Throughout the history of arts there existed various trends which influenced and depicted the features of a certain époque and the beliefs and ideas which were popular in that society and time. Modernism appeared as a movement in arts at the end of 19th century in Western Europe. In the 20th century modernism reached its flourishing period and was highly popular and widely spread in all kinds of art: painting, poetry and prose, sculpture etc. Modernism is a branch in art which depicts the new ideas of people of 20th century with all the realities and criticism. One of the peculiarities of modernism was the objection and refusal from the heritage of the previous generations: classic peaces of works were admitted as the trash of past which had no topicality for the modern world. Also, modernist representatives often detached themselves from all the connections with society or social groups. McParland states “Modernism has sometimes been viewed as a time when artists retreated into their enclaves, set themselves art apart from the social and historical instability of their time. Yet, that picture of indifference is more caricature than reality” (McParland, 2013, p.1).
Movie art, in spite of the fact that it has been existing for more than century, is believed to be quite modern and innovative means of pictures representation. The beginning of the movie history may be traced back to the end of 19th century, to be exact - 1890s, which matches with the date of modernism appearing. The fact, that both of these notions appeared at the same time makes them quite close and interrelated to one another. Firstly, I would like to say that cinematography is the means for expressing the modernistic ideas from literature into motion pictures. Secondly, modernism may be a feature which can characterize the whole cinema in general and some of its characteristics in particular. Cinema is the opportunity for describing the world of modernism. Kovacs says “modernism in an artistic movement capable of authentically expressing the experience of the contemporary world” (Kovacs, 2007, p. 11). So both modernism and cinema are the participants and the creators of the possibilities for embodiment of one another into real life.
The role of cinema is enormous as it is a visual representation of a literary text in order to embody the whole complex of ideas and imagination so that the spectators could see the desired implication of the director and the way he sees it. Sometimes, a movie which, in fact, is based on a book, may be completely different from the image we have in our head. It is caused by the fact that while reading each person has own creativity and imagines the whole book differently and specifically. But the director shows only his view and wants the audience to see it and evaluate. That’s why this type of the movie making may often be called cinema of attractions. Gunning claims “it is the cinema that bases itself on the quality such as the ability to show something” (Ginning, 1986, p.63). Cinema is aimed at showing and one of the things it shows is modernism, and the feature which cinema attains in this process is called modernistic. I suppose that being modernistic presupposes both usage of modern techniques and depicting of modern ideas. That’s why I would call that kind of filming the modern cinema of attractions.
The term “modernistic” in relation to movies is not just the implementation of the term as into literature or art. Movie making is a modern kind of art and it depicts modernistic ideas. We can’t consider the term “modernism” as the one which can just be broadly applied to different kinds of art. It is a real representation of cultural movement which touches all the other arts and influences the life of society. For example, it is not wise to think that cinema is only connected with the literature as it takes its ideas and scripts from books mostly. Ray says “Although, the cinema has most often been compared to literature, in really has far more in common with architecture” (Ray, 2001, p.124). Being a unique kind of art cinema is connected to other arts and as for relation to the script sphere it is really based on literature, but created and embodied into life with the help of other techniques. Throughout years cinema has been the linking element between different kinds of arts and representation of modernism in them in particular. Cinema united people and was a symbol of modernity and progress, it gave the possibility to see the life which could be only imagined before and this way it has become the most powerful weapon in the hands of modernists in order to present their views, ideals and beliefs to the wide society and see the reaction it provokes.
Modernism in cinematography is aimed to reveal the real life of the society and its representatives the way it really is and without making any embellishments. This may be done with the help of pictures, decorations but the language is the key element in most movies (except the numbed one). Metz believes that “The culture of modernity invents a language for representing itself and this language develops over time into a critical practice that is quite different from its initial “tricks” ” (Metz, 2006, p. 75). Through the various instruments and language in particular the actors reveal the thought of the author and try to achieve the goals set. With the help of modernism the cinema changed and came through the process of revolution. Zizek states “cinema theorists noted that a true revolution in cinema is to be located not eccentric shots or camera movementsbut rather in the transformations involved in the filming of, say, an everyday conversation of two people” (Zizek, 2011, p. 274). As well as modernism shows the usual situations of people’s lives, it influenced cinema to adjust to this criteria. These branches influence one other and stimulate mutual development in order to become better.
Modernism and cinema are the modern issues, highly interrelated and connected. Their nature is similar due to their origins and the peculiarities of the time they firstly appeared in and then developed. They went side by side and that’s why the relationships between those were inevitable. They are a great combination which serves the aims of art and in order to make people appreciate and enjoy observing them.
Bibliography
Gunning, T. 1986. “The Cinema of Attractions: Early Film, Its Spectator and the Avant-Garde”, Wide Angle, vol. 8, no.3, pp.63-70.
Kovacs, A. B. 2007. Screening Modernism: European Art Cinema, 1950-1980. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
McParland, R. 2013. Film and Literary Modernism. [doc] Available at https://www.academia.edu/2494303/Film_and_Literary_Modernism
Metz, W. 2006. “Modernity and the Crisis in Truth: Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang”. Cinema and Modernity. [doc] Available at https://www.academia.edu/530777/_Modernity_and_the_Crisis_in_Truth_Alfred_Hitchcock_and_Fritz_Lang_
Ray, R. B. 2001. How A Film Theory Got Lost: And Other Mysteries in Cultural Studies. Indiana: University Press.
Zizek, S. 2011. Living in the End Times. London: Verso.
