Lecture Notes: The Blend of Traditional and Revisionist Techniques in 1970s Cinema

Context of the Era

• 1970s Film Environment

  • Emergence of young filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola in the 70s.
  • Influence of the 60s counterculture, social protests, and revolution.
  • Politicization of cinema, akin to post-World War I.

• Global Movements

  • Rise of New Wave movements in documentary and fiction.
  • Third Cinema in the third world, using film for political propaganda and Marxist revolution.

• Decline of the Golden Era

  • Late 1960s: Financial crisis in major studios; competition with TV and independent producers.
  • New independent filmmakers challenged traditional studio systems.

Filmmaking Techniques

• Bipolar Filmmaking

  • Contrast between utopian (hippies) and dystopian (radical protestors) sensibilities.
  • European influence introducing more explicit content.

• Technological Advances

  • New York style and European New Wave influenced realistic aesthetics.
  • New film technologies (zoom lenses, sync sound) allowed for more dynamic filmmaking.

New Generation of Filmmakers

• Background

  • Young filmmakers were cinephiles and film-educated (e.g., George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola).
  • Combined traditional cinema knowledge with new analytic perspectives.

• Genre Innovation

  • Genre Breakers vs. Genre Benders (Todd Berliner)
    • Genre Breakers: Expose and mock traditional genre conventions.
    • Genre Benders: Mislead viewers into expecting conformity before deviating.
  • Use of established genres to critique American ideology and traditions.

Case Studies

• The Wild Bunch (1969)

  • Critique of Vietnam War through Western genre.
  • Explored American public outrage and anti-authoritarian themes.

• Jaws

  • Spielberg's rise to prominence through a blockbuster narrative.
  • Underlying themes of American military failure and victory narrative.

• The Godfather

  • Genre-bending the crime film by blending traditional gangster aesthetics with modern techniques.
  • Critique of American values and Hollywood’s mythmaking.

Conclusion

• The 1970s marked a crucial period of transformation in film, merging traditional Hollywood with revolutionary new techniques and perspectives, leading to a lasting impact on American cinema.