ELIZABETH AS AN EXAMPLE OF ART CINEMA :: essays research papers

Bordwell and Thompson define the art film as "a film which, while made under moneymaking(prenominal) circumstances take an approach to form and style influenced by "high art" which erects an alternative to mainstream entertainment" (1). Like avant-garde film making, this style offer the audience with a movie that takes glory in cinemas stance as a modern art form, for art house films are not entirely intended to be entertaining, they are designed to be imaginative. Shekhar Kapurs 1998 film Elizabeth presents us with a contemporary art film. Although it does offer entertainment through a charming history, the film as a whole is presented in a creative way, owing to the auteurish vision of Kapur. Indeed, as the film is arguably British, abroad Elizabeth by explanation becomes as art film, since Bordwell and Thompson also define the term art house as a phrase "used by the U.S film industry to describe imported films of interest to top(prenominal) -middle clas s, educated audiences" (2). In America, Elizabeth was packaged solely as an art film, or at least an art interpretation of the British Heritage thriller film. This labelling is of course debatable and by compare the fundamental ideas regarding art films to Elizabeth, one can access the validity of its claim to being cinematic art. The characteristics of an art cinema film are best outlined in David Bordwells article The nontextual matter Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice and this text will form the basis of my assessment of Elizabeth. Bordwell suggests that "art cinema defines itself explicitly against the classical memoir" (3), yet Elizabeth is clearly conventional in narrative style. Film analyst Wendy Ide, even suggests that Elizabeth follows the tradition three act narrative set-up precisely, with climaxes at the end of severally act. As proof she suggests that Queen Marys death is the climatic resolution to the first act, "which takes place exactly 30 minute s into the film" following the traditions of narrative ideals (4). Bordwell, goes on to also suggest that the "cause effect linkage of events" is "tenuous in the art film" (5), yet this narrative technique is used continually to offer Elizabeths narrative. For example, 40 minutes into the film, the royal court debate the danger of an impending "French attack" (6). Queen Elizabeth resolves to send an army, prompting a new narrative strand. The result of this (cause) is shown almost immediately (42 minutes into the film) for in a graphic scene the audience comes to realise that English army has been defeated the resolution to this detail narrative strand has been provided.