Aesthetic and Thematic Definition of Independent Cinema

Aesthetic and Thematic Definition of Independent Films “The Official cinema of the world has run out of breath. It is morally corrupt, aesthetically obsolete, thematically superficial, and temperamentally boring. ” (Lionel R et al, 1960) As a result of this and a great number of other reasons, independent cinema was born. For the most people who have a basic knowledge of American cinema, “independent filmmaking consists of low budget projects made by (mostly) young filmmakers with a strong personal vision away from the influence and pressures of the few major conglomerates that control tightly the American film industry. (Yannis, 2006:1) In a way, almost all independent cinemas can be seen as more or less rejecting Hollywood’s narrative conventions, sometimes in the pursuit of more styles and different themes. This essay focuses on three films to explore to what extent both the aesthetic and thematic definitions opposite to mainstream cinema. ~ I. Thematic Definition Independent films develop thematically opposed to what mainstream cinema does. It explores diverse themes including black humor, freedom, rebellion, violence, erotic pleasure and suffering from thinking.

While a great number of films were involved in the themes such as blacks, beats, politics and hippies, independent cinema “all carry a subversive message portrayed through subject or style, they cover an enormous range of aesthetic and social concerns. ” (Gary, 2000) Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie and Clyde, well-known robbers in the depression time, had been depicted in different ways in diverse versions. However, Arthur Penn adopted a comedic style to tell this story with the satire aim to the traditional Hollywood gangster film.

Filmmakers pursued their own styles based on the original making system and worked out totally different styles through the revolution. Bonnie and Clyde seemed like a traditional gangster film, however, it broke the original model that contains the occurrence, time and again chase and the ending and created a new model. Two immoral characters replace moral ones in the traditional gangster movie as the leading characters. Instead of condemning them, Arthur Penn showed great sympathy to them through tediously long, gentle content of daily life, behavior details and their psychological status.

He blamed their committing crime on society and family’s neglecting and hurting the youth. The classic ending scene distillates this tragedy and declaims the fact that it is the government, the court and the police murder the two. Clyde as a robber does not appear to kill the innocent and be cruel and vicious however repeatedly seems like impotence and weak. The image of Clyde means the incapability of society in the Great Depression. This film reflects the problems of society which has a satire aim to the traditional gangster film lack in reflection and criticism spirit.

As Mark Garrett Cooper states, American independent cinema is best defined in terms of style and this style may best be described as dysphoic which means a state of anxiety or restlessness specially constructed for the spectarory. The film reflects a tough period. Bonnie and Clyde love each other but they do not have sex, which strikes Bonnie in a great degree. However, she chooses to stay with Clyde owning to his love. The impotence of Clyde means the decline and flagging in the whole society. Bonnie’s require for sex means the normal mental and material demand.

The contradiction between the two exactly is the main problem existing in society at that time. The instant they have a perfect sex, they are killed, which also means that life is a implacable contradiction. Pulp Fiction Under the plot hides a metaphor of religion, this is to great extent relevant with Marcellus’s suitcase. The suitcase is robbed by Vincent and Jules in the apartment. From the beginning to the end, we do not know what is in it, though it shines all the time. There will be a great number of guesses about it; however we will never get the answer. But we notice that the code of the ase is 666 which is the symbol of Satan. It makes us guess that 666 is the number on Marcellus’s neck covered by a lace and maybe Marcellus is the evil. In the end, Jules who trust God survived, however, Vincent who despises God dies. Juno The society in the film portrayed is not real. The film not only has guiding significance on some conservative countries but on America itself as well because it leads America to self-examine its own democracy regime. American cannot reach the right height, however, this film reveals a Utopia bright new world to the people all around the world. Look, in my opinion the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what-have-you. The right person is still going to think the Sun shines out of your ass. That’s the kind of person that’s worth sticking with. ” Above are the most popular lines. The film is cool and portrays a Utopia. Diablo Cody drew up a society of freedom and some kind of . rebellion and inquires into feminism democracy. Juno in myth is wife of Zeus so she has her own advantages and is able to keep out trouble and decide all things about herself.

The pregnant, 16-year-old girl, declares the real news to the baby’s father, Bleak, sitting on a sofa, very cool. She tells him the news, does it being finished in that, and then pat upper dust of buttocks leave, leaving the poor dad shocked. Here emerges the music but without a slightest heavy sense. Juno just thinks that Bleak has the right to know it but he has no right to interfere with. This belongs to her life. It is cool. She intends to have the abortion at first so that it will not bother her life.

But later she changes her mind because of a Chinese girl’s reminding. After that she begins to search for a couple willing to adopt her baby. All above that she has done are her decisions. She decides her own life, which reflects the screenplay writer’s point of view, feminism. Another character in the film, also of great significance, the adoptive father, Mike, who is a not mature grown man loves rock music and film but tied by family and rigid wife. Actually a great number of audiences cannot agree with Mike. They think he is not mature and always being escaping.

In fact it is a misunderstanding of maturity. The status of being satisfied makes him lose passion and dream. The appearance of Juno, however, works a blasting fuse of the vertical change. She stimulates his dream. Eventually he decides to divorce, leave and restart to pursue what he really wants. Perhaps it is the immaturity that gives him the courage to look for what he has lost. This leads audience to rethink that whether they can hold their own ideas and whether they have realized themselves or not. II. Aesthetic Definition

Independent cinema is more likely to “employ devices designed to deny, block, delay or complicate the anticipated development of narrative, to reduce clarity or resolution and in some cases to increase narrative self-consciousness. ” (Geoff K, 2005) Pulp Fiction Someone hates Pulp Fiction; someone likes it owning to the same reason. The film is always playing with audience’s expect because it never develops on a regular basis. It arranges stories in a casual way. Compared with the action movies at that time, independent film creates a new way of organizing the screenplay and escapes stereotypes of Hollywood.

Pulp Fiction is composed of several relevant stories which are arranged in cyclic structure and from diverse angels. Violent stories arranged in a cyclic structure means that in reality the plot like that is always happening and never ends. As for the diverse angels, it provides different angels of a character for the audience. Under different circumstances, characters change. For example, in one story, the leading character Vincent acts as a protector of Mia, however, in another Vincent is killed as soon as he appears.

For another example, Jules clearly appears to be a killer in the apartment but at the end of the film he suddenly changes to a saver rather than a killer. This kind of narrative style tells the audience how every character becomes involved in the series of stories in a more clear way. It is obviously reflected in the Quentin Taratino’s works. Killed or not killed is not important. Quentin Tarantino is no in hurry to tell the audience the result. He lengthens the progress of telling in all kinds of ways to play with and torture the audience’s affection. But it is also a kind of enjoy.

It is not only because they adores being afflicted but because the progress decides whether the result is enjoyable. For instance, Butch and his girlfriend play hard to get before they have sex. After all, the audience is just watching what characters are suffering and whether they are killed or be raped. In their stands, it is none of our business. How Quentin Tarantino organized the film, however, exactly brings pleasant sensation of violence to the audience. Quentin Tarantino arranged plot in a rather new narrative way at that time. The whole film is composed of several stories all out of order.

Those seem irrelevant however they indeed have close relevance. Each story contains a secret. The secret between Vincent and Mia is she overdoses. The secret between Butch and Marcellus is that Marcellus is raped. The secret between Vincent and Jules is that they kills a buddy by mistake. Furthermore, every character seems not leading character but they are in each separate story. Vincent dances with Mia, wife of Marcellus, in the bar. Vincent and Jules get Marcellus’s suitcase. Vincent is killed by Butch. Marcellus chases Butch resulting in being raped by a policeman. This is a circle.

This way of arranging stories is creative but reasonable. Butch decides to escape with girlfriend, Fabienne; however, his girlfriend forgets to bring Butch’s gold watch which has been kept well by his father in Vietnam War. It has been hid in anus for seven years. This leads to another story that Marcellus is raped by a policeman. When Vincent and Jules go to get the suitcase, Jules discusses with the young where hamburger is the most delicious and recite a paragraph of the Bible before killing them. The man who hides in the toilet later rushes out and sprays bullets toward Vincent and Jules only to find that none of the bullets has worked.

Jules thinks it a miracle arranged by God and decides to quit and be a normal man. Juno At the beginning of the film, it creates an atmosphere full of cool, youthful vigor with cartoon made words and pictures accompanied with clear and energetic music and warm bright sunshine. Cody tells a heavy and horrible story in a relaxing tone. One of the most exciting parts of the film is when Juno hears the loose sound of baby’s fingernails tickling, she also feels her baby tickling in her abdomen and she changes her mind after that. This is creative and even also makes audience have the same feeling.

Conclusion Actually it is to some degree that independent films are defined by their aesthetic and thematic opposition to mainstream cinema. “Alternatives and styles have rejected the classical narrative model. ” (Nathan, A. , 2001:151) From above, however, it can be seen that independent cinema does not mean totally opposite to the mainstream film. Actually it in some ways explores some other different themes using creative aesthetic ways. After all, every film is based on daily life and each of them should be made based on a norm. In other words, they are the same in nature. Bibliography David, C. 2005) The Dysphoric Style in Contemporary American Independent Cinema, the Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences. Geoff, K. (2005) American Independent Cinema, London: I. B. Tauris. Lionel, R. et al. (1960) New American Cinema Group Manifesto, New York. Nathan, A. , Ian, B. and Jan, U. (2001) Studying Film, London, Oxford University Press. Yannis, T. (2006) American Independent Cinema: An Introduction, London, Edinburgh University Press. Gary, M. (2001) American Independent Narrative Cinema of the 60s, [Internet], April, available from:<http://brightlightsfilm. com/27/sixtiescinema1. php> [accessed January 2001]