pol 128 midterm Flashcards
political meaning in films
films serve as a vessel of political meaning
Ideology in American cinema
ideology is avoided, ignored, or oversimplified in American films. Many Americans are pragmatic rather than ideological
Why ideology in film is important
helps us make sense of the world around us
what is ideology
the views and assumptions that seem to be universal truths
Why is political film not a genre
they do not share the similarities between films that most genre films do
what is genre film
films with similar themes, narratives, and stylistic conventions
what is political content
depicting some aspects of political reality, more or less realistic
what is political intent
the films political message. used to challenge the views of the audience and may even incite political action
auteur political films meaning
films with political meaning that is shown artistically (through symbols and artistic devices) rather than through direct political imagery
sex, race, and gender in film
some films convey ideas about politically marginalized groups through plot devices and tokenism or complete absence
film genres of Joker (2019)
crime, psychological thriller, drama, superhero
what is iconography
When familiar symbols in works of art have cultural meaning beyond the context of the individual wok in which they appear
what are set conventions
commonalities within certain genres
beginning of the filmmaking process
- conception 2. production includes hiring people to work on the film 3. screenplay and story, determining the subject matter/genre
What is a producer
producer oversees and establishes many creative aspect of filmmaking. main goal is to ensure financial viability. serving as an individual that represents the studio who has authority and responsibility of the film
what is a producer sometimes referred to as
unsung hero
Giano’s Movie Conventions
- personalization
- sugarcoating
- ambivalence
- “the unlabelled bottle”
Personalization - Giano’s Movie Conventions
when political subject matter focuses on an individual
Sugarcoating - Giano’s Movie Conventions
covering potentially strong political content with other genres. ex: Reds (1981) concerns an american journalist who is a communist sympathizer is presented as a love story
The Unlabelled Bottle - Giano’s Movie Conventions
the tendency for political movies to use extremely generic terms to defuse possible political controversy
Ambivalence - Giano’s Movie Conventions
presenting both sides of a political conflict, which gets rid of a lot of criticism of favouritism toward a particular side
Role of the Director and Elements: Introduction
director is the most important contributor to a movie’s final artistic impact and the one with the most control over the final product
Role of the Director and Elements: Title
titles are used to prepare the audience for a political message
Role of the Director and Elements: Sound, Dialogue, Music
can transmit a political message
Role of the Director and Elements: Editing/Montage
can be considered the foundation for film art. allows viewers to follow one shot to the next without losing track of time and place
Role of the Director and Elements: Composition
is described as the construction of scenes - the placement of people and object in the frame
Role of the Director and Elements: Casting
two kinds of “stars”:
1. personality stars- those who play roles that fit a preconceived public image (adam sandler)
2. actor stars - those who can play roles of greater range and variety (christian bale)
Role of the Director and Elements: Characters
characters can represent political figures, typically they are white, male, middle-aged, and overweight enforces stereotypes
what is realism
the representation of reality and how the film reflects social, cultural, and political realities
what is formalism
the technical aspects of a film and how they create meaning
Oppenheimer: What is the central conflict
ethical dilemmas of scientific innovation, the exploration of moral responsibility in scientific advancements, and the tension between scientific discover and its potential for destruction
Oppenheimer: character development
Oppenheimer struggled internally with the implications of his work, was then influenced and challenged, transforming his character
Oppenheimer: historical context
the influence of the atomic bomb in wwii and the cold war
Oppenheimer: political themes
the role of government and scientists in warfare and ethics, reflections on power, control, and consequences
Oppenheimer: cinematography
uses IMAX, integration of archival footage and shot footage, framing and composition choices that emphasize power dynamics and challenge the viewers understanding of history and morality
What is HUAC
The House Un-American Activities Committee. Purpose was to expose communists and blacklist people who wouldn’t cooperate with the committee
HUAC in Hollywood
led lots of progressives to be driven out (jailed, testify against friends) of Hollywood in the 1950s, and those who continued to work avoided political subjects or social issues.
Exposing HUAC
blacklist was eventually broken and many who were on the list were seen as heroes, many movies have been made about HUAC and their effect on Hollywood.
Censorship and Regulation
National Board of Censorship created in 1909, Hollywood adopted the Motion Picture Production Code.
Hays Code
spelled out what was acceptable and unacceptable content for public audience in the united states. includes any sexual content, rape, abortion, nudity, white slavery, and profantiy
Centralization of the Film Industry
in the beginning of Hollywood, eight studios control all areas of production and distribution. This resulted in films being made with politically safe themes
what is iconography
familiar symbols that have meaning beyond the context of the individual work in which they appear, but to the medium of cinema. ex: in western films, a cowboy dressed in all black and carrying two guns is probably a villain of some sort
what do genre films have in common
advertising, soundtracks, and set conventions
what was the first western film
The Great Train Robbery directed by Edwin S. Porter and released in 1903
What is typecasting
actors are cast based on physical attributes. ex: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Three stages of genre
- the classification and definition of individual genres
- what is the meaning of each genre and their social function
- an analysis based on the understanding of the genre in terms of ideology
What is a myth
the expression of archetypes by a community
what is film noir
a film genre that typically has the following plot: a man is lured into a criminal act by a “femme-fatale” and leads to mutual self-destruction
Jojo Rabbit Genres
coming of age drama, dark comedy, war, satire
What are the three core aspects of a superhero
- Mission (fighting evil, protecting the public, upholding justice). It is central to the superheroes identity and motivation
- Powers. superheroes are distinguished by their powers
- identity. the dual identity is common and protects the superheroes privacy. this allows them to separate their everyday lives from their superhero responsibilities
superheroes and politics
genre usually upholds the status quo
what is ideologeme
the single unit of an ideology
what is fantastic displacement?
the process of placing fantasies of an age in a melodramatic setting and story that covertly mediates the political fantasy for a mass audience to make their fantasies palatable and entertaining
what is the name of the project Nick Fury wants to be delayed?
project insight
invasions of the body snatchers represents the fear of
technology obsessions
