The Production Code & Citizen Kane

Film Influence

Every now and then an actor is physically or verbally assaulted in Brazil because his/her character. The first time I saw a news related with actors being assaulted because their characters, I remember to think: "What a bunch of stupid people. How is it possible that they don't understand that TV is fiction?"

Lately, when I kept seeing this kind of news, I started to understand that, even though soup operas/movies/TV shows are fiction they generate a certain feeling in their public. Some character make you fall in love, or hate them, some are inspiring, while others are indifferent, and unfortunately, some people don't know how to control the feelings created by a character or a story.

I believe that a good example on how movies/TV shows/soup operas have a big influence on their public is the Disney Princesses. Most girls, in some point of their lives, related and wanted to be just like one of the Princesses.

Another example just happened this past week with the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I, a group of protestors in Bangkok adopted the movie's three-fingered salute against totalitarian rule. In response to the protests the movie theater chain Apex decided to cancel all screenings of the movie.

Citizen Kane

73 years after its release Citizen Kane still being watched and analyzed by students, movie lovers, and general public. Orson Welles had worked in radio and theater before move into the cinema world. Welles' previous work experience reflect in Kane in various ways, for example in use of sound to create a reality sensation. 

"Not all sound tricks are just to add reality. Many of them also add a deeper meaning. When the reporter goes to Thatcher Library to look up information on Kane, the sound is a very distorted echo. Yes, this adds depth and reality to the scene, but it also reinforces what is already implied on the screen. The Thatcher library is not just a library, it is a tomb. A cold empty tomb to a man who was cold and empty in life as well as death. Likewise, the background yelling of young Kane in the snow adds irony to the bickering of the parents within the warm not-so-happy home. While they sign the papers to have him separated and sent away forever, he is yelling 'The Union Forever! Long Live the Union!'." Kurt Kuersteiner.

Also, the score created by Bernanr Herman was more radio style. Like Laurie Boeder  says in her article for About Entertainment "Rather than playing music under every scene, Herrman wrote “radio style,” bringing in the music when it was needed to evoke emotion or build tension." 

Citizen Kane is celebrated for its use of low-angle shots, below you can see a scene shot completely in low-angle.

Citizen Kane also makes use of innovative transitional devices in the way it links different scenes.  In the two scenes below we can see examples of dissolving transitions.

 

References:

Boeder, Laurie.  Citizen Kane - An American Masterpiece. http://classicfilm.about.com/od/dramaandbiography/fr/Citizen_Kane.htm

Kuersteiner, Kurt. Orson Welles: A Film Maker With A "Sound" Background. http://www.radiohorrorhosts.com/soundfilm.html

Welles, Orson. Citizen Kane. 1941.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/hunger-games-screenings-cancelled-in-thailand-after-protesters-use-3-finger-salute-1.2840381

http://www.franchiseherald.com/articles/14817/20141121/hunger-games-mockingjay-part-showing.htm

The Artist

Black and white; silent; Oscar winner. This is enough to introduce this week's subject: the french movie The Artist.

The artist, direct by Michael Hazanavicius, was released just a few years ago, in 2011, but at a first look you may think you are watching a film from the 20's. The movie tells George Valentin's story, a silent movie star, who sees his career goes down the hill when the talkies break into the public tastes. Meanwhile Peppy Miller an aspiring actress have her career bump up by the talkies arrival. What tricks you to think this is an oldie? Well, besides being black and white, and silent, the picture was shot in the old 4:3 ratio.

The movie starts with the screening of the movie A Russian Affair, one of George Valentin's movies, and his character "says"‘I won’t talk, I won’t say a word!,’  ironically this is the reason for Valentin's fallen when the movies became talkies.


Even though the movie is a tribute for the oldies, director Hazanavicius made conscious choices when it came to cinematography and other aspects in the movie, such as music, sound effects, acting, etc.

If we compare The Artist with real old movies we can find some very visible differences. During the movie within the movie the camera work resembles a lot the silent era, but as soon the movie is out of the screen the camera work is very modern with lots of close-ups - way more than used in the movies back there, more camera movement, and also more sense of depth.

The editing aspect follows the same idea as the camera work, when the movie gets out of the screen the editing is very modern, it is more agile than it was back in the days. The acting is way more expressive, and the actors don't have the big theatrical gestures like in the old movies.

When talking about silent movies and its score we think about classic music. Normally annoying classic music - at least for me. But in The Artist the score is original and very exciting - it won the Oscar for Best achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score. Besides the original score, the movie has some unexpected sound effects, like in the dream scene, when Valentin - and the audience - can hear every day-to-day sound (foot steeps, dog barking, laughs) but he still "silent." Or in the final scene when the actors finally break the silence barrier and talk.

"The Artist’s achievement bows because of our era, the 21st century, and because of the method of delivery – from black and white, to silent, and from the performance to the story’s presentation. Had The Artist been released in the late 20s or early 30s, it may have very likely had a completely different story. But because of its uniqueness in today’s world of film production, it will stand out among films as a glowing light as we progress into the future."- David, The Artist - a comparing analysis.


References:

David. The Artist - A Comparing Analysis. Film Classics. http://www.film-classics.com/archives/8254

Hazanavicius, Michael. The Artist. 2011