Thoughts on Bazin, Schrader, and Place & Petersen

Bazin

Regarding the Bazin reading, I found the description of the transition of sound into film rather vague and therefore, focused my attention more to his detailed explanations of the different aspects of Montage. I understand that he was trying to communicate the premise that sound carried a greater air of realism to montage, helping to reduce the symbolic meanings between messages; however, his reliance on the aesthetic changes disoriented my understating of the function sound has made. Thus, I felt his main goal was to detail the evolution of the language of cinema based on the incorporation of new devices such as depth of focus, and accelerated montage as the techniques separating post 1938 film from silent film, in contrast to solely the advent of sound.

Schrader’s “Notes on Film Noir”

Like RILWSON1, I was also unaware that film noir is regarded as a specific period of film history. I always considered it to be a genre of film, only utilized for themes fueled by gangsters and crime. The more I read, the more I found myself appreciating Schrader’s passion for film noir and his expressive criticism against its neglect. He explains,

“The fundamental reason for film noir’s neglect, however, is the fact that it depends more on choreography than sociology, and American critics have always been slow on the uptake when it comes to visual style. Like its protagonists, film noir is more interested in style than theme, whereas American critics have been traditionally more interested in theme than style.”

I would have never considered this issue of theme vs. style to be the case of its neglect. With this basis in mind, it is easier to understand why westerns and gangster films receive more praise since their themes are not hidden within the style of the film. Film noir requires attention to detail and it is through this necessity that it achieves a higher level of meaning, adding to its unique character and the tone it creates.

Place & Petersen “Some visual motifs on film noir”

I really enjoyed this article since it provided an overall list of the techniques involved in categorizing a film as film noir. I never imagined that so much detail and thought could go into the lighting of one room, let alone one person, and how this could heavily determine the mood of the scene (whether it means making an interior appear claustrophobic or a person appear desperate). Like the process of juxtaposing shots in montage to create a certain meaning, lighting can also produce meaning through the way it is utilized. One example from the article is a scene from the film In a Lonely Place. A high-light is placed under Bogart’s eyes, creating a sinister effect which not only makes him look demented but also suggests he is an unstable character. Having just viewed Double Indemnity, I definitely remember noting the specific use of shadows and light vs., dark. Now I understand the greater function they fulfilled and can bring this new knowledge to my analysis.