Assignment 2 – Unit 11

Wider Film Theories

This assignment will explore wider film theories including National Cinema meaning,
psychoanalytical film theory, film theory, formalist theory, feminist film theory & National
Cinema.
Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence of the cinema and
provides conceptual frameworks for understanding films relationship to reality the other arts
individual viewers and society at large and there are many different film theories such as
Marxism National Cinema and psychoanalytic. When watching films different people may view
that movie as a different theory depending on their personal view.
Marxism film theory came from the ideas of Karl Marx and have been represented in many
genres ranging from documentary to fictional dramas. The Marxist theories of socialism,
communism, class struggle, ideology and political economy influenced early soviet – era film
makers such as Dziga Vertov and Sergei Eisenstein. Also, Marx's principal work has all been
represented in film, as subjects in their own right. As Karl Max says " society does not consist of
individuals but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals
stand. I believe this quote sums up Marxism".
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/k/karl_marx.html

Marxist Directors
• Ken Loach
• Mike Leigh
• Jean Luc Godard

National Cinema
National cinema is a term used in film theory ad film criticism to describe the films associated
with a specific country. Although there is a little relatively written on theories of national
cinema it has an irrefutably important role in globalization.
A film may be considered to be national cinema of a country based on a number of factors, such
as the country provided the financing for the film, language spoken in the film, the nationality's
or dress of the characters, and the music, setting or cultural elements present in the film.
Psychoanalytic film theory, despite relatively late development, has become one of the most
widely practiced theoretical approaches to cinema studies today. This is thanks to the fact that
psychoanalysis and film technology was born in the same era, and essentially grew up together.
Psychoanalytic film theory unmasks the psychic mechanisms functioning in the unconscious of
the film makers, the audience, the characters, ad specific instances of cinematic discourse. It is
such a difficult theory to understand as Noam Chomsky says "I do not think psychanalysis has
scientific basis. If we can't explain why a cockroach decides to turn left. How can we explain
why a human being decided to do something?" I think this quote shows how diverse this theory
is.
Similarities
When it comes to Marxism and Psychoanalysis and National cinema and Psychoanalysis there
are not many similarities as Marxism focuses on social issues and National cinema focuses on a
country and its traditions. However, when it comes to Marxism and National cinema there are
some differences such as directors, for example Ken Loach is a director who does both fill
theories like in his tickets where he focuses on Marxism but his other films like The Wind that
Shakes the barley can be seen as both Marxism and also, National Cinema. Directors like Ken
loach are why some people see certain films in different ways.
Auteurs in these theories
An auteur is a theory of filmmaking in which the director is considered to be the primary
creative force behind the film. It began in France during World War II. An auteur can be found
in all types of cinema.
A Marxist auteur would be someone like Ken Loach even though he wouldn’t necessarily
consider himself one. Although his work would make some believe he is as he focuses in social
issues like homelessness and labour rights in his films. Other Marxism auteur would be like
directors like Mike Leigh.
A National Cinema Auteur would also be someone like Ken Loach as a lot of his films are based
on a nation and its traditions and history. This is evident in movies like The Wind that Shakes
the Barley.
A psychanalysis auteur would be a director like Alfred Hitchcock because he would always put
a stamp on a film. His style would be instantly recognizable to an audience by the way he makes
the camera move in his films and how he had scenes with no dialogue.
Although not everyone would agree with the auteur theory as Alan Parker says "I always argued
against the auteur theory; films are a collaborative art form. I have had some fantastically good
people help me make the movies "
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/psychoanalysis.html
Usefulness of these theory's
These three film theories are very useful when it comes to wider readings, as I believe they all
have a place in film and will have a place in for a long time to come.
Marxism is very useful to wider film readings because a lot of films focus on Marxist issues such
as social issues like class relations, social conflict etc. Without Marxist theory these would not
really fall under any other film theory. This would make Marxism important to film readings.
Also, National cinema is very important and useful to wider film readings because it shows a
country's cultural and traditions and nonother film theory would focus on hat aspect whereas
national cinema gives the audience an insight to what a country is like and what they wear, eat
etc.
Finally, psychoanalysis film theory is very useful and important to wider film readings as a large
number of films would fall under this and nothing else and psychoanalysis film theory would
have a huge following and would make it extremely important to film readings it will be about
for a long time because it is such a useful reading
Structuralist film theory – the structuralist film theory emphasizes how films convey meaning through
the use of codes and conventions not dissimilar to the way languages are used to construct meaning in
communication. An example of this is understanding how the simple combination of shots can create an
additional idea the blank expression on a person's face, an appetising meal, and then back to the
persons face. While nothing in this sequence literally expresses hunger-or desire- the juxtaposition of
images convey that meaning to the audience. Unravelling this additional meaning can become quite
complex. Lighting, angle, shot duration, juxtaposition, cultural context, and a wide array of other
elements can actively reinforce or undermine a sequence’s meaning.

Formalist film theory - formalist film theory of film study that is focused on formal, or technical,
elements of a film: I.e. the lighting, scoring, sound and set design, use of color, shot composition,
editing. It Is major theory of film study today. Formalism, at its most general, considers the synthesis (or
lack of synthesis) of the multiple elements of film production, and the effects, emotional and
intellectual, of that synthesis and of the individual elements. For example, let's take the single element
of editing. A formalist might study how standard Hollywood "continuity editing" creates more
comforting effect and non-continuity or jump-cut editing might become more disconcerting or volatile.
Or one might consider the synthesis of several elements, such as editing, shot composition, and music.
The shoot-out that ends Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western "Dollars" trilogy is a valid example of how
these elements work together to produce and effect. The shot selection goes from very wide to very
close and tense; the length of shots decreases as the sequence progresses towards it's end; the music
builds.
In conclusion of my work I do believe that the Marxist theory, National Cinema and psychoanalysis,
formalist, structuralist is all extremely important an and useful to wider film readings as I believe that
without these film theories a lot of different films would not fall under any category as a lot of films do
focus specifically on these film theories.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alanparker504583.html

Reference:

http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Criticism-Ideology/Genre-NATIONAL-CINEMA-AND-
GENRE.html

http://sensesofcinema.com/2006/book-reviews/theorising-national-cinema/

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791286/obo-9780199791286-
0052.xml

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791286/obo-9780199791286-
0052.xml

http://tonymckibbin.com/course-notes/psychoanalytic-film-theory

https://mistahsaxton.weebly.com/marxist-theory.html

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791286/obo-9780199791286-
0177.xml

http://tonymckibbin.com/course-notes/formalist-theory

http://www.luxonline.org.uk/articles/theory_and_definition(1).html