Lola & the History of Film

This week’s screening of Run Lola Run, a Tom Tykwer film from 1998, was my favorite of the whole semester. As a matter of fact, right after class ended on the night we watched it, I went online and ordered a copy in my mom’s name, because that’s how much I want her to watch it, and because that’s how confident I am the she will say “I have to own this movie” immediately after seeing it. She absolutely loves movies like Mr. Nobody and The Butterfly Effect, so this film is sure to engage her mind, as well as anyone else in the room who’s paying attention.
The film is all about the illusion of free will and how every move we make effects the path we choose. Even the smallest little things are enough to distract us, or maybe point us further towards our goal, but we would never know unless we were able to see all of the different possible outcomes, like we can with Lola. The film also delves deep into the seeming relationship between chance and purposeful action when Lola is able to overcome almost every obstacle in her way due to the driving force of love for her boyfriend Manni.

Manni, needing one hundred thousand German marks in twenty minutes to pay off a mob debt, is in the worst situation imaginable, and without Lola’s intuition for weighing out her options, Manni would be dead in all realities instead of just the one. The film obviously places a particular focus on time and how it is either spent or wasted, but the imagery of clocks throughout the film does a fantastic job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seat as they try to connect the dots between different timelines.
Run Lola Run is representative of a new type of Germany, one that wishes to re-brand itself and find new ways of expressing it’s values. Barbara Kosta said in her article Run Lola Run and the Usual Suspects: The Avant-Garde, Popular Culture, and History that Tykwer’s film had a different aura to it. She raised the point that it seemed like a German art film made with all the “pizzazz” that you would find in a Hollywood production. The movie is full of fast cuts, fun cinematography tricks, and a story structure that locks in attention and doesn’t give you time for questions. In this article, Kosta quotes an interview with Tykwer in which he says “I did not want one moment in the film that was motivated by dramaturgy, but rather directness and spontaneity”, and I strongly agree that he has achieved this goal. The plot is actually not a huge part of the film, and only serves as an outline to explain why the characters are doing what they are doing and why we as an audience should care. By giving context to the characters actions, it makes the audience more likely to empathize with a character, and ultimately feel some sort of emotion when something happens to that character within the story.

Widening the focus and expanding upon that concept, that is what has made the history of film such a long and rich one throughout the entirety of the twentieth century, and now continuing nineteen years into the twenty first century. As we wrap up this course and review how far we have come as an intelligent global society, it is impossible to not be amazed by the decades upon decades of continuous and ever-changing technological advancements.
Starting with the silent era of the twenties and before during week one, we learned that some of the best stories to ever be told were produced for the big screen in the very formative years of film-making. The best of the best were able to rely on the sheer physical talent of their actors, being that the introduction of sound had yet to weigh down the production crew, more effort went into the showmanship of gestures and physically demanding routines. We watched Sunrise that week, an F.W. Murnau classic, in which we focused more heavily on things like the mise-en-scene, the lighting techniques, and the personalities of the characters.

Later in the semester, we moved on to talk about the “Golden Age of Hollywood”, from the twenties to the sixties, when studio systems dominated all means of production and distribution. We were taught about the big five vertically integrated studios, Fox, MGM, Paramount, RKO, and Warner Bros, and then about the three smaller studios in the minor leagues, Universal, Columbia, and United Artists. This is another example of a time when artistic boundaries were constantly being pushed and cinematic culture on a global scale was forced to evolve.
Subsequent to the golden age of Hollywood, was the aptly named “Post-studio era” which falls into place during the sixties and effectively morphed Hollywood into the monster it is today. The fresh atmosphere of film-making had enough magnitude to be dubbed “The American New Wave” and ostensibly provided the world of cinema with a transformation it had not seen since the decade of its birth. At this point in recent American history, we had seen Vietnam, two world wars, and a lifetime of progress for the civil rights movement. I don’t doubt for a second that one of the best ways to voice our angst as well as praise was through a medium like theater.

Before we know it, the seventies film culture of midnight movies and exploitation films have the entire nation in their pockets. Movies like Jaws, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Superman gave audiences everywhere exactly what they craved, escapism.

Cult films grabbed people’s attention with taboo subject matter and characters that challenged societal norm, spectacle driven films packed movie theaters night after night with action you couldn’t get anywhere else, and best of all, foreign markets were in full swing for all the scholarly film-addicts not satisfied with their own countries output.
Overall, I can say that after taking this class, my perception of movies has forever been changed. I have learned to appreciate every shot I see for the time that went into it, the themes that were made present, and the vision sought out by the director.

70’s Cult Films

       The 70’s gave birth to a sub-culture of cinema that by definition, more or less evolved into a lifestyle for many of its audience members. Midnight movies that developed cult followings drew people into theaters all night, and were able to keep them coming back with the amount of life the characters were able to give to the screen. The public ate these types of films up mostly because the edgy producers behind them were starting to put more sexual themes and violent scenes into their films. Theaters eventually started to want more and more of these films many considered ethically and morally wrong due to the simple fact that they were ridiculously lucrative. Cult films were infamous for being aesthetically and thematically innovative while blurring lines the industry made for other cookie-cutter genres. They often left the audience with loose ends and opportunities to imagine their own ending to the story, prompting more conversation and providing free word of mouth advertising for their film.

       Often times, cult films will focus on a very sensitive topic while making it look like a day at the circus. I believe this attributes to their success by drawing the most primal types of curiosity from viewers. Attempting to desensitize the audience in regards to animal cruelty, incest, and rape, along with some of the other most disturbing topics we can think of drives the viewer to naturally wonder. That is why films like El Topo do their best to show as much blood and gore on the screen as they possibly can get away with.

El Topo (1970)

       The people who enjoy watching films of this nature band together to create a communities around them, and may even sometimes require “initiation” of new members. Die hard fans get a sense of belonging from their communion and develop their own lingo when it comes to conversing opinions about the films. At the heart of thee groups, one can usually find a common value deeply rooted within all the fans, whether it be a way of life, a treasured moral code, or a nostalgic connection to a city or time period.

       The film we watched in class, Rocky Horror Picture Show, is arguably the most iconic and example of a cult movie. I say arguably most iconic, but when it comes to the level of participation and consumption by the fans, RHPS is undoubtedly the most extreme example out there. The amount of audience participation was so crazy that people would throw toast, water, hot dogs, and toilet paper at the appropriate times to interact with what was happening on screen (Many theaters actually had to ban such practices). Live performances of the show would be put on in front of the screen, and more often than not, fans would dress up as members of the cast and recite all the same parts.

       Of course, cult movies were never intended to lift off as fast as they did, and it turns out that many of them were the result of production “accidents”. Films with troubled origins and rocky receptions made them favorites of ironic viewing, and being far outside of the audiences comfort zone only made them more desirable for people looking to rebel against mainstream ideals.

Post Studio Era

       Young French filmmakers were uninspired by the films in the late 60’s, so, naturally, they decided to break the mold of the dull and unrelatable films they had been stomaching and started a world changing cinematic revolution. Great minds coming out of this era came up with profound theories such as Auteur theory, as well as Andre Bazin’s “Cahiers du Cinema”. The concepts provided by these examples are still universally thought about today, even by movie goers who don’t know what they are. Auteur theory has almost become the norm, with directors adding their own signature, cameos, or other telltale signs of their handiwork (like Tim Burton, Stan Lee, or Michael Bay). In contest to the Auteur theory, interestingly enough, is “Schreiber Theory”, which puts the director behind the screenwriter as the true author of the film.

       While the articles published in Cahiers du Cinema are responsible for the concept of seeing films as artwork instead of strictly economic product. Bazin founded his magazine in 1951, and began publishing game-changing articles like “Les Politiques de Auteur”, “The Ontology of the Photographic Language”, and “The Evolution of Film Language” while recruiting world class directors like Jean Luc Godard and François Truffaut. The Cahiers du Cinema also makes sure to release their Annual Top 10 List, only missing a handful of years since their conception.

Andre Bazin

       French New Wave was also a lot like Italian Neo-Realism and “New Hollywood” in a way because their movies were still reliant on having genres with safe markets. Everything that happened in 60’s Hollywood did it’s part to shake the system, and 70’s Hollywood was about to feel the effects during “The American New Wave”. This new identity for Hollywood was the perfect chance for them to modify their films into complex, original, and non-conformist masterpieces. The generation responsible for cultural and economic growth was disillusioned by the futile war they witnessed, and displeased with the ruling elites call for compliance.

        Although many films that were being produced in this era were also being funded by major studios, the directors of the time reflected a new type of subject matter and a fresh kind of stylistic taste. Many of these directors drew tons of influence from Europe and the progression of foreign films. Another solid move from these directors was re-imagining and re-making some of Hollywood’s most classic genres, like the subjects of war, crime, and cowboys.

       Names from this era of directors reads like a who’s-who of all the people who have now  somehow left their mark on the industry forever, such as Coppola, Scorsese, Romero, Lucas, Spielburg, Allen, Kubrick, Polanski, Friedkin, Carpenter, Craven, and Bogdonavich, to name a few. There is a reason why these are known as some of the best directors, however, and I believe it is exactly because of the timely explosion of artistic and creative expression. New Hollywood was known for taking risks and letting filmmakers live out their ambitions to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, by the 1980’s, studio’s had recognized and reeled in the recklessness of gigantic flops from directors that went a little overboard.

Bonnie and Clyde

1960’s American cinema brought profound changes to our society, and in turn, really helped the world in terms of a counter-culture movement as well as bringing about radical social revolutions. The 60’s were a turbulent decade for the movie industry: the studio system crumbled, the production code was abolished, more and more independent producers were popping up, and competition from television and foreign art films started to weigh on Hollywood’s profits.

Our movies became cynical and violent, some even sexually explicit, in order to reflect different aspects of subculture that were growing out of the era. Teenagers were still being exploited, and they wanted to see rebellion. This famous era can usually be defined by films with themes similar to Bonnie and Clyde, which we screened in class, and early 70’s blockbusters Jaws and Star Wars. Movie enthusiasts say that this is the era when Hollywood revived and reinvented itself. The generation that was growing up had been disenchanted by Vietnam, fed up with the governments control, and much less willing to conform than the generation before them.

A lot of the film content being released in America was still being imported however. Countries like Italy and Britain were supplying steady stream of art films that seemed to be pleasing the American public. Around this time is when foreign directors started to gain more traction with an international fan base, like Bergman, Fellini, Truffaut, and Godard.

The studio system was collapsing due to buyouts and the untimely deaths of industry moguls, so most of them were bought out by bigger players and put on the back burner of their larger business. This massive change came with the unpredictable, but imperative fallout that new and young producers were finally given a platform to exhibit their kills and take artistic risks when making their content. These new producers to step on the scene were familiar with their audience and understood what kind of content they were looking for. That is when the American New Wave came about.

This new type of attitude was put on display in 1967 when Warren Beatty produced Bonnie and Clyde. The movie was influenced by the French New Wave and therefore romanticized the depression era criminal couple, making the audience empathize with them throughout the film and showing the human side of the killers. Upon the film’s release, the young generation of moviegoers were instantly able to related to the couples’ anarchist spirits and spontaneous decision making. It quickly became one of the biggest box office hits of the year and was nominated for ten academy awards, and taking home two for best supporting actress and best cinematography.

The film was also able to attribute some of its appeal to the comic aspects that Arthur Penn blended into some of the more violent scenes. In fact, one of the first cuts of the film was criticized with the statement that it was too much of a slapstick comedy than a gangster movie. This made me think, are movies like this exploitation? It was accurate, but did the the final version of the film need to be funny or romanticize their disregard for the law?

AIP & Exploitation films

Anything to do with the exploitation movement during the 1950’s and 60’s was certainly a money machine, but the genre’s pioneers are often blamed for compromising Hollywood’s honor. Making movies with specific types of lifestyles in mind is a good strategy if you have a target audience, but there is a reason that the saying “sex sells” works for every generation. If the filmmakers appeal to the primal instincts of the audience by providing sexual content, the feeling of being understood, or the sensation of pure horror, they knew they could sell it.

The directors of exploitation films would often pre-sell movies that they had not even shot a single reel of footage for. This enabled them to quickly narrow down the selection of movies that came across their desks, but it also severely limited the production time once they found one that would sell. One studio that actually had great success in doing this was American International Pictures, or AIP. They had a reputation for making movies in six or seven days, (too quickly to think about what was in it) which unintentionally set up a very subtle type of realism that allowed their movies to feel more truthful than the big blockbusters that were being produced with huge budgets. The appeal of cheaper, maybe even homemade looking films is not lost on AIP’s audience, and perhaps they are even preferred over the extremely polished and politically careful mainstream films.

AIP was one of the independent film studios to come out of the Paramount Decision in 1948. Prior to the Paramount Decision, studios were able to sell bundles of movies to exhibitors through a process called block booking, which made it difficult for smaller independent filmmakers to find room in the market for their art. After this huge adjustment, studios could no longer use block booking to sell their films, cartoons, or newsreels. Everything had to be sold separately, making a lot of undesirable movies and directors lose business. That eventually led to theaters having a lack of surplus movies, forcing them to buy the independently produced product that was free from the restraints of a Hollywood production code.

At the time of the late 60’s and 70’s, Hollywood was still neglecting niche markets in favor of large budget blockbusters that many would surely enjoy. Early producers of exploitation films quickly covered the topics the topics of race specific genres, like “blaxploitation”, an age related genres, like the “I Was a Teenage…” formula that AIP used to tap into the wallets of young viewers. It all started with their cult classic “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, and was later resurrected by other money hungry studios as “I Was a Teenage” caveman, vampire, zombie, and so on, which eventually turned into somewhat of a meme with entertainment society.

Most of the ideas for the films mentioned above were taken from Hammer Films library of monsters, which made a killing off of stories that were in public domain anyway. The only things that Hammer had a copyright on were the more trivial things like make-up design.

Post WWII Film Noir

       During the post-war years, most of the countries that had been involved in the war had shifted their focus from filmmaking to more immediate ways of recuperating losses, like reconstructing cities and taking care of their citizens. Luckily for us however, Hollywood was able to greatly increase the morale of citizens and soldiers alike as well as helping support the general war effort. Many actors, politicians, and public figures put their luxurious careers on hold to fight in the war, some of the most notable being Sir Alec Guinness (Obi Wan Kenobi), Yogi Berra, Johnny Carson, and Clark Gable. While many members from all different levels of production are going to and coming back from war, Hollywood cashed in on the opportunity to make pro-war service comedies and Ally propaganda films, as well as some more harshly realistic films about soldiers and their families like The Best Years of our Lives.

       One of the most influential aspects of Hollywood during this time was the Film Noir movement. Film Noir was not a specific genre that we had a formula for, but it was rather a tone, or an attitude that the director and actors placed within the film. These types of movies were usually about gritty, realistic stories that lacked a happy ending or any unnecessary fluff. They focused on street crimes and their aftermath throughout the community. Film Noir did an exceptional job putting all of societies inner post war fears into the films. It can be expected that when meeting characters in a Film Noir setting, that they all have some visible levels of doubt, uncertainty, or fear of failure. The film we watched this week, Casablanca, was a perfect example of a post-war noir, where nightclub owner Rick Blaine takes it upon himself to protect an old love interest and her new man from Nazi’s searching Morocco so that they can safely travel to the United States. The film explains how Casablanca is a doorway for refugees fleeing Europe and how important it is to get a boat once you are there.

The Big Combo – 1955

       The documentary we watched in class, World War II In Color, provided the audience with original footage taken from the front lines; but when presented in color, the truly despicable nature of war becomes so bold that it is almost difficult to bear. The footage that was originally only viewed in black and white was all of the sudden much more shocking when it was in color. Adding color to the film made it seem like it was a much more recent event, and therefore made it seem more realistic to a younger audience.

       The same type of phenomenon happened to be true later in the film when a group of Germans visited a holocaust internment camp. These Germans had lived in the same town as this death camp for years, but they had obviously never visited. It only took one time of actually seeing and smelling the bodies for all of them to second guess the type of atrocities that took place there. This scene was also sadly able to prove that suffering does not end when war does.

European Cinema in the 30’s

       The world of cinema within the 1930’s was still very much a developing one, but Europe seemed to be doing a good job of paving the way and releasing many films that would stay relevant through the test of time. Everyone was kind of doing their own thing, but a few of them really made timeless films that will be studied and appreciated for many more years to come.

One of the most defining things of the era came out of Germany, when Hitler began his rise to power. He was named Chancellor in 1933, and most of the countries creativity had been cast aside by the overwhelming emotions of fear and anxiety. Many of Germany’s most popular and vanguard filmmakers fled the dictatorship in the early months while they could. Personnel from all over the industry such as producers, directors, and actors alike all left their homeland to find work in Hollywood. Some notable directors who could be traced back to this specific circumstance include Billy Wilder, Douglas Sirk, Fritz Lang, and Max Ophuls.

Those who stayed in Germany were subjected to propaganda films like Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will”. It was one of the most famous films of the time, and Hitler even served as an unofficial executive producer. The film was supposed to be a documentary about the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, but the cinematography made Hitler look like some sort of superhero. The film itself had newly-conceptual shots of aerial photography, long focus, and distorted perspective, making it a go-to film when it comes to studying propaganda.

Inspired by German Expressionism, Alfred Hitchcock worked in Great Britain and used some of the darker sides of what the camera could do when he directed The 39 Steps. His films got enough attention to build reputation  for his techniques and as a director. The film is about a civilian in London who finds himself in the middle of a situation where it is up to him to stop a secret organization known only as the 39 steps from committing espionage. He is then mistaken for the murderer of another British counter-espionage agent and flees to Scotland. While in Scotland, he gets involved with a woman who could potentially help him stop the spies and clear his name. The British Film Institute named it the 4th best British film of the 20th century.

Filmmakers on the move to Hollywood had to deal with a set of production codes put forth by U.S. censorship boards. In 1927, Hays introduced a list of three codes or “general principles” No film shall be produced to lower moral standards, only correct forms of life are to be represented, and the law is not to be subject to ridicule, nor empathy shown to its violators. There were also certain minor things that were also censored, like nudity/suggestiveness, drug use, methods of crime, mistreatment of the U.S. flag, and even thing deemed by the board to be in bad taste. We can still see this type of censorship today when it comes to the MPAA and their controversial system of rating new films.

MGM and Ben Hur

       Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or MGM, as we know it today was the result of a very important three way merger between Metro pictures, Goldwyn pictures, and Louis B. Mayer pictures that was brought together by Marcus Loew. The studio’s chief publicist, Howard Dietz, alluded to his old Alma-matters mascot when he made their logo a roaring lion, and surrounded it with the Latin phrase “Ars Gratia Artis”, meaning “Art for art’s sake”. MGM is often credited with initiating the “industrial age of cinema”, but it was actually the last of the major studios to convert to sound. From the end of the silent film era all the way through the 1950’s, MGM had a top spot in Hollywood, so there was no real need to change their formula. MGM had some lofty goals in their early days, especially for being in an industry that was evolving so rapidly. They presented a mission to their producers that they wanted at least one full length feature film every single week. Due to these expectations, MGM had some money troubles early on.

       In 1959, MGM took a giant leap into what may still be the biggest production effort ever put forth into a single film. Their four hour long epic religious drama, Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston had the largest budget they had ever considered, a whopping fifteen million dollars (129.75 million in today’s economy). It also had the largest sets built for any film that had been produced ever before as well. There were one hundred wardrobe employees on top of two hundred workshop employees that made costumes and props for the one hundred and fifty thousand extras. The film was so massive that shooting for twelve to fourteen hours a day for six days a week was the only way to finish it in under a year. They used more than two hundred camels and over two thousand five hundred horses during filming, and the famous nine minute chariot race is still an awe inspiring spectacle to today’s standards.

       MGM then took another fifteen million dollars to market the film, which premiered in New York City. All of their time and money paid off upon release of the film, when it quickly became the fastest and highest grossing movie of the year. It continued to become the second highest grossing film of all time, (up to that year of course, and behind Gone with the Wind) winner of eleven Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards, and it can often still be found on many people’s lists of the best movies of all time.

       By 1961 when the spoils of Ben-Hur were almost all spent, MGM set its sights on releasing new Tom and Jerry cartoons, which they later gave to Chuck Jones in Hollywood. Jones had his own studio called Sib Tower 12 Productions, but MGM absorbed it and renamed it MGM Animation/Visual Arts. Here, Jones was responsible various television specials like The Dot and the Line, the 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! starring Boris Karloff, and The Phantom Tollbooth.

Silent Movies & Evolving Technology

       Many film scholars have said before that the formative years of film making was when some of the best stories were put on screen. Silent movies do that by taking away the distractions of speech and the fear of words being misunderstood or misinterpreted. Leaving the storytelling to the facial expressions, gestures, and body language of the actors as well as the musical score lets the audience get a sense of bliss as they are required to pay attention and follow the story. This early technology forced producers and directors to write out the best possible plot they could and have each scene explain as much as it could about the story visually. These early films also taught audiences the importance of symbols hidden within the background of the scenes.

       Some of the best silent movies were able to utilize the movement and actions of the actors before the introduction of sound made directors reliant on the dialogue. That is why it is easy to keep track of an action movie that is more action than dialogue. Sound and new technologies definitely supply filmmakers with more potential for their artistic expression, but that’s not to say that it didn’t make them lazy in a way.

       Our screening this week, “Sunrise”, focused on a very simple yet effective and important storytelling method. In this timeless story of betrayal by F.W. Murnau, a farmer is seduced by a woman from the city, and is prompted to kill his wife. The film revolves around each shot reflecting the drama and inner meaning behind the characters motives. The individual parts of the film such as mise en scene, lighting, and the camera position had to be highlighted so the audience could recognize the feelings, feel the pauses, and get a real sense of how they can all work in unison without being verbally portrayed.

       With all that in mind, the silent film era also gave birth to a litany of editing techniques that today’s storytelling process still relies on heavily. Both basic and advanced techniques have survived the test of time, some examples being: cross cutting, alternate endings, the 30-degree rule and the 180-degree rule, flashbacks, match on action, and so on. Things like the juxtaposition of images (the Kuleshov effect) and continuity editing are all filmmakers needed to go from minute long extreme realism to 90 minute masterpieces.

       Of course with longer movies comes more convoluted plot lines and therefore, bigger sets, more actors, and some ideas that require a little out of the box thinking. Some silent films could be credited with laying down the foundation for special effects work. Like in George Melies “Trip to the Moon” in 1902, which was pure fantasy at the time of its production. He experimented with disappearances, clones of the same person, and even hand painting his films to give them a little color. By 1927, as we can observe in Fritz Lang’s film, “Metropolis”, special effects had evolved and created its own genre of science fiction, forever unbounding the limits of creation.