Exam 3 Flashcards
Film noir
A term coined by French critics to denote a dark trend in American filmmaking beginning in the 1940s. Common features include dark shadows, nighttime urban settings, femme fatale, and dark twisted plots; also a detective genre from this time.
Widescreen
Significant innovation in movies during the 1950s in which the size of the projected image was widened.
Rock and roll
Rock music, especially its earliest stages in the 1950s and early 60s, featuring accents on beats two and four of the measure and incorporating the sounds of electric guitars.
Neorealism
A movement in Italian filmmaking immediately following World Ward II that primarily used outdoor settings and non-actors. ‘as they really are’
Bollywood
A term that designates the Indian movie industry based in Mumbia.
“A star, six songs, and three dances”
New Wave Cinema
An influential new approach to filmmaking in France beginning in 1959 that explored innovative plots and visual effects.
Auteur
Visual effects like slow motion, freeze frames
Ambiguous beginnings and endings
mood verses action or emotions
Often diegetic
Arias
In opera, a musical number for a soloist that contains an expressive melodic line and often features virtuoso flourishes.
Recitatives
In opera, a musical number used for dialog and dramatic interactions. The melodies tend to imitate speech and remain within a limited range.
Spaghetti Western
Westerns made in Italy beginning in the late 1960s.
Blockbuster
Originally a World War II military word for a bomb that could destroy an entire city block, the term was adapted by Hollywood for movies that were enormously successful. Avatar is a recent example.
Short Question: Descriptions of Carpenter’s use of music in Halloween
Synthesized score composed by the director. 3 themes:
Michael Theme, Halloween Theme, and Tension Theme. All three are used with Michael and are used through repetition to create an underlaying sense of tension.
Short Question: Descriptions of Hermann’s use of music in Psycho
Unified score. consistently dissonant. Just strings. music doesn’t match drama but rather changing moods. often harsh strings. reflects the stark black and white cinematography.
3 motifs: opening chords, mother, and murder.
Short Question: Critics’ choice music vs. music for box-office hits
before 70s oscar for best picture aligned with top 10 box office success. 70s, 80s and most 90s no best picture in top 10 financial slot.
Except in 90s Forrest Gump and Titanic.
blockbusters need repeated viewings by teens. use rock music vs symphonic scores. Rock music and lyrics are suited for marketing not art.
Free Response: Discuss the ways in which Hollywood and the movie industry tried to compete with television industry’s soaring popularity
o Be able to state specific examples to support your argument.
- No movies shown on tv
- No movie stars to appear on TV programs
- Innovation: Color Film
- Innovation: Widescreen:
Cinerama: (1952) 3 cameras, three projectors, curved screen. Costly and impractical. (“How the West was Won” is the system’s greatest creation)
CinemaScope: (1953) just one camera. (Introduced by The Robe) This became the standard. - ultimately sold rights to pre-1948 movies and removed actor ban in 1956.
Stereophonic sound
Free Response: Address how Williams’s music for Star Wars is set apart from film scores of previous decades.
o Be able to state specific musical examples to support your argument.
The 60s had broken with tradition: Sparing use of music, more use of popular and modern styles, fewer scores for full symphonic orchestra, music to generate mood rather than mirror the action.
Return to:
Full symphony Orchestra
Wall-to-wall Sound
Support for Drama
Numerous Leitmotifs
Avoids popular music and theme song (other than the bar scene in tattione.)
Music again supports love, concern, grief, triumph.
