Classicism and Modernism Essay - 2724 Words

Hollywood in the 30’s and 40’s was the golden-age of a new era of filmmaking. The films of that period went beyond the silent films being produced in the past. Diagetic sounds like dialogue and more advanced filmic techniques would push cinema to a new mode of filmmaking, that being classicism. The classical Hollywood structure was being developed in the past with silent films but it came to full fruition in the 30’s, where many filmmakers would produce feature-length films with fully developed storylines and the use of glamorous lighting and larger-than life characterizations to give audiences a more cinematic experience. Genre films like: the gangster, comedy, western, horror, and other various genres of the era, provided large revenue†¦show more content†¦Even the much-loved, musical genre, of the 1930’s had copious amounts of sexual images and subtle references to controversial subjects, encoded onto its mise-en-scene. The musical called, 42 nd Street (1933), contained a lot of sexual imagery that exploited women and their figures. The male gaze is very much evident in the imagery of the film and the films imagery and dialogue makes references to polyamory. The films many, subjective point of view shots, serve many purposes, one being that of voyeurism; the low angle tracking shot of the dancers legs is one that comes to mind, as that particularly scene is saturated with images of passive females who are in a scandalously provocative position. In those days, female actresses did not have any substantial roles because of the male-dominated Hollywood system, it would take many years and a lot of protest from women to put a stop to these voyeuristic and unsubstantial roles that women had in those days. Laura Mulvey, a seminal feminist critic who denounced these types of films, would call these films a visual spectacle for the sadistic, male-centered viewer. I tend to agree with her as films like 42nd street, do not have an y three-dimensional characterizations, rather they have the male-centered viewpoint of what women should be like, which is to be submissive and be like an object rather than a human being. Although the film does have some good qualities, that being the directionShow MoreRelatedAn Exotic Forest By Henri Rousseau945 Words   |  4 Pagescomponent reveals itself through the tension between the periods of Modernity and Classicism, as seen through the central image of the woman, the painting’s scale, and colour palette, along with, the inclusion of Primitive elements in the style, and subject used. As such, this methodology, in the form, and technique of the piece, communicates a larger complexity. Where Modernity refers to the state of being modern, Classicism contrasts this notion as a movement that attempts to harken back to aestheticsRead MoreThe Differences Between Prairie Style Architecture And Hi-Tech Architecture717 Words   |  3 PagesWorlds Columbian Exposition (Chicago Worlds Fair) of 1893 was supposed to be a heralding of the city of Chicagos rebirth. But many of the young Midwestern architects of what would become the Prairie School were offended by the Greek and Roman classicism of nearly every building erected for the fair. In reaction, they sought to create new work in and around Chicago that would display a uniquely modern and authentically American style, which came to be called Prairie. The designation Prairie is dueRead MoreRomanticism : Romanticism And Romanticism1141 Words   |  5 PagesRomanticism and Modernism differ in their styles, values, and ideology, they were both important periods in literature. Romanticism was a literary movement during the late 18th century until the early 19th century that had an emphasis on the imagination and emotions. The movement moved through every country in Europe, Latin America, and the United States from approximately 1750 to 1870. However, France did not see the movement until the 1820’s. Romanticism was basically a rebellion against Classicism, dueRead MoreDefining The Broad Scope of Artist1158 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is art? As I continue to develop my skills and contemplate their purpose, my initial analysis has not only shifted, but expanded in complexity. Acquired through our growth into modernism, art has manifested a certain dependence on theoretical discourse. German Philosopher Arnold Gehlen proposes that art’s ‘need for explanation’ is derived from its ‘difficulty’ or otherwise inaccessibility to the public; implying that although art is always human, human is not always artist. The exclusivityRead MoreBronzinos Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time and Manets Le Dejeuner sur Lherbe930 Words   |  4 Pagescomposition, all those unusualness and complex make viewer somewhat uncomfortable to look at the painting. Realism movement in art began in 1850s to reject the style of Classicism, dominated by French Academy. Aftereffect of the French Revolution in 1848 also helped the realism movement. Realists felt that fantasy and artificiality of Classicism and Romanticism, the style of the late 18th century and early 19th century, ended with the revolution and hoped to find something practical and objective. So, theRead MoreNeoclassicism Vs. Modernism Essay1174 Words   |  5 Pages Igor Stravinsky makes for a first-class example of differences and similarities between neoclassicism and modernism. Modernism is defined as â€Å"A term used in music to denote a multi-faceted but distinct and continuous tradition within 20th-century composition†1, while neoclassicism may be defined as â€Å"A movement of style in the works of certain 20th-century composers, who, particularly during the period between the two world wars, revived the balanced forms and clearly perceptible thematic processesRead MoreEssay on H.D.: The Fusion of Classicism and Modernity1729 Words   |  7 PagesH.D.: The Fusion of Classicism and Modernity With foundations rooted deeply in an appreciation for and understanding of classicism, H.D. fused ancient Grecian literature, thinking and mythology with modernistic feminism, bisexuality and psychoanalysis to establish for herself a prominent voice among her contemporaries. Born Hilda Doolittle in 1886 to Helen and Charles Doolittle, her education was fostered by the intellectual curiosity of her parents (an artist and an astronomerRead MoreThe Rise Of The Prefabricated Tower Block900 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout the Eastern Bloc which copied the policies of the USSR. This development was not accepted well by architects and intellectuals, especially in Germany, where the legacy of pre-war modernism was very obvious in cities like Berlin, but also in cities like Moscow, Prague, and Sofia where the classicism endorsed by Stalin was like going back a century. Stalin’s preference for a building style highlighting the power of the Soviet people resulted in a comp lete stagnation of other forms or architectureRead MoreChanging Role of the Artist from Different Times1695 Words   |  7 Pagesencompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression. The renaissance is the rebirth of classicism; classicism comes from the ancient Greece and Rome; they portray art to captivate perfection, harmony and order. Italian High Renaissance artists achieved ideal of harmony and balance comparable with the works of ancient Greece or Rome. Renaissance Classicism was a form of art that removed the extraneous detail and showed the world as it was. Forms, colours and proportionsRead MoreLudwig Mies Van Der Rohe3277 Words   |  14 Pagesattempts  to  chart  the  transition  in  architecture  from  nineteenth  century   Romanticism  and  Neoclassicism  to  High  Modernism.  Mies  van  der  Rohe   redefined  architectural  boundaries  and  emphasised  the  beauty  of  simple  forms,   the  importance  of  functionality  and  the  versatility  of  new  materials  such  as   glass,  steel  and  marble.  An  analysis  of  the  work  of  Philip  Johnson  reveals  the   development  from  High  Modernism  to  Postmodernism,  where  playful  and   ironic  decoration  and  h umanist  theories  were  reintroduced  into  what  had