Modernism In Film The Tree of Life
Cinema styles
- There are 2 types of filmmaking: Formalism and Realism
- Modernism in filmmaking leans toward the Avante Garde, formalistic side of film structure.
Characteristics of Modernism in Filmmaking
Film Format
- Experiments with Traditional, Classical Hollywood style format
- Often uses stream of consciousness techniques to bring the viewers into the mind of the characters
- Places emphasis on the movie itself, and its construction (I.E. Reflexivity)
Story
- Uses innovative techniques to capture the audience's attention
- Self Aware
- Active, and Conscious Viewers
- Non-linear plot
Characters
- Inscrutable Characters
- Conflicts are ambiguous
- Motivations are withheld
- Characters can be metaphorical, or symbolic. They are not based in reality
- Characters may face antagonists, but these are often not clear cut, and they are not Black and White
- Ex. Un Chien Andalou directed by Salvador Dali
Other Characteristics of Modernist Films
- Modernist films often utilize memories, fantasy, dreams, mental disorders
- Often the protagonists do not reach their goals
- The films often feel fragmented, like they are pieced together rather than crafted
- They Stress relationships with other people