Because I've been sick ever since we finished this film, I'd like to apologize for the tardiness of this assignment.
This should be easy. Choose a scene in the film and analyze it in depth. Be sure to discuss its sociocultural influences, why you chose the scene, and how the scene relates to the film as a whole. Your response should be thoughtful and along the lines of what you will do next month. Be thorough.
Due: Wednesday, 12/21
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ReplyDeleteThe scene I chose to analyze was the scene that is described in the chapters as "Table Mannerisms". This scene begins with a wide shot of Titta and his family sitting down at the table for a typical Italian dinner. When looking at the screen, you would notice that the room seems tight and compacted, which is typical for an Italian kitchen. This creates the feel of a closed frame and that the action can only take place in that small area. This leads to the viewer feeling the intimacy of a family. The camera then cuts to shots to show everyone that is seated at the table. The camera then continuously cuts between close ups of particular people in the family, creating the intimacy in their conversations. The father is placed at the head of the table, while the uncle and the two boys are on opposite sides of the table.
ReplyDeleteThis scene is important to the entire film mostly because of how the women are depicted in Italian families, especially the importance of a mother figure. If you notice, the two women in this particular scene never sat down for dinner. This shows that the women are constantly moving and working to create a comfortable environment for their families. Also, in every shot, the women were in the background, compared to the men, who were either in the foreground or middle ground. This in a way can show that women were less significant then men. But to negate that, the women where hovering over the men, considering that the men were sitting down and the women were standing up. This shows that the women had some type of power and control over the men, or the choices of the men, considering that the women are who make the men's lives more comfortable. The main reason I feel that the mother is kept in the background isn't because of her being less significant than the men, it speaks to the fact that eventually she will die from an illness at the end of the film. Also, when the mother stood next to the table, she stood in the spot directly across from Titta, which in a way can symbolically stand for the direct connection he has with her. When she walks away from that spot, there is nothing to occupy that space, which can directly represent his mother dying and him losing that special connection. Another part of this scene that shows the power of the women is when the father and the mother begin to argue, and when arguing, the mother's voice seems to over power the father's, making her out to be the more dominant character.
I chose this scene basically because it shows the importance that Fellini places on family and the intimacy that families should share. It also shows the connection that mothers have to their families, especially their kids. I place my family above almost everything, which caused me to have a connection to what he was trying to convey with this scene.
“Amarcord” is a 1973 dramatic comedy about the life of a costal town during the reign of Mussolini in the 1930s. The film is a nostalgic trip into the surreal memories of director Federico Fellini’s childhood. The film has a tendency to combine the influences of both surrealism and neo-realism, highlighting Fellini’s influences by Rossellini and the gritty realism of past Italian cinema. Often dream-like sequences are broken by reality – such as the juxtaposition of the festival sequences with that of a man being interrogated by the fascist enforcements. The film is a powerful statement about the uncertainty of childhood, with such tough times being viewed through the imagination of a child. It is only what Fellini remembers, not what actually occurred, which greatly explains the trance-like color scheme and imagery.
ReplyDeleteFellini is one of the most significant surrealist directors, and “Amarcord” is no different. The trippy way that events are shown, as well as the mise-en-scene of each scene is significant. The protagonist of the film is a teenager, Titta, who is roaming through life. One particular scene involves Titta following a woman (Grandisca), whom he is infatuated with, through the snow filled streets. Grandisca is dressed all in red, contrasting with the white scenery to show what a hold the woman had on Titta. Titta is essentially a surrogate for Fellini, so this color juxtaposition shows how powerful an impression some woman, whom we can only assume was reminiscent of some woman in the director’s past, had on him. Titta follows the woman through the maze, with a cyclist riding through and causing a loud vibrating noise to echo through the air, discombobulating both Titta and the viewer. Titta finally loses Grandisca and gives up looking for her – a wide shot is then shown of Grandisca and Titta walking in separate directions, separated by a large block of snow. The irony of how close these two are together yet cannot get together, is highlighted here.
This dream-like, romantic scene is then followed by Titta and his father visiting his sick mother in the hospital. The reality of the situation begins to sink in as the sterile setting of the hospital contradicts the beauty of the snowy scene before it. There is no one dressed in bright red; there is only gloom. The emptiness of childhood is shown here. This scene highlights the multiple aspects of childhood: the good and bad, the happy and sad, the fun and miserable. No matter how surreal Fellini tries to make the film, he cannot gloss over the unrest of living in a Mussolini run Italy at the time, and certainly not as a confused adolescent. The scene is the perfect representation of all of these ideas.
Federico Fellini's 1974 comedic-drama, Amarcord, is firmly rooted in Italian Neorealism, a genre known for highlighting the perils of working class Italy. This style was appropriate given that the 1970s were period of socio-political turmoil in Italy, referred to as the Lead Years. However, instead of exposing events of the present in this film, Fellini chose to look back upon the time of his adolescence; a time that was equally as confused and full of unrest as life amidst the riots of the 70’s, but that he looked upon more fondly.
ReplyDeleteAmarcord is set in 1930’s Fascist Italy under the rule of Benito Mussolini, who was attempting to establish an Italian Empire under a militaristic agenda. In order to fulfill this agenda, Mussolini began rallying support in Italy and seeking physically fit people to fight without question: two aspects of fascism that are depicted in my scene. This scene opens on Mr. Biondi, who is filmed in a medium shot behind his gate, implying the rigid and inescapable nature of Fascist Italy and strict Italian customs. The medium shot, when combined with Mr. Biondi’s enthusiastic kinesis (he jumps up and down), sets the stage for “comedic filming” which typically shies away from close-ups and encourages a lot of movement. He is an over the top, ridiculous character, as are the leaders of fascism themselves. Despite being filmed from a low angle, one high ranking official is obscenely short, and appears comical rather than threatening as he watches the kids of Italy perform their routines. These adolescents are dressed identically and move animatronically, in the high angle wide shot in which they are filmed. This demonstrates the tendency for fascism, and all adults really, to take away childhood too early, leaving the kids devoid of originality or life- the exception being Fellini. The comedic aspect of the film continues from there, with the fantasy of a boy’s wedding, being presided over by the huge, talking head of Mussolini, almost reminiscent of the Wizard in the wizard of Oz. The head is centered on the screen, and from the low angle from which it is filmed, it takes up almost the entire length of the frame, but instead of facilitating fear, it looks utterly ridiculous. However, in the shot, he is still being revered by two long lines of indistinguishable Italian youth, jumping around, oblivious to their lack of real thought on the matter. The comedic way in which he portrays Mussolini, and fascism as a whole, allows him to mock Italian society as an entity unable to have any true moral responsibility, and instead choosing to “follow the pack.” However, this does not hold true for Mr. Biondi, who in the midst of the fascist rally chooses to blast “Internationale” the anarchist anthem. The diegetic music begins to play during a shot in which the lighting is dark, making the faces of the upset fascist leaders impossible to make out initially. This is symbolic of their initial inability to stop the revolt. However, as they acquire flashlights, they cast shadows on the walls that are twice the size of a normal man, signaling that they have the power to crush any rebellion. On cue, the fascist leaders begin firing at the source of the noise, which also happens to be a church lined with comforting lights. This can be seen as fascism attacking Italian life as a whole, which is exactly what it did in the 30s, yet the music keeps playing, solidly, over the shots. This music is perhaps symbolic of the protestors of the Lead Years who, at the time of Amarcord’s production, were doing what those in Fascist Italy failed to do: revolt. This allowed Fellini to draw viewer attention to the current Italian condition while still enabling him to “remember” is childhood, as the title implies. This scene is thus central to the film, serving as an example of both the comedic and serious aspects of Amarcord, while exposing more about Mr. Biondi’s character, who as a revolutionary is more worthy of sympathy, and the character of Italy as a whole.
“Amarcord” is an Italian comedy-drama film released in 1973. Federico Fellini, the director, fashioned the film into a semi-autobiographical collection of memories that synthesize into an occasionally nonsensical portrait of the adolescence of an Italian teenager, Titta. What makes the film so memorable is its fascinating blend of comedic and dramatic storylines which is evident in nearly every scene in the movie.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that I have chosen to analyze is the scene in which Titta has a sexual encounter with the buxom shopkeeper. The establishing long shot shows Titta surreptitiously ducking into the tobacco shop. The street on which Titta is strolling is dark and gloomy yet the tobacco stop emits a warm, welcoming light. In the following shot of the inside of the tobacco shop is noticeable Fellini breaks the 180 degree rule. This implies the unnatural atmosphere within the store, and foreshadows the unnatural interaction that occurs between Titta and the shopkeeper. Within the store, all of the shots are medium shots which show both Titta and the shopkeeper at all times. As the shopkeeper searches for a cigarette her behind and cleavage are often the focal point of the frame. When the shot changes to a match cut of Titta staring longingly at the woman it is clear that he is intensely aroused by her. As she approaches him to let her lift her, the camera dollies in on the two of them implying the intimacy of their physicality. As the shopkeeper becomes more and more aroused by Titta, the camera dollies closer and closer to her face which is positioned at the top of the screen both to emphasize her emotion and also denotes her at the peak of her arousal. In contrast his head is positioned towards the bottom of the screen indicating that he is physically worn out and exhausted by the nature of the encounter. As the women pulls out her breasts the camera matches the intimacy of the encounter by dollying closer and closer. As she approaches Titta, the viewer sees her shadow grow larger and more menacing on the wall behind him. The audience senses Titta’s suffocation by the breasts by the closed frames of the close up shot. Ironically, Titta is nearly suffocated by the very objects he has fantasized so intensely about. There is also an ambiguous nature to whether the scene actually occurred; in the next scene Titta is shown to be sick in bed which could indicate that the previous scene was merely a fantasy dream gone amok.
While certainly the scene is explicitly humorous, Fellini includes the scene for more sentimental reasons. The audience witnesses how ephemeral childhood innocence is through Titta‘s ultimate inexperience. Furthermore, the scene emphasizes the unrealistic nature of teenage fantasies. Indeed, fantasies are a major theme throughout “Amarcord”. In his encounter with the shopkeeper Titta recognizes that fantasies do not always live up to expectation.
Leah said...
ReplyDeleteFellini’s sentimental piece Amarcord is infamous for its explicit themes of sexuality. The coming-of-age film is a flawless example of the works for which Fellini is best known. Its humorous and often inappropriate scenes of nostalgia provide audiences with relatable or at least entertaining characters that create a fun environment. The confessional scene is truly representative of the film as a whole as it allows the viewer an inside look into the mind of the immature, adolescent protagonist in a setting that typically is taken more seriously. Through shot composition and the direction of acting Fellini’s memories come to life in a light and laughable way.
The scene opens with an establishing long shot of a stout priest at the site of confession. He steps down from a chair and over to a bench where main character Titta will soon kneel before him. The shot reveals a large statue of St. Louis that towers over the priest, as well as a painting of similar appearance that both only exaggerate his short stature. Titta hobbles into frame from the left and kneels below the portrait, the priest now sitting on the bench adjusts to his comfort, but his feet cannot touch the ground. This is one of many instances that display Fellini’s goofy sense of humor. The gags continue as the two are revealed in medium shot. Just as they begin to discuss Titta’s confessional habits, the priest is distracted by another across the room, arranging flowers. He turns to face the camera wearing thick spectacles that minimize his eyes into small dots that look like they belong on a cartoon character. The priest jumps off of the bench and waddles over to the man with the flowers complaining about their arrangement. This is shown in a long shot in which Titta’s school friends are seated in the lower left corner, huddled together, snickering. At this point in the film, the audience is already aware of what these boys are capable of and this sneak peak only has viewers wondering what is next. When the camera pans to follow the priest back to Titta, the statue of St. Louis can be seen in the foreground to the left of the frame, reminding the audience of its presence. It will be referenced in the upcoming dialogue. To the right of the frame Titta kneels still, his hands clasped in “prayer” as the small priest mounts his bench and continues to nail him with questions about his mother and father. It is made clear that Fellini’s priests of memory were very skeptical and tended to stereotype adolescent boys. The sacrament is mocked as the priest is continuously distracted by the floral arrangements and persistently asks accusatory questions whilst blowing his nose noisily. In response to the priests claim that St. Louis weeps when Titta “touches himself”, Titta looks up at the statue as shown in the next shot at a low angle. The statue looks down and the angle of the shot implies that it is disapproving. It is here that the audience begins to hear Titta’s thoughts in voiceover, beginning with “Let him weep”, and his face is shown with expressions to match his inner voice.
Leah said... continued...
ReplyDeleteThe thoughts circulating through Titta’s mind are reminiscent of instances where he was impure, just as the priest accused him. As he begins to cite specific moments, they are matched with a visual illustration. It tips off with the woman in the tobacco shop. She is bent behind the counter and begins to rise as the camera dollies into a medium shot that emphasizes how “stacked” she is. To the left of the frame there are post cards of male portraits, a few happen to be looking her way, right at eye level with her breasts- the objects of which Titta is referencing. There are several props that allude to sexual body parts such as the circular candy bowl tops with spherical red handles, and the long thin wooden pieces hanging from the shelf to the right. Other memories include his lion-like history teacher who is ironically unattractive (this only shows how naïve and sexually driven Titta can be), St. Anthony’s Day on which he and his friends are astounded by the females’ backsides as they mount their bicycles (each one is shown in close up to emphasize their excitement, editing is quick as if they can’t decide which butt to look at next), and the day he fixed the prostitute Volpina’s tire. It is implied that she seduced him despite her eccentricity.
Ultimately, this scene characterizes teenhood as Fellini recalls it. The film as a whole was generally received well by the public, especially in the United States, earning an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The combination of comedy and drama in Amarcord set it apart, along with its shocking use of sexual references.
In the film Amarcord directed by Fredrico Fellini the importance of family, friends, and relationships for Italians are portrayed through a montage of everyday events. The film has no explicit plot and the characters roles are the sole proprietors of importance throughout the film.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I chose in the film is when the family is sitting at the dinner table and the mother is serving everyone their dinner. First she serves soup then she puts out the main course on the table for everyone to get after their soup. This is very representative of an actually Italian family dinner, because they eat their dinner in courses and there are always a lot of people along with a lot of food. The camera show a medium wide angle shot of the entire table then a CU of each person. The younger brother, the grandfather, the uncle, the older brother, the sister and at the head of the table is the father. Symbolically the father is at the head of the table because he is the head of the household. The diegetic sound in the background is an unanswered phone ringing. Everyone is too busy yelling and eating to even notice it or care, until the father finally gets too annoyed by the ringing and goes to answer it. He says “I’ll answer the phone since it’s my house and my phone” portraying the true rage and manly demeanor of an Italian man. When he comes back he gives a long stare to his older son and sits down. The camera pans over to the son and it is clear to the viewer that he is in trouble. The father calmly asks him what he did. There is no diegetic ore non-diegetic sound and the room is completely calm, building up the suspense of the moment. When the son replies ”nothing” the father jumps and protests that he is lying demanding that he tell the truth immediately. He attempts to jump over the table to grab him, but his son dodges the grasp of his fathers’ strong hands. He runs and his father proceeds to chase him around the small packed kitchen. As the father continues his loud protests, the mother sobs for them to stop are heard in the background. This engaging, charismatic, and completely chaotic scene truly portrays the personality of and ordinary Italian home. While the scene seems to offer no real meaning it does exactly what Fellini wanted which was to not only portray a real Italian family, but to also show how strong Italian men and women were. The men, the heads of the household, have to always be in control and are not afraid to show their anger and outrage when something doesn’t go their way. The women so gentle, patient and fiery, never letting a man get the last word. They offer no innuendo of fear or otherwise of the men. They match men’s anger with their attitude and feistiness.
I chose this scene because it represents family, one of the central ideas that Fellini wanted to portray in this film. It is truly one of the most important scenes in the film and it is something every viewer can relate to one way or another.
The film Amarcord, directed by Fredrico Fellini, is an Italian film that has no defined plot or story. It is comprised of a couple stories in which Fellini thought would portray everyday Italian family life. He did this so that viewers would be able to relate and connect to the film, which intrigues more viewers.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that I chose to analyze is the very vivid and sexually explicit scene of Titta and the female tobacco shopkeeper. I found that this scene had a lot of cinematic techniques and meaning. The establishing shot is of the outside of the tobacco shop. There is a light that is placed above the name of the store “Tabacchi.” The light creates a cone shape of light and it is completely black surrounding. Titta enters the frame from the darkness and enters into the light kind of suspicious. Lighting and his actions create this feeling of suspicion. The camera then cuts to a wide shot of the inside of the shop with the shopkeeper moving around heavy bags, he asks for a cigarette. Titta tries to help her with the bags but she wont let him saying that he wouldn’t be able to handle it. As she moves around the store the camera pans with her and her butt and breast seem to be a focus in the shots. Seeming to represent Titta’s point of view. She goes to fully shut the shutter on the door, which represents her trapping Tritta in this shop literally but then also him being trapped in this sexual environment and mindset as being a teenage boy. After she traps them in the shop she walks towards Tritta and the camera dolly’s in towards her until it reaches a medium shot. This is to represent how she is coming into close contact with Tritta. Once they get closer she challenges him to see if he can pick her up. He picks her up with a grip under her butt. The camera switches back and forth from a close up of her butt in the foreground with Trittas face in the background, and a close up of her cleavages, which are the main sexual attractions for Tritta. As Tritta is carrying her, her head hits the hanging light, which I think represents the height of the sexual arousal (as Alison also mentioned). As a result of her head hitting the light it begins to swing, creating this shadow of the shopkeeper as Tritta is sitting in the right side if the frame, her shadow takes up the left side. She is not physically in the frame but her shadow grows as she gets closer to him and enters the frame physically. The shadow is representing the sexual arousal that is coming over Tritta. As Tritta is fulfilling the deed forced on him by the shopkeeper, the light is still flickering which I think represents the uncertainty for Tritta. Towards the ending of the scene Tritta goes to exit the shop but is unable to open the sliding door. This is the instability and lack of strength that he has a the moment, putting the shop keeper in power.
I chose this scene because Fellini has many occasions of sexual connections throughout the film and this was a scene that portrays this with cinematic techniques such as lighting, composition, as well as camera shots. Also going along with the title of the film meaning, I Remember, can relate to viewers in remembering their childhood innocence, which is a part of life. This represents the film as a whole with the aspect of childhood innocence, which is found a lot within the film.
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ReplyDeleteFellini’s 1973 Italian neorealist film, “Amarcord,” tells the coming-of-age story of a teenager, Titta, and his life during 1930’s Italy. Composed of autobiographical memories, Fellini recalls his adolescence, showing both the good and the bad. Including themes relating to sexuality, family relationships, and socio-cultural connections, this film provides an accurate, and sometimes fantastical, representation of life at this time.
ReplyDeleteThe scene where Titta is sick in bed is especially important because it highlights all that which Fellini is trying to portray. It opens with a medium shot of Titta and his mother, as she is feeding him soup. The physical closeness of these two illuminates Fellini’s stance on the importance of family, a theme that is prevalent throughout the entire film. Unlike many of the surreal clips in the film, this scene presents an accurate, raw depiction of perhaps the relationship Fellini had with his mother. In fact, this scene is the opposite of fantastical, but still proves to be crucial and special, as it is a much more intimate look into Titta’s life, one that is much more relatable. Additionally, this is one of the first times when a character explicitly states their fears or concerns. Here, Titta is asking his mother about love, and how his parents met. He seems concerned with the fact that he’s growing up too slowly, unlike the other kids. This further explains the troubles of adolescence and clearly shows the internal battle Titta is fighting. Slightly out of focus, in the background behind Titta’s mother, sits some kind of doll. This is significant because it serves as a reminder for the viewers and for the characters. It reminds them of the importance of innocence, and how Fellini cherished this part of adolescence. Furthermore, the doll is clad in white, only continuing to highlight this theme of purity.
I chose this scene because I think it encompasses much of what Fellini was trying to emphasize. Particularly, it illuminates the theme of innocence and how important it is to not grow up too fast, even in a society that might push you to do so. Personally, this is the theme I got most out of the film, and for me, this scene just tied everything together. Although the surreal side of the film plays an imperative role, the real, rawer memories prove to be equally as essential and insightful. This scene also relates to the scio-cultural context of the times, as Titta finds himself growing up in a world he doesn’t fully understand. Living in Mussolini Italy, when times were particularly trying, the inevitable confusion of growing up is even more apparent.