised dialogue

! ! Direct sound recording on portable tape machines

Direct sound recording on portable tape machines

! ! Jagged editing, jump cuts

Jagged editing, jump cuts

! ! Destruction of spatial, temporal continuity

Destruction of spatial, temporal continuity

New Wave Style

! ! Young, film-savvy directors who were first

Young, film-savvy directors who were first generation of filmmakers to grow up with cinema generation of filmmakers to grow up with cinema

! ! Self-reflexive style

Self-reflexive style

! ! Aesthetic distance between audience and film

Aesthetic distance between audience and film

! ! Paves way for

Paves way for cinema cinema verite verite

! ! Embrace of “film culture”

Embrace of “film culture”

! ! Call to question the very form and

Call to question the very form and process of narrative cinema process of narrative cinema

Hiroshima, mon amour

Japanese Cinema

Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990)

Early Japanese Film (1900-1925)

! Cut off from Western influences until

after WWII

! Heavily influenced by traditional Kabuki

Theater

– narrative structure of film derived from Kabuki conventions

! Film industry destroyed by Tokyo

earthquake of 1923

Kabuki Theater

! Highly stylized form of theater dating back to

17th century

! Men play all roles ! Highly ritualized movement ! “Benshi” serves as narrator

– stands offstage and narrates onstage action

! Depictions of feudal samurai period of

Japanese history

Forms of Cinema (1925-45)

! Jidai-geki

! films set in feudal

era - prior to 1868

– samurai films – historical romances – ghost films

! Gendai-geki

! films of

contemporary life

– comedies – children’s films – gangster films

World War II

! Japan establishes Ministry of Propaganda ! Progressive films censored ! Pro-military films were commissioned

showing Japanese prowess in battle

! Ten existing studios were consolodated

under Office of Public Information

– virtually all genres were pressed into service of “national policy”

Occupation

! Douglas MacArthur (SCAP) led Occupation

forces in Japan

! Primary objective: “democratization” of Japan ! SCAP imposed strict censorship on

Japanese film industry

– banning all films which “glorified feudalism, imperialism, or militarism

! 225 wartime and postwar films were

banned by SCAP

Douglas MacArthur

The end of the studio system

Hollywood in the 1960’s Hollywood in the 1960’s

The Eroding Production Code

! ! Influx of “unapproved” foreign films in the early

Influx of “unapproved” foreign films in the early 1950s 1950s

! ! Rise of independent producers and directors

Rise of independent producers and directors

! ! Studios could no longer own theaters, so theater

Studios could no longer own theaters, so theater

• wners were free to show any films they wanted
• wners were free to show any films they wanted

! ! Organizations like the Catholic Legion of Decency

Organizations like the Catholic Legion of Decency had declined in membership and influence had declined in membership and influence

The Demise of the Production Code

! ! In 1952, New York State Supreme Court ruled

In 1952, New York State Supreme Court ruled Rossellini’s Rossellini’s The Miracle The Miracle a “sacrilege” a “sacrilege”

! ! The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court,

The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that movies were protected under the which ruled that movies were protected under the 1st and 14th amendments 1st and 14th amendments

! ! Otto

Otto Preminger Preminger released two films which openly released two films which openly challenged the production code challenged the production code

" " The Moon Is Blue

The Moon Is Blue (1953) (1953)

# # word “virgin”used on-screen

word “virgin”used on-screen

" " The Man with the Golden Arm

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) (1955)

# # Frank

Frank Sinatra Sinatra played a heroin addict played a heroin addict

The Decline of Hollywood

! ! By the 1960’s Hollywood had fallen behind the

By the 1960’s Hollywood had fallen behind the rest of the world rest of the world

! ! Aesthetically

Aesthetically

# # France, Italy, Germany, and Latin America

France, Italy, Germany, and Latin America surpassed American cinema surpassed American cinema

! ! Commercially

Commercially

# # Television had eroded American audiences by 50%

Television had eroded American audiences by 50%

# # Admission prices far exceeded inflation

Admission prices far exceeded inflation

# # Production costs skyrocketed

Production costs skyrocketed

! ! Technologically

Technologically

The Studios React

! ! Increased tolerance for independent

Increased tolerance for independent

• production. Studios sponsored young
• production. Studios sponsored young

directors like directors like Coppola Coppola, , Kubrick Kubrick, and , and Peckinpah Peckinpah

! ! Studios turned to television production

Studios turned to television production

! ! Studios became distributors of independent

Studios became distributors of independent productions and foreign films productions and foreign films

The New American Cinema

! ! American filmmakers began to reflect the

American filmmakers began to reflect the alienation and rebellion that pervaded 60s alienation and rebellion that pervaded 60s era youth era youth

" " Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (1967)

" " Easy Rider

Easy Rider (1969) (1969)

" " 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) (1968)

" " The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch (1969) (1969)