Download (12MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository
Download (12MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository Download (12MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository
declared that starting from its title, Tango was the film that gave music a prime role in his work. Unlike his previous films in which he considered the music to be independent from the images and in which pre-existing music was used, here he asked the composers to create music that would follow, precede, or accompany the camera movements to achieve a synergy or a contrast (Ungari, 1982: 87-89). In Tango music carries 'representational meaning', in Claudia Gorbman's words, as it consists almost of a single theme (based on a saxophone piece by Gato Barbieri) played in different nuances connected to specific 'representational elements' in the film; the theme signals 'the same character, locale, or situation each time it appears', acting therefore as a marker and creating continuity, and it is also instrumental 'in the film's dynamic evolution' (Gorbman, 1987: 27). The evocative saxophone sound shapes the film's mood every time it reintroduces a liaison between Paul and Jeanne, and ultimately evolves into a grandiose orchestral theme towards the end of the film. Music, as had been the case in The Conformist, therefore begins to occupy a more pivotal role in the emotional ambience of Bertolucci's films from this point in his career. By contrast the simple mise-en-scene that acts as a backdrop to Jeanne and Tom's relationship appears to emphasize the relatively monotonous emotional mood of the sequences, which are only occasionally diversified by different shooting locations. Tom, with his monothematic personality, essentially views his relationship with Jeanne in terms of its use in his films. Consequently, their relationship receives no narrative stimulus to develop, remaining repetitive and one-dimensional. This perception is accentuated by a recurring framing technique; regardless of whether scenes take place in interiors or on location, the first shot is usually a close-up of Jeanne, or a medium shot of her running somewhere; then Tom materializes, followed by his troupe who are filming that very scene. Eventually the frame enlarges to show the whole set. The colours are also uniform and continuous, since the cold green and grey hues adopted for the interiors merge with those of the Paris landscape, which 158
also cue a sense of cold unresponsiveness. The repetition of narrative and technical elements fosters little expectation of development in the protagonists' lives and therefore very few stimuli engage viewers either affectively, in terms of fear, anxiety or elation at the characters' destinies, or cognitively as regards the evolution of events. The sense of viewer detachment is maintained by Tom's omnipresent troupe, whose presence keeps viewers aware of the film's self-consciousness regarding the construction of narrative illusions. This particular mise-en-scene highlights Nouvelle Vague narrative and stylistic conventions which include the lack of goal-oriented protagonists, loose causal connections in narrative terms, a 'casual', unplanned atmosphere, location shooting, a mobile camera, and discontinuous editing. However, Bertolucci's use of this style is so overt that it betrays a sense of irony. For instance, when the troupe is shooting in the dark, spotlights are paraded around the set in the same ostentatious way in which huge microphones are regularly visible in the frame. Consequently, the depiction of Paul and Jeanne's problematic relationship and intense sexuality, so explicit for this period in cinematic history, presents an intrinsic genuineness that clashes with the arid style of the sequences that feature Tom. This use of different cinematic styles represents a statement, on Bertolucci's part, about which style he intended to embrace. This is confirmed by several assertions he has made over time; in a 1978 interview he affirmed that Tom was a stark portrayal of the tedious cinephile that he himself had been (Casetti, 1978: 10). Bertolucci stated that the segments of Tango focusing on Tom and his perspectives were also a message to his Nouvelle Vague colleagues exhorting them to move on from that cinematic formula (Casetti, 1995: 9-10). The idea that has been put forward in my study, that Tango - which was released soon after The Conformist - embodies Bertolucci's quest for a broader appreciation of his work is corroborated by an interview given to Gideon Bachmann: 'As far as the public is concerned, the only sure thing I know is that I seem to be seeking an ever larger one' (Bachmann, 1973: 159
- Page 111 and 112: the socio-political composition of
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- Page 127 and 128: Moravia, A. (1971) lo e lui, (1990)
- Page 129 and 130: established in Tango. Yet the analy
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- Page 135 and 136: said he was inspired by the Third C
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- Page 147 and 148: Bertolucci, B. (1967) 'Versus Godar
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- Page 151 and 152: Like Pirandello's protagonists, Pau
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- Page 159 and 160: that the quotient of sexuality will
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- Page 169 and 170: it towards the images being splashe
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- Page 173 and 174: to one of the character's parents a
- Page 175 and 176: Sexuality and shifts of subjectivit
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- Page 183 and 184: Section Three: Between History and
- Page 185 and 186: II conformista/The Conformist: The
- Page 187 and 188: to the female protagonists Severine
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also cue a sense <strong>of</strong> cold unresponsiveness. The repetition <strong>of</strong> narrative and technical elements<br />
fosters little expectation <strong>of</strong> development in the protagonists' lives and therefore very few<br />
stimuli engage viewers either affectively, in terms <strong>of</strong> fear, anxiety or elation at the characters'<br />
destinies, or cognitively as regards the evolution <strong>of</strong> events.<br />
The sense <strong>of</strong> viewer detachment is maintained by Tom's omnipresent troupe, whose<br />
presence keeps viewers aware <strong>of</strong> the film's self-consciousness regarding the construction <strong>of</strong><br />
narrative illusions. This particular mise-en-scene highlights Nouvelle Vague narrative and<br />
stylistic conventions which include the lack <strong>of</strong> goal-oriented protagonists, loose causal<br />
connections in narrative terms, a 'casual', unplanned atmosphere, location shooting, a mobile<br />
camera, and discontinuous editing. However, Bertolucci's use <strong>of</strong> this style is so overt that it<br />
betrays a sense <strong>of</strong> irony. For instance, when the troupe is shooting in the dark, spotlights are<br />
paraded around the set in the same ostentatious way in which huge microphones are regularly<br />
visible in the frame. Consequently, the depiction <strong>of</strong> Paul and Jeanne's problematic<br />
relationship and intense sexuality, so explicit for this period in cinematic history, presents an<br />
intrinsic genuineness that clashes with the arid style <strong>of</strong> the sequences that feature Tom. This<br />
use <strong>of</strong> different cinematic styles represents a statement, on Bertolucci's part, about which<br />
style he intended to embrace. This is confirmed by several assertions he has made over time;<br />
in a 1978 interview he affirmed that Tom was a stark portrayal <strong>of</strong> the tedious cinephile that<br />
he himself had been (Casetti, 1978: 10). Bertolucci stated that the segments <strong>of</strong> Tango<br />
focusing on Tom and his perspectives were also a message to his Nouvelle Vague colleagues<br />
exhorting them to move on from that cinematic formula (Casetti, 1995: 9-10). The idea that<br />
has been put forward in my study, that Tango - which was released soon after The<br />
Conformist - embodies Bertolucci's quest for a broader appreciation <strong>of</strong> his work is<br />
corroborated by an interview given to Gideon Bachmann: 'As far as the public is concerned,<br />
the only sure thing I know is that I seem to be seeking an ever larger one' (Bachmann, 1973:<br />
159
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