Reading Response 1

1. Some of the characteristics of the psychodrama in the 40s are, the theme of the quest for sexual identity and that the two filmmakers of the film are the characters who are on this quest.
2. This film had less focus on narrative and themes, but concentrated on single actions to which more and more visual elements were added every time, this brought attention to the images as images.
3. architectonic film
4. Sitney's ability to describe the three interchanging roles/ identities of the three women really helped me find a pseudo-structure to the film. I had speculated that the "the invoker" character was symbolically relieving the "the widow" of her sadness, represented by the weaving of the wool. The "guide" figure Sidney writes about was compatible to my understanding. Her role was the most clear out of the three. I was confused by the ending, Sitney's interpretation makes more sense of it. After reading this I started to wonder if the three characters could be three different manifestations of one woman's subconscious.
5. The model for Fireworks and many other avant garde films in the 40s is as follows. The camera attempts to recreate what the character's mind sees and how it perceives those images, through the use of the frame and depth of field. Such dream sequences allow the filmmaker to work as an actor in front of the camera, and as a director, behind it. In this way the films are self-reflective. Adding photos and objects of significant meaning show this as well.
6.According to Sitney, the result at the end of the film is that Shiva completes the semi circular hand gesture he had been making throughout the climax, all the main deities are reunited and all the actors are subdued to Shivas power and glory.
7. One of the main goals of Cinema 16s programming was variety. Along with the avant garde and documentary films the theatre played educational and scientific films. This cinema made films available to the public that established theaters would not play. Premieres were held as often as possible. Many screenings were organized so that the arrangement of each individual film into a specific order created new ideas and inspired thoughts about film as a medium as well as about the social and political issues associated with its creation.
8.Universities, Colleges, Theaters, Society for Cinema arts, the U.S. Naval Hospital...
9. Cinema 16 became a major part of the NYC cultural life. The theatre created a sense of community of artists. This inspired filmmakers to create more unconventional film, i.e. avant garde, because they had a place where they could showcase their work. The films played at Cinema 16 educated many about film and world in general; Voyel theorized that around 2 million people had seen films at his venue. This cinema also created a "canon of independent cinema," a model for other venues to learn from in the future.
10. The terrible conditions of post war Europe, unrest and lack of any financial future created and ground and or tolerance for new ideas. The trend of filmmakers to try and get away from the "norm" of film production. Cine clubs, which later came to known as Playhouses were created to show films. The strong influence of Abstract Art and Cubism, styles which were prevalent in Europe during this time. The receptiveness of new art and new styles of creating it, by the public.
11. Nature dissected into individual pieces and then re conceptualized as whole.