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Christopher Carby Prof Paulicelli
Euro Cinema 250W
Films are much more than a form of popular entertainment, more than a ninety minute escape of noise and explosions fueled by the latest special effects. Cinema is art. A well done film captures the cultural aesthetic and values of its time, providing a reflection for future generations. A well done film meets the definition of cultural artifact and may even exceed it, an artifact reflects its time, and film has the ability to shape it.
The classic films we have seen so far meet this lofty definition. The genre is femme fatale; subgenre is divismo, in which a beautiful and seductive woman uses her charms to lure men to their demise. These are popular genres to this day and my personal favorite. It was interesting to see these early film adaptations and how they have evolved.
Satanic Rhapsody directed by journalist, poet and writer Nino Oxilia was produced in 1915, a time when young men left for "war carrying images of their favorite actresses with them. Consolidating the legend of the divismo, the obsessive diva cult of those years"(Bohemian Satanic Rhapsody was groundbreaking in its use of lighting and shade. The overall aesthetic is dazzling, a moving painting, and perfectly undefined images similar to an Impressionist...
The use of veils and sensual movements of the leading lady would not be out of place at a ballet. This film attacks the senses with an artistic potpourri. Oxilia says "cinema represents for me the sun, the light, it embodies beauty (…). Theatre and music produced melodrama; painting and storytelling gave life to cinema. Certainly these influences are recognizable in the film and the images more than the story are the elements that stuck out to me.
Pandora's Box directed by G.W. Pabst appealed to me for different reasons; the actress Louise Brooks is beautiful and remarkable in this role. Her approach to this role is just the perfect pitch. I became curious as to how this came about and was thrilled to see an essay by Ms. Brooks breaking down many of the questions I had. In the essay "Pabst and Lulu" Brooks remarks on playing Lulu "with no sense of sin" and the controversy it sparked. It was a courageous approach in those days, would be today as well. Modern femme fatales don't dare play this role without a sense of sin or wink to the audience. If anything the sinful aspect is the main part of the character. The performance by Ms. Brooks is multilayered and rich, displaying the actresses "uncommon intelligence" (Eisner 1) and beauty. One of my favorite images…
Poetry may be one of the most common vehicles for emotional expression, especially the expression of romantic love. From Milton to Shakespeare, poets have woven words that capture their audiences as well as the object of their affection. Often the verses that talented poets pen linger for years, even centuries, as love is a universal experience. Love poems also appeal to all readers, especially if their language is straightforward and
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