Females + the Film Industry

It was probably going to happen eventually and writing about Jane Campion got me thinking about women in the film industry, so here’s my rant about it…

There are many people in the film (and television) industry that I greatly admire, respect and gain inspiration from. I wrote about Tarantino a few weeks ago, as he is one such example, but I find it difficult to think of females who have that same sort of impact upon me. That’s not to say that there aren’t talented filmmakers that are women, because clearly they are but the industry is one that is still very male dominated.

Sofia Coppola and Jane Campion are two of my favourite directors – but that’s only two out of who knows how many. As someone aspiring to become a part of this brilliant industry, it becomes difficult to imagine it really happening when so few women have actually made a name for themselves.

I find it such a relief when a film that is written or directed by a woman is actually a good piece of cinema, as we need to prove that we are more than capable of creating great works of art, because we are. This is why women such as Catherine Hardwicke irritate me so much, because I feel that her lack of talent reflects badly on female filmmakers. Others may disagree, but it’s my blog and that’s my opinion!

All too often, female roles are written by males – how are they going to be a satisfactory exploration if the role hasn’t even come from a female in the first place? There have been some good female roles written by men and Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) from Alien is certainly a great example but I feel that it’s something that doesn’t happen enough.

I think another quote from Jane Campion is suitable to finish with:

“I would love to see more women directors because they represent half of the population – and gave birth to the whole world. Without them writing and being directors, the rest of us are not going to know the whole story.”

(And a picture of Ellen Ripley being awesome)

Sunrise

As part of my film course at uni, we have to create a blog and update it each week with our thoughts on what we watched or discussed, as well as other things that we've found that may have inspired us in some way... I found the template of the uni blog site thing a bit vapid, so decided to create a lovely alternate blog here...

So the first film that we watched last week was a silent film called 'Sunrise - A Song of Two Humans' (1927).

‘This song of the Man and his Wife is of no place and every place; you might hear it anywhere, at any time. For wherever the sun rises and sets, in the city’s turmoil or under the open sky on a farm, life is much the same; sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet.’

Thus reads the first title cards of the silent film directed by F.W. Murnau. These are used to introduce the characters to the audience and the premise of the film. After the opening they are seldom used (because apparently Murnau disliked using them) therefore allowing the other elements of the film to convey the narrative. 

‘Sunrise’ worked well without the use of many story cards not only because it is a simple concept to follow, but also because the other elements (music, camera, performance etc.) work so effectively that it easy to keep up with what happens on screen.

The music is very effective in portraying the mood of the film and also to set the pace, emphasising the characters emotions and actions. For example, before the man takes his wife out in the boat his movements are very strained and he looks as if he is literally being weighed down – his shoulders are hunched and his head is bowed down. The music captures this feeling – using a constant and repetitive beat, in a low note to emphasise his emotions and reluctance to do what was planned. The repetition in the music also creates suspense – as it remains constant without building up. This creates a feeling of tension as we know what direction the film is moving in and we want to know whether he will drown his wife and what will happen next.

With all the great technology that exists today, it is sometimes so easy to forget that it wasn’t always the same. When I think about some of the techniques that were used in this film (for example the use of superimposition which was created during the filming process) I feel a stronger sense of respect for the film-makers and am amazed by what they achieved and can understand how it inspired many films after its release. 

And now for something a bit different...

I just saw a link to this video on someone else's blog and have to post it here because it is an excellent piece of editing. It features clips of films from 2010 which doesn't sound like much but is a reminded me how much I love films, or reinforced my love of films!