This semester we watched a variety of films that to my understanding fall under the category of experimental film. These films are the ones I tended to struggle with the most. One particular film that I seemed to have the most problems with was Lemon(1969) by Hollis Frampton. The film Lemon was a short seven minute long film that used a still shot of a lemon slowly being covered by a shadow portraying an image close to that of different stages of the moon. The film has no sound and very little movement throughout. After viewing this film my initial reaction was almost close to anger. I felt upset that I had just wasted seven minutes of my life staring at a lemon. If I remember correctly after viewing this film we were put into groups to discuss and I found many of the people around me had a similar outlook on the film, we just did not understand it. This helped me come to a realization that while these experimental films may not appear to have a clear purpose they are used to as more of a philosophical framework for cinematic landscapes.
In P. Adams Sitney article “Landscape in the cinema: the rhythms of the world and the camera” talks about the history and developments of film and the role of landscape within film. One example used in Sitney’s article says, “Most casual film viewers would find it difficult even to imagine watching the film of a single view of a mountain or a series of feathers………Even in the earliest years of the cinema, before the 1920’s when the feature length film assumed its dominance, the programs of short comedies, melodramas, documentaries, and newsreels that made up a typical screening session did not include films devoted solely to a single landscape or a natural object”(Sitney, 2). I feel that this quote is important for two reasons, first it shows us that even a respected mind of cinematic landscapes understands the difficulty in watching a single shot film, especially one with little to no movement. The second reason I felt this quote is important is that it shows us how these experimental films, while not always entertaining, can be very beneficial to the advancement of film and the techniques available to create the intended meaning, feelings, or environment.
Allen Carlson’s article “Aesthetics and the Environment”(2000) focuses on explaining film and landscape through a philosophical eye. Carlson says, “Aethetics is the area of philosophy that concerns our appreciation of things as they affect our senses, and especially as they affect them in a pleasing way” (Carlson, 2). I think this quote explains exactly why a film such as Lemon can be pleasing or enjoyable to some. While I can watch this film and see a fruit sitting still someone else can watch this film and comprehend a completely different and deeper meaning. This article goes on to talk about how to go about aesthetically appreciating such films. Carlson gives us two approaches; the first is to be subjective or skeptical. Carlson says, “the closest we come to appropriate aesthetic appreciation is simply to open ourselves to being immersed, respond as we will, and enjoy what we can” (Carlson, 4). I feel like I can learn from this as it shows me that you do not have to enjoy or even appreciate a film to get something out of it. The second approach Carlson talks about is that of being objective. In this approach Carson talks about how you must not focus on simply watching the film but asking the questions of what the “designer” or “design” is telling us. In relation to Lemon I would ask the question of why does Frampton want us to look at this lemon? Why is he slowly shadowing the object? These reading not only provided me with a reason behind experimental films but showed me that you do not have to enjoy all films to appreciate the work being presented.
As this film consists of one shot it is not so much a scene but an image that we are analyzing. As I do not see a purpose to this film I will attempt to analyze it from both of the approaches Carlson presents us with. As I think back on the film and try to appreciate it from a subjective or skeptical viewpoint I remember back to my thoughts of the similarity between the shadowing of the lemon to that of the stages of the moon. I try and push all of the negative thoughts out and leave an open mind, in that case I would say the use of an object that can trigger thoughts of enjoying a beautiful night staring into the sky is something I could appreciate from this film. While I believe this is an example of Carlson was talking about I still feel uncomfortable with that statement as my interpretation could be completely irrelevant to what the director was trying to do. Taking Carlson’s second approach of attempting to be objective I would try to answer the questions I previously asked, Why does Frampton want us to look at this lemon? And why is he slowly shading it? These are only two of many possible questions you can have from taking the objective approach, for example why does Frampton only use a single shot? Again, for myself, I feel these are not questions I should be answering. I feel these are things only Frampton can truly answer. If I think about it I would guess that Frampton had no clear intention for using a lemon. After watching the film I feel that Frampton was more focused on the techniques used to film and light this landscape. As to why Frampton slowly shaded the object, the only logical thing I can think of is that Frampton was using the lemon and the shading to experiment with his camera and lighting and ended up with the film Lemon we see today.
While I still do not completely understand or appreciate the film Lemon, my experience watching this film as well as other experimental films has allowed me to acknowledge others appreciation and respect for such works. One of the reasons I struggled with this film is my inability to comprehend the deeper meaning. As my conclusion is asked to talk about some of the larger themes of the film, I draw a blank. I do not see any theme throughout this film and I could not explain what Frampton was trying to display with this landscape. I also have a hard time comparing Lemon to another film we watched this semester as all other films consisted of more than a single shot of a single object. While I am clearly still struggling with this film I think the process of reacting followed by a search for understanding has allowed me to appreciate the importance of the genre of experimental film.
The Syrian Bride and Amelie
Throughout the semester we have looked at a variety of films focusing on landscape. We have seen how different techniques have been used to set a mood, create an emotion, and capture your attention. The films we have watched have showed us how the smallest change can completely alter the meaning of what we see. In his article “Mapping of Cinematic Places” (1994) Jeff Hopkins says, “The cinematic place is not, therefore, limited to the world represented on the screen, but the meanings constructed through the experience of the film”(Hopkins, 5). The Syrian Bride (2004) by Eran Riklis and Amelie (2001) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet are two films we watched this semester that where the use of constructed meanings stood out to me the most. The pace of these films helped create completely different meanings, while The Syrian Bride used a slow pace that allowed an American viewer like myself to capture the scene and really feel the tension that exists between the Israeli-Syrian border while Amelie uses a much faster pace that helps emphasize the romanticized landscape of Paris. These examples show us how editing and rhythm of a film can directly effect the way we view a landscape. I will use Hopkins “Mapping of Cinematic Places” and Chris Lukinbeals “Cinematic Landscapes” to show how these films use landscape to create a deeper within the characters and story. Finally I will compare the two films and analyze specific scene in order to show how different techniques were used to construct these landscapes ultimately shaping the experience for different viewers.
Using landscape to construct meaning can be done in a variety of ways and is easier to notice in some films than others. Chris Lukinbeal describes a landscape in his article “Cinematic Landscpes when he says, “Where place and landscape ground action and the construction of meaning, space provides the stage for the story to unfold”(Lukinbeal, 1). I really like this quote as I feel it fits both, The Syrian Bride and Amelie, perfectly. Not only does the landscape in these films help develop the characters but the landscape is a character in itself. The Syrian Bride constructs feelings of constraint, fear, and hostility with its landscape while Amelie creates a romanticized landscape where feelings of culture, love, and possibilities are portrayed. As described in Lukibeal’s quote these landscapes were constructed in a specific manner to create meaning and emotion absent the characters and story. This technique allows the director to place their characters in a setting with a deeper meaning than just a location, which can have great effect on how the story plays out to the viewer. Lukinbeal’s article talks about looking at landscapes in terms of space or place and for both of these films I believe the landscape serves as a place more than space. Lukinbeal says, “Master shots rely on icons and stereotypes of place to establish a cognitive map of the narrative’s geographic location” (Lukinbeal, 6). I think this technique is very obvious in Amelie as icons and stereotypes are used throughout in order to romanticize the landscape. In The Syrian Bride it is not used, as much but one iconic image that sticks out to me is the “master shot” of the border. This image is powerful as and then you add the characters, the bride stuck in-between, and it brings the image to a whole new level.
Jeff Hopkins article “Mapping of Cinematic Places” talks about how cinematic landscapes are created and ultimately viewed. Hopkins says, “Through a rapid succession of static photographs, an illusion of depth, volume, and motion is produced, which, when combined with sound (dialogue, music, sound effects) creates an environment where the boundaries between the real and the imaginary, fact and fiction, are blurred” (Hopkins, 4). This quote stood out to me because I feel like the ultimate goal when creating a film is to let the viewer get lost in it and feel as if they are experiencing what they are watching. I feel that both The Syrian Bride and Amelie really strive to use their landscape in a way that will take the viewer into the story. What I found interesting in this article was that Hopkins makes sure to point out that while the viewer may feel as if they are actually experiencing the landscape, in the end it is ultimately constructed. For example, in Amelie you can feel as if you are experiencing the city when in actuality you are experiencing a romanticized version of the city influence by what the director wants you to see.
The landscape in both The Syrian Bride and Amelie play very important roles in the development of the characters and the way they interact throughout. Both films use these techniques from the very beginning, The Syrian Bride starts out by following a group of women walking through streets that never seem to stop changing elevation, they go up one steep hill then down another, over and over. This scene uses wide shots following the women, slowly walking through the streets, allowing you to take in the terrain; I believe the walk these women are making through steep streets is a representation of the challenges they face day-to-day living though the conflict between the countries. Amelie begins by introducing the characters to the viewer, it picks up its fast pace right from the beginning when it cuts from image to image and it tries to establish connections between the characters and specific objects or locations. While this opening may not have the deep hidden meaning within like The Syrian Bride, it prepared us for the momentum the film would carry throughout.
Both of these films use very different editing and rhythm techniques that I, as a foreign viewer, felt had a great effect on how I was able to watch the film. I am not someone who watches subtitled films very often but while watching The Syrian Bride I remember thinking about how it didn’t seem to affect the way I viewed the film. We then watched Amelie and almost immediately I was able to notice how the differences in pace affected my ability to take in the landscape as well as follow the story. The pace of The Syrian Bride did not initially stand out to me but when compared to Amelie, I notice how the rhythm is used to allow the viewer to take in the landscapes and associate deeper meaning. After watching and discussing Amelie I realized how the landscape is meant to be associated with specific characters and help develop both the characters as well as the story. As this seems obvious after talking about it in class this was something I struggled to comprehend as I attempted to take in as much as I could. The scene from The Syrian Bride that stands out most to me as the landscape acting as a character is when the two groups of people are standing across the borders yelling through a megaphone in order to communicate. This scene stood out to me as if showed us the power of a conflict between two nations with very similar makeup. At first the idea that they are so close but yet seemed to be so far away was created by the landscape. This was enhanced when the individuals who clearly had no conflict between them needed to keep their distance and use the megaphone. A scene from Amelie that stands out as the landscape acting as a character is when she goes into the mans apartment and rearranges some of his possessions. I liked this example because we are watching Amelie alter the landscape, causing it to almost act as a character in relation to when he interacts with it later. I liked this example because instead of trying to interpret how the director altered a landscape to create meaning we can watch as Amelie alters a landscape to create meaning for this single character. I thought it was an interesting and different way to look at the role of landscape.
I believe both The Syrian Bride and Amelie focused on using their landscapes to not only create a setting but also establish meaning, relations, and feelings between the characters and their surroundings. While there were varied uses of techniques in regards to editing and rhythm that ultimately affected the pace of these films I believe they played a huge role in the comprehension of the film by the foreign viewer. I thought that the contrasting meanings of a conflict-ridden territory and a romanticized landscape allowed for a great opportunity to understand how a landscape can completely change the meaning and outlook of a film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od_6M8cFdUA (dream Scene)
The Big Lebowski (1998) by Joel Coen
A film that I believe would be a good addition to our class is The Big Lebowski (1998) by Joel Coen. The Big Lebowski is a story about a carefree man, Jeffrey Lebowki, played by Jeff Bridges who is happy with his small town life and enjoys his simple pleasures. For Jeffrey Lebowski, or better known as “The Dude”, life consists of white Russians and bowling with his friends Walter and Theodore played by John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. Throughout the film landscape is often used to enhance the understanding of the characters lifestyle. “The Dudes” life changes when he comes home one night after bowling to get beaten up by thugs looking collect money. After they harass “The Dude” and pee on his rug they realize that they found the wrong Jeffrey Lebowski. The next day upset about his ruined rug “The Dude” decides he is going to take a stand and hold the intended Jeffrey Lebowski responsible. The film then introduces us to a variety of characters, including the real Jefferey Lebowski where the landscape portrays a very different lifestyle than that of “The Dude”. We arrive at a mansion where an assistant escorts “The Dude” to a wing of the house where Jefferey Lebowski is waiting. After discussing the issue of the rug the two part ways never thinking they would never see each other again. Soon after “The Dude” receives a call from Jefferey Lebowski seeking his help at the thugs had kidnapped his young trophy wife. “The Dude” does not wish to get involved but in the end he becomes responsible for dropping of the ransom money. On the way to the drop his friend Walter ends up tagging along and convinces “The Dude” to fake the drop and attempt to keep the money. This plan ends up going wrong and here is an example of when location is used as an extension of the chatracters. The first thing that “The Dude” and Walter do after this failure is go bowling as if it was the most obvious thing in the world to do at that time. The bowling alley seems to serve as a sanctuary for “The Dude” and his friend’s throughout the film. The rest of the film consists of “The Dude” stuck in the middle of this kidnapping feeling pressure from different sides of the Lebowski family on what he should do. One of those influences is coming from the sister of Jeffery Lebowski who believes “The Dude” should not help out as she feels the wife is just after more money. I mention her as again the landscape helps us get a understanding of who she is when we meet her. “The Dude” walks into an apartment where right away we see a naked women flying through the air. As a viewer at this point the landscape grabs your attention as something completely unexpected has occurred. I found myself asking questions created by this landscape, who is that? Where is he now? How does this have anything to do with the story? These questions are soon answered as she gets down from what turned out to be artwork to explain who she is. This situation allows us to get an understanding of who this character is in a short amount of time with little explanation. These techniques are used with just about every character in the film and I believe it allowed the viewer to create associations with these characters.
As I talked about in the introduction the landscape in this film is used to construct meaning for each character. In Jeff Hopkins “Mapping of Cinematic Places” (1994) he talks about how these constructed landscapes can have influence on the viewer. Hopkins article looks to define a cinematic landscape as a space or place, I feel The Big Lebowski uses landscape to create place in almost every scene. As I mention in the introduction “The Dudes” lives a carefree lifestyle. From the very beginning of the film where he is walking through the grocery store in a robe and slippers to his simple house, clothing, and lack of hygiene are all used to construct the character of “The Dude”. Hopkins explains the ability to construct this meaning in landscape when he says, “The power of filmmakers lies in their ability to dictate the fabrication of the film, to script and sculpt its presentation, and then project it to a captive audience who are unable to participate in the production of the images before them” (Hopkins, 13). When we are able to understand that each image is constructed it allows us to ask why landscape are portrayed in the manner they are and ultimately use this to construct meaning. My understanding of this allowed me to see how certain landscapes, such as the bowling alley, actually have more meaning than just the space in which the scene was taking place.
One scene that stood out to me in this film is where “The Dude” has a dream where the viewer is able to see his thoughts and overall an extension of his character. The scene begins as if “The Dude” is staring in a film called Gutterballs. From a wide shot “The Dude” dances in around a shadowy corner of what is clearly a fantasy world. He is very distant and made to look as if he is miniature, this theme of obscure size continues as the camera pans to the rack of bowling shoes and tilts up where you see the rack reaches all the way to the moon. “The Dude” marvels at the shoes and is then handed a pair by Saddam Hussein and then dances down a unbelievably long set of stairs where Jeffery Lebowski’s sister dances with a group of women almost like the queen of bowling. The dream ends with “The Dude” floating down the lane between the womens legs and finally knocking down all of the pins for a strike. I believe this scene contains many aspects of landscape we have discussed over the semester.
One concept we have talked about this semester is Spectacle vs. Experience. As I looked at this scene I tried to pick out exactly, which of the two categories this would fall under. In the end I decided it is actually a combination of both. The scene fits the category of a spectacle as it take place in a clear dream like setting filled with outrageous outfits, music, and dancing. The scene grabs your attention and make you want to watch and see what happens next. When I look at the scene as a whole, I feel like it definitely falls under the category of an experience as well. The dream takes you on a journey of the passions and desires of “The Dude” ultimately letting the viewer experience his fantasy. This idea of the viewer experiencing his fantasy also plays into the idea of landscape used as a character. While the scene is comical and entertaining it enforces the importance these activities have of the lifestyle of the main character.
While The Big Lebowski does not seem like a typical film we would watch for our landscape class I believe it contains specific examples that are very beneficial to the ideas we are trying to explore. I believe The Big Lebowski uses many of the same techniques we saw in Eteranal Sunshine of Spotless Mind (2004) by Michel Gondry. Both of these films use the landscape to develop its characters as well as create meaning and importance in relation to the landscape. Almost every landscape in the film Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind consists of a deeper meaning that we do not learn about until later in the film. As the viewer makes these connections throughout the film they are able to develop a better understanding of whom the characters are and why some of these locations are special to them. While The Big Lebowski does not use its landscape to develop the characters later in the film it is definitely used to create a similar understanding of the characters. One landscape that stands out to me when comparing the two films is the scene where Joel and Clemetine are laying on the ice, this location is very special to the characters and holds a meaning to them that is hard to define. Similarly in The Big Lebowski, the bowling alley serves as a special sanctuary to the characters. Both of these films demonstrate the ability to develop a character and storyline using the landscape and not being direct. Overall I believe The Big Lebowski would be a good addition to this class as it provides good examples of a variety of topics we have discussed this semester while at the same time being an entertaining film.
1. Carlson, Allen. "Introduction: Aesthetics and the Environment and the Aesthetics of Nature." Aesthetics and the Environment- The Appriceiation of Nature, Art and Architecture (2000)
2. Hopkins, Jeff. "Mapping of Cinematic Places: Icons, Ideology, and the Power of Representation." Place, Power, Situation, and Spectacle: A Geography of Film (1994): 47-64.
3. Lukinbeal, Chris. "Cinematic Landscapes." Journal of Cultural Geography 23.1 (2005): 3-22. Print.
4. Sitney, P. Adams. "Landscape in the Cinema: The Rhythms of the World and the Camera." (n.d.): 103-25.
