Postwar cinematography

The most significant developments in filmmaking after World War II occurred in Europe. In Italy, Roberto Rossellini's 'Open City' (1945) and Vittorio De Sica's 'Shoeshine' (1946) and 'The Bicycle Thief' (1948) established a trend toward realism in film. De Sica fused documentary and dramatic techniques to make personal statements about the world he saw around him. This use of film as a medium of personal artistic expression was further developed by such directors as Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni.

In France a new generation of young filmmakers, called the "new wave," emerged in the 1950s. They stressed characterization rather than plot and developed new camera and acting techniques for film. They used poetic visual images, philosophical ideas, and social commentary in their films. Jean-Luc Godard developed new techniques with a hand-held camera and new forms of storytelling.

In England, filmmakers continued to develop the genres of comedy and historical fiction. 'Look Back in Anger' (1959) triggered a new realism that continued in such films as 'The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner' (1962) and became known as the Angry Young Man movement.

Individual directors in other countries also influenced contemporary filmmaking. The Swedish director Ingmar Bergman used simple, dramatic stories and allegories to explore complex philosophical and social issues. Among his major films were 'The Seventh Seal' (1957), 'Wild Strawberries' (1957), and 'The Passion of Anna' (1969).

Underground film is a term used today to describe a wide range of films that are usually made by a single individual as a personal statement or artistic endeavour. They are sometimes called experimental or avant-garde. Most of them differ radically from conventional films in form and content, and many differ in the techniques used in filming them. Most underground films are made inexpensively with 8-mm. or 16-mm. equipment. Because they must be made at low cost, most of them are short. For the same reason, the use of actors and settings in underground film is limited, and for subjects many filmmakers use the places and people they met in their own lives.

The subject matter of underground films varies greatly. It includes portraits of people, landscape studies, and political protest. Some underground films are abstract studies of patterns, rhythms, color, or light. Others attempt to evoke occult and supernatural experiences or, by subjecting the viewer to different kinds of filmed optical effects, explore the ways in which people see.

trend fuse trigger endeavour

Тенденция Сплавлять,сливать вызывать, давать начало Старание

radically evoke occult

Радикально Вызвать Оккультный

Ex. 17. Translate:

1. К сожалению, я не очень часто хожу в кино. И мне кажется я не один такой. Сегодня гораздо проще пойти и взять видео на прокат, пригласить одного – двух друзей и посмотреть любой фильм. Ты даже можешь взять фильм, которого еще не было в кинотеатрах. Гораздо приятней сидеть дома с чашечкой кофе и легким движением руки остановить фильм в любом месте, перемотать, просмотреть эпизод или весь фильм еще раз.

2. Мне нравится ходить в кино с друзьями. Мои друзья не очень любят ходить в кино, но иногда и на них нападает скука и мы звоним на автоответчики всех кинотеатров или просматриваем газету с программой. Если демонстрируется что-либо интересное или хотя бы что-либо с интригующим названием, мы идем в кино. Мне нравится многое в кинотеатрах. Мне нравится постепенно гаснущий свет, как на огромном экране появляются первые кадры фильма и слышатся первые аккорды музыки. Мне нравится, что в зале темно и никто не видит выражения твоего лица. Единственное, что мне не нравится – это шелест пакетов с чипсами и другой ерундой, а также выкрики идиотов, сидящих в зале.

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MUSIC

Ex. 18. Study the text:

Music is sound arranged into pleasing or interesting patterns. It forms an important part of many cultural and social activities. People use music to express their feelings and ideas. It may be considered as a non-verbal way of communication. ‘Music is the universal language of mankind’- Henry Longfellow once said and he was right: we understand music despite its origin, whether it is African, Indian or European. We even try to use music to communicate with ETs (extra-terrestrials). When scientists were considering what pieces of human culture should be sent in outer space, they decided on some pieces of music along with painting, mathematical and chemical symbols. And now the space probe Voyager is wandering in the space with Mozart and Prokofiev’s music on board.

The question ‘Why music finds respond in every human heart?’ may be answered in different ways. On the one hand we may use irrational but very romantic arguments; it is a divine gift, a spark of God in our souls. On the other hand the answer is very scientific and deprived of any enigma. It is scientifically proved that every organ of a human body is a resonator, finely tuned in a specific frequency and consequently is able to respond to this frequency. Besides, many organs of our body have their own rhythms, they are not only passive resonators, they are oscillators in a way. Human brain, heart, liver, lungs have their own rhythms. That is why, perhaps, music finds respond in our hearts and souls.

Music is one of the oldest arts. Our ancestors didn’t have to be very inventive to produce sounds with the help of sticks, hollow bones and stones. They even had a teacher of music - the Nature itself. There are plenty of rhythmic sounds in nature: the sound of rain drops, footsteps, heart beat. If we analyse the tribal music of Africans or Australian aborigines we can easily notice that their music is very rhythmical, or, which is more correct, their music is pure rhythms. Primitive people used those rhythmical sounds for very practical purposes: those sounds accompanied their ritual dances performed before a battle or a hunt. Those sounds strengthened our forefathers morally and physically. For the worriers who performed those dances and ‘music’ those sounds had a magic power, which could protect them and promised luck in a hunt. But there were other people, those who watched the dances from a distance: the old, children and women. Was it the beginning of music shows?

Man resorted to music when mothers sang babies into sleep, warriors wanted to raise their battle spirit before a fight, wanted to frighten their enemies; hunters wanted to make their hunt successful; shepherds gathered their cattle, people gathered to work together and their cries helped them to concentrate on their work; somebody died and people expressed their grief and sorrow. That’s how the first ancient forms of music appeared.

The first music was probably rhythm, melody appeared a bit later, though the melody instrument people have always had with them - the voice. By about 10,000 BC people had discovered how to make flutes out of hollow bones. Since then dozens of musical instruments of different designs producing different kinds of sound appeared.

Despite extra-terrestrials probe respond divine spark enigma tuned in resonator consequently

Несмотря на Инопланетяне Зонд Ответить Божественный Искра Загадка Настроенный Резонатор Следовательно

frequency oscillator inventive tribal aborigine ritual resort raise grief sorrow

Частота Генератор Изобретательный Племенной Аборигены Ритуал Прибегать, обращаться Повышение Печаль Горе

Ex. 19. Answer the questions:

1. Do you agree with Henry Longfellow’s words ‘Music is the universal language of mankind’?

2. When do people resort to music?

3. What are the physiological reasons for the impact music has on people?

4. The ancient people used music very pragmatically, didn’t they?

5. What helped and still helps people create music?

Ex. 20. Study the text: