photographs taken, or rather, created, by yours truly. haha.
teddy (click here to download powerpoint file.)
On Audience, Actor, and Star. ||| On Space, Time, and Motion in Film. February 20, 2007
In Stanley Cavell’s essay “Audience, Actor, and Star,” some differences between film and theater are discussed. Cavell stated that theater is obviously performed live while film is taped or recorded. The performers in theater are really present, while in film, the audience does not actually see the performers live. In theater, the performer should avoid committing mistakes since the performance is done live. On the other hand, in film, actors have the advantage of committing mistakes. In theater, the performer is more of a character. Then in film, the performer is more of an actor.
A film star usually portrays almost the same roles among his or her movies. He or she has already created an identity, which the audience expects to see every time they watch a movie that this particular star is in. For example, Brad Pitt is known on having the ‘leading man’ role in most of his films. In Babel, however, he portrayed a role which I think is somehow off his usual role. The role he portrayed in Babel required too much from him than his other movies. Nonetheless, Brad Pitt still went well with his role in Babel.
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According to Alexander Sesonske, films occupy a different space as to the ‘natural space.’ The space that movies occupy is dubbed in Sesonske’s essay as ‘cinema space.’ The film Babel is both visually and audibly good. Its fine cinematography blends well with the audio aspect of the film. The background music comes in harmony with the scenes. And these two aspects, I say, make the viewers ‘feel’ the film.
Since films have this power on time, which, through editing, the past, present, and future in a movie could be drawn together, and the right order (past first, then present, then future) could not be the sequence in the film. The time in film can be played around. In the film Babel, there are actually three stories that actually happen simultaneously. And these three stories are connected to each other. So the filmmaker played with the three stories in the film, as regards to time and progression.
Woman as Image, Man as Bearer of the Look – Laura Mulvey February 6, 2007
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According to Laura Mulvey, like many other authors or individuals in general believe, there exists a sexual imbalance in this world. Of course, it is evident. Men are believed, viewed to and most of the time, they really play the major role(s) in almost everything in this world. And women, most of the time since once upon a time, play the minor roles. Women have been considered the ‘second sex.’
Most films, of course, exhibit reality. Or at least, they show what is closest to reality. Therefore, this gender inequality or sexual imbalance is as well portrayed in most films, except those that uplift the female gender.
Mulvey said that women in films hold two roles as performers: first, to be viewed by the co-performer (male) and second, by the male audience.
In the movie In The Mood for Love, particular body parts of the woman (Maggie Cheung) is always being focused. These body parts are those that interest men most. The actress, like how Mulvey sees it, is being viewed by different kinds of viewers. First is the co-performer (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai). Secondly, the “audience.” The audience comprise both the movie viewers themselves and as well those who work behind the camera, like the director, set crew, etc.
Also, the female viewers, on the other hand, may view the actress as how the male viewers see her, or have a view of her in another way.
A female audience may either put herself in the position of a “male viewer” or in the position of the “female actress” as an image. A female audience may as well put herself into both positions, depending on the situation.
For example, there are scenes in the film that she could relate to. Perhaps, times like these, she would rather be in the position of the “actress”. She could easily put herself into the “image” since she somehow knows how it feels like to be in the shoes of the actress.
But, during moments in the film where there is no complications at all, and there is no need for you to dwell upon the scenes (e.g. scene where a girl is walking) and all you could do as a viewer is to solely view what you see on screen, these are the times where you can transform into JUST a viewer, staring at the woman, at her body, her movements, etc.
Also, when a female viewer cannot relate at all to what the actress is doing or portraying, this could also be the time that a female viewer could transform into only a viewer, and become part of the male audience, who plays the “bearer of the look.”
