Images. The International Journal of European Film, Performing Arts and Audiovisual Communication
Not a member yet
688 research outputs found
Sort by
Zagłada miasta. Warszawa w Pianiście Romana Polańskiego
Get PDFThis article is an analysis of Roman Polanski’ The Pianist, focused on presenting how the city space in this film, both its exteriors and interiors, makes it a story of Warsaw during the Second World War. The gradual destruction of the city is presented in two supplementary fashions. On the one hand, there is as a quasi-documentary reconstruction of the past based on literary (Władysław Szpilman’s diary) and visual (archive photographs and films) material, while on the other, there is a symbolic narration, where particular places and events bear hidden meanings. Next to Chopin and his music, the piano, interiors and city walls, the most meaningful symbol in the film is a monument of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, a statue standing in front of The Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw, a motif that appears in the second shot of the Pianist and returns three more times during the film.The Annihilation of a City. Warsaw in Roman Polanski’s The PianistThis article is an analysis of Roman Polanski’ The Pianist, focused on presenting how the city space in this film, both its exteriors and interiors, makes it a story of Warsaw during the Second World War. The gradual destruction of the city is presented in two supplementary fashions. On the one hand, there is as a quasi-documentary reconstruction of the past based on literary (Władysław Szpilman’s diary) and visual (archive photographs and films) material, while on the other, there is a symbolic narration, where particular places and events bear hidden meanings. Next to Chopin and his music, the piano, interiors and city walls, the most meaningful symbol in the film is a monument of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, a statue standing in front of The Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw, a motif that appears in the second shot of the Pianist and returns three more times during the film
Pod warszawskim adresem: wyobrażenia i realia. Dokumentalne opowieści o stolicy, jej mieszkańcach i prowincjonalnych „słoikach”
Get PDFThe author of the article discusses in detail documentary films which provide images of Poland’s capital, its permanent residents and newcomers, called “provincial jars”. She compares prevalent imaginations about Warsaw with the realities of daily life in the capital. The analysis begins with examples from the “black series” of the Polish documentary. In the 1950s, directors like Hoffman, Skórzewski, Karabasz and Ślesicki initiated the trend of recording the “dark side of the city”, though most films from the times of the People’s Republic of Poland showed Warsaw as a wonderful, modern metropolis. In the 1990s, Warsaw became the symbolic center of a newly developing capitalism. Most of the phenomena associated with this socio-economic transformation can be seen on the streets in this city. Back then, directors like Titkow, Pałka, Sapija and Kędzierski aimed their cameras at central points in the city (the Palace of Culture and Science and the Stadium of the 10th Anniversary), asking residents of the capital, newcomers from the East, and those from the Polish provinces about their situation, views, plans for the future and opinions on Warsaw. The documentary film Warszawa do wzięcia, directed by Julia Ruszkiewcz and Karolina Bielawska, might be considered a perfect summary of the changes in the image of the Polish capital. In this picture, Warsaw is shown through the eyes of three young girls from a State Agricultural Farm somewhere in the Polish provinces, for whom a trip and work in the capital offered a chance for a change in their fate, but ended in failure.At Warsaw: imaginations and reality. Documentary stories about the capital, its residents and newcomers called “provincial jars” The author of the article discusses in detail documentary films which provide images of Poland’s capital, its permanent residents and newcomers, called “provincial jars”. She compares prevalent imaginations about Warsaw with the realities of daily life in the capital. The analysis begins with examples from the “black series” of the Polish documentary. In the 1950s, directors like Hoffman, Skórzewski, Karabasz and Ślesicki initiated the trend of recording the “dark side of the city”, though most films from the times of the People’s Republic of Poland showed Warsaw as a wonderful, modern metropolis.In the 1990s, Warsaw became the symbolic center of a newly developing capitalism. Most of the phenomena associated with this socio-economic transformation can be seen on the streets in this city. Back then, directors like Titkow, Pałka, Sapija and Kędzierski aimed their cameras at central points in the city (the Palace of Culture and Science and the Stadium of the 10th Anniversary), asking residents of the capital, newcomers from the East, and those from the Polish provinces about their situation, views, plans for the future and opinions on Warsaw.The documentary film Warszawa do wzięcia, directed by Julia Ruszkiewcz and Karolina Bielawska, might be considered a perfect summary of the changes in the image of the Polish capital. In this picture, Warsaw is shown through the eyes of three young girls from a State Agricultural Farm somewhere in the Polish provinces, for whom a trip and work in the capital offered a chance for a change in their fate, but ended in failure
Ambiwalencja Melancholii
Get PDFIn this essay, we attempt to convey Lars von Trier’s Melancholia in the light of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy, i.e., the three metamorphoses of the spirit, contained in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Three levels of existence (the camel, lion and child) are ascribed to the main character, Justine, whose evolution can be seen during the film. In the face of the film’s intended ambiguity, we suggest treating our essay as a voice in the discussions about Trier’s movie, which has provoked plenty of different interpretations.Ambiguity of MelancholyIn this essay, we attempt to convey Lars von Trier’s Melancholia in the light of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy, i.e., the three metamorphoses of the spirit, contained in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Three levels of existence (the camel, lion and child) are ascribed to the main character, Justine, whose evolution can be seen during the film.In the face of the film’s intended ambiguity, we suggest treating our essay as a voice in the discussions about Trier’s movie, which has provoked plenty of different interpretations
Pamięć miasta i postulat autentyczności na przykładzie filmu „Życie na podsłuchu”
No full textThis article is a reflection on the category of authenticity in cinema, based on Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck\u27s movie The Lives of Others (German: Das Leben der Anderen). The action of the film takes place in the late 1980s in East Berlin. The film can be classified as belonging to the category of “coming to terms with the past” and may be treated as a representation of collective memory concerning Berlin, as it depicts Berlin and the former institutions of communist terror. However, it is also an important statement about German collective memory in general. The focal point in the debate on this film is the category of authenticity, which I attempt to trace in the topography of Berlin related to the communist past present in the movie. The main problem is the juxtaposition of materialized and authentic forms of remembering (e.g. buildings, the streets of Berlin) with a fictional story. In case of this movie, it turns out that the pursuit of authenticity to some extent violates taboos of German collective memory, as it conflicts with the canon of official memory, as well as, in some cases, the canon of the audience’s memory (many of whom can still recall the communist past).The memory of the city and demand for authenticity on the example of film The Lives of OthersThis article is a reflection on the category of authenticity in cinema, based on Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck\u27s movie The Lives of Others (German: Das Leben der Anderen). The action of the film takes place in the late 1980s in East Berlin. The film can be classified as belonging to the category of “coming to terms with the past” and may be treated as a representation of collective memory concerning Berlin, as it depicts Berlin and the former institutions of communist terror. However, it is also an important statement about German collective memory in general. The focal point in the debate on this film is the category of authenticity, which I attempt to trace in the topography of Berlin related to the communist past present in the movie. The main problem is the juxtaposition of materialized and authentic forms of remembering (e.g. buildings, the streets of Berlin) with a fictional story. In case of this movie, it turns out that the pursuit of authenticity to some extent violates taboos of German collective memory, as it conflicts with the canon of official memory, as well as, in some cases, the canon of the audience’s memory (many of whom can still recall the communist past)
Reformator i statysta albo hulaka na metafizyczną skalę. O dwóch portretach cara Iwana Groźnego w kinie rosyjskim
No full textThe text is an attempt to define the specificity of portraits of the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, in the field of historiography and culture, including popular culture. This characteristic is referred then to the analysis of two films – S. Eisenstein\u27s Ivan the Terrible (1944-1946) and P. Lungin’s Tsar (2009). These films depict two different interpretations of the historical figure presented above all in Russian discourse. On the one hand (Eisenstein), Ivan is seen as a prominent politician engaged in a state-building strategy; on the other (Lungin), he is above all a crazy criminal.Reformer and Outstanding Politician or Rake on a Metaphysical Scale. Two Portraits of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Russian CinemaThe text is an attempt to define the specificity of portraits of the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, in the field of historiography and culture, including popular culture. This characteristic is referred then to the analysis of two films – S. Eisenstein\u27s Ivan the Terrible (1944-1946) and P. Lungin’s Tsar (2009). These films depict two different interpretations of the historical figure presented above all in Russian discourse. On the one hand (Eisenstein), Ivan is seen as a prominent politician engaged in a state-building strategy; on the other (Lungin), he is above all a crazy criminal
Autor filmowy według przepisów prawa w systemach droit d`auteur i copyright. Zarys problematyki
Get PDFThe aim of the article is to outline the key issues surrounding legal notions of film authorship. For scholars interested in studying the process of production it is extremely important to analyze the status and scope of power of its participants as well as their position in the hierarchy – one of the main sources of priveleges is the fact of being recognized by the law as the author of the work produced. The article depicts the benefits of such situation, but its main aim is to descibe the legal rules of granting the status of the author. Outlined are the issues emerged from the two radically different legal system – european droit d`auteur tradition and american copyright. The first one honours the artists while the other focuses mostly on providing the certainty of the economics, so the actual authors of the work are not that important. The paper points to the fact that – especially in the case of american copyright – the actual (determined by law) situation of a creator may differ significantly from the character of their contribution to the process of producing a film. Analysis of the rules and principles of the law is essential to the understanding of the structural determinants of film production and deserves no less attention than social, political and economic factors.Celem artykułu jest zarysowanie podstawowych zagadnień prawnej problematyki autorstwa filmowego. Dla badaczy procesu produkcji filmowej niezwykle ważna jest analiza statusu i zakresu możliwości jego uczestników oraz ich pozycja w hierarchii – jednym z podstawowych źródeł przywilejów jest z kolei fakt zostania uznanym przez prawo za autora produkowanego utworu. Artykuł tłumaczy, jakie korzyści niesie ze sobą taka sytuacja, przede wszystkim jednak opisuje prawne mechanizmy przyznawania statusu „autora”. Zarysowane zostały regulacje powstałe na gruncie dwóch radykalnie odmiennych od siebie systemów – europejskiego droit d`auteur oraz amerykańskiego copyright. Pierwszy z nich w centrum stawia twórców, drugi skupia się na zapewnieniu pewności obrotu gospodarczego, przez co faktyczni autorzy zepchnięci zostają na margines (za autora uznane być może nawet studio filmowe). Artykuł zwraca uwagę na fakt, iż – zwłaszcza w przypadku copyright - rzeczywista (określana przez prawo) sytuacja twórcy może znacznie odbiegać od charakteru jego zaangażowania w powstawanie filmu. Analiza przepisów i zasad prawa jest kluczowa dla zrozumienia strukturalnych uwarunkowań działalności przemysłów filmowych i należy poświęcać jej nie mniej uwagi niż czynnikom natury społecznej, politycznej i ekonomicznej
The (Restored) Practice of DEFA Co-productions with the “Normalized” Czechoslovak Film Studio in the 1970s
No full textAfter four co-productions which the East German and Czech studios made from 1957 to 1965, a five-year hiatus in DEFA-Barrandov co-productions took place. During the Czechoslovak New Wave era, the Czech filmmakers gave DEFA the cold shoulder. But the process of “normalisation” that took place after the August 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia put both the regimes and the film industry structures back in sync. While the end of independent production groups at DEFA and Barrandov damaged the creative environment and the quality of productions as a whole, it also had an unforeseeable effect: the revival of DEFA-Barrandov co-productions. On the German side, DEFA was interested in help from experienced practitioners, especially scriptwriters. On the Czech side, Barrandov´s filmmakers—now isolated from previous contact with western partners and under strict ideological control—strove to shape the DEFA projects they were offered according to their own criteria. There was thus a harmonization of goals and tools, which worked especially well in the sphere of children movies. This was not only because this type of production rarely crashed against divergent interpretations of the past by the two partners. There were two more important reasons as well: namely, that the dramaturge group for children’s movies was under looser ideological control by Barrandov management; and that the personal continuity with the pre-normalization era was stronger in this group than was the case for other groups. In the 1970s, both studios were motivated to find an effective mode of co-operation.Po zakończeniu czterech koprodukcji, które NRD-owskie oraz czeskie studia zrealizowały w latach 1957-1965 miał okres pięcioletni okres przerwy w koprodukcyjnych przedsięwzięciach studiów DEFA i Barrandov. W czasach czechosłowackiego Nowej Fali czescy filmowcy niechętnie postrzegali współpracę z DEFA. Proces „normalizacji” po inwazji wojsk Układu Warszawskiego w roku 1968 sprawił, iż oba reżimy oraz struktury przemysłów filmowych ponownie zaczęły współdziałać. Koniec niezależnych zespołów produkcyjnych w studiach DEFA i Barrandov doprowadził do destrukcji kreatywnego otoczenia i jakości podejmowanych realizacji, miał jednak także nieplanowany efekt w postaci odnowienia współpracy koprodukcyjnej na linii DEFA-Barrandov. DEFA była zainteresowana współpracą z doświadczonymi praktykami, zwłaszcza scenarzystami. Z kolei filmowcy pracujący w studiu Barrandov – po 1968 roku pozbawieni wcześniejszych kontaktów z partnerami zachodnimi i poddani ścisłej kontroli ideologicznej – wkładali wiele wysiłku w kształtowanie projektów z NRD według własnych preferencji. Harmonizacja celów i środków szczególnie dobrze sprawdzała się w sferze filmów dla dzieci. Działo się tak dlatego, że ten typ produkcji rzadko prowadził do rozbieżnych interpretacji przeszłości pomiędzy dwoma partnerami. Dwoma dodatkowymi istotnymi powodami były: mniejsza kontrola ideologiczna, jaką zarząd Barrandova otaczał grupy dramaturgiczne pracujące nad filmami dla dzieci oraz ciągłość zatrudnienia w tej grupie od okresu poprzedzającego „normalizację”, która była w tej grupie znaczenie silniejsza niż w innych. W latach 70. oba opisywane studia miały własne motywy zachęcające do znalezienia efektywnego modelu koprodukcji
Film production between “global” and “local”: insights from Bosna and Herzegovina
No full textThis article deals with the mechanisms that affect film production in a society with radically shifting socio-political, economic and cultural conditions, in conflictual socio-political context in Bosnia and Herzegovina (further Bosnia or BiH). Its focus is on the mechanisms that support, manage, regulate, and control creativity in film production, how they shape the conditions in which the films get made.Artykuł traktuje o mechanizmach wpływających na produkcję filmową w społeczeństwie, w którym radykalnie zmieniają się uwarunkowania społeczno-polityczne, ekonomiczne i kulturowe, w konfliktogennym kontekście rzeczywistości Bośni i Hercegowiny. Autorka koncentruje uwagę na mechanizmach wsparcia, zarządzania, regulacji i kontroli kreatywności w produkcji filmowej oraz na tym jak kształtują one warunki, w których filmy są realizowane
Dark memories in the provincial words of Ingmar Bergman\u27s Fanny and Alexander and Federico Fellini\u27s Amarcord
Get PDFDark memories in the provincial words of Ingmar Bergman\u27s Fanny and Alexander and Federico Fellini\u27s AmarcordThis article about Federico Fellini’s Amarcord (1973) and Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander (1982) concerns one aspect of the directors’ childhood memories, namely how authoritarian institutions are used to disrupt otherwise fairly idyllic and nostalgic lives and worlds. The films blend detailed memories with playful fantasies, combine experiences of the directors’ alter egos, Titta and Alexander, with rituals of family and larger communities in the provincial cities of Rimini and Uppsala. In each film, bitter memories are given a central role. This article explores the similarities of these bitter memories, as they are imagined in the mature auteurs’ last exceptionally successful films
