Article Post 1: Cronenberg

Robert Koehler's article, "Eastern Promises," is an examination of not just the film, but rather more in the way of its director, David Cronenberg. As a filmmaker he is known primarily for his obsession with the body, both its shape and how it functions as a whole, which has been a consistent theme in his horror films, a genre for which he is typically associated. However, with A History of Violence and more recently, Eastern Promises, Cronenberg has found his place as a filmmaker of nuance, detail, and emphasis on character and story. What intrigues me about this article is not necessarily Cronenberg himself or the films he has made, but rather the idea that as an artist, it is possible and typical to change gears in one's work at a certain point in a career. David Cronenberg proves to be a prime example of a filmmaker who dares to try something new. Many filmmakers like to play their work safe by not changing their approach to cinema, but instead sticking to their own conventions. Perhaps one of the most curious aspects of the article is the mention by Koehler of Cronenberg's writing habits. His previous films, including all of those in the horror genre, were written by Cronenberg himself. However, his last two films, both rich character studies concerned with the narrative plot, were written by other artists. I think Cronenberg has found his current niche partly due to the fact that he has recently been looking at other artists' screenplays from an outsider's perspective. I think that it is this objective viewpoint and detachment from the original work that allows him to incorporate his most vivid and intriguing ideas.

Article Post 2: Slovenian Cinema

The article, "Vive la Resistance!: A New Wave From Slovenia," by Tom McSorley, examines the highly unknown filmmakers of Slovenia, a nation
full of intimate artists but dominated by Hollywood influence. McSorley
dives into a brief history of the country, one that was just recently
granted independence in 1991 during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
He seeks to expose the filmmakers of Slovenia, beginning with the
first of the early 20th century. I found it an odd coincidence that the
first film made by a Slovenian artist in 1905, Karol Grossman, featured
a crowd of people leaving a church. It's a curious similarity to some
of the first American images ever produced. While other films were made
throughout the 1900s, it was not until the '90s that Slovenian cinema
exploded artistically with a "new wave" of filmmakers. Slovenian films,
as McSorley explains it, have been recently characterized as character
studies that tend to deal with alienated, anti-social protagonists,
highly personal stories, and a great deal of natural location shooting.
I found this whole history, especially the recent history of Slovenian
cinema to be very intriguing. First, Slovenia seems to be one of those
nations that everybody recognizes, but knows very little about. Their
wave of recent filmmakers reminds me of many other foreign countries,
all of which seem to be highly influenced by Hollywood, but manage to
remain independent as artists, nations like France, Mexico, etc. The
artists of Slovenia have proven to be sensitive, intelligent, and
original in the way of modern cinema, dealing not with big ideas but
simple examinations of everyday people and situations. The last ten years
have obviously been some of the best for Slovenian cinema, and if they
remain independent of a constant Hollywood presence on their screens,
I should think they will only improve as artists and as a separate
industry.

http://www.cinema-scope.com/cs28/feat_mcsorley_slovenia.html

"Vive la Resistance!: A New Wave From Slovenia"
by Tom McSorley

Journal Selection

For the journal portion I will be researching Cinema Scope.

www.cinema-scope.com

What intrigues me about this journal is the variety of culture and artistry seen in the work.

Traces of the Wild

The films of Robert Schaller, like several seen so far in lecture, take the viewer on
a visual journey into the surreal. Encompassed in his work are similar ideas and
ambitions that can also be seen in the work of Bruce Connor with a film like Valse Triste.
First, there seemed to be a lot of similarity in composition. Robert Schaller structured his
films about the wild in a disorienting manner, leaving the viewer to fill in the blanks. Bruce
Connor takes that same route in both of his films as he begins each one with something
seemingly conventional, then pulling the rug out from under the viewer as the film descends
into the imagination and the surreal. Schaller’s films, while pertaining to the surreal in
certain aspects such as framing and editing, are not looking to necessarily confuse the audience,
but to present an unconventional way of looking at something. In his films it was typically
something as simple as a tree or clouds in the sky. It is then through the editing process that the
structure of his films really take place. The same can be said for Connor’s films,
which one could say were edited in a non-linear fashion, therefore contributing
immensely to the film’s effect. In conclusion, Robert Schaller’s work in Traces of the
Wild bears similarity to Bruce Connor’s Valse Triste in both technical processes
as well as the structure and composition in that they book seek to evoke thoughts
and feelings about surreal, non-linear subjects.