Jordan Ilan A-Level Film Studies

What are the essential differences between the 2 institutional contexts in which Vertigo (1958) and One Flew over the Cuckoo’ s Nest (1975)were produced? - In New Hollywood, a new generation of young filmmakers came to prominence in America that influenced the types of films produced, their production & marketing & the way major studios approached film-making. This differed to the studio system where the studio were in control of all of these areas. - In New Hollywood films, the director rather than the studio takes on the key authorial role - Films made in this movement are stylistically characterised in their narrative which strongly contrasts with classical norms - Vertigo was produced in 'the horrible decade' for Hollywood due to the use of spectacle features (e.g. 3D) whereas by the time OFOTCN was released, the commercial success of films had re-risen and Hollywood had turned around its bad reputation. - New Hollyw...

Attempt 2: (b) Compare how far your chosen films reflect their different production contexts. Vertigo & One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (OFOTCN) are both films that reflect their different production contexts. Vertigo is a film by Alfred Hitchcock and was released in the late 50's, when the studio system was still prevalent in Hollywood, and OFOTCN is a film by Milos Forman that was released in the mid 70's, a time period which allowed independent films to reach a mainstream audience. Vertigo's positioning at the end of the studio system depicts that it both conforms to and is also independent of the tight constraints of filmmaking in the golden era whereas during the mid-70's, European films were making a splash in America as the huge market of disaffected youth found relevance and artistic meaning in movies from directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni which meant that independent films in America began to found a wider audience as the new movie-goer gene...

(b) Compare how far your chosen films reflect their different production contexts. Vertigo & One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (OFOTCN) are both films that reflect their different production contexts. Vertigo is a film by Alfred Hitchcock and was released in the late 50's, when the studio system was still prevalent in Hollywood, and OFOTCN is a film by Milos Forman that was released in the mid 70's, a time period which allowed independent films to reach a mainstream audience. Vertigo was released in 1958 during a period when the studios held all the power and owned the rights to the majority of films. This means that aspects of Vertigo's production is reflected in its production context as many actors had contracts to the studios so this meant that Hitchcock used well established actors such as James Stewart in his cast as Hollywood in this time was centered around the stars so by having a well renowned actor such as Stewart meant that the film could appeal to ...

Independent Cinema: Crash Course Film History #12 Video - 1930's-50's : Classical Hollywood cinema, chaste, formulaic, upbeat, highkey lighting - Mid 40's: Audiences ready for something new. Italian neo-realism -> 1st was Rome: Open City - Late 50's: France, Jean Luc-Goddard -> Put French New Wave on the map - Studio system/films out of touch with audiences - Bonnie & Clyde was one of the first independent films to make a significant impact - New Hollywood cinema; 1967 - 1980 - Independent cinema comes back in the 90's after a decline in the 80's Hollywood: - Post-war seen as stale & out of touch with audiences - Stayed away from showing/dealing with domestic cinema Independent: - Audiences become desensitised to violence & tragedy - Post-war-Europe based -> suffered the greatest during war; ready for change - French New-Wave -> Milos Forman is a product of this - Italian Neo-Realism

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Vertigo - Risky production; not safe audience pleaser -> low-budget, improvised, non-formulaic - 1958 – Cold War                  Communist fear in USA - Actors had freedom to act how they wanted to -> they had more creative freedom - Studio system: A-list actors, big Hollywood studios putting up the money - Independently produced - World famous director (Hitchcock) - Exclusively filmed on location - Safe audience pleaser - Director -> less directing, more about observing - Structured - Forman created a safe zone for the actors - Controlled Documentary on Production & Making of OFOTCN: Notes - O riginally a play -> audiences startled -> only ran between 5-6 months - Kirk Douglas asked Forman to make a film of OFOTCN. 10yrs later he receive...

Hitchcock as an auteur: - Late 50's: Studio system at height of development + on verge of changes that'd sweep it away by mid 60's - After years of success in film/tv: Hitchcock was household name & one of a few directors that largely gained independence from studio interfence - Late 50's: Hitchcock made films for most of major studios (usually on his terms) & recent hits included Rear Window - Hitchcock 'signature' = brief cameo in all his films. Below is every Hitchcock cameo ever. Hitchcock worked with close knit team of regulars he trusted to fulfil his vision of pure cinema: Robert Burks = DP George Tomasini = Editor Henry Bumstead = Art Director Bernard Hermann = Music Saul Bass = Titles Edith Head = Costume + worked repeatedly with certain stars (e.g. Cary Grant/James Stewart) & could hire any of the leading ladies of the day. Infographic of Hitchcock as an auteur: Pitch Deck Slides Business Infographic by Jordan

Vertigo & Psycho: A Comparison Hitchcock as an Auteur Similarities between the films: Birds - Both films use birds as an animal to give connotations of terror -> The stuffed birds in Psycho create a chilling atmosphere & makes Norman Bates more disturbing to the audience and the villain of Vertigo, Gavin, has the surname Elster which means Magpie in German. Hitchcock also uses birds as a symbol of fear in many of his other films, in particular in The Birds. Blonde Women - Htichcock uses blonde women in his films as 'a symbol of the heroine' and presents them as  perfect, aloof ice goddesses that have a hidden inner fire. This is presented in Vertigo through Madeleine & Judy and in Psycho through Marion & Lila. Cameo - Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance in both films - a signature part of Hitchcock's work and a key theme of Hitchcock as an auteur. Cars - Hitchcock uses cars in both films to create tensions -> the scenes of Scottie and...