art of moving pictures

8/8/2019 Art of Moving Pictures

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The Art of Moving PicturesMisconception about art

It is meant only for those with refined tastes

History suggests otherwise eg. Shakespearean plays,operas of Giuseppe Verdi


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Authors idea

Art of the moving image the only art of our

time

It is our universal art comprises all others,dance, music, literature, acting, stage design,

beauty of nature and the use of light and color


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Why is the moving picture art

Always about us

Uniquely modern

Everybody can understand it 9like the religiousart in the church)

All age groups like the experience

Appeals to all social and economic classes


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The essence of art according to Bettelheim

Not art with a capital A - art that appeals to everyone

That wich creates a uniques, blissful spiritual experience

That which creates an awareness of an overarching, and a

larger, important cosmos


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The detriment to the healthy devt. Of the art of

Moving Pictures

Efforts by aesthetes and critics to isolate the art of film from

popular movies and television

Is contrary to the true spirit of art

Reason whenever art was vital, it was popular witheveryone

Eg. Medieval pageants, mystery plays of Shakespeare,

Michelangelos David


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Art in disparate terms

Should not think of art in varied terms

We need both visions that lift us up and entertainment that is down to

earth

Art should speak to common men and elites alike

Different ones would tear society apart and not lead us to the idea that we

need visions that bind us together, which, in turn gives the feeling that life

is a worthy expereince.


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Examples of three films

Kagemusha the Japanese film the story is set in 16th century, but thehero is of all times of a petty thief who becomes an impostor, grows intogreatness a false existence is turned into a real existence his sacrificebecomes meaningful at the end

Laugh (original title: the Last Man) story of a doorman of a hotel

demoted to cleaning washrooms Patton hero at the highest level of society

All three films affirm man and life a celebration of life


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The purpose of using the three examples

Choice arbitrary

Purpose to illustrate their celebration of life

- in a form that is appropriate to the age


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The problem with our society

Absence of consensus about what it should be, and what life in

the consensus ought to be

Such consensus cannot come from societys present age orfrom imaginations about what it should be

Reason present - too close, too diversified, future too

uncertain

It can come only from a shared understanding of the past


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Consensus

Consensus derived from a long history, ones own language, commonreligion, or common ancestry these contribute to the myths by whichsocieties live

The USA country of immigrants

Has a personality that is asocial and narcissistic this prevents the society

from achieving a consensus Thee is widespread distress at the declining of national morale and the

loss of the earlier vision and purpose


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Individual diversity in the USA

The Americans need consensus about some overarching

vision

It must be based on a myth, - a vision about a common

experience (like the conquest of Troy for Greeks) A common myth offers relief from the fear that life is

purposeless


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Myths

Myths are based on certain core values

They are shared fantasies that form the tie

Myths bind the individual to other members of his group

They lead us to introspect our place by comparing it to ashared idea

Myths help us in keeping away feeling so isolation, guilt,anxiety and purposelessness


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RW B Lewis idea of American Myth

A new glorious world given by God - with a land that wasvacant, fertile

Inexhaustible natural resources

People who came to this world had a special energy, selfreliance, intuitive intelligence and a pure heart

The mission of this land to serve as a moral guide (The GreatAmerican Dream)


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Myths and theWestern movies

The westerns transmitted this myth

Presented the challenge of bringing civilization to places where there wasnone

The dangers involved

The wagon rail symbol of the community that men must form on a

journey to an untamed wilderness (symbol of all the untamed withinourselves)

The western taught us the need for cooperation and civilization

The rail road link between wilderness and civilization


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The hero of the western the gunfighter symbolizes mans

potential to become an outlaw or a sheriff

The role of the sheriff a myth for Americans experiencing

victories and defeats, which made him wiser, learning toaccept the limitations imposed by civilization


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This was a wonderful vision of man made the Americans life

meaningful served as a consensus

But now it has lost most of its vitality, yet the nostalgic

infatuation suggests our need for a myth that couldenlighten us about what it means to be an American today


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Myths for the growing -up

The child needs myths to provide the ideas about difficulties involved inadulthood

Fairy tales can do this to a certain extent

Disney films fail in this respect

The child needs something that deals with the world of the child, theproblems that the child has to face in the process of growing up, to be freefrom all bonds and test his/her strength

The present shows for children talk down, insult the childs intelligence,and lower his/her aspirations


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Analysis of popular shows for children

Some provide fantasies that relive anxieties

Example Superman,WonderWoman and the BionicWoman stimulate

the child to be strong and invulnerable

The Incredible Hulk confrontation with destructive anger the Hulk

attacks only bad people Such shows have a certain value, but do not help in leading them to a

higher level, as myths do


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Science Fiction Movies

Serve as myths about the Future

These present mans powers in the future

They assure us that man would always emerge as the winner man or life

cannot be destroyed

Mans basic concerns that of overpowering the evil to remain the same

Struggle of good against evil not to have lost its importance


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Vision about the Future based on the past

Past and future lasting dimensions of our life present is a fleeting

moment

The visions about the future contain our past examples from StarWars

and theWestern

Modern myths about the future cannot go beyond the search for lifesdeeper meaning, which is the choice between good and evil- if this conflict

is permanently resolved, then the world has no place for man.


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What do the Americans need today

A consensus that includes the idea of individual freedom, and acceptance

of various ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs

Such consensus must rest on moral values

Art can do this as it binds together disparate elements

While for other countries, it is their ancient art, for the USA, it is the art ofmoving picture


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Why the art of moving picture A visual art based on sight and provides us

with visions that connect us to the past

Gives insight into our lives

Tolstoys and Frosts ideas

The mythopoetic idea of delight and wisdom suitable to our modern life

art of moving pictures

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