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TodayToday

American Romantic TraditionAmerican Romantic Tradition

Russian Propagandist TraditionRussian Propagandist Tradition

Continental Realist TraditionContinental Realist Tradition

Barnouw’s CategoriesBarnouw’s Categories

ExplorerExplorer

ReporterReporter

PainterPainter

EXPLOREREXPLORER

Robert Flaherty Robert Flaherty Hudson Bay Mining CompanyHudson Bay Mining Company Began shooting in 1910 for Sir William Began shooting in 1910 for Sir William

Mackenzie -- builder of Canadian RailwaysMackenzie -- builder of Canadian Railways Lived with Eskimos / used them in crew Lived with Eskimos / used them in crew No production experience priorNo production experience prior In 1916 started editing his nitrate film In 1916 started editing his nitrate film

stock and.... smoking at the same timestock and.... smoking at the same time

Totally destroyed by fire -- Flah. almost killedTotally destroyed by fire -- Flah. almost killed

New Funding from Revillon Brothers Fur Company

New Funding from Revillon Brothers Fur Company

1916-1920 Fundraising efforts1916-1920 Fundraising efforts Shot entire film again -- but now a Shot entire film again -- but now a

much more experienced filmmakermuch more experienced filmmaker Tried to find distributorTried to find distributor Paramount rejected in 1922Paramount rejected in 1922– Pathe accepted -- premiere at Captiol Theatre Pathe accepted -- premiere at Captiol Theatre

in N.Y. June 1922in N.Y. June 1922

Tremendous successTremendous success

NanooK of the NorthNanooK of the North

Robert FlahertyRobert Flaherty

19221922

ExplorerExplorer

Paramount anxious to make up for Paramount anxious to make up for mistakemistake

signed Flaherty and German director signed Flaherty and German director F.W. Murnau to make a “Nanook” of F.W. Murnau to make a “Nanook” of the South Seas the South Seas

MOANA MOANA (1926)(1926)

Flaherty’s Other FilmsFlaherty’s Other Films

MAN OF ARANMAN OF ARAN (1934) made for (1934) made for British CompanyBritish Company

LOUISIANA STORY LOUISIANA STORY (1948) (1948) Standard Oil -- sponsor -- very Standard Oil -- sponsor -- very much in backgroundmuch in background

Flaherty’s Importance Flaherty’s Importance

First work to be called First work to be called “DOCUMENTARY” (Grierson)“DOCUMENTARY” (Grierson)

Working from inside -- lived with Working from inside -- lived with subjectssubjects

Romantic --- man against nature Romantic --- man against nature -- one man against all odds-- one man against all odds

Shot lots of footage --- structured Shot lots of footage --- structured on editing benchon editing bench

Attacks on Flaherty Attacks on Flaherty

Criticized for being too romanticCriticized for being too romantic

Living in the pastLiving in the past

Staging, manipulation, danger to Staging, manipulation, danger to subjectssubjects

ANOTHER “Explorer” ANOTHER “Explorer”

Merian CooperMerian Cooper CHANGCHANG (1927) Paramount --- Siam, a (1927) Paramount --- Siam, a

family fighting for survival in family fighting for survival in junglejungle

GRASS (GRASS (1925) Paramount --- herdsman 1925) Paramount --- herdsman migration in Turkey/Persiamigration in Turkey/Persia

REPORTERREPORTER Denis Kaufman Denis Kaufman

(aka DZIGA VERTOV)(aka DZIGA VERTOV) FUTURISMFUTURISM

KINO PRAVDA KINO PRAVDA -- newsreels-- newsreels THE KINO EYE THEORYTHE KINO EYE THEORY

Film camera = perception = TRUTHFilm camera = perception = TRUTH

REPORTERREPORTER

Vertov’sVertov’s

MAN WITH A MOVIE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERACAMERA

(1929)(1929)

Vertov’s Importance Vertov’s Importance

Tremendous influence on later Tremendous influence on later filmmakers in U.S. and Francefilmmakers in U.S. and France

CINEMA VERITECINEMA VERITE

Self-reflexiveSelf-reflexive

ModernistModernist

Flaherty Seminar Flaherty Seminar Began in 1955 to honor Flaherty and Began in 1955 to honor Flaherty and

Documentary TraditionDocumentary Tradition This past year focused on doc. in This past year focused on doc. in

Russia and U.S.Russia and U.S. Russians most influenced by Russians most influenced by

FlahertyFlaherty– with their traditions of state control -- with their traditions of state control --

Flaherty’s battles of individual against Flaherty’s battles of individual against outside forces a model for the new outside forces a model for the new Russian documentaryRussian documentary

Flaherty SeminarFlaherty Seminar

Americans most influenced by Americans most influenced by VertovVertov

FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION & POLITICAL FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION & POLITICAL REORGANIZATIONREORGANIZATION

American documentary movement American documentary movement actually more “leftist” than Russianactually more “leftist” than Russian

Primarily EuropeanPrimarily European

– Film clubs / Cine ClubsFilm clubs / Cine Clubs Protest against commercial cinemaProtest against commercial cinema Alternative approachesAlternative approaches

– ArtistsArtists

– PaintersPainters

– SculptorsSculptors

– Poets / WritersPoets / Writers

PAINTERPAINTER

PAINTERPAINTER

Walter RuttmanWalter Ruttman Berlin, Symphony of a City (1927)Berlin, Symphony of a City (1927)– formalisticformalistic

– symphonic structuresymphonic structure

– artist’s view of reality ---- reality artist’s view of reality ---- reality filtered through a painter’s eyesfiltered through a painter’s eyes

Other “Painters”Other “Painters” Joris Ivens Joris Ivens The BridgeThe Bridge (1928) (1928)

and and RainRain (1929) (1929)

Jean Vigo Jean Vigo A Propos de NiceA Propos de Nice (1929)(1929)– worked with Boris Kaufman worked with Boris Kaufman (Vertov’s brother)(Vertov’s brother)

Alberto Cavalcanti Alberto Cavalcanti Only The Only The Hours Hours (1926) (1926) (city symphony in Paris) (city symphony in Paris)

Modern Example of Approach

Modern Example of Approach

KOYAANISQATSIKOYAANISQATSI (83) (83)Director: Godfrey ReggioDirector: Godfrey Reggio

Title based on Hopi Indian Title based on Hopi Indian phrase for “Life out of Balance”phrase for “Life out of Balance”

ANOTHERANOTHER

BARAKA BARAKA

(1992)(1992) Ron FrickeRon Fricke

(cameraman on (cameraman on KoyaanisquatsiKoyaanisquatsi))

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