Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern ... - Igcollege.org

<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Seminar</strong> on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded
Film Theory
Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence <strong>of</strong>
the Cinema and provides conceptual frame works for understanding film’s
relationship to reality, the other Arts, individual viewers, and society at large.
Film theory is not to be confused with general film criticism, though there can
be some crossover between the two disciplines.
French Philosopher Henri Bergson’s “Matter and Memory” (1896) has
been cited as anticipating the developments <strong>of</strong> film theory during the birth <strong>of</strong>
cinema. Bergson coined the terms “The Movement Image” and “The Time
Image”. Early film theory arose in the silent era and was mostly concerned with
defining the crucial elements <strong>of</strong> the medium. This work is largely evolves from
the works <strong>of</strong> directors, like Germaine Dulac, Louis Delluc, Jean Epstein, Sergei
Eisenstein, Lev kweshov, and Dziga Vertoy and film theorists like Rudolf
Arnmeim, Bela Balazs and Siegfried Kracher. These individuals emphasized
how film differed from reality and how it might be considered a valid art form.
French film critic Andre Bazin Says.:
“Film’s essence lay in its ability ,
to mechanically reproduce reality;
not in its difference from reality.”
In 1960 and 1907s, film theory took up residence in academic importing
concepts from established disciplines like Psychoanalysis, gender studies,
anthropology, literary theory semiotics and linguistics.
The late 1980s, or early 1990s, did film theory achieve much
prominence in American universities by displacing the prevailing humanistic,
auteur theory that had dominated cinema studies and which had been focused
on the practical elements <strong>of</strong> film writing, production, editing and criticism.
American scholar David Bordwell has spoken against many prominent
developments film theory since the 1970s, i.e. he uses the humorously
derogatory term “SLAB Theory” to refer to film studies based on the ideas <strong>of</strong>
Saussure, Lacan, Althusser, Barthes. Bordwell Promotes what he describers as
“Ne<strong>of</strong>ormalism”. During 1990s, the digital revolution in image technologies
had an impact on film theory in various ways. Film ability to capture an
“indexicl” image <strong>of</strong> a moment in time by theorists like Mary Ann Doane, Philip
Rosen, and Laura Mulvey who was informed by Psychoanalysis. A
psychoanalytical perspective, Lacanian “ The Real”, Slavoj Zizek “The gaze”,
extensively used in contemporary film analysis.
533 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1