Cinema of the World: Film and Society from 1895 to Present - Essay Example

NAME : XXXXXXXXXX TUTOR : XXXXXXXXXX TITLE : XXXXXXXXXXX COURSE : XXXXXXXXXX INSTITUTION : XXXXXXXXXX @2009 Introduction World cinema can simply be defined as cinema of the world. It is a global process which has no end or beginning. World cinema has no centre and does not tell us about the others but us. Just as the world itself, world cinema is circulation. However, world cinema is not a discipline; it is a method of cutting across film record as per the waves of relevant films and movements, creating flexible geographies. For a film to be termed as a world cinema, it must fulfill certain requirements. Films that falls within the banner of world cinema contains key critical and theoretical approaches and debates which include race, stardom, euro centrism, post colonialism and neocolonialism, artistic values among others. World cinema includes cinemas from Africa, India, Latin, Central and South America, East Asia, Japan and Australia. For a film to be a world cinema it must be democratic in nature. This means it should apply all kinds of theoretical approaches, as long as they are not founded on the binary perspective. The term world cinema is a valid term as it remains an inspiration to contemporary filmmakers. In this modern era, the concept world cinema better summarizes the discrete and advanced model of filmmaking and distribution (Thompson and Bordwell 2003). Most of the films which we have discussed in this unit fall within this banner. A cinema is classified as a world cinema by its aesthetic and historical characteristics. One important concept to note about world cinema is its location. World cinema is categories created in the western world to refer to artistic products and practices that are mostly non-western. World cinema always tells us about the culture of the host country. World cinema should be evaluated by use of the modern theories. World cinema should not be seen as expressing some of the rigid ‘essence’, rather is should be seen as a forum for contestations discussion in which changing cultural and social meanings are created and fought for (Nowell-Smith 1999). World cinema is characterized by use of local language, local identity representation, politics and ideology. World cinema makes use certain cinematic genres and visual styles such as oral tradition to situate both cultural and political critique in making films. Oral tradition is one of the strategies used by filmmakers to eliminate stereotypes and validate the beliefs and practices of local people. Third world filmmakers uses oral traditions in the form of storytelling to strengthen the community’s sense of identity and serve as a political tool in the struggle for greater control over issues important to the community. Storytelling customs has been used to oppose colonial tales produced by Europeans who wanted to separate local people from their ancestral lands. The local people value their ancestral land and sea very much. For example, in the film Mabo-Life of an Island Man, Indigenous Australians believe that their rights to land are inherited and are determined by intricate social procedures which are founded on customary values, relationship and marriage. As a result, Mabo fights for his land rights even to the point of going to the court (Hill and Church 2000). Food plays a significant role in world cinema. Food is used as a language in world cinema as it exists in a social and cultural setting. In world cinema, food and eating scenes can denote class, power, gender and relationships. World cinema filmmakers have used scenes of eating like table scenes as a means of drawing together their character to provide information and to reveal their personalities and relationships. Food in world cinema tells more about gender. For example, it can tell us if women do cook for their husband and if husbands do eat food cooked by their wives. Food in world cinema is used as a language as it is seen as an excellent medium through which domestic issues, power relations; class and ethnicity issues are revealed to us. For example, when a child refuses to eat it, he/she is expressing her displeasure with the mother and hence it tells us that their relationship is strained. The same also applies when the husband refuses to eat the food cooked by her wife. Most films also use food as a metaphor to express sexual desires. A good example is the Film “Eat Drink Man Woman” which brings out these themes very Cleary. World cinema films largely deal with artistic products, histories and contemporary experiences, often including elements of the oral tradition and folklore. Third world filmmakers mostly use their traditional language. The use of a local language in films means a higher degree of self-determination and decolonization in the process of filming and its cinematic result. In fact, third world films are meant to preserve that pass on cultural knowledge from one generation to the other. Hence, it is desirable to make use of a local language to make third world films than to use foreign languages. Producing films in local languages helps to prevent such languages from total degradation. Use of local languages in films provides a means for publicizing the community’s beliefs, traditions, customs and values as languages serve as a memory bank of the beliefs, traditions, customs and values of the people. The use of local languages in different forms and level in films also enhances the aesthetic aspects of the film. Such films can also be used in informal classrooms where students can be taught these languages. As a result, local languages will continue to exit (Hansen M. 2000a). Indigenous films are fall within the brackets of world cinema. Indigenous films are films that depict Indigenous people, issues and stories. They are films which are mostly made by Indigenous Australians. Indigenous films form a significant part of Australia's culture. The representation of Indigenous issues and people in film provides an exclusive insight into the correlation of Australia with its Indigenous people and traditions. Indigenous films provide a means of expression for Indigenous experience and Indigenous culture. Indigenous films tend to show areas in which indigenous people have been marginalized. For example, in the case of Mabo, we find that all the judges in the High courts were Europeans, there was no a single indigenous judge. However, we find that although the case was heard 10 years after Mabo had died, the Commonwealth parliament passed the Native title Act in 1993 which gave the indigenous people the right to own traditional land In terms of politics and ideology, world cinema tends to be ideologically conventional. They include films with safe or inoffensive politics. These films might critic the local or western power regimes, but they are mostly reconciliatory rather than radical or violent. For instance, the film ‘smoke signal by Cris Eyre 1998 gently criticizes the white society and racist treatment of native Americans. Through the art of storytelling, the filmmaker takes the narratives of failure and victimization and turns it to one of success. In this film, the break up of the Victor’s family displaying the worsening relationship between victor and his son is a good depiction of the inadvertent complicity of the Native Americans in their own subjugation by the white society rendering them useless. This film also shows that the Native Americans have played an active role in their own history, their own often ingenious and diverse ways of resisting what turned out to be awful challenges. This film is wholeheartedly affirmative in nature showing that with responsible actions the Native American can effectively challenge the American culture, discover themselves, protect their heritage and culture and participate in the larger American society. The film also emphasizes the notions of redemption and reconciliation aiming at resolving the tension between a father and son. This movie has a universal theme of forgiveness and friendship which every person can identify with. Third world films are meant to reconnect people with their very old relationships and traditions. Third world films transmit beliefs and feelings that help revive storytelling and restore the old foundation (Hansen M. 2000b). Most world cinema films carry the theme of reconciliation. For example, the Film’ Liyarn Ngarn’, which is written in the Yawuru language, means "Coming Together of the Spirit". It describes the thirty years’ undertaking of the Indigenous ruler and Yawura man, Patrick Dodson, to bring about a permanent and actual reconciliation between indigenous people and the white settlers. This film describes the destruction and cruelty bought upon Indigenous people in all areas of their every day life. The film also highlights incidences of injustices committed to Indigenous people when the son of an Indigenous English actor Pete Postlethwaite dies tragically. The aim of this film is to raise people’s sensitivity and outlook of Indigenous people (Stephanie and Song 2006). There is still a colonial mindset in the world of cinema. Colonialism is based upon the idea of domination and superiority. The neo-colonialism world cinema theory emerged in the 1960s when most Latin Americans countries were fighting to achieve independence. Films which were created in this time had one major theme, liberation. They struggle for the universal decolonization of the mind. For example, the film ‘Black Shack Alley’ by Joseph Zobel was among the first films to portray the black consciousness in revolt against French colonial rule in Martinique between World War I and II. In this film, Zobel depict a young boy Jose, who continuously struggles to estrange himself from the colonial Martinique world and incorporate himself to a successful world with the whites and the French. Jose sees education as the only catalyst against the politics of colonial oppression. Ma Tine, Hassam grandmother is determined not to let Hassam become a slave or a worker in the sugar cane plantation like her by encouraging Hassam to become a hardworking and ambitious boy. According to her, this was the only was Hassam cloud succeed in the colonial environment of Martinique in the 1920s. Through handwork, Hassam passes his exams and obtains a scholarship to study in France. Zobel uses the images of passion and freedom to allow Hassam to become successful in Martinique colonial environment. Zobel depicts Hassan as having the desire to learn and succeed in school and desire to have freedom in his life when he escape from the sugar cane plantation industry to pursue a bachelors degree in France (Miller and Stam 2004). The invasive trope of colonial encounter, with its European focal characters and masses of silenced "others" that signify the unknown, reveals an underlying Eurocentrism in third world cinema. Eurocentrism is a philosophy that prioritizes European and Euro-American history and customs as the fundamental, leading, and advanced measure of human achievement. Third world films depict the mystery of colonial move and experiences and they manifest cultural difference as being primitive. They thus express dominant racializing tropes that convey the cinematic creation of race in the social sciences to the accepted imagination through spectacular storytelling and cinematic exhibition. By being Eurocentric, third world films tend to minimize the oppressive practices of Europeans, such as slave trade, colonialism and imperialism, by regarding them as exceptional, unplanned and conditional. World cinema films tend to discuss cleavages of civilization, gender, race, class and state. According to third world films, no race, class or state that is more superior to others whether in terms of knowledge, beauty or power. It is an object of knowledge obliquely link third world societies, the films, genre and diverse cultural differences (Shohat and Stam 1994). World cinema films are hegemonic in nature. The third world cinema film industry play the hegemonic part by providing self-justifying stories in which colonist filmmakers expressed the colonizer perception. They do this by providing an optimistic turn of the chronological massacre of Indigenous peoples. They also reiterate the moral relevance of policies that gave the local people the right to own properties from. World cinema films build on the tradition that most of the local people grow up with, for example the myth of homogeneity, slavery and inferiority of Indigenous culture; the heroism and honor of colonist residents; and the myth that local people are dominated peoples. It is not surprisingly then that most films in the period 1850-1890 highlighted the period when the Indigenous people were at their weakest and most distressed. These films send a common message that the Indigenous people ought to be killed and that Indigenous cultures would certainly vanish. For them, Indigenous cultures were outdated, inferior, and had little to offer to the modern world (Stephanie and Song 2006). World cinema tends to facilitates communication among intellectuals and masses by producing film geared towards education and dialogue. For instance, the film Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa depicts the rape of a woman and the apparent murder of her husband through the widely varying statement of four witnesses. This film is contradictory in nature and does not provide us with a clear solution; rather the director leaves us with a question to find answers for ourselves. He leaves us to find out the truth, if there is any truth at all. In this way, he provides a forum for educational debates and knowledge advances. Rashomon film emphasizes on the subjectivity of truth and according to this film there is nothing like objective truth. The formation of the psychosexual theories based on gender identities have led to a search for gender representation in film. Women are increasingly participating in filmmaking leading to portrayal of issues affecting women in the society. In the world cinema we have witnessed a situation whereby women are being recognized in filmmaking and women are using films to air their discrepancies. World cinema films have tended to addresses issues of injustices committed against women. For example, in the film Moolaaade by Sembene centers on the injustice of female genital mutilation (FGM). In the film, Colle Gallo Ardo Sy says no to her daughter circumcision. As a result, four young girls going to hide themselves in her house because they don’t want to be circumcised. At a certain point in the film, one girl is unable to urinate after being circumcised, where as, other two girls decide to commit suicide rather than going through the circumcision process. This film advocates for the abolition of Female Genital Mutilation. In the same film, we also note that Indigenous men have more power than women and most often they suppress them, where as first wife has more power than second wife. This film endeavors to that raise the awareness of an injustice affecting hundreds of disfranchised women in many African countries. It also advocate for the need of better democracy where women are respected and allowed to participate in the decision making processes, especially on matters that affect them directly (Miller and Stam 2004). Another third world cinema film which has a feministic approach is the ‘Black Chicks Talking’ film by Brendan Fletcher and Leah Purcell reveals the current political and social issues affecting women through conducting interviews with five indigenous women from regions surrounding Australia. Purcell explores and examines the attitudes, concerns and voices of these indigenous women she is aware of and those she gets to know as she interviews them. By doing this we get an in depth truth of the issues affecting women such as loss of siblings, living with alcoholic husbands and domestic violence. This film has acted as a medium where the voices and concerns of indigenous women are amplified and it is geared towards women empowerment. The film ‘Monsoon weeding’ by Mira Nair also addresses some of the social issues affecting women such as arranged marriages. In this film, the father arranges for the wedding of her daughter during the romantic monsoon season in New Delphi. This is quite interesting especially in this 21st century, despite the fact that his daughter is a well-educated and independent woman. This film however, might help change the western views of Indian women. For example, a contemporary Indian woman shows her submissiveness when she agrees to marry a husband that has been chosen for her. In this way, her father led her to the altar and hand her over to the husband. Many young women in the world would desire to marry a wealthy and educated man like Parvin Dabas, Aditi’s husband to be. This film also brings out the issue about child sexual abuse which is also a rampant problem in the modern world. Just as in the modern world, it is not surprising that the little girl Aaliya is raped by a senior and respected close member of the family and just as what happens in this world, the family of the raped girl tried to keep quite about the whole issue. Films also act as medium through which cultural norms are changed and shaped (Chapman 2003). The depiction of third world traditions in films is an impetus for social change. They have the power to reach various communities and can have a significant impact on their lives. For example; the film Whale Rider is talks of the indigenous people and their great efforts to preserve their culture. Though this film is not meant to deal with the issue of indigenous Health, it describe the social and cultural factors which can negatively affect the health of the Indigenous people like congested and poorly constructed houses, unemployment, alcohol and drugs abuse, and poor eating habits. This film was set in Whangara, New Zealand and tells the tale of the life of Maori community frantically waiting for its new leader. A man who is believed will deliver them from darkness to light. According to the people in this town, all their chiefs come from the whale rider, as their original ancestor came on the back of a whale. Their current chief, Koro, is a man who is deeply entrenched to his traditions (Gledhill and Williams 2000). World cinema films although created with a particular country in mind, they contain themes which are universal in nature. For example, the film ‘Eat Drink Man Woman’, though filmed entirely in Taiwan, its themes are universal. The problems that are experienced by the Chu family are experienced by any other family in the world. We have at some point in time experienced the challenges of communication across the generation gap just as this family. Just as Chu does not express his love for his daughter just like many people in the world hide their emotions as it is believed that to express one’s emotions is to admit vulnerability (Generatne and Dissanayake 2003). World cinema films are inspirational in nature. A good example is the film ‘Great Debaters’ by Denzel Washington which is an inspirational film for college students and right activists. It shows how much African Americans value education and yearn for equality. For instance, Senior Farmer becomes the first African-American to earn a doctorate in Texas and his son who is a leader of the civil-rights movement established a Congress of Racial Equality. It depicts the ugliness and viciousness of the southern racism and the extreme poverty of the agrarian South during the Depression. It highlights the humiliations and persecutions that black people go through as a result of their color. It strongly shuns racism and admires a future whereby we will be able to leave peacefully with each other despite their skin color. For instance, when the Senior Farmer accidentally runs over a pig, the pig’s owner humiliates him greatly at the presence of his family and friends (Chapman 2003). In conclusion, world cinema is artistic and political project which contains principles that guides film producers in countries such as Africa, Japan, Indian, Australia, Asia and Latin, Central and South America. World cinema depicts political, social and cultural issues affecting people in these countries. Such films may be filmed in these countries or in the western countries. World cinema films forms an activist atmosphere and deliver, in a confident way, the disillusionment of a failed revolution or express the frustration with class, gender, racial and colonial exploitation. The power of the world cinema films to convey social interpretation with the sole purpose of stirring change cannot be understated. References Chapman J 2003. Cinema of the world: Film and Society from 1895 to present. London: Reaktion. Generatne A. and Dissanayake W. 2003. Rethinking Third cinema. New York: Routledge. Gledhill C. and Williams L. 2000. Reinventing film studies. London: Arnold. Hansen M. 2000a ‘The mass production of senses: Classical cinema as vernacular modernism’, in Gledhill C. and Williams L. Reinventing film studies. London: Arnold, 332-50. Hansen M. 2000b ‘fallen women rising stars, new horizon: Cultural influence of Hollywood film in Shanghai, China, in the 1920s and 1930s’, Films Quarterly, 54(1) 10-22. Hill J. and Church G. 2000. World cinema: Critical approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Miller T. and Stam R. 2004. A companion to film theory. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell. Stam R. 2000. Film theory: An introduction. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell. Nowell-Smith G. 1999 The Oxford history of world cinema. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Shohat E. and Stam R. 1994. Unthinking Eurocentricm: Multiculturalism and the media. New York. Routledge. Stephanie D. and Song H.L 2006. Remapping world cinema: identity, culture and politics in films. Great Britain, Wallflower Press. Thompson K. and Bordwell D. 2003. Film history: An introduction (2ed) New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More

Third world filmmakers uses oral traditions in the form of storytelling to strengthen the community’s sense of identity and serve as a political tool in the struggle for greater control over issues important to the community. Storytelling customs has been used to oppose colonial tales produced by Europeans who wanted to separate local people from their ancestral lands. The local people value their ancestral land and sea very much. For example, in the film Mabo-Life of an Island Man, Indigenous Australians believe that their rights to land are inherited and are determined by intricate social procedures which are founded on customary values, relationship and marriage.

As a result, Mabo fights for his land rights even to the point of going to the court (Hill and Church 2000). Food plays a significant role in world cinema. Food is used as a language in world cinema as it exists in a social and cultural setting. In world cinema, food and eating scenes can denote class, power, gender and relationships. World cinema filmmakers have used scenes of eating like table scenes as a means of drawing together their character to provide information and to reveal their personalities and relationships.

Food in world cinema tells more about gender. For example, it can tell us if women do cook for their husband and if husbands do eat food cooked by their wives. Food in world cinema is used as a language as it is seen as an excellent medium through which domestic issues, power relations; class and ethnicity issues are revealed to us. For example, when a child refuses to eat it, he/she is expressing her displeasure with the mother and hence it tells us that their relationship is strained. The same also applies when the husband refuses to eat the food cooked by her wife.

Most films also use food as a metaphor to express sexual desires. A good example is the Film “Eat Drink Man Woman” which brings out these themes very Cleary. World cinema films largely deal with artistic products, histories and contemporary experiences, often including elements of the oral tradition and folklore. Third world filmmakers mostly use their traditional language. The use of a local language in films means a higher degree of self-determination and decolonization in the process of filming and its cinematic result.

In fact, third world films are meant to preserve that pass on cultural knowledge from one generation to the other. Hence, it is desirable to make use of a local language to make third world films than to use foreign languages. Producing films in local languages helps to prevent such languages from total degradation. Use of local languages in films provides a means for publicizing the community’s beliefs, traditions, customs and values as languages serve as a memory bank of the beliefs, traditions, customs and values of the people.

The use of local languages in different forms and level in films also enhances the aesthetic aspects of the film. Such films can also be used in informal classrooms where students can be taught these languages. As a result, local languages will continue to exit (Hansen M. 2000a). Indigenous films are fall within the brackets of world cinema. Indigenous films are films that depict Indigenous people, issues and stories. They are films which are mostly made by Indigenous Australians. Indigenous films form a significant part of Australia's culture.

The representation of Indigenous issues and people in film provides an exclusive insight into the correlation of Australia with its Indigenous people and traditions. Indigenous films provide a means of expression for Indigenous experience and Indigenous culture. Indigenous films tend to show areas in which indigenous people have been marginalized. For example, in the case of Mabo, we find that all the judges in the High courts were Europeans, there was no a single indigenous judge. However, we find that although the case was heard 10 years after Mabo had died, the Commonwealth parliament passed the Native title Act in 1993 which gave the indigenous people the right to own traditional land In terms of politics and ideology, world cinema tends to be ideologically conventional.

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