http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5wHMgTPF-sContextual Studies 4/2/10
JAN SVANKMAJER
'Shock and incomprehension are probably the first reactions to the films of Jan Svankmajer. The imagery is violent, witty and disturbing in its transformations and juxtapositions of objects, materials and beings. The humour is black and the editing rhythm's sharp and remorseless. Moreover, for Westerners, the films don't fit readily into any tradition, genre or filmic category:to describe Svankmajer simply as an animator would be misleading. His use of puppets and trick photography signals roots and references and an aesthetic that, at first, are deeply perplexing. The work induces a kind of critical and cultural trauma, and reveals a technical brilliance and soaring of imagination rare in cinema today.'
Michael O'Pray
(Monthly Film Bulletin no.630, July 1986)
Today's session will feature the Czech Surrealist filmaker Jan Svankmajer and the German animator Lotte Reiniger. Both taking the art of collage to extreme lengths.
Svankmajer is a prolific filmmaker who has made a steady stream of films from 1964 up until the present day. He is often named as being a big influence on today's subversive filmmakers Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, The brother Quay, and Shane Acker. (amongst others) One of the films I am going to show today 'Dimensions of Dialogue' (1980) was selected by Terry Gilliam as one of the '10 best animated films of all time.'
Svankmajer's films are often characterised by their exaggerated sounds, fast motion sequences, and stop-motion animation. His references weave through poetry and literature, and his obsessions are evident: effigies, disembowelment, bodily ruptures, cannibalism, disgorgement, surrealist lists and a macabre wit. Not too distant from Max Ernst's collages of fiendish and delectable nightmares, and reminiscent of the American surrealist Joseph Cornell's 'boxes'.
In 1972 Svankmajer was banned by the communist authorities from making films and many of his later films were also suppressed. As a result he didn't really come to prominence in the West until the 1980's.
LOTTE REINIGER
(1899-1981)
Altogether Reiniger has made nearly 60 films.
From the first, Reiniger was attracted to timeless fairy-tale stories for her animations. Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty were among her earliest subjects. She made the specific animation technique of silhouette animation, her own. Taking the ancient art of shadow-plays, as perfected predominantly in China and Indonesia, and adapting it superbly for cinema.
The avant-garde artist and filmmaker Hans Richter was a life long friend and wrote of her that 'she belonged to the avant-garde as far as independent production and courage were concerned' even though the spirit of her work perhaps harked back to an early innocent age.
Her work seems particularly relevant today with the explosion of artists using card cut out techniques in their work, and significantly with the new exhibition of Afro Modern which has just opened at Tate Liverpool. Expressly influencing 'cut out' artists Kara Walker and Ellen Gallagher.
At the end of the Contextual studies session you are invited to post a comment about the fims shown.
Out of all the films we watched I only liked the shadow play of cinderella, nothing else made any scence and they all made me feel uncomfortable, they repeated unusual confusing scenes that I didnt enjoy watching.
ReplyDeleteThe use of shadows was so advanced, considering the time when it was made as well, the detail that went into creating each character, and the movement, is pretty special.
ReplyDeletethe introduction of colour, however does not have the same impact, although the introducing a blue background to represent night, in the Cinderella film was a good touch
using several layers of tracing paper is just something you would not think of normally using
From the collection of films we watched Cinderella was the one that I enjoyed the most. After watching the documentary and seeing how much time and patience goes into the process of making a shadow animation, I thought the completed film was great and the detail of the characters amazing.
ReplyDeleteI found jan svankmajer's films the most interesting of the two, more so the ones using plasticine. They where humours and I could see his influence from Edgar Allen Poe.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I found the stone film repetitive I admired the creative process, the same goes for Lotte Reiniger's work which I was interested in at first but the novelty wore off quickly.
Admittedly, I found all of the films impressive and revolutionary in their own right, however, Cinderella impressed me the most. Considering the date and era from which it was made, the effects and fluency of the whole animation was extraordinary and with the addition of sound could still be very popular today with young children.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I feel the technique of using silhouetted images added to the mystical effect and allowed the viewer to portray the characters in their own way through their imagination.
Death and destruction was a common theme through out all of the films, which was the most vivid in ‘the ossuary’ this disturbing film was the only one I can say I liked. I must say that I still appreciate the techniques used in all the film. I also was impressed by the delicacy in Cinderella.
ReplyDelete