Hiroshima mon Amour Flashcards
what movements was the Nouvelle Vague influenced by
french documentary movements
give five characteristics of the Nouvelle Vague movement
- subjectivity over objectivity
- less stylised and formal
- restricted budgets impacted on their style
- subversion of realism
- abrupt transitions draw attention to the art of film and role of the director
what two things influenced Resnais’ style and content
documentary style, experience of ww2
how was the tragedy of the bombings conveyed in the film and why?
through images, as words cannot fully express the emotion and horror
what is the term for an actor playing an actor in a film
mise-en-abîme
give a brief analysis of the opening scene
establishes the exploration of the past and present- boundaries unclear, body as an important image (emphasis on intimacy and physicality),
ambiguity to what the bodies are covered with: mystery, juxtaposition of sensuality with pain and vulnerability, mental and physical aspects of memory are inseparable
give a brief description of the opening scene
tangled bodies, covered in dust, then glitter, then perspiration, close-up, dim lighting, sensual lovers’ theme
discuss the theme of identity
our interpretation of our past impacts our identity, 2 characters have different ww2 exper., actor and architect (reconstructing their lives like the citizens reconstruct their city), taking on the names of nevers and hiroshima
what type of shots are used in the hospital/museum scene
panning, point of view shots
camera wanders through hospital
how is tension created in the hospital scene
Lui contradicts elle’s statement of having seen everything in hiroshima
what do her first pieces of dialogue show
the anguish of forgetting
how does Elle gradually come to terms with her past?
by discussing it verbally
what is Lui’s role in Elle’s trauma
as an architect, he is symbolically reconstructing and healing her trauma
in what way do we doubt Elle’s words sometimes
she says she hasn’t invented everything about hiroshima (contradicts Lui), contradiction between her words and the images of hiroshima, the fact that she is an actor, film within a film, attention drawn to the fallibility of memory
give an image that represents Elle’s anxiety of letting go of the past
nails scraping the walls of the basement in Nevers
how do past and present come together in the film?
architect becomes the dead lover to her, memory becomes a part of the present through flashbacks, use of present tense to recall the past, remembrance events in the town bring history to present
explain how place is key to memory
Nevers represents the memory of the soldier to Elle, Hiroshima is forever associated with what happened there- inescapable, they both take on the names of “nevers” and “hiroshima” at the end
give an example of an how the viewer plays a part in reconstructing fragments of memory in HMA
we are shown an image of Lui’s fingers but cannot understand why it provokes a flashback for Elle until later in the film
what type of camera shots show the reconstruction of Hiroshima
tracking and panning shots
what do the dissolving shots show
how Elle clings to the past, the impact of the past on the present
what do font and forme mean
the theme/content and the technique/creation
what defines resnais as a significant author “engagé”
his emphasis on confronting the past, dealing with sensitive issues and controversy like the german-french collaboration
give three approaches to cinema
pschoanalytical, political and semiologic
what does semiologic mean
study of signs
what is eisenstein famous for popularising
the montage
describe french impressionist cinema
explored the perception of reality through the concepts of subjectivity (the internal state of a character, incude the audience as a subjective participant) and photogénie (defamiliarisation of the spectator with what happens on screen. the meeting of the profilmic with the mechanical and filmmaker)
give a brief description of munsterberg’s film theory
saw film as a spectator’s medium, photoplay is in the mind of the spectator, cinema is the art of the mind as film imitates the mental process, emotions can be triggered through acting and images, cross cutting imitates the way our mind pays attention to things
give an overview of how rudolf arnheim saw art and perception
form and content are indivisible-> patterns created by artists reveal the nature of human experience, the meaning of the world can be perceived in patterns and shapes, vision and perception are creative, active ways of understanding
how did rudolf arnheim see cinema
as a form of art, not mechanical process
what did siegfried kraucauer think about cinema
cinema should represent the reality of the viewer, realism is the most important function of cinema
what did siegfried kraucauer think about memory
technology is threatening memory, photos are replacing memory but cannot communicate a feeling or impression of an event like memories can
describe andré bazin’s ideas on cinema
realism is the most important function of the cinema, no montage, interpretation of film up to spectator, not filmmaker, deep focus,
what is the mise-en-scène
everything in the frame- props, actors, movements, setting
what does diegetic mean
its a part of the narrative, rather than added afterwards
what links Nouvelle Vague directors
they draw attention to the creative processes of cinema
