Modernism Flashcards
What is Modernism?
Modernism was the belief that traditional forms of art, literature, religion, and social organisation were increasingly outdated.
This belief developed in response to the political and social aftermath of the First World War.
What factors contributed to the development of Modernism?
The struggle to make sense of the political and social aftermath of the First World War and the development of cities and the industrial revolution.
Embracing new ways to deal with emerging technology and past horrors of the War.
What did Modernism believe would lead to a new, enlightened existence?
Rationality, technology, and progress.
This idealistic belief aimed to reveal universal truths and principles.
What was part of the Modernist philosophy regarding machinery?
A commitment to machinery as a progressive force to create a bold new way of life.
This included embracing the machinery of cinema.
How did Modernism influence cinema?
Filmmakers pushed to understand the possibilities of cinema as an art-form and reflected on the changing Modernist world.
The narratives of films were often about the Modernist experience.
What resulted from the influence of Modernism on cinema during the 1920s?
A number of separate film movements flourished.
These include: *German Expressionism, *Soviet Montage, *Physical Silent Comedy.
How is Sunrise an example of a Modernist film?
Sunrise contains elements of German Expressionism and explores the tension between The Countryside and The City.
The film’s Second Act is set in a newly emerging City.
What cinematic techniques are used in Sunrise to depict The City and new technologies?
Mise-en-scene, Production Design, Cinematography, and Editing.
These techniques create heightened depictions within the film.
Name two films that fit into the wider Modernist movement.
MODERN TIMES (Chaplin, 1936) and METROPOLIS (Lang, 1927).
These films exemplify the themes and techniques of Modernism in cinema.
