FILM FILM - University of Macau Library

More documents

Recommendations

Info

tempt to include a dimension which would not be possible by any other means of expression; a philosophical dimension, commenting on abstract issues which would not easily lend themselves to being expressed in the dialogue. 25 However, the film in general – with only these noteworthy exceptions – seems to conform to the norms of the time; to a large extent, it is also carried by dialogue titles, and the visual aspects of the narrative, including an equally symbolic dimension, is just as important as the words. The Symbolic Clown From Scientist to Clown – He Who Gets Slapped 51 It is not only through his intertitles, adding a new dimension to Andreyev’s play, that Sjöström as a narrator could be discerned in the script. Another important aspect, added by Sjöström, is the image of the clown with his ball. In the cutting continuity script, this scene is described as follows: 21 FADE IN M.S. Symbolic clown with whirling globe looks away, laughs, looks back at globe, strikes globe to make it turn. – Clown Fades out. Globe fades to geographer’s globe Scientist fades in, strikes globe to make it whirl. 26 This “Symbolic clown” reoccurs throughout the film, which will also be discussed in further detail later in relation to transitions between shots. However, the general function of this image in the narration has hitherto been overlooked. The first time, it appears directly after the first intertitle, as a visual effect doubling the function of striking a note for the narrative. The second time, it concludes the whole introductory sequence. From a medium shot of the symbolic clown laughing, the globe fades in, and the clown turns his head to one side and laughs. A close-up of the symbolic clown laughing, looking to his left, is followed by a close-up of a spinning ball, which in turn is dissolved to the globe of the world spinning. There is a cut back to a close-up on the clown laughing, followed by another cut back to the globe spinning, where clowns now appear from above “and sit down on meridian round globe”. A cut back to the clown laughing in close-up is followed by a final cut back to a close-up of “globe clowns seated about it. Globe dissolves to Circus Ring. Clowns seated around ring, small boy turning somersaults in ring.” 27 (FIG. 4) When the Symbolic clown appears for the third and fourth time, these two shots serve as a frame for the love story between the wife and the Baron. The fifth and sixth time, they serve equally as a frame, but now for the counterpart of the same story: that of the Baron leaving the wife. Towards the end of the film, upon the death of the clown, the visual theme of the revolving globe with
52 Transition and Transformation the clowns standing on the meridian is once again taken up, as the clowns pick up the body of “He”, throwing it out of the ring, which is followed by the final fade-out of the film. Thus, the Symbolic clown offers a number of different framings: first that of the introductory sequence, leading to Beaumont becoming “He”, and secondly and thirdly also the two stories of the wife and the Baron. However, the image of the spinning globe, then surrounded by the meridian, and the clowns entering the ring – that is, the arena – also serves as an overlapping framework, containing the whole circus story. Fig. 4: The symbolic clown: conditions of life on the globe (He Who Gets Slapped). This image is also interesting in relation to Hollywood conventions of the time. The Symbolic clown, in white, is turned halfway towards the spectator – and thus towards the camera – as he first rotates the ball on the palm of his left hand. He then glances furtively and mockingly towards the audience, as if he wanted to suggest a secret understanding, as he keeps the ball spinning with his right index finger. The direct address to the audience, which seems to be the main function of these images of the Symbolic clown, is quite unique in Hollywood cinema of the mid 1920s. In his definition of the cinema of attraction, Tom Gunning starts by pointing to “this different relationship the cinema of attrac-
Page 1 and 2: FILM CULTURE IN TRANSITION Transiti
Page 4 and 5: Transition and Transformation Victo
Page 6 and 7: Contents Acknowledgements 7 Introdu
Page 8 and 9: Acknowledgements This book traces i
Page 10 and 11: Introduction - From Sjöström to S
Page 16: Introduction - From Sjöström to S
Page 19 and 20: 18 Transition and Transformation Ge
Page 21 and 22: 20 Transition and Transformation fi
Page 23 and 24: 22 Transition and Transformation in
Page 25 and 26: 24 Transition and Transformation In
Page 27 and 28: 26 Transition and Transformation ho
Page 29 and 30: 28 Transition and Transformation ti
Page 31 and 32: 30 Transition and Transformation an
Page 33 and 34: 32 Transition and Transformation ye
Page 35 and 36: 34 Transition and Transformation Ho
Page 37 and 38: 36 Transition and Transformation Fi
Page 39 and 40: 38 Transition and Transformation St
Page 41 and 42: 40 Transition and Transformation he
Page 44 and 45: From Scientist to Clown - He Who Ge
Page 50 and 51: Traces of the Narrator If Sjöströ
Page 54 and 55: tions constructs with its spectator
Page 64 and 65: A for Adultery - The Scarlet Letter
Page 70 and 71: and being-seen” -takes the relati
Page 78: A for Adultery - The Scarlet Letter
Page 81 and 82: 80 Transition and Transformation Mo
Page 83 and 84: 82 Transition and Transformation it
Page 85 and 86: 84 Transition and Transformation sh
Page 87 and 88: 86 Transition and Transformation Th
Page 89 and 90: 88 Transition and Transformation wh
Page 91 and 92: 90 Transition and Transformation Fr
Page 93 and 94: 92 Transition and Transformation po
Page 95 and 96: 94 Transition and Transformation op
Page 97 and 98: 96 Transition and Transformation he
Page 99 and 100: 98 Transition and Transformation Th
Page 101 and 102: 100 Transition and Transformation p
Page 103 and 104:
102 Transition and Transformation t
Page 105 and 106:
104 Transition and Transformation F
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
108 Transition and Transformation d
Page 111 and 112:
110 Transition and Transformation S
Page 113 and 114:
112 Transition and Transformation W
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
116 Transition and Transformation e
Page 119 and 120:
118 Transition and Transformation o
Page 121 and 122:
120 Transition and Transformation h
Page 123 and 124:
122 Transition and Transformation p
Page 125 and 126:
124 Transition and Transformation T
Page 127 and 128:
126 Transition and Transformation I
Page 129 and 130:
128 Transition and Transformation c
Page 131 and 132:
130 Transition and Transformation e
Page 133 and 134:
132 Transition and Transformation a
Page 135 and 136:
134 Transition and Transformation b
Page 137 and 138:
136 Transition and Transformation t
Page 139 and 140:
138 Transition and Transformation 1
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
150 Transition and Transformation
Page 153 and 154:
152 Transition and Transformation
Page 155 and 156:
154 Transition and Transformation K
Page 157 and 158:
156 Transition and Transformation H
Page 160 and 161:
Film Culture in Transition General
Page 162 and 163:
Marijke de Valck and Malte Hagener
show all

FILM FILM - University of Macau Library

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?