Description
Part I. The '60s: "Titticut Follies" (on Kanopy, via UNH Library website)
1) Write a review of the film
2) Director, Frederick Wiseman has referred to Cinema Verite as "a pompous French term that has absolutely no meaning..." What does Cinema Verite mean; How was it used in filmmaking; What technological advancements took place which ushered in the ability to shoot films in this style? And finally, why does Wiseman think this about Cinema Verite?
Part II. The '70s "Hearts & Minds"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0DTs6edZj
Video of Eisenhower's "Military-Industrial Complex" speech
Full text of Eisenhower's speech
https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=90&page=transcript (Links to an external site.)
1) Write reviews of "Harlan County USA" and "Hearts & Minds"
2) a) In President Eisenhower's fairwell speech in 1961, he coined the phrase "military-industrial complex" and warned the American public that it was only "an alert and knowledgeable citizenry" that this complex could be prevented from becoming too powerful and influential here at home. Apply the term "military-industrial complex" to both films, siting specific moments in the films.
It's fairly easy to apply the terms in connection with "Hearts & Minds". In applying "military-industrial complex" to "Harland County USA", although Eisenhower was referring specifically to the defense industry in this speech, can you make the argument that the complex extends beyond the defense industry into other sectors, such as energy?
2) b) Discuss how each film helps (or doesn't help) foster an "alert and knowledgeable citizenry, again, siting specific moments.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Weekly Paper - Outline
I.
Part One
A. Cinéma vérité is a term used to understand a documentary style of films making
that follows real-life events instead of scripted events
B. This type of films making requires producers to get involved in society and follow
events as they happen
C. The most significant invention that led to the growth of this style of film making
is the development of a portable handheld camera, particularly the 16mm camera
II.
Part Two
A. The collaboration between the companies and the governments is evident in the
documentary Harlan County, USA 1976, when the court granted the company an
injunction prohibiting striking workers from blocking vehicles entering or exiting
the mine and referring to the workers as hired scabs.
B. It appears that the company and the government had collaborated to undermine
the rights of the citizen just as Eisenhower had predicted. A similar scenario is
also evident in the film Why Vietnam? The military complex is visible in the
letter in which a woman question why the war in Vietnam
C. The film Why Vietnam? fosters knowledgeable citizenry to question the reasons
behind the Vietnam War
D. On the other hand, Harlan County, USA 1976, allows knowledgeable citizenry to
look into the activities of the mining company
Running head: WEEKLY PAPER
1
Weekly Paper
Name
Institution
WEEKLY PAPER
2
Weekly Paper
Part 1
Cinéma vérité is a term used to understand a documentary style of films making that
follows real-life events instead of scripted events. This type of films making requires producers
to get involved in society and follow events as they happen. Unlike the traditional approach of
film making based on scripts, cinéma vérité style does not manipulate events. However, the
filmmakers may develop the story later as he follows the events already captured. The essential
elements of this type of film making are that films are made on the site with no professional
actors. This type of cinema also focuses on real-life events, mostly on social and political issues,
and finally, it relies on natural lighting (O'Connell, 1992).
The period of 1960 was very critical for the growth of Cinéma vérité, which emerged
from French new wave movements. The most significant invention that led to the growth of this
style of film making is the development of a portable handheld camera, particularly the 16mm
camera. Initially, filmmakers were restricted by their noisy winding cameras that were bulky and
very and which were only set in the studios. These cameras were heavy and bulky and hence
could not be moved easily from one place to another to capture real-life events. These types of
cameras also rel...
Review
Review
