Film Contributions of the Sixties Essay -- essays papers

Film Contributions of the Sixties Beginning roughly with the release of Stanley Kubricks Dr. Strangelove Or How I Stopped Worrying and love the Bomb in 1964, and continuing for about the next decade, the Sixties era of filmmaking made many lasting impressions on the motion picture industry. Although editing and pace styles varied greatly from Martin Scorcesses hyperactive pace, to Kubricks slow methodical pace, there were many uniform contributions made by some of the eras seminal directors. In particular, the Sixties saw the return of the auteur, as people like Francis Ford Coppola and Stanley Kubrick wrote and directed their own screenplays, while Woody Allen wrote, directed and star in his own films. Kubrick, Coppola and Allen each experimented with characterization, narrative and editing techniques. By examining the major works of these important directors, their contributions become more apparent.Dr. Strangelove (1964), an adaptation of Peter Bryants refreshful Red Alert, although still bearing the usual traits of a Kubrick film, is something of a departure for him in terms of editing and spacial strategies. The films run-time more or less corresponds with the fictional or represented time in the story. This direct correspondence between fictional and real time adds to the sense of temporal abridgement induced by the films insistent editing patterns. Although Dr. Strangelove employs many long takes, it contains the shortest average-shot-length of any Kubrick film. The film consists of roughly 700 shots and has a run time of 94 minutes for an average-shot-length of 8 seconds. Despite the rather short average-shot-length, Dr. Strangelove still resorts to crucial long takes to slow down the rapid momentum of the story (Falsetto, 35).Several spatial and temporal procedures are at work in Dr. Strangelove, such as the use of the long take. Conversely, the B-52 sequences, often accompanied by various versions of When Johnny Comes marchland Home, employ d ifferent editing patterns than the rest of the film. These edits reinforce the films theme of inevitability. Through editing, the B-52 sequences display a strong cinematic rhythm. The shots are chiefly shorter than the other sections of the film, and they significantly contribute to the films shorter average-shot-length, despite Kubricks deliberate use of long takes (Falset... ...ng shots, all three experimented with elements of characterization. Kubrick used both inborn and objective points of view quite deliberately in his films. Coppola took the Mafia, and humanized them more so than previous gangster movies, in addition to redefining what a sequel should be. Woody Allen took drollery back to its roots, and in the process, was able to created some of the most groundbreaking comedy since Charlie Chaplin. In addition, this return of the auteurs paved the way for many of todays cock-a-hoop filmmakers. Without Kubrick or Coppola, there would be no Quentin Tarantino, and without Woody Allen, there would be no Kevin Smith. Coppola, Kubrick and Allen have each made enduring films, and continued to do so well after the Sixties had ended.Bibliography Falsetto, Mario. Stanley Kubrick A Narrative and Stylistic Analysis. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. 1994. Girgus, Sam B. The Films of Woody Allen. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1993. Johnson, Robert K. Francis Ford Coppola. Twayne Publishers, Boston, 1977. Mast, Gerald and Bruce F. Kwan. A Short History of the Movies. Allen & Bacon, Boston, 2000.