Great piece! Here’s a good way to know if you’re doing pure Cinema: translate the film into another medium and see how much is lost. To me, the quintessential examples are the Sergio Leone Westerns.
-They cannot be made as books because the story and dialogue are minimal.
-They cannot be played in theater - because Leone needs your attention directed where he tells you (for the shot to work).
-They cannot be made into comic books - because the music and synchronous rhythms are essential parts of the scenes.
This is a helpful way to think of any medium. What does it offer that can’t be replicated in another form. Your comment crystallized a few thoughts I’ve been working through. Thanks
Cinema often lives between two images. Between Lawrence of Arabia admiring the Sheik's clothes gifted to him in the reflection of his knife, and where he looks down in horror at the same knife, now caked in blood after a senseless slaughter, lives a cinematic story about a complex, conflicted and fascinating man.
I've always thought the essence of cinema is that it's imagery that moves. The very word "cinematography" mean "writing in movement". A still image is not cinema.
You really hit the nail on the head though by also pointing out that the true power in cinema is in the cut.
Movement and editing this is what makes the form of cinema.
And this: "By focusing on isolated images, we are replacing the ineffable with the Instagrammable." What bang on ending!
You'll make a great filmmaker someday if you ever want to be.
Completely agree with you. Social media is an area of REDUCTION. So instead of expanding thought, it reduces everything to ONE impression. One feeling. One image. Not to forget idiotic posts such as "the greatest tracking shot in the history of cinema" or "the longest running dolly shot." Etc...
One is that we are trying to centre the meaning of a medium in some single part of it, while what we need is a holistic picture. The same problem is present in literature. Instead of trying to craft profound meaning conveyed throughout the entire text, some authors turn writing into a hunt for a perfect quote, forcing characters to utter pretentious gibberish or uttering it themselves.
The other side is mimicking a separate medium. A problem often found in videogames. In developer's attempts to make their games look like cinema, they lose much of the medium's interactive depth.
Bladerunner 2049 I'd a terrible movie. A flat Xerox copy of the original. Emotionless Characters you don't care about one bit. Villeneuve is all about style. All his movies are lije that. Pretty pictures with emotionless characters.
Besides, I can picture an ordinary image, which still works beautifully with movement and music, and a beautiful one that leaves me cold, because there’s nothing really there.
Would you say that this is related to the prevalence of evaluating films based on how it serves the ego of its observer rather than what the film actually is as an art piece/organism?
I agree completely. Yes, I like these shots in trailers . . . But it does feel cheep. And they become branded, "lifted" from context in our social media age.
Strong argument and a reminder to witness the motion in motion picture. I'm glad you referred to that Bresson book so much. Nuggets galore in there. Another one that might be relevant is this: "The most ordinary word, when put into place, suddenly acquires brilliance. That is the brilliance with which your images must shine."
Great piece! Here’s a good way to know if you’re doing pure Cinema: translate the film into another medium and see how much is lost. To me, the quintessential examples are the Sergio Leone Westerns.
-They cannot be made as books because the story and dialogue are minimal.
-They cannot be played in theater - because Leone needs your attention directed where he tells you (for the shot to work).
-They cannot be made into comic books - because the music and synchronous rhythms are essential parts of the scenes.
They can only be films. Pure Cinema.
Thanks Ax!
This is a helpful way to think of any medium. What does it offer that can’t be replicated in another form. Your comment crystallized a few thoughts I’ve been working through. Thanks
Cinema often lives between two images. Between Lawrence of Arabia admiring the Sheik's clothes gifted to him in the reflection of his knife, and where he looks down in horror at the same knife, now caked in blood after a senseless slaughter, lives a cinematic story about a complex, conflicted and fascinating man.
Exactly! Thanks Alar.
This is absolutely your best stack Ed!
I've always thought the essence of cinema is that it's imagery that moves. The very word "cinematography" mean "writing in movement". A still image is not cinema.
You really hit the nail on the head though by also pointing out that the true power in cinema is in the cut.
Movement and editing this is what makes the form of cinema.
And this: "By focusing on isolated images, we are replacing the ineffable with the Instagrammable." What bang on ending!
You'll make a great filmmaker someday if you ever want to be.
Ah mate that's so kind - thank you! Really glad you enjoyed it.
It was honestly reading the Bresson book that unlocked it for me. Would strongly recommend if you haven't already read it.
It's a great book that. Very small little morsels too.
I have now put Bresson's book on my to-read list!
Excellent post! This sums up my feelings about this that I haven't been able to put into words.
Thanks Jim! I'd likewise been struggling to articulate this - it was reading the Bresson book that started to unlock things for me...
Completely agree with you. Social media is an area of REDUCTION. So instead of expanding thought, it reduces everything to ONE impression. One feeling. One image. Not to forget idiotic posts such as "the greatest tracking shot in the history of cinema" or "the longest running dolly shot." Etc...
A great read.
It's a problem with two sides.
One is that we are trying to centre the meaning of a medium in some single part of it, while what we need is a holistic picture. The same problem is present in literature. Instead of trying to craft profound meaning conveyed throughout the entire text, some authors turn writing into a hunt for a perfect quote, forcing characters to utter pretentious gibberish or uttering it themselves.
The other side is mimicking a separate medium. A problem often found in videogames. In developer's attempts to make their games look like cinema, they lose much of the medium's interactive depth.
That's a v.interesting point re videogames - I hadn't thought about it like that before. Thanks!
Phenomenal post. Hear, hear!
Ah thanks mate! Appreciate it!
I'm here for the Bladerunner 2049 references! 💚 🥃
Villeneuve army let’s go
🫡
Movies, like music, only exist as an experience passing with times, through times. You can’t capture its meaning or beauty in stillness, only a shell
Bladerunner 2049 I'd a terrible movie. A flat Xerox copy of the original. Emotionless Characters you don't care about one bit. Villeneuve is all about style. All his movies are lije that. Pretty pictures with emotionless characters.
I loved it!
Besides, I can picture an ordinary image, which still works beautifully with movement and music, and a beautiful one that leaves me cold, because there’s nothing really there.
Good shit mate, thanks for the read. Different mediums for different purposes. A film should not just be a slideshow without purpose or emotion.
Thanks so much mate! Appreciate the comment. I agree!
Yes, more of this please 🫰🗣👏
Would you say that this is related to the prevalence of evaluating films based on how it serves the ego of its observer rather than what the film actually is as an art piece/organism?
Thank you Charlotte! More to come!
Interesting, I’d never thought about it in those terms before… will noodle on it some more
I agree completely. Yes, I like these shots in trailers . . . But it does feel cheep. And they become branded, "lifted" from context in our social media age.
Strong argument and a reminder to witness the motion in motion picture. I'm glad you referred to that Bresson book so much. Nuggets galore in there. Another one that might be relevant is this: "The most ordinary word, when put into place, suddenly acquires brilliance. That is the brilliance with which your images must shine."
In other words, context is everything!
Thank you! That quote is 🔥🔥
✌🏾
I totally agree with this! I will never not be impressed by elegant camera movement and rhythmic editing