When looking at the history of film, it is clear to see technological advancements, in addition to economic changes. Films have also evolved to inform the audience, society, of the happenings in the world. The films that are of the genre tend to come out years after the incident occurs, but they still tell of information that many may have not already known. Many tend to be more telling of social happenings and do not censor content as in the past. There is more nudity, foul language, and inappropriate commentary. The film industry has, without a doubt, changed as a whole.
As technology improves, so will the artistic and economic side of film. In the 1960’s, and before, many films were created in black and white. Winter Light by Ingmar Bergman, which was released in 1963 was one of many monochrome films. Although the ability for colored films was available, many directors took the black and white film approach because it was easier to create. In addition, colored films were more expensive to create than black and white films. As the years went on, colored films became more popular. This example of black and white film verses colored film is one of the many that proves the economic changes that have taken place since 1965.
When looking at the technologic side of film, there has been many improvements and changes as well. The film industry now has to ability to use drones, lasers, audio, and even 4D to their advantage in order to take the film watching experience to the next step. Directors use drones to get shots they, normally, wouldn’t be able to get. In the past, helicopters have been used to get the angles needed, but the invention of the drone makes this process that much easier. Also, when looking at the laser and audio advancements, deeper colors are able to be produced which creates a better color and image quality. The audio enhancement allows for a more crisp experience; hearing those steps as if they were coming behind you, the whisper as if it was in your ear, and the screams as if they were coming from the room over. This allows the audience to become part of the film and feel the emotions that are being portrayed on screen. Lastly, the 4D experience is what can truly bring you into the movie. We all know that 3D allows images to jump of the screen, into your face, but 4D lets you smell and feel what the actors are smelling and feeling. The first 4D experience has been in Korea. The theatre puts off smells, atmospheric changes, and physical effects into the air so the audience becomes one with the film. When looking into these changes, I chose four films that help show the differences that have been made. I chose Winter Light (1963) by Ingmar Bergman, Husbands (1970) by John Cassavetes, Forrest Gump (1994) by Robert Zemeckis, and Zero Dark Thirty (2012) by Kathryn Bigelow. All four of these films are of different times and have their own story within.
Winter Light by Ingmar Bergman is a monochrome Swedish film that goes beyond the rules of God and the Pastor. This film doesn’t use angles and shots to provoke the audience into feeling c certain way or to understand a certain situation, rather to simply show what is going on. Roger Ebert writes a report of this film and tells more of the way angles were used and how the cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, shoots the scenes, “The film’s visual style is one of rigorous simplicity. Nykvist does not use a single camera movement for effect. He only wants to regard, to show. His compositions, while sometimes dramatic, are mostly static. He uses slow push-ins and pull-outs to underline dialogue of intensity. His gaze is so unblinking that sequences with the potential to be boring, like the opening scenes of the consecration and distribution of hosts and wine, become fascinating: More is going on here than ritual, and there are buried currents between the communicants. Nykvist focuses above all on faces, in closeup and medium shot, and they are even the real subject of longer shots, recalling Bergman’s belief that the human face is the most fascinating study for the cinema.” The last line that was said, pertaining to Ingmar’s vision, of the human face being the most fascinating study for cinema, shows the style of Ingmar during this time period, and for his films entirely. Also, when looking into the storyline of this film, the struggle within the pastor, it allows questioning as to if Ingmar used his own life for parts and pieces. It is known that his father was a Lutheran pastor, which had a heavy impact on Ingmar’s decisions and this religious upbringing is portrayed in Ingmar’s film(s) (Biography).
Next, Husbands (1970) by John Cassavetes, has a different take. When critiqued on an artistic scale, Roger Ebert gives his truthful opinion on how the film was an “artistic disaster”. The image quality of this film was grainy, which may be a representation of the time it was being made. Therefore, the quality would look subpar when comparing to films being released today. The actors in this film were mainstream, successful, which is another factor the needs to be considered when acknowledging the questionable acting that took place in Husbands, “I can’t believe the scenes of this nature were scripted, because you wouldn’t deliberately set out to write such antidialogue. Nor do I believe that Gazzara, Falk and Cassavetes (fine actors all) could have acted these scenes so awkwardly if they were working from scripts; what we see are not performances, but the human beings themselves, photographed while trying not very successfully to improvise.” This film also has two genres within; tragedy and comedy. The film, according to Unsung Films, was a contradiction within itself. When diving into Cassavetes biography, he was a successful director, who was up for nomination and won many awards with many mainstream actors in a lot of his films. The New York Times said, “Cassavetes didn’t invent American independent filmmaking, but he did give it sex appeal, visibility and a plausible (if risky) model of how to live and work in the enveloping shadow of Hollywood”. This film was doused by some but linked by others to works done by Ingmar Bergman.
Another film, Forrest Gump (1994) by Robert Zemeckis is one that became extremely popular. This film is known as a classic had a budget of $40 million and earned $677 million once released. This is where the first major economic change is seen amongst the movies mentioned. Forrest Gump challenged and broke a lot of the, traditional, filmmaking rules. This film had Tom Hanks, a very mainstream actor, as the main character Forrest, “‘I read the screenplay and couldn’t put it down,’ said Zemeckis. ‘It was compelling in a strange way because it didn’t have any typical plot devices. And all I wanted to do was find out what was going to happen to this guy.’” Forrest Gump also allowed technological advancement to take place and shine through as well, “Perhaps even more challenging than the archival footage in Forrest Gump was the use of computer technology for more subtle effects. Huge crowd scenes, vivid sunsets, Lieutenant Dan’s amputated legs, speeding ping-pong balls, and even the traveling feather that floats across the screen in the film’s opening sequence were all a result of CGI magic.” This technological advancement allowed for Forrest Gump to take strides that not many other films had. In addition, Forrest Gump was used to put off a bit of satire from the last 40 years (when it was released) of U.S. social-political history.
Lastly, Zero Dark Thirty (2012), directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is a film that has been released most recently, “It questions what was done in the name of finding bin Laden,” says Bigelow. This film was developed from a true story, a political standpoint, 9/11. This film, during its nationwide first week relseased, sat at number one at the U.S. box office and was nominated for five Oscars. When looking at this films achievements, it brought in a gross income of $58.1 million. Zero Dark Thirty makes viewers aware to the torture that takes place within the CIA. One scene is shown below When asked about the critiques on Bigelow’s film by a reporter for The Guardian, she responded with, “‘Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement. If it was, no artist would be able to paint inhumane practices, no author could write about them, and no film-maker could delve into the thorny subjects of our time. This is an important principle to stand up for, and it bears repeating. For confusing depiction with endorsement is the first step toward chilling any American artist’s ability and right to shine a light on dark deeds, especially when those deeds are cloaked in layers of secrecy and government obfuscation. Indeed, I’m very proud to be part of a Hollywood community that has made searing war films part of its cinematic tradition. Clearly, none of those films would have been possible if directors from other eras had shied away from depicting the harsh realities of combat. On a practical and political level, it does seem illogical to me to make a case against torture by ignoring or denying the role it played in US counter-terrorism policy and practices.’” This piece of information given by the director is vital to show how the social and political side of film has changed in addition to the strength and seriousness put into the depiction of this film. Bigelow stands up for what she believes, as an artist and from a political standpoint.
As a whole, I believe that film genres and styles change over time to reflect the changes in society and technology. The plainness, and beauty, in Winter Light shows of a time of simpler things while Zero Dark Thirty shows the secrets that are held within the U.S. government. This can also be seen between Husbands and Forrest Gump. Husbands, deals with comedy and pure entertainment, while the other, Forrest Gump, does play a role in the relations of the Vietnam War and how times were changing. Also with Forrest Gump and Zero Dark Thirty, the technological advancements, in addition to economic changes are seen as well. As times, and events, keep changing and occurring, the film industry will continue to evolve with it. The revenue brought in from each film was overwhelming while the CGI and special effects played a roll in the amputations, explosions, etc. while making the film believable. All in all, films have truly changed since the 1960’s.
References
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Ebert, Roger. “Husbands Movie Review & Film Summary (1970) | Roger Ebert.” RogerEbert.com, Leonard Goldberg, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/husbands-1970.
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