Forman and Hitchcock auteur Flashcards
What is an auteur
The auteur is one whose work is marked by a coherent world view: has a distinctive set of trademarks, visuals and perhaps even running motifs, across a body of work.
Name a recurring theme of his characters of Forman
A recurring theme in all his films is that they centre around eccentric, non-conformist characters who rebel against the mainstream. This is like a Maverick Iconoclast as these characters not only challenges The Establishment but also tries to overthrow it.
Name one of Hitchcock’s auteur
How does Fireman’s Ball reiterate Forman’s main messages
The film portrays the prevailing corruption of the local community and the collapse of even well-intentioned plans, the film satirized the communist system.
Forman has successfully managed to convey the feeling of hopelessness and desperation so prevalent in communist societies, when even a seemingly joyous occasion turns out to be a mindless human farce.
Forman context of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s nest
- made immediately after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War.
-made American Youth and the American public in general, reached the zenith of its discontent and disillusionment with authority.
-creates an alignment from the audience with the inmates to disobey authority.
What style does Forman prefer?
Forman prefers Classical Hollywood continuity
editing and almost documentary camerawork
- allowing performances to tell the story and
create a naturalism. But this doesn’t create a
‘signature’ style; instead style is subordinate to
script.
compare forman and hitchcock’s work
-they both share a distrust of authority.
-Hitchcock explores this through narratives involving false
accusation and mistaken identity.
-Forman uses irreverent, visionary and misunderstood protagonists.
how are forman and hitchcock seen as masters of film making (context of directors life)
-Whereas Hitchcock was both enabled and restrained by the Hollywood Studio System,
-Forman escaped the repressive Russian-led regime in Czechoslovakia and Hollywood offered him the chance to hone his skills of auteurship, particularly around the political world
opening sequence when we are introduced to inmates
-location shooting new hollywood stylistic traits
-begins low tracking shot of the inmates sleeping.
- suggests uniform but could serve as a reminder that although they are seen as inferior, they are still human like us.
-community, togetherness
nurse ratched (louis fletched) intro
(4)
-The camera then abruptly cuts to a deep focus of Nurse Ratched entering the hall alone
- dominates the frame.
-isolation in frame accompanied with a cold-hearted expression parallels the common traits of a cruel dictator. (naturalistic acting style)
-The baleful red light hanging over her head creates unease which foreshadows that she will be the antagonist throughout the film.
sound of diegetic keys when the nurse opens the cells (3)
- emphasises to the Nurse disrupting the peace of the inmate’s life
- see she is superior to the inmates and holds greater power.
- the Nurse holds the power to the inmate’s freedom. It also could be symbolic of the dynamic between the inmates and the nurse- she controls every aspect
