The Cinema of Surfaces
On the Aesthetics of Film in the Eighties, by Jürgen Müller & Steffen Haubner. Excerpt of the book 'Movies of the 80s', by Jürgen Müller
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When Star Wars (1977) was released in the late Seventies, it was the first in a long line of films to be accompanied by a massive merchandising campaign-the movie as a commercial for itself, so to speak. But only in the Eighties did the "blockbuster" become the rule rather the exception. If a film drew the crowds, a sequel was inevitable. The popularity of the Indiana Jones trilogy (1981, 1984, 1989) boasted unbeatable speed as a substitute for an original storyline. The film historian Tom Gunning once referred to the industry's early years as the "cinema of attractions"-and the Eighties made no attempt to conceal film's lowly origin as a sideshow sensation.
The Wonderful World of Artifice
In Europe, the Eighties saw the passing of a generation of great individual European filmmakers. In 1982, Ingmar Bergmann retired from filmmaking and Rainer Werner Fassbinder died; Luis Buñuel died in 1983, and François Truffaut just one year later. However, it proved to be a varied and heterogeneous age for European cinema. While Federico Fellini produced a melancholy farewell to a Golden Age of cinema with And the Ship Sails On (E la nave va, 1982), Bernardo Bertolucci burst onto the international film scene, scoring his greatest triumph with the widely acclaimed The Last Emperor (1987). Britain's film business enjoyed a vibrant renaissance, with a generation of directors fired by a passionate opposition to Thatcherism. This interest in politics was something of an anomaly in the European cinema of the time. The "New British Cinema" declared war on Thatcherism, and directors such as Stephen Frears and Ken Loach produced some politically provocative pieces of film. But the most radical innovations in "ways of seeing" were achieved in the work of Peter Greenaway and Pedro Almodóvar.
In the United States, Jim Jarmusch became the dominant figure in independent cinema, and his influence on European filmmakers is undeniable. The work of the Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki is a case in point: much like Jarmusch's, his films can be seen as a challenge to the ruling Hollywood norms.
Kaurismäki's laconic heroes are travelers without a destination, people who put attitude before action. Both these directors have a notable liking for long shots and a stationary camera.
In Germany too, it is hard to identify a common trend. Fitzcarraldo (1978-1981) was one of Werner Herzog's finest films, while Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas (1984) marked a highpoint in the director's mastery of form.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
When Star Wars (1977) was released in the late Seventies, it was the first in a long line of films to be accompanied by a massive merchandising campaign-the movie as a commercial for itself, so to speak. But only in the Eighties did the "blockbuster" become the rule rather the exception. If a film drew the crowds, a sequel was inevitable. The popularity of the Indiana Jones trilogy (1981, 1984, 1989) boasted unbeatable speed as a substitute for an original storyline. The film historian Tom Gunning once referred to the industry's early years as the "cinema of attractions"-and the Eighties made no attempt to conceal film's lowly origin as a sideshow sensation.
The Wonderful World of Artifice
In Europe, the Eighties saw the passing of a generation of great individual European filmmakers. In 1982, Ingmar Bergmann retired from filmmaking and Rainer Werner Fassbinder died; Luis Buñuel died in 1983, and François Truffaut just one year later. However, it proved to be a varied and heterogeneous age for European cinema. While Federico Fellini produced a melancholy farewell to a Golden Age of cinema with And the Ship Sails On (E la nave va, 1982), Bernardo Bertolucci burst onto the international film scene, scoring his greatest triumph with the widely acclaimed The Last Emperor (1987). Britain's film business enjoyed a vibrant renaissance, with a generation of directors fired by a passionate opposition to Thatcherism. This interest in politics was something of an anomaly in the European cinema of the time. The "New British Cinema" declared war on Thatcherism, and directors such as Stephen Frears and Ken Loach produced some politically provocative pieces of film. But the most radical innovations in "ways of seeing" were achieved in the work of Peter Greenaway and Pedro Almodóvar.
In the United States, Jim Jarmusch became the dominant figure in independent cinema, and his influence on European filmmakers is undeniable. The work of the Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki is a case in point: much like Jarmusch's, his films can be seen as a challenge to the ruling Hollywood norms.
Kaurismäki's laconic heroes are travelers without a destination, people who put attitude before action. Both these directors have a notable liking for long shots and a stationary camera.
In Germany too, it is hard to identify a common trend. Fitzcarraldo (1978-1981) was one of Werner Herzog's finest films, while Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas (1984) marked a highpoint in the director's mastery of form.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Stills from 'Blade Runner', USA, 1982