How far can it be argued that the films you have studied represent a "realistic'' representation of the people and places they focus on?

City of God (2002) explores the hostile environments of the favela communities based in the heart of Rio De Janeiro. To a certain extent the representations of the people and places it focuses on are fairly realistic. Real life footage towards the end of the film of an interview with the real "knock-out Ned" reinforces the realness of this film and the fact that these people and places are real and happen in reality.

 Lil Z rules over the favelas with his megalomania attracting others who have the need for power i

Experimental Film

Requiem 7

'Fossoyeur' First Draft (No Music)

Aims & Context

• Short experimental film
• I aim to produce a short film around 3-5 minutes long
• Avant-garde visuals (black and white, high contrast low-key lighting)
• Elements of surrealism (dream logic, non-narrative form)
• French New-Wave camera/editing (jump cuts, long takes)
• Documentary like shots (french new-wave)
• Target audience will be more art-house/exhibition/gallery as opposed to mainstream cinema complex
• 
  

Main Influences

• Luis Buneul - strong use of dream logic and giving my film a non-narrative form. A lack of clear relationships between characters, such as that used 'Un Chien Andalou'
• Chris Cunningham - After watching 'Rubber Johnny' I took strongly to Cunningham's abstract form in the form of lighting and sound 

• 

Nothing Is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn5IG4FWCFs

FIGHT CLUB

17) How useful has a particular critical approach been in gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of your chosen film?

For me, the crisis of masculinity was the most useful critical approach. The first time I watched Fight Club I simply thought that the film was about men fighting half naked to relieve their overwhelming stress from the pressures of a rapidly changing culture .  Watching it for a second time and after being introduced to ideas such as the crisis of masculinity, I became more aware of the deeper concepts entwined within this film. The crisis of masculinity arose in the late 1990’s and essentially caused men to lose a sense of identity due to heavy change in popular culture. This can be seen prominently in the ‘Self-Help Testicular Cancer Group’ that the narrator attends during the beginning of the film. Aspects of the crisis of masculinity can be seen through the text and in particular the mise en scene. The group is sat around in a circle in a basket-ball court, this alone strongly connotes the crisis of masculinity as this environment is so typical used for men partaking in sporting activities, a strong trait of masculinity. Instead, these men are sat around in a circle being encouraged to share their problems and hug each other, a very feminine act. The self help group is for men with testicular cancer, and for who have had their testicles removed. This loss of their testicles is feminising these men as they have lost what is most typically associated with masculinity. In terms of character, Bob embodies the crisis of masculinity. He is first introduced by the narrator saying “This is Bob, Bob has bitch tits”. We learn that he has breasts due to the eostrogen treatment he was given after his testicles were removed.  Not only has his testicles been removed and the growing of his breasts project the crisis of masculinity, but his name ‘Bob’ is one letter short of the word ‘Boob’.

Experimental Film

'Experimental Film requires a different kind of spectatorship.' Has this been your experience? [35]

Experimental films are full of strange mixtures of images, situations, words and expressions that may not tell a cohesive story but, in the end, don't have to in order to achieve an emotional goal. This type of film therefore requires the spectator to shift their conventional cinematic expectations to accommodate more radical narrative techniques, themes and meaning construction. 

Un Chien Andalou, the infamous 1929 surrealist short film from Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, attests to this. 

The first time I viewed this experimental film I enjoyed it, however I wasn't fully aware of the deeper meaning within. I felt that the absence of dialogue and a linear narrative made me more on edge. It is so often the case with mainstream films that they become predictable through the narrative and dialogue. Because of the absence of these in this film, it meant for a more enjoyable viewing experience as I was unaware of where or what I was being led to. The main purpose of this film is to shock you, which is reinforced through the use of surrealism. The way in which the images are put together hold no obvious meaning which forced me to question and think about possible meanings or messages. For instance in the opening of the film it shows a close up of a women's eye being sliced open with a cut-throat razor blade. The following long shot shows a man dressed in women's clothing riding a bicycle down the road. This coupling of shots are designed to baffle and confuse you as they have no logical relation between them. The cutting of a woman's eye, I found shocking but found it enjoyable as it a break from the norm of mainstream film. I do believe that experimental films such as Un Chien Andalou require a different of spectatorship and at first was a challenge. Despite enjoying this challenging spectatorship, viewing other experimental films after experiencing this one, things began to fall into place and I began to not only understand the concept of experimental film but enjoy them as each individual one is completely different and has its own personal factors that make you confused and think differently.


Chris Marker became known internationally for the short film La Jetée (1962). It tells of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel by using a series of filmed photographs developed as a photomontage of varying pace, with limited narration and sound effects. Now add your personal response and discussion of spectatorship issues

Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) is a work that maintains all of the mystery, tranquility, unpredictability, and personal attachment that is ever present within the world of dreams. Now add your personal response and discussion of spectatorship issues