ISP Week 15: Introduction to Classic Hollywood

Week 15 ISP: Introduction to Hollywood 1930-1960:

Auteur Director vs Hollywood Studio system:

The Auteur theory- Reflects a director’s creative style or vision, including reoccurring themes, and visual effects, in this case the director is also known as the author of the film.
Characteristics of the Auteur Theory include: (these all revolve around aesthetics)

Some examples of directors who are known for the auteur theory are Speilberg, Scorsese, Fincher, Tarantino and Del-toro, who use strong visual effects that you can easily recognise.

GOLDEN AGE:

Hollywood’s golden age was between 1926 and 1960. It was a period of great growth and change in the industry that brought international prestige to Hollywood and its film stars. It ended due to the increasing popularity of television meaning there was less money fuelling the industry resulting in a decline in profits for major film production companies.
Films in this era were known to have a typical narrative and visual style after the transition into sound-film production. These changes came from the film industry along with the height of the studio system. The visual-narrative style of classic Hollywood cinema was also influenced by the Renaissance (a period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages).
It is distinguished at three general levels: devices, systems, and the relations of systems.
The Hollywood studio system was considering profit then the art itself. In 1937 the industry produced over 500 feature films whereas in 1980 this dropped to about 100 per year. In the golden age the studios stayed consistent and stable due to companies like the big 5.
The big 5 were the top/largest studios, including Warner Brothers, RKO, Fox, MGM and Paramount.

Classic Hollywood style 1926-1960:

Devices – 180 degree rule, 30 degree rule, close up, continuity.
Narrative Logic– Protagonist that has a clear goal or two goals (external and internal) with a clear moral.
Cinematic time– cause + effect- everything serves the narrative.
Cinematic Space
Hayes code

Social/political/cultural contexts:

During the second world war the film industry was considered an ‘essential business’ in the US as it was used to spread US culture and propaganda. Many of the films made focused on war and went into detail explaining their objectives. During this the government noticed the content of the films became centred around political and social significance. With this growth also came the growth of Hollywood celebrities, who were used to promote advertising campaigns during the war.

The Vichy government was officially known as the French State which was a Nazi puppet government that ruled France between 1940-1944.

The ‘Free French’ movement was the name given to the resistant movement set up by Charles de Gaulle, consisting of both military and individual people who pledged their allegiance to a free France in the 1940s.

During world war two there was a refugee crisis in Europe as many people, specifically the Jewish facing persecution, fled Nazi occupied Germany and escaped to other countries such as America, France and Russia which left them with no belongings or money.