I hope you enjoyed meeting Edith and Little Edie Beale. They are two of my favorite people in cinema.
Describe how the Maysles present the Beale women cinematically. You may discuss both sound and visuals. Take a 5-minute scene and analyze it both in how the women are portrayed (i.e. what makes them tick). Please also take a paragraph to examine the scene through a feminist lens. Minimum: 3 meaty paragraphs. If you incorporate a quote from the interview with the Maysles, I will give you a few extra points.
From the opening shot of the Maysles brothers’ 1975 direct cinema documentary Grey Gardens, it is clear that the Beale women are not put in front of the camera in order to serve as “objects of the male gaze.” In fact, in this shot the women are not shown at all. The Maysles employ this technique frequently throughout the film, shooting various parts of the house, such as the door in a simple eye level long shot, while the voices of the Beales are heard from offscreen. This allows the Maysles to capture the women unobtrusively while affirming Little Edie’s sentiments about being a staunch women who exists to be more than simply an object for men to look at. However, as they are the film’s subjects, the Beale women are looked at through Albert’s ‘gaze,’ or the “love at first sight” that the Maysles felt upon seeing the Beales and thus wanted to portray in the film (Zuber).
ReplyDeleteWe are first introduced to Big Edith in a medium shot that slowly dollies into a closeup. This, when combined with the clearly unscripted dialogue between her and Edie (offscreen), gives the impression that we are looking into their private lives. It almost seems as if we aren’t meant to be seeing what we are seeing, as the direct cinema style, in which the subjects are filmed without instruction, produces something that is almost too real, as opposed to the scripted “reality” that exists today. We are then introduced to Little Edie in a similar manner, with a dolly into her as she tells David how terrific he looks, as she was brought up to do in her ‘society’ life. She then goes on to justify her “costume” for the day in a way that only Edie could. As she does this, the camera tilts down her legs to her shoes. Sure, the audience sees her bare legs, but it is not done with the typical “sex appeal” intention of many films. Rather, it is used to expose her outfit to the audience so that we may begin to take her in as a whole, something that would not have been doable if the camera had remained in a stationary medium shot. The camera then follows Edie in a long shot as she fights through the thicket. It is an almost absurd shot, with Edie in her heels and skirt pushing through the branches, but as she forges ahead out of the sight of the camera, it is clear that she is a strong and independent women who needs no one, except perhaps her mother.
In both of these “introductory” shots, the Beale women are not made up for the camera. They are dressed as they normally would be and act as they normally would, with Edith in a sleeveless bathing suit and Edie in a costume. They are not being filmed in order to spark the fantasies of male audiences, they are being filmed so that we may see their unique personalities and the little quirks that make them worthy of such documentation. This is why the women are filmed in various angles and are sometimes not onscreen at all: the discourse, songs, and quirky behaviors of the Beales are more important than the angle in which they are filmed. They are the stars and within the first five minutes it becomes clear that they won’t be ignored.
“Grey Gardens” is a 1975 documentary directed by Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysels, and Muffie Meyer which would later help to usher in the more reality-based era, including reality television. The film follows the life of a mother and daughter Edie and Edith Beale who, in the ultimate form of reality shows, are famous just for being famous. The two live in their own world, a dirty, infested house in the Hamptons completely separated from reality, ironic since they are being filmed during their daily lives. Albert Maysles notes that “in the documentary, the commandment is to be experimental, that you film experiences. And shy away from narration, hosts, interviews, and so forth”. The film is a sequence of events rather about what is happening to these two woman, and their real life is often more cinematic than fiction.
ReplyDeleteOne scene involves Edith singing “Tea for Two” in front of the camera as Little Edie sits on the bed next to her, watching. What we hear and what we see on screen are two entirely separate things. Edith sounds elegant as she sings this song, and the cinematographer catches a quick glimpse of her portrait (when she was much younger) as she sings this as if to say “that is what she was, while this is what she is now”. Ironically, just before she bursts into song about love and companionship, she has talked about the absurdity of marriage and just how unnecessary it really is. The bedroom that surrounds them looks like a vast, empty wasteland – with bare, yellow painted walls (the pictures and portraits lie on the floor instead of being hanged up); cats scurry around the floor; this almost makes the viewer wonder what changed and what has happened to give her this mindset. The room, with the soft lighting in the background looks sterile. The camera constantly looks back at little Edie, sitting on the bed across from her mother, to show the level of domesticity that they have achieved together; despite the oddities that we see on screen, the camera gives the scene a normality, as if we are seeing nothing new or out of the ordinary (which is how it would appear to the mother and daughter).
The films and it’s take on feminism can be contradictory at times between the two characters. The film, released in the 1970s, was made at the height of the second wave of feminism, and the Beales are certainly symbols of individuality and independence (although it does not seem like they could make it without each other or outside of their house). However, Little Edie constantly worries about her looks and worries as to whether or not she will ever have a real, stable relationship; on the contrary her mother is the exact opposite. While Little Edie possess and mugs (and at one point even dances) for the camera, her mother treats the camera as nothing more than two people filming her daily routine. The two work as polar opposites but the mother also foreshadows her daughter and her changing mindset.
In their 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens”, the Maysles brothers put great care into their portrayal of Edith and Edie Beale. Edith Beale, the mother of Edie, seems nonchalant towards the filming of her lifestyle. In contrast, Edie relishes the chance to perform again and does so in grand gestures that drive her mother crazy. This is most apparent, when the Beales are in the pink room, and Edie is fixing food for her mother. As Edie waltzes around singing at the top of her lungs, Edith is clearly annoyed by her fifty six year old daughter. After she loudly berates Edie, she remarks, “You sure do bring out the worst in your mother.” Yet seconds later, Edith’s hard exterior softens and she gently remarks to the Maysles brothers that Edie has a “beautiful voice…but you’ve never heard it.” It seems that Edith feels as though Edie has wasted away her potential and this seems to frustrate her the most. This is ironic, because it appears that Edie’s biggest qualm with her mother is that she prevented her from ever exceling in show business.
ReplyDeleteOn a superficial level, one might argue that Edie and Edith are self-sufficient and independent. At first appearance, it might seem that Edie and Edith are satisfied in their isolated existence. Yet, there is something lonesome about their lifestyle. Edith seems to recognize this and through conversation, the viewer is able to gain limited knowledge that Edith has permitted men (such as T. Logan) to reside at Grey Gardens. However, Edie scorns her mother’s attempts at allowing men into Grey Gardens. She refers to Jerry in a paranoid whisper as “The Marble Faun” and warns of the possible repercussions of him living with them. In front of the camera Edie is evidently furious that her mother has invited Jerry to move into Grey Gardens, yet she lacks the courage to openly confront her mother and Jerry. Conversely, she blames her mother for her failed suitors, particularly Eugene, who she complains her mother got rid of in fifteen seconds. Furthermore, both Edie and Edit perform regularly for the Maysles brothers throughout the documentary and as a result of these actions, it appears that the Beales are not as self sufficient as they seem, and still crave male attention.
It appears rather ambiguous as to the reasons why Edith and Edie are outcasts from society. Their attitudes would lead a viewer to believe that they have purposely severed all ties with society, however their clear mental instabilities hint that perhaps it was vice versa. Ultimately, life at “Grey Gardens” did not appear to be a free-spirited, independent place. Rather, the cinematography reflects a large, desolate house that appears to be overrun with invasive species such as raccoons. The house’s abysmal condition seems to symbolize the Beales’ own mental deterioration. When filming Edith and Edie inside of the house, the Maysles brothers primarily utilize closed frames. However, when Edie heads to the beach and goes swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, the shots become wider and more open. Edie is free (if temporarily) of Grey Garden’s claustrophobic walls and her mother’s oppressive influence.
Grey Gardens, directed by the Maysles brothers’ in 1975, gives an uncensored look into the lives of Edith and Little Edie Beale. These two women of cinema are so incredibly famous mainly because of their eccentric and fascinating characters, as well as their natural ability to entertain. They are represented cinematically in a number of different ways which is why Grey Gardens is such an acclaimed stylized documentary. The footage is extremely raw, and can even be seen as outrageous, as their daily lives and routines are caught on-screen. The film gives an opportunity for otherwise unlikely viewers to see into their home, which is something that would not occur under normal circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThe scene opens with an establishing shot of their disintegrating home in the Hamptons. As the camera cuts to inside the house, of Edith putting a barrette in her hair, we hear Edie belting a song off screen. As all good reality stars should, Edie definitely knows how to make an entrance-- whether she is singing, dancing, crying, screaming, or even doing all four at the same time. This aspect of her character presents her from the start as audacious and unique. As she continues to sing right over Edith’s requests for her to quiet down, we can see that they both have very bold personalities. This also highlights both of their tendencies to speak their mind and think independently. The continuous yelling and singing throughout the scene compliments the mise-en-scene of their cluttered and dysfunctional home. The use of close-ups as Edith is speaking to the director about the difficulties she had raising Edie without a husband is utilized to highlight her vulnerability, even in her old age. However, her intimate conversation with the camera is interjected once more by Edie’s song. This represents Edie’s character yet again as loud, vivacious and even at times insensitive. This camera technique is used again later in the scene as Edie rants about her past failed relationships. This time it is implemented to illuminate her flaws, which in turn gives the documentary an even greater sense of realism.
This mother and daughter, as exemplified by the scene, go against Mulvey’s feminist film theory. Although relationships and Edie’s instability are common topics of discussion, they are rarely, if ever, looked upon solely as objects for male gaze. Even though they appear immature and naive at times, they truly are independent and can possibly even be considered feminists. They represent a changing time that was and continues to be free from male domination. Although their relationship can be described as “can’t live with you, can’t live without you,” they are still individuals in their own right. They ultimately need each other in order to be the powerful and independent women that they are.
Grey Gardens directed by the Mayasles brothers in 1975 is an original documentary about Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter 'Little Edie'. The camera cathes their coocky personalities and secluded lifstyle without suggesting anything unseen. What you see is what you get in this straight forward film that would almost suggest that Eddith and Little Edie were having themselves filmed.
ReplyDeleteThe scene with Edith and Edie eating ic cream together is established with a shot of Edith sitting on her bed addressing Edie (offscreen) as Edie dances around the room. Edith suggests that Edie take out some pecan ice cream. The two of them sit on their beds eating their ice cream off of bedside tables, in a Medium shot, facing each other. The camer pans over to Edith as she begins talking then to Edie as she responds, almost as if they were on a date. Or like a mom took her daughter out for ice cream. This scene portrays Edies' true child like self, as she enjoys ice cream with her mom. The camera continues to show them together on the screen conversating then one at a time as they talk, giving motion to the camera and the converstion. Edie has her little table set up as if she was eating a meal at a restaurant with her napkin and utensils.
This film really capyures the two off them in their element whether they are reminscing on the past or arguing about the past there is never a dull moment with them two. Especially little Edie who is a natural infront of the camera. "15 minutes... She got rid of him in 15 minutes, she never even gave him a chance." Edie exclaims as she reminisces on one of her many baux's, towards the end of the film.
Grey Gardens is a documentary directed by the Maysles brothers’ in 1975. This documentary was different from the previous idea of a documentary because this followe more of a reality t.v show format.The Maysles brothers' wanted to capture the lives of two women, Edith and Edie Beale. These two women were capture just because they were famous in being able to entertain the audience, just by living their lives. The setting of the documentary takes place at the house of the Beale family, and the house is a mess. It is very interesting to see the difference between Edith and her daughter in terms of the publicity of their lifestyle. Edith seems to be low key about the situation and seems pretty comfortable and as the viewer I feel that she acts that exact same way on and off screen. Her daughter, Edie, on the other han seems to be really out there and wants to be seen as she is caught singing an dancing abruptly many times throughout the documentary.
ReplyDeleteOne scene from the documentary that I found was interesting was when Edie burstd through the door outside towards the camera as she is singing and marching in a very vibrant red outfit. As she goes back into the hhouse she goes to her mothers' room where she is laying down. There is a quick transition of mood at this point as we went from a very energetic shot, to very mello shot.This scene is very essential in showing the personalities of the mother and daughter and how they deal with each others' personalities. The way that the camera is set up with not showing the door in the frame of the shows makes the scene feel very closed for the audience. I feel that this was a technique to represent how they are isolated from society and closed or trapped in their own world. Also as they are talking/arguing with each other, Edie is standing up and her mother is laying down and Edie is in the foreground with her mother in the background fr the majority of the scene and in the mid-ground of the shot is a massive amount of junk and clutter on the bed representing that blockage.
This scene in terms of feminism I think is important to state first that having two women on film at the same time that are not the stereotypical "eye-candy" is extremely influencial. Edie seems to take personal pride in what she looks like, but her mothe could care less, which goes against the feminist theory. The documentary was still very interesting and was put together in a very interesting but successful way. LOVED IT!
“Grey Gardens” is a 1975 documentary directed by Albert Maysles and David Maysels, the Maysels brothers, about the lives of two "sponge" women, Edith and Little Edie Beale. From the very first shot, as Flora stated, this film was to portray these women in real life, and in real time. Through visuals, we were shown that these women confident life styles, as well as their isolation from the rest of the world. Through sound, we are also shown how confident these women were and how much they missed their pasts.
ReplyDeleteIn the scene where the Beales are in the room, listening to Edith's old records, you are shown through the visuals presented Edith's confidence. We are shown shots of her singing with power and passion, while Edie sits and listens to her mother. In this scene, we also are shown that the room that they are in is cluttered and filled with a massive amount of stuff. This speaks to there isolationist life styles. The sounds of this scene are important as well. The sounds portrayed speaks to their confidence as well. As you can see Edith singing so passionate, you can hear it as well, which also speaks to her confidence.
This film in itself is a feminist film because of the fact that it shows two females, who are rather old, that are extremely confident in themselves and show that on camera. They avoided the the stereotype of "eye-cady" and created a sense that women can be themselves, the same way they were on camera.