Component 1 Section A

 Component 1 Section 1

-       - Hollywood 1930-1990 (comparative study)

The Golden Age or the classical era

- Rise of studios around 1910 with the dominance of studios which are present today.

-      -  By the 1920’s the “studio system” was securely established with the big five dominating film production.

-       20^th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount, MGM and Warner. 

 

THE STUDIO SYSTEM

 

-       Powerful studios because they were vertically integrated 

-       Produced, distributed and exhibited films

-       Consolidated all production under their studio

-       Studios focused one genre e.g. Western, Musical, Horror and Gangster 

-       Compared to productions of Ford cars on a conveyer belt

-       Highly popular with audiences

-       Dominant genre’s – Formulaic – fulfilled audience expectations 

-       Films are a commodity. 

 

THE STAR SYSTEM

 

-       Particular actors signed up for long and unbreakable contracts to a studio – seldom left.

-       Typed cast in one role linked to genre. 

 

HOLLYWOOD OLD AND NEW: AN OVERVIEW

 

-       Golden “old” or classical age: 1920’s – 1948

-       New 1948 – if consider the decline after Paramount Laws. Exhibitions/theatres. 

-       Some take 1960 as a new departure – new generation of directors: relaxing of the Hays code (eventually abolished 1965 and replaced by MPAA, moving picture association of America). 

-       In cinematic rather than historical sense we refer to a new departure since the 1990’s as “new”. 

-       Strictly speaking. Contemporary refers to productions in the last ten years, but also referred to when films since the 1990’s are examined. 

 

MAINSTREAM VS INDIE

 

-       There is now an established independent cinema stream to compete alongside blockbusters and mainstream cinema.

-       The tensions and conflict between these two traditions has waned, often with an overlap. 

-       Mainstream funding from major studios for high concept big budget films aimed at wide audiences has coexisted with a steady flow and high popularity of indie films looking at alternative values and ideologies. 

 

RISE AND FALL OF THE STUDIO SYSTEM

 

-       Debate and controversy about the decline of the golden age. 

 

Whilst critics do not debate or refute the dates, they argue over its perceived decline and power. 

Without debate about the 1920’s as the heyday of the system and the dominance of the big 5.

Debate about the significance of 1948 as the moment of decline.

Even with the new steady flow of new blood in the 1970’s (Spielberg, Scorsesee, Cassavetes, Parker) many argue that the arrangements of the studio system, the mode of production and audience’s preference for popular genres has been residual in contemporary Hollywood today. 

 

 

SOME LIKE IT HOT (BILLY WILDER, 1959)

 

Key elements of film form

 

Representation

 

Wider contexts – social, cultural, historical and political context

 

AUTUER as the specialist area of focus – other work by Wilder 

 

Key summary: 

 

-       Set in 1929, the time of the great depression. 

-       Different social groups are presented, gender and femininity. 

-       The conservative era is beginning to diminish in the late 50’s, civil rights movement, Rosa Parks on the bus. 

-       Boot legging (illegal selling of alcohol, speak-easies.

-       The social norms and values of the days dictated the films genre and tone. 

-       The comedic aspects are built around the them identity, disguise and cross-dressing and had to use humour as a vehicle for the more progressive and controversial themes at the centre (Hays Code). 

 

Overview:

 

Two friends – musicians Joe and Jerry, witness a massacre by the Italian mafia and so they need to leave town. (Gangster films at the time documented crime and racketeering in Chicago, following the notorious Al Capone or “Scarface”). 

 

The depression has set in and there is poverty. The two musicians Jack Lennon and Tony Curtis can be employed in a women’s travelling band – so they dress as women and get recruited. 

 

The events take place in Florida and involve an elaborate plot of misunderstandings and miscommunication, misplaced longings (sugar) and the notion of identity and disguise. 

REVIEW OF EVENTS SO FAR: 

- Mise-en-scene in the opening scene, the costume of the gangsters is symbolic of the historical context of the time, suits, spats and hats. Additionally, the cars and buildings are symbolic of the 1920's. 

- Dialogue and sound, American Italian accent, diegetic sound, representative of the gangsters in the 1920's. 

- Diegetic sound of the speak-easy music, upbeat and jolly. 

Representations of issues around female identity

- The female strife for a wealthy husband, clearly Sugar portrays this "need" and paints the representation of women to be reliant on the financial support of a man and his lifestyle. Perhaps this is a demonstration of female qualities at the time, a lack of independence. 

- The mistreatment and harassment of women, for example Daphne experiences a man hitting on her multiple times even after she had repeatedly declined his flirts. This reflects the objectification of women at the time of 1920's, there is clearly a patriarchal dominance towards women. 

- Sugar drinking and having the "blues", society's standards and conformity to a certain presentation of themselves. 

- Women play within rebellious rules, even if its the wrong thing. 

- Innocence and foolishness makes women look younger, men at the time being more "serious"... easy for men to disguise themselves with stereotypes. 

- The owner of the band detaches herself from her own femininity in order to survive in the workplace. 

Representation of masculinity

- Joe and jerry, two different sides to masculinity, Joe is not committed to women "the secretary". 

- Jerry is more accepting of female attributes, he understood the idea of disguise, he contemplates how far they are prepared to go that compromises their masculinity. 

- Overall focus- different presentations of masculinity, the macho man and the sensitive man etc. 

"Yacht sequence" 

- A yacht immediately elevates a male status. This reveals the wider social context of wealth being admirable and important. 

- A lot of over the shoulder shots, keeps our focus on the details of that specific characters dialogue. It also enhances the realism of the scene. 

- Close ups of Sugar's face, reflects her state of awe when speaking to him, symbolises the lack of independence with women and the representation that women have a sense of immaturity and hopelessly rely on others for support and assurance. 

- Sugar has desperation for him to "feel something" with her, she idolises him. 

- The transitions between the yacht and the dancing is a horizontal spin transitions and is effective in portraying the different scenarios between the two happenings, additionally keeping our focus on cross-dressing and taking different gender roles. 

- "Shall I lead? - Daphne, ironic as she is used to being the male role. 

- Sugar wears a sequinned tight fit dress, contributing to her beauty. The costume is symbolic of how women at the time undergo a large effort into enhancing their appearance for the approval of men. 

- Many medium shots on the watch, emphasise the space and largeness of the ship, which can be further linked to the wealth of the "character". 

- Wide angle two shot, framing and composition. balance and equality between the two due a symmetrical shot. Her beauty and personality may be deserving of his false wealth. 

- When sitting on the coach both of them had one foot on the ground, Hays code. Wilder is shaking up the status quo. 

- Low key lighting, we are below deck, intimacy. 

- H 1929 and 1959 both have stability after a major war and both reflect tensions between past and present, old arms and values and anticipation of social and cultural change. 

- H 1929 gender roles challenged by changes in the world of work, unemployment and Wall Street Crash / the depression. The catalyst of the story, stepping into a women shoes to be employed. 

1929: S+C

More confident women. 

Sugar- plays the stereotype of single dependent female, vulnerable, alone and depressed. 

Aspirations to find a wealthy man. 

Humiliation - she tries to make him respond to her charm. 

1959: S+C

Women emerging more in public life, education and career. 

Liberalism on the horizon - across the board: gender, civil rights. 

SUNSET BOULEVARD

- Wilder 1950, the Paramount Decree in 1948 passed a law that said some of the major studios a not allowed to own that many theatres and cinemas, a quoter. 

- Produced by Paramount and distributed by them too. (Vertical Integration). 

- "A Hollywood Story". Self-conscious film related to Wilder's life. 

PRODUCTION CONTEXTS:

• Mode of production. 
• Studio system. 
• The title - actual boulevard in Hollywood associated with film production since 1911. Wilder actually immigrated from Austria. As a director, what do we recognise in the body of his work. Many characters in his film mimic his "outsider" life. 

"A HOLLYWOOD STORY"

• The star system - Norma Desmond, star of the silent screen. 
• Ageing, fading actress.
• Focus on female mental health disorders - the delusional Norma thinking the camera press are filming her script Salome. 
• Joe, a script doctor - mistaken - out of work (Paramount rejected his script). 
• Wilder enjoys to criticise controversial issues that aren't spoken about in time, pushes into the script uncomfortable boundaries that must be unravelled. 

GENRE: FILM NOIR

• Stylistic features - lighting, mood, ambience, atmosphere, settings (technical features). 
• Symbolic effects of lighting, shadows, low key lighting. 
• Budget constraints, creating crowds from silhouettes. 
• Thematic features: deception, intrigue, interesting female leads - vulnerable and duplicitous. 
• "Femme Fatale" - dangerous and scheming. The women who doesn't conform to the average stereotype.
• "Noir" - moral darkness and ambiguity, moments of transition. 

BILLY WILDER AS AN AUTEUR:

• He made "invisible narratives", superb dialogue and crafted plots. To enthralling his audiences, drawing them into so much they they forget they are watching a film. 
• Wilder's films reflect a powerful drive to instruct that "if you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they will kill you". His mantra was "never bore". 
• Across his filming, his films examine themes from a range of perspectives - farce, melodrama, social commitment and Film Noir. 
• He wrote and directed for "the masses", resulting in remarkable range of popular, well-crafted films. 
• His melodramas brought the problem of alcoholism to American screen and common conversation. 

LINKS BETWEEN SB AND SLIH:

• Both use parallel music most of the time. 
• Both films end with an iconic line. "Nobody's perfect!" , "Im ready for my close up.". 
• Strong female leads. 
• Low key lighting in intense scenes. 
• Similar structures, characters are introduced around the middle which become important by the end. Norma and Sugar. 
• Both films analyse art from a female lens, music and acting. Self-referential. 
• Wilder takes ideas for his stories from his own experiences, SB- directors and actors. SLIH - how he has seen actors in the industry. 
• Wilder brings current unconventional topics into conversation - alcoholism and then mental health. 

With close reference to the yacht and “nobody’s perfect” sequence, analyse how far key elements of film form are used to reflect representational issues and the films wider social and cultural contexts.

 

The classic film “Some like it hot”, directed by Billy Wilder and produced in 1959, most certainly dives into the controversial elements of cross-dressing, identity and sexuality while expressing comedic values at the same time. The “yacht” and “nobody’s perfect” sequences include a variety of film form to achieve a certain aesthetic while symbolising social, cultural and historical contexts and specific representations. The need of “moving on” from traditional values is excellently depicted within the two sequences; obviously ricocheting notions of disguise and status. 

 

Firstly, in the “yacht” sequence, I believe there are multiple occurrences that reflect the misogyny traditional values of the 1920’s. To begin with, when it comes to the mise-en-scene of the scene, the actual yacht itself forms an insight into the wider social context of wealth being admirable and important; obviously Joe’s status has been elevated in the eyes of Sugar. This further symbolises the representation of women in the time of the film;  Some Like It Hot is based in 1929, the time of the great depression and Wall Street Crash, with immense unemployment and the struggle for financial security blanketing the minds of many people, women like Sugar are desperate to find a wealthy man to “take care of them”. Unfortunately, in this era the struggle for women was far more difficult than men, Sugar is clearly a representation of this evident strife as her desperate attempt to “swoon” Joe overwhelms the sequence. Personally, as a spectator I find this rather upsetting to witness; as the film is based around the themes of disguise and identity, I assume the average audience would sympathise for Sugars current position as Joe is not truly a millionaire. 

 

Moreover, the use of low-key lighting is effective in manifesting an intimate aesthetic within the sequence; clearly the sexual tension between the two characters is evident in the scene, the lighting further enhances the promiscuity of Sugar. Furthermore, Sugar wears a sequinned tight fit dress. The costume is symbolic of how women at the time (1929) undergo a large amount of effort into enriching their appearance for the pleasure and approval of men, this highlights the representation of “a man’s world” and how women are merely a spectacle to admire. However, this representation can be contrasted by the social and cultural contexts of 1959; there are far more women emerging in public life, education and career, emphasising how women are far more than a visual to appreciate. Liberalism is also on the horizon in 1959, civil rights takes action, and the invention of the Enovid pill, allowing women to control pregnancy, generating the ability for women to be promiscuous without consequence. An example of female emergence within the film could be the owner of the band, she detaches herself from her own femininity in order to survive in the workplace. Overall, the increase of acceptance and female empowerment contrasts Sugar’s desperation for Joe’s love but considering the historical contexts of the time of the film, perhaps her despondency is understandable in order to be “stable”. 

 

Additionally, Billy Wilder as an auteur naturally reveals unconventional topics within the majority of his films. Wilder’s common use of bringing America’s problems into conversation from the screen with the use of innuendo’s and “comedic space” successfully derives important messages. Obviously, Some Like It Hot perfectly depicts the true nature of identity and sexuality and as the progressive society of 1959 is shifting away from conventional attitudes, Wilder’s use of film form expresses these themes. Firstly, in the “nobody’s perfect” sequence, Osgood and Daphne are on the boat far away from the Island. I believe the location is rather symbolic of how the unravelling of truths said by Jerry are expressed far from civilization, he can only admit himself in private. Perhaps this setting and timing depicts the representation of the American Land still holding judgement. Furthermore, the camera angle is a very balanced and symmetrical shot, it gives the audience a sense of equality and fairness; maybe as the Osgood is male and Jerry is truly male the angle represents this equiveillance. This can be contrasted in the “yacht” sequence as Sugar is commonly seen at a low angle, depicting a lower status in the representation of women, however when Jerry is Daphne he is never shot at a low angle, reflecting how his disguise was never truly believable. Finally, once Jerry admits his ultimate truth, being his true gender, Osgood replies “Nobody’s perfect!”. Although this may seem a happy ending, the genuine reasoning of the line can be debated. As the Hay’s Code still prevails in the time of the films production, it states that homosexuality cannot be presented in a positive light; so instead of Osgood saying, “That’s okay!” he states “Nobody’s perfect!” to conform to the code, implying that homosexuality is not a “perfect” or “agreeable” thing ultimately shedding sexuality in a negative light. As we are an active and contemporary audience, we can notice this clever entendre, but the passive audience of 1959 wouldn’t necessarily absorb the statement and instead be transcended in the comedy of the line.

 

Concluding, Billy Wilder expresses common stereotypes and representations within both sequences. By including key elements of film form to depict certain themes and motif’s occurring within the film, Wilder successfully draws out intense emotional responses within the spectator and always reflects a wider, powerful drive. His intent to inform an audience about extremely scandalous matters through heavy comic relief serves to his infamous name, Some Like It Hot is a prime example of his notorious work.