Download (12MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository
Download (12MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository Download (12MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository
1987: 237). So, considering the film's depiction of Pu Yi's quest for aesthetic beauty, one might consider his choice of horticulture as a way of continuing to enjoy multiple colours and forms. However, the luxurious atmosphere in the Forbidden City is always associated with the absolute power that the Emperors had; similarly, a cruel regime is embedded in the aesthetic beauty of the Manchurian court. In this respect the mise-en-scene indirectly highlights an issue related to independent and creative human thought, in terms of it being either subjected to exploitation in a capitalist social order, or a source of suspicion in an egalitarian social order; the issue is further complicated by the unexpected socio-political disgrace of the prison governor. This occurs after viewer alignment with the character's thought processes and his sense of justice and humanity, and his humiliation is compounded because it occurs at the hands of youngsters whose fanatical mistreatment of their fellow Communists is disconcerting on all levels. Therefore sympathy is generated towards the governor because his disgrace is perceived by the viewer as unjustified. The sequence also induces intellectual reflection as it implies that power ultimately reproduces its oppressive, negative facets, regardless of the forms that it assumes according to historical circumstances. The presence of these socio-political elements, although only implied, prevents the film from resulting in catharsis, as they create a narration that does not cloud viewers' judgment of reality, (Benjamin, 1966: 18) but which induces reflection on the portrayed events. Consequently, I have reservations about Yosefa Loshitzky's assessment of this stage of Bertolucci's career as a 'capitulation to Hollywood-style spectacle', with the Oscars as proof of his 'total assimilation into mainstream cinema and the ultimate recognition of his conformism by the film industry' (Loshitsky, 1995: 201). In my view the Hollywood-style spectacle frequently features variants of the 'arrival of the cavalry' or the 'idealistic sentiment' - expressed either directly or metaphorically - as embodiments of the military or moral supremacy of the USA and/or the Western world. These values, of which Avatar 236
(2009) is one recent, successful expression,(3) are absent in Bertolucci's work. Regarding the dichotomy between intellectual films and mainstream films, it is arguable that a balanced judgment must take into account the long debated notions that intellectual arthouse films are frequently received by limited audiences who already share the films' perspective or sensibility, and that 'popular' films are not necessarily politically conservative. Arguably, a progressive society needs both: the avant-garde as the intellectual beacon indicating new perspectives, and the popular as the vehicle to spread socio-political awareness. In the history of the Oscars, films such as Dr. Strangelove, (1964) Guess VWw 's Coming to Dinner, (1967) and Philadelphia (1993) have stimulated worldwide reflection on issues such as nuclear armaments, racism and homosexuality. Consideration should also be given to the effect that mainstream distribution and publicity can have on intelligent, low budget films after Oscar recognition, enabling them to reach global audiences as occurred with The Full Monty (1997). Loshitzky's evaluation stems from continuing to compare Bertolucci to Godard, but on closer scrutiny, the debate on Tfre Last Emperor and Bertolucci's subsequent films can no longer take place in an avant-garde context since Bertolucci departed from Godard's view on film-making decades earlier, with The Conformist. The Last Emperor indisputably initiated a phase in Bertolucci's work characterized by an emphasis on visual spectacle, his projects being supported by big budgets. But because none of these later films feature elements such as cathartic narratives or a direct identification with the screen protagonists, instead maintaining complex narrations often characterized by open endings and by a range of intellectual resonances, arguably they do not conform to mainstream cinema codes. As discussed in the conclusion to Last Tango in Paris, I think that many of Bertolucci's post- Conformist films attempt to combine cinematic spectacle with components of auteur cinema, an approach which ultimately left the avant-garde connoisseur and the multiplex cinemagoer 237
- Page 189 and 190: constitute an example of the femme
- Page 191 and 192: despises, ranging from Fascist offi
- Page 193 and 194: the closed doors, his sense of soli
- Page 195 and 196: lying on. Bearing in mind the manne
- Page 197 and 198: Bertolucci seemed aware of the film
- Page 199 and 200: illuminated as if to imply the brig
- Page 201 and 202: hues of bluish-grey colouring are d
- Page 203 and 204: a narrative focus means that the de
- Page 205 and 206: Notes 1. They Live by Night (1948)
- Page 207 and 208: 1985: 73) should be contextualized
- Page 209 and 210: The film's cognitive structure and
- Page 211 and 212: daily life elicits nostalgia for a
- Page 213 and 214: that periodically distances viewers
- Page 215 and 216: followers), sensitive (she relates
- Page 217 and 218: part of the film depicting the peas
- Page 219 and 220: engagement will again change from e
- Page 221 and 222: leadership, which is arguably assum
- Page 223 and 224: References Bachmann, G. (1973) 'Eve
- Page 225 and 226: The success of The Last Emperor ena
- Page 227 and 228: L 'ultimo imperatore/The Last Emper
- Page 229 and 230: out; the red of a notice on the wal
- Page 231 and 232: The intellectual implications of th
- Page 233 and 234: the Forbidden City. This, combined
- Page 235 and 236: Japanese. His personality fits the
- Page 237 and 238: the belief that whereas language ma
- Page 239: In addition, the presence of a hist
- Page 243 and 244: Gaut, B. (1999) 'Identification and
- Page 245 and 246: working class people depicted in th
- Page 247 and 248: strengthening viewers' alignment wi
- Page 249 and 250: experience of being out of clock ti
- Page 251 and 252: where the contemplation of this inf
- Page 253 and 254: infinite. In his discussion of sour
- Page 255 and 256: camera's 'symbiotic fusion' with th
- Page 257 and 258: criticism of contemporary Western i
- Page 259 and 260: is conveyed by Port's bleak awarene
- Page 261 and 262: Piccolo Buddha /Little Buddha: A Jo
- Page 263 and 264: concludes that all three children a
- Page 265 and 266: intensity created by stylized light
- Page 267 and 268: of a children's book, takes on a pr
- Page 269 and 270: Jesus throughout Siddhartha's progr
- Page 271 and 272: human feelings and desires. This in
- Page 273 and 274: diminishing because of Western soci
- Page 275 and 276: In all three films it is possible t
- Page 277 and 278: the film's dramatic pivot - appears
- Page 279 and 280: different stylistic registers as th
- Page 281 and 282: esolve it; and a predominantly unre
- Page 283 and 284: the two characters. The failure to
- Page 285 and 286: even understanding from viewers and
- Page 287 and 288: illusion. In search of new scandals
- Page 289 and 290: That this sequence was written, pro
(2009) is one recent, successful expression,(3) are absent in Bertolucci's work. Regarding the<br />
dichotomy between intellectual films and mainstream films, it is arguable that a balanced<br />
judgment must take into account the long debated notions that intellectual arthouse films are<br />
frequently received by limited audiences who already share the films' perspective or<br />
sensibility, and that 'popular' films are not necessarily politically conservative. Arguably, a<br />
progressive society needs both: the avant-garde as the intellectual beacon indicating new<br />
perspectives, and the popular as the vehicle to spread socio-political awareness. In the history<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Oscars, films such as Dr. Strangelove, (1964) Guess VWw 's Coming to Dinner, (1967)<br />
and Philadelphia (1993) have stimulated worldwide reflection on issues such as nuclear<br />
armaments, racism and homosexuality. Consideration should also be given to the effect that<br />
mainstream distribution and publicity can have on intelligent, low budget films after Oscar<br />
recognition, enabling them to reach global audiences as occurred with The Full Monty<br />
(1997).<br />
Loshitzky's evaluation stems from continuing to compare Bertolucci to Godard, but<br />
on closer scrutiny, the debate on Tfre Last Emperor and Bertolucci's subsequent films can no<br />
longer take place in an avant-garde context since Bertolucci departed from Godard's view on<br />
film-making decades earlier, with The Conformist. The Last Emperor indisputably initiated a<br />
phase in Bertolucci's work characterized by an emphasis on visual spectacle, his projects<br />
being supported by big budgets. But because none <strong>of</strong> these later films feature elements such<br />
as cathartic narratives or a direct identification with the screen protagonists, instead<br />
maintaining complex narrations <strong>of</strong>ten characterized by open endings and by a range <strong>of</strong><br />
intellectual resonances, arguably they do not conform to mainstream cinema codes. As<br />
discussed in the conclusion to Last Tango in Paris, I think that many <strong>of</strong> Bertolucci's post-<br />
Conformist films attempt to combine cinematic spectacle with components <strong>of</strong> auteur cinema,<br />
an approach which ultimately left the avant-garde connoisseur and the multiplex cinemagoer<br />
237
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