Difference between pages "Douglas Sirk as Auteur (Discussion)" and "JCM312/French New Wave I: Alain Resnais (Discussion)"

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==Equivalent characters in the 1934 and 1959 versions of ''Imitation of Life''==
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Alain Resnais is pronounced [http://www.pronounceitright.com/pronounce/230/alain-resnais "ah-LAWN reh-NAY"].
  
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<table width="200" border="0">
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http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/Hiroshima/images/Hiroshima_03_jpg.jpg
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  <tr>
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http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/Hiroshima/images/Hiroshima_05_jpg.jpg
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    <td><strong>1934</strong></td>
 
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    <td><strong>1959</strong></td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Bea</td>
 
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    <td>Lora</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Delilah</td>
 
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    <td>Annie</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Jessie</td>
 
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    <td>Susie</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Peola</td>
 
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    <td>Sarah Jane</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Steve</td>
 
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    <td>Steve</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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</table>
 
  
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==Readings==
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#'''Group 2:''' According to Monaco ''Hiroshima Mon Amour'' is "two films, often working against each other." (Not the "two distinct films" he mentions on p. 34.)
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==="Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life"===
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#*What does he mean by this? What are the "two films"?
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Lucy Fischer sums the previous approaches to ''Imitation of Life'' and then addresses her own concerns about the film:
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#*How is this split evident in the title itself? And what does Monaco suggest is a more accurate translation of the title than "Hiroshima my love" (which would be the literal translation). Why does he prefer his translation?
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# "The question of women and work"
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#'''Group 3:''' Who is Marguerite Duras [http://www.pronounceitright.com/pronounce/1740/marguerite-duras (pronounced "do-rahs")]? What was her part in ''Hiroshima Mon Amour''?
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# "The issue of race"
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#*How does Duras describe the opening series of shots (see frame grabs above)?
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# "The matter of star biography"
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#*How does that opening encapsulate the "two films" that Monaco posits?
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#'''Group 4:''' James Monaco claims, "The theme of the film is the impossibility of making the film." What does he mean by that?
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#'''Group 1:''' James Monaco, in the captions to the frame enlargements, argues that the images' compositions mirror the relationships of the characters (see frame grab below). How so? Do you find his argument convincing?
  
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Discuss these "concerns":
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[[File:Hiroshima 43 jpg.jpg]]
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#'''Groups 4 and 1:''' According to Fischer, what "cliché" is there about women's employment in the decade 1948-58? Why is it untrue? Often, films place women in the position of choosing between work outside the home and staying at home and nurturing children. How does ''Imitation of Life'' deal with this conflict—both in terms of Lora ''and'' Annie? Does Annie fit a "mammy" stereotype? According to Fischer what factors present domestic labor in a negative manner?
 
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#*And how does the presentation of work vs. motherhood differ in the 1934 and 1959 versions?
 
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#'''Groups 2 and 3:''' It's not just work and motherhood that are inflected with issues surrounding race. Fischer also sees a connection between race and "performance," between race and imitations (plural) of life. What different forms of performance, of playing a role, are evident in ''Imitation of Life''? Who performs and why? (See [http://tcf.ua.edu/EO/DV/ImitationOfLife_StopActing.php Lora's "sacrifice"] and [http://www.tcf.ua.edu/EO/DV/ImitationOfLife_SaraJaneGoodBye.php the final scene between Sarah Jane and Annie.])
 
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#*How does changing the white mother from the "Pancake Queen" to a performer change the story's meaning?
 
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#'''All Groups:''' We'll discuss Turner as a star more fully next week, but what themes (or polysemy) does Fischer say were associated both with Turner (embodied in the Johnny Stompanato scandal) and Turner's ''character'' in ''Imitation of Life''?
 
  
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==''Imitation of Life Video Essay'', by Darren Elliott-Smith==
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'''Theme, narrative, style'''
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[[File:Elliott-Smith ImitationOfLifeqq00 08 55qq4558-02-15-14h36m00s285.jpg|400px|thumb|left|Elliott-Smith commentary on ''Imitation of Life''.]]
 
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#'''Groups 4 and 1:''' Elliott-Smith contends, "This excessively ironic shot [Sarah Jane attacked by her boyfriend; see screen shot] draws attention to itself. Using reflection, framing and self-reflexivity – this physically distant shot demonstrates: ironic distanciation." What do you think he means by that? Does "ironic distanciation" align with your own experience of that scene?
 
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#'''Groups 2:''' How does Elliott-Smith contrast the performances of Lana Turner as Lora and Susan Kohner as Sarah Jane?
 
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#'''Groups 3:''' According to Elliott-Smith, what aspects of ''Imitation of Life'' have been appropriated by queer culture?
 
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<br clear="all">
 
  
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==Thinking further about remakes==
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'''All groups:'''
  
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#'''All Groups:''' There are many differences between the two versions of ''Imitation of Life''. One subtle change is the endings. How does each film end? (Refer to [http://www.tcf.ua.edu/jbutler/Diss/AppC/index.htm frame grabs here].) How do the endings signify different resolutions of the black daughter plotline and the white mother-boyfriend-daughter plotline?
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#The first flashback occurs soon after a shot of She (figure 3.5; see [http://www.tcf.ua.edu/EO/DV/Hiroshima_BedScene.php this video clip]). What stylistic techniques does Resnais use to move into the past? That is, how does he manipulate mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and/or sound to signal the move into the past?
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#What parallels are there between the story in the past and the story in the present?
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#In the final scene, there is this exchange of dialogue (see frame grabs below):
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#*She: "Hiroshima is you."
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#*He: "You are Nevers of France."
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#**What do you think this means? What is the significance of place?
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#Considering both narrative and visual style, how is ''Hiroshima Mon Amour'' a classical film? How is it not?
  
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{{Gallery
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'''Principal cast of ''Hiroshima, Mon Amour''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052893/combined]'''
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|title=''Imitation of Life'': 1934 and 1959.
 
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|width=400
 
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|lines=1
 
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|align=center
 
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|File:ImitationOfLife1934qq01 47 59qq.jpg|alt1=Final scene, 1934 version.|Final scene, 1934 version.
 
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|File:ImitationOfLife1934qq01 49 48qq.jpg|alt2=Final shot, 1934 version.|Final shot, 1934 version.
 
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|File:ImitationOfLife1959qq02 02 53qq.jpg|alt3=Final scene, 1959 version.|Final scene, 1959 version.
 
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|File:ImitationOfLife1959qq02 03 35qq.jpg|alt4=Final shot, 1959 version.|Final shot, 1959 version.
 
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}}
 
  
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None of the characters have "real" names.
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*Actor.... Character
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*Emmanuelle Riva .... Elle (She)
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*Eiji Okada .... Lui (He)
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*Stella Dassas .... Mother
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*Pierre Barbaud .... Father
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*Bernard Fresson .... German Lover
  
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===Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk"===
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==Bibliography==
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Replaced by [https://vimeo.com/80130945 ''Imitation of Life Video Essay''], by Darren Elliott-Smith on Vimeo ([http://tcf.ua.edu/EO/DV/Imitation%20of%20Life%20Video%20Essay-SD_Elliott-Smith_Darren_.php local copy]).
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*Monaco, James. ''Alain Resnais''. NY: Oxford University, 1979.  
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#How does Sirk "intensify" elements of the melodrama genre?
 
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#Willemen concludes that the "distanciation effect" can be "used to parody the stylistic procedures which traditionally convey an extremely smug, self-righteous and ''petit bourgeois'' world view paramount in the American melodrama."
 
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#*''Petit bourgeois'' (pronounced "petty boor-jwah") is a French word meaning, literally, the "small middle-class", but more generally referring to a conservative social class of shop keepers and professionals. Thus, a ''petit bourgeois'' worldview is one that is politically and morally conservative.
 
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#*How might ''Imitation of Life'' be seen to be an attack on conservative values of the 1950s? Do you think it succeeds at that?
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T440/SirkImages/index.php Douglas Sirk illustrations.]
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*[http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/Hiroshima/index.htm ''Hiroshima, Mon Amour'' frame grabs]
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*[https://vimeo.com/80130945 ''Imitation of Life Video Essay''], by Darren Elliott-Smith on Vimeo ([http://tcf.ua.edu/EO/DV/Imitation%20of%20Life%20Video%20Essay-SD_Elliott-Smith_Darren_.php local copy]).
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*[http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/NightAndFog/index.html ''Night and Fog'' frame grabs]
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==Bibliography==
 
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# Lucy Fischer, "Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'' ed. Lucy Fischer (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 3-28.
 
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# Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'', 268-272.
 
  
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[[Category:TCF440-540]]
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[[Category:TCF340 Discussion]]
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[[Category:TCF440/540 Discussion]]
 

Revision as of 10:42, 7 October 2014

Alain Resnais is pronounced "ah-LAWN reh-NAY".

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/Hiroshima/images/Hiroshima_03_jpg.jpg http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/Hiroshima/images/Hiroshima_05_jpg.jpg

  1. Group 2: According to Monaco Hiroshima Mon Amour is "two films, often working against each other." (Not the "two distinct films" he mentions on p. 34.)
    • What does he mean by this? What are the "two films"?
    • How is this split evident in the title itself? And what does Monaco suggest is a more accurate translation of the title than "Hiroshima my love" (which would be the literal translation). Why does he prefer his translation?
  2. Group 3: Who is Marguerite Duras (pronounced "do-rahs")? What was her part in Hiroshima Mon Amour?
    • How does Duras describe the opening series of shots (see frame grabs above)?
    • How does that opening encapsulate the "two films" that Monaco posits?
  3. Group 4: James Monaco claims, "The theme of the film is the impossibility of making the film." What does he mean by that?
  4. Group 1: James Monaco, in the captions to the frame enlargements, argues that the images' compositions mirror the relationships of the characters (see frame grab below). How so? Do you find his argument convincing?

Hiroshima 43 jpg.jpg

Theme, narrative, style

All groups:

  1. The first flashback occurs soon after a shot of She (figure 3.5; see this video clip). What stylistic techniques does Resnais use to move into the past? That is, how does he manipulate mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and/or sound to signal the move into the past?
  2. What parallels are there between the story in the past and the story in the present?
  3. In the final scene, there is this exchange of dialogue (see frame grabs below):
    • She: "Hiroshima is you."
    • He: "You are Nevers of France."
      • What do you think this means? What is the significance of place?
  4. Considering both narrative and visual style, how is Hiroshima Mon Amour a classical film? How is it not?

Principal cast of Hiroshima, Mon Amour[1]

None of the characters have "real" names.

  • Actor.... Character
  • Emmanuelle Riva .... Elle (She)
  • Eiji Okada .... Lui (He)
  • Stella Dassas .... Mother
  • Pierre Barbaud .... Father
  • Bernard Fresson .... German Lover

Bibliography

  • Monaco, James. Alain Resnais. NY: Oxford University, 1979.

External links

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