Survey of Film II Lecture Notes 2 - Film Noir and Hitchcock (Fall 2024) PDF

1 Survey of Film II World Cinema – From the Decline of the Studio System to the Blockbuster Era Pascoe Hollywood in Transition Part 2 -The Hollywood Production Code (The “Code”) -written in 1930 -enforced in 1934 -the American film industry’s official sta...

1 Survey of Film II World Cinema – From the Decline of the Studio System to the Blockbuster Era Pascoe Hollywood in Transition Part 2 -The Hollywood Production Code (The “Code”) -written in 1930 -enforced in 1934 -the American film industry’s official statement on the proper moral content of films -MPPDA (Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of America) -formed by the largest studios in Hollywood -Hired Will H. Hays as its 1st President -Hays Office formed the Production Code Administration (PCA) -PCA Seal of Approval -awarded to films that observed the moral restrictions of the code  2 -Otto Preminger -in 1953, releases a film without the Code’s seal of approval -“The Moon is Blue” (1953), dir. Otto Preminger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdCsHItDcWo -first major American movie to be released without the Code’s seal of approval since it was first awarded in 1934 -Preminger takes a stand against the Blacklist -hires Dalton Trumbo (writer and one of the Hollywood Ten) to write “Exodus” (1960) dir. Otto Preminger -Kirk Douglas also hires Trumbo to write “Spartacus” (1960) dir. Stanley Kubrick, -broke the power of the Blacklist  3 -Film Noir – French for “Black Film” -from early 1940s to late 1950s -“The Maltese Falcon (1941) dir. John Huston -widely regarded as the first major Film Noir -“Touch of Evil” (1958) dir. Orson Welles -some film critics and film scholars say this film marked the end of the Film Noir era https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhmYY5ZMXOY (opening shot)  4 -the term, “Film Noir,” is first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946 -Key Attributes of Film Noir -High Contrast Lighting -low key, high contrast lighting -roots in German Expressionism “Nosferatu” (1922 -Germany) “The Big Combo” (1955)  5 “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_TVnDlApko “The Unsuspected (1947) -Unbalanced Compositions -canted (Dutch) camera angles -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP1VPuXEMbg example from “The Third Man” (1949)  6 -Black and White Film Stock -Deep Focus shots -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQxXIx83sWs “The Unsuspected (1947) “The Third Man” (1949) dir. Carol Reed -Crime Fiction -dark, cynical view of the world -Hard-Boiled Detective -Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon” (1941). “Double Indemnity” (1944) “Where the Sidewalk Ends” (1950)  7 -Voice Over Narration -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mRpYbgAtPQ “The Unsuspected” (1947) -https://youtu.be/LJq1auJq_gc “Double Indemnity” (1944) -Femme Fatale -French for “Fatal Woman” (or Deadly Woman) -She is mysterious -She may be a seductress -She may use lying and manipulation -She may play the victim -She may use poison, pills or a gun to obtain her goal -She doesn’t lead a “normal” domestic life “The Maltese Falcon” (1941) -“Double Indemnity” (1944) -“The Big Heat” (1953) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjAKd-Lfmt0 Femme Fatale Trope, Explained  8 -Alfred Hitchcock, (AKA, the Master of Suspense) English Director -Directed 53 films https://www.imdb.com/list/ls003046818/ (Credited with 79 titles) -Distinguishing characteristics of Alfred Hitchcock’s films -Voyeurism -makes voyeurs of the audience https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5pn48wzBuw “Rear Window” (1954) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghew-s2zPjE “Psycho” (1959) peephole -Subjective Camera and Sound -POV (point of view) shots and subjective camera angles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIY7BQkbIT8 “North by Northwest” (1959) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fTXzdHoip8 “The Birds” (1963) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D15HPy4x73g “The Birds” (1963)  9 -VO (voice-over) expressing the character’s thoughts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-PnGRaJaSA “Psycho” (1959) -Fantasy, a vision, or a dream sequence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WAxDlUOw-w “Vertigo (1958) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKDmLbMrAjc “Spellbound” (1945) -Suspense and Creating Tension -by adjusting shot duration -by adjusting shot rhythm -by using music to heighten the tension -or by NOT using music (“The Birds”) -by using reaction shots and cutaways -by showing us “the bomb” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck01isWERKM (Alfred Hitchcock explains suspense) -MacGuffin -A plot devise or gimmick upon which to hang the tension in a film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNkPLuBjZRM  10 -Ordinary People- in extraordinary circumstances- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RKEUzQe30M “The Wrong Man” (1956) -Mistaken Identity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7gKFleV_JU&list=PLZbXA4ly Ctqr3UvYXFN8WY90eqQkaxTnE North By Northwest (1959) -Implied Horror http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY “Psycho” (1960) (shower scene)  11 -The Cameo (appearing briefly in his own films) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okLiLsncyi0 (Hitchcock Cameos) Bonus! Spiral Motif in “Vertigo” - ”Vertigo” (1958) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K9yi163S4E