In the 1930's directer Busby Berkeley reinvented musicals on film media. By designing elaborate production numbers featuring hundreds of chorus girls dancing and singing, he essentially created a new form of musicals. Never before have actors been used in such a way. By drawing from the burlesque elements of the previous decade, Busby Berkeley manages to combine film, acting and dancing in such a way that no one has ever seen before. Of course, such a media would have its fair share of audiences too, in effect, throngs of men were drawn into movie theaters by "musicals" like these.
The 1941 production Ziegfield Girl is a classic example of director Busby Berkeley new and innovative style. Because of movies like these, the Ziegfield Follies were iconized as the sex symbols of their day. In the number "You Stepped Out of a Dream", the women are portrayed as beautiful and mysterious, fanning and arousing the male desire. In closer analysis, we can see that Busby Berkeley only selected the most perfect looking women to be casted in this number, and this was to serve the purpose of creating the illusion that all women were perfect, unblemished and beautiful. The wardrobe used in this number also served to enhanced that illusion. By dressing the women in long flowing white robes and dresses, paired with puffy ribbons and elaborate outfits, Busby Berkeley manages to enhance the appeal of the women, making them look surreal and exaggerated. The ever smiling facial expression of the women in the movie further solidifies the illusion the director was trying to create. But more interestingly, was the choreography and the lighting used in the sequence. More often than not, the women waltzed down a long spiral staircase, always coming from somewhere higher up. The women were also lit in a way that made them look glowing, radiant and exuding beauty. This often made them look like they were surrounded but a glowing halo, to the extend that one might even say, angelic?
At the same time, a number of the scenes were intercut with shots of men, decent, upper class, respectable men, seated among the audience, ogling silently at the bevy of beauties thrown at them. This in itself perverts the entire sequence. Through these scenes, we see the true intent of the director. These men who were watching were in fact living out their secret fantasies and fetishes, to which the society at that time vehemently rejected. The thought of pure, upright gentlemen indulging in their fantasies of row after row of beautiful showgirls, taunting them, enticing them and arousing them were a strict no-no. Even more so, the subject of a person, in this case the women, doing something solely for the viewer's pleasure was extremely taboo in a society where women were expected to be well mannered and gentle. The idea of women too having a raving sex drive was too outrageous to be accepted. On the other hand, if a movie like this were to be made about men in our society today, it would still be difficult to accept. This is because at the very least men are expected to retain their dignity and abstain from such acts which demean their self worth. Furthermore, the thought of women enjoying such a film would be disgusting to say the least. Yet if the tables were turned, and such a movie was made of men, it would seem unacceptable and demeaning. Therein lies the sexism within our society.
By portraying women in this manner, they are objectified into nothing more than sex objects to arouse men's pleasure. This is especially so when Busby Berkeley portrays women in this film as monotonous creatures with only one emotion, thereby removing the human element from them. In addition, the sexual objectification also starts when the women in the sequence proudly parade their body in front of crowds of ogling men, tantalizingly flashing their long legs and sultry smiles. Not only does this make the men feel less like voyeurs but more like participants, simultaneously removing the guilt of watching such a indecent performance by making it seem like the women enjoy what they are doing. Such scenes are hauntingly similar to the burlesque erotism of the previous decade where bevies of beautiful women shamelessly fault their chops for the viewing pleasure of men. Although subtle, many of these techniques and details in the number slowly but surely demean and reduce the worth of a woman and her sexuality. This film brings to light many new age ideologies such as that a women's worth only lies in her sexuality. Indirectly, this film set in motion the downward spiral of a women's worth. Younger and younger generations of girls are brought up thinking that their worth lies in their beauty and sexuality.
To close, we take a look at a Kylie Minogue music video. In terms of production and filmography, it is very similar to Busby Berkeley's work. In the music video, many similar lightning techniques, wardrobe and choreography were used. While it definitely enhances the sex appeal of Kylie Minogue, it is however completely different from what we have seen the Busby Berkeley's work. Instead of serving as an erotism fantasy, the techniques used in the music video simply serve to create an air of mystery and beauty around her, and enhances the audience's focus on the lead character in contrast to Ziegfield Girls where it served to arouse desire of the male audience.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Thursday, 29 September 2011
"M", Melodrama?
"M" for Murderer. "M" for Morder. "M" for marked. A man marked by the letter, the murderer. But is he who he is because he is, or is he who he is because we say he is? "M" by Fritz Lang is a brilliant piece of expressionist art, challenging and provoking the norms of the society we live in, overturning values which we live by, and more frighteningly, blurring the fine line between whats righteous and just, and what isn't. "M" is a rebel, a daring testament to the adversity of its creator, Fritz Lang.
So what exactly is melodrama? Oxford defines melodrama as a piece of dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters to appeal to the emotion. In melodrama, the characters are clearly defined and identified with a certain characteristic, be it good or bad. In all the films that came before "M", each character was usually clearly defined and placed where it should be. A great example of this would be Rise of a Nation, where the white people are portrayed as weak and helpless women, children while their black oppressors tormented them. "M" is a game changer in the world of cinema art. Never before has a character been cast in the grey area between the good and bad. On the surface, Hans Beckert is the heartless child murderer in "M" who's deeds disgust even the most hardened crooks, and seemingly no excuse could possibly justify him. Yet however, Fritz Lang throws us off when he begins to show us the flip side of this man. And this is where his expressionist brilliance truly shines. Through the most subtle elements, Fritz personifies the inner struggle Hans was facing through the use of light and shadow. As Hans was justifying himself before the jury, Fritz kept half of his face constantly shrouded in the darkness, whereas the other half was always lit. Through this, Fritz portrayed the humanity in him. As with all of us, there are always 2 forces inside of us, constantly in conflict. This amplified the emotions of the character and made the audience relate to his plight. The use of sound in this piece also served to magnify the humanity of the murderer. The character's desperate, heart wrenching pleas are punctuated with moments of bone chilling silence, serving to allow the audience to reflect on themselves, and how much actually separates them from this demented murderer.
Another aspect explored by this film is the question "Are you really who you think yourself to be?" Fritz uses irony to its full effect where he portrays the jury and the judge of this man. The very people who are themselves criminals, are themselves sinners, are themselves murderers are condemning another equally guilty man to death? And as people go by, the character who is the "judge" is himself wanted by the police for 3 manslaughter charges. So how could one man condemn another simply because more people deem his crimes more heinous or despicable than what they themselves have committed? The montage in the film brilliantly juxtaposes the difference between a man who has to kill and a man who chooses to kill. However, the irony is that the one who chooses is walking free whereas the one who cannot help himself is condemned as a monster. Shouldn't the one who chooses out of his own free will to kill be punished first? Through this, Fritz challenges the make up of our society. He questions our choices, our morality and he condemns it. He shows us how ignorant and selfish people are, how self centered society is. When one of our own is hurt, like the men and women who screamed for his death, we fervently stand up and hurl insults at the so called murderer, condemn him and punish him. In the name of justice, we wouldn't think twice to do to him what he did to us tenfold. Unknowingly, we ourselves have become more heinous murderers ourselves that the man we seek to condemn.
In the closing sequence of the film, we see Hans Beckert being arrested in the name of the "Law", and then sentenced and punished in the name of the "People". Yet however, we are not told whether he was actually found guilty or not. Although subtle, Fritz Lang manages to use this scene as the coup de grace as the ending to this fantastic masterpiece. Through this, he shows us that we, the people, are not always as right as we think we are. Under the cover of "law" and in the name of "justice", how quickly we willingly give someone else up for our own selfish reason. Yes Hans Beckert was a murderer, but whether he was found guilty or not does not matter, nor do we want to know, for if by any chance he wasn't. Through this film, Fritz Lang laments our society, how we are quick to judge but slow to forgive, that we see the needle in someone else's eye while failing to see the log in our own.
Which brings us back to the question, so is "M" a melodrama? It is and it is not. In essence, "M" is a murder mystery set in the mise en scene of a German town. The protagonist are the people, while the antagonist is the murderer by the name of Hans Beckert. However, it is also a reflection of the world we live in. Through this, Fritz aims to evoke us to see both sides of our own society and its people, where not everything is clearly defined, that those who seem to be in the right may very well not be. And in that definition, it is not a melodrama. So, hats off to Fritz Lang, a brilliant filmaker.
So what exactly is melodrama? Oxford defines melodrama as a piece of dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters to appeal to the emotion. In melodrama, the characters are clearly defined and identified with a certain characteristic, be it good or bad. In all the films that came before "M", each character was usually clearly defined and placed where it should be. A great example of this would be Rise of a Nation, where the white people are portrayed as weak and helpless women, children while their black oppressors tormented them. "M" is a game changer in the world of cinema art. Never before has a character been cast in the grey area between the good and bad. On the surface, Hans Beckert is the heartless child murderer in "M" who's deeds disgust even the most hardened crooks, and seemingly no excuse could possibly justify him. Yet however, Fritz Lang throws us off when he begins to show us the flip side of this man. And this is where his expressionist brilliance truly shines. Through the most subtle elements, Fritz personifies the inner struggle Hans was facing through the use of light and shadow. As Hans was justifying himself before the jury, Fritz kept half of his face constantly shrouded in the darkness, whereas the other half was always lit. Through this, Fritz portrayed the humanity in him. As with all of us, there are always 2 forces inside of us, constantly in conflict. This amplified the emotions of the character and made the audience relate to his plight. The use of sound in this piece also served to magnify the humanity of the murderer. The character's desperate, heart wrenching pleas are punctuated with moments of bone chilling silence, serving to allow the audience to reflect on themselves, and how much actually separates them from this demented murderer.
Another aspect explored by this film is the question "Are you really who you think yourself to be?" Fritz uses irony to its full effect where he portrays the jury and the judge of this man. The very people who are themselves criminals, are themselves sinners, are themselves murderers are condemning another equally guilty man to death? And as people go by, the character who is the "judge" is himself wanted by the police for 3 manslaughter charges. So how could one man condemn another simply because more people deem his crimes more heinous or despicable than what they themselves have committed? The montage in the film brilliantly juxtaposes the difference between a man who has to kill and a man who chooses to kill. However, the irony is that the one who chooses is walking free whereas the one who cannot help himself is condemned as a monster. Shouldn't the one who chooses out of his own free will to kill be punished first? Through this, Fritz challenges the make up of our society. He questions our choices, our morality and he condemns it. He shows us how ignorant and selfish people are, how self centered society is. When one of our own is hurt, like the men and women who screamed for his death, we fervently stand up and hurl insults at the so called murderer, condemn him and punish him. In the name of justice, we wouldn't think twice to do to him what he did to us tenfold. Unknowingly, we ourselves have become more heinous murderers ourselves that the man we seek to condemn.
In the closing sequence of the film, we see Hans Beckert being arrested in the name of the "Law", and then sentenced and punished in the name of the "People". Yet however, we are not told whether he was actually found guilty or not. Although subtle, Fritz Lang manages to use this scene as the coup de grace as the ending to this fantastic masterpiece. Through this, he shows us that we, the people, are not always as right as we think we are. Under the cover of "law" and in the name of "justice", how quickly we willingly give someone else up for our own selfish reason. Yes Hans Beckert was a murderer, but whether he was found guilty or not does not matter, nor do we want to know, for if by any chance he wasn't. Through this film, Fritz Lang laments our society, how we are quick to judge but slow to forgive, that we see the needle in someone else's eye while failing to see the log in our own.
Which brings us back to the question, so is "M" a melodrama? It is and it is not. In essence, "M" is a murder mystery set in the mise en scene of a German town. The protagonist are the people, while the antagonist is the murderer by the name of Hans Beckert. However, it is also a reflection of the world we live in. Through this, Fritz aims to evoke us to see both sides of our own society and its people, where not everything is clearly defined, that those who seem to be in the right may very well not be. And in that definition, it is not a melodrama. So, hats off to Fritz Lang, a brilliant filmaker.
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