283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283
Everyone has his or her favourite film or movie which they can
watch more then one time. When we are watching movies we never
pay a lot of attention to details. For example, what were cameras
angles, what was music and visual effects? According by David
Bordwell masses of people belong to the first tier where film is just
for entertain purpose. They aesthetics are actors and music and the
most important part of the film is narrative. Today, I will try to look
with the first and second tears and analyse them. As an example I
chose the film The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan in 2006.
The director is famous for his innovated narration techniques such
as his precise editing to confuse the audience with plot twists.
(Harverstockmedia, 2014) This film is a thriller drama and I will
compare, contrast and juxtapose it with Andr Bazins
understanding and application of the theoretical positions. Bazin is
one of the most famous French film critics and theorists who had
important thoughts that cinema try to represent reality. A total and
complete representation of reality the reconstruction of a perfect
illusion of the outside word in sound, color, and relief a recreation
of the world in its own image, an image unburdened by the freedom
of interpretation of the artist or the irreversibility of time. (A. Bazin
1967) He also argued that an audience should interpret films. His
thoughts and theories will help me to look more deeply to my
chosen film and examine what similarities and differences
Hollywood Classical Narrative Cinema and famous theorists theories
have.
First of all, I would like to examine more about The Prestige context
and what influence external factors had in it. To start with the
context, Christopher Nolans film explores what makes an illusionist
tricks and how men extremely achieve their deceptive performance.
The film is not about trick at all, but rather our and characters
helplessness obsession. Moreover, The Prestige is told through a
fragmented timeline. It is constructed as a post-modern puzzle,
framing stories within stories, flashbacks within flashbacks.
(Jamarch 2008). Film is related with magicians and the big
performance in theatres stage where cinema was started. First
movies where shooting in theatres because filmmakers wanted to
show what people are doing, to show reality. My chosen film shows
not just reality between magicians and audience but also you can
see what a big influence had an economic and technical evolution
and the imagination of those things. Bazin was arguing that
production of technology reproduce reality as it is perceived.
Furthermore, we can see in The Prestige film parts of technical
evolution factors. For example, when director involve machine in
this film. One of them was physicist, mechanical and electrical
engineer, scientist inventor. Machine was created to make clones.
Moreover, film The Prestige how magician needed to use this
technology to have a good trick. It shows that even in magical word

283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283
people need to use machines to make trick better. However, film
shows that scientists and their science research were not popular in
that time because it was one scene when society burnt scientists
house with all his inventions. It proves that it was beginning of
technology revolution because people believed more in magic then
in science.
Nowadays it is not only movies becoming more reality but also
reality has become more like movies. The world we are living is
surrounded by images, especially moving images. (S. Shapiro
2001). It is because of television: a lot of movies available in the
DVD, online, computer games, and television channels. Nothing
exists independently of television and movies. We are living in the
world where we have reality shows with real people and casual
lifes stories. In other words our world is a total and complete
representation of reality. (Bazin 1967) Moreover, everyone wants
that our world be open and visible and audible and people are
pushing everything to the screens. The Prestige is showing us a
magicians lives, how are they preparing their tricks for the show,
also they reveal tricks secrets. However, they still bring a lot of
mystery in the movie. The Prestige gives us a feeling to look to
out the dark and silent states of the body and soul (S.Shapiro
2001). In other words, the films give us a chance to feel what we
could not feel in the reality. Moreover, to look more deeply to our
feelings and souls and understand how the film affect us. The
Prestige film provokes a lot of feelings. One of them is happiness
because you can how magicians love what they are doing, how they
are making new tricks, how they love women. Also I can feel anger
which is mixed with confusion because everything is like a big secret
and you do not understand what is going on. Third, I feel a relief
when you finally understand what happened. Of course, different
people different reactions but all these responses let us see what
we are thinking in our depths of our souls.
Thirdly, I would like to talk about three important looks in the film
the Prestige. To start with first look which is spectator/audience.
People who are watching film about magicians they always expect
surprises and believe that they can decode an answer. In other
words, they can use their imagination and formulate the films
ending. However, the movie shows us more and more surprises from
nowhere and makes audience to consider again. Moreover, audience
hope that everything will finish with the good ending and everyone
will be happy as in the fairy-tale. Film The Prestige proved that this
film is not a lovely story is reality and even the beginning was
starting with the one magicians wifes death. Secondly, second
look which analyse camera in the film. There were not a lot of
different camera shots. Creators group was shooting a lot of wide
angles, medium shots to show the action that was happening. We

283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283
can see low and high angles which are showing us a superiority and
power. Furthermore, wide angle of the court room was showing to
audience the action that was taking a place. Reality has already
changed instead of giving the illusion of liveness and immediacy
that are incorporated in the illusion of reality, it is the movement,
created through camera changes and montage, that also create
narratives. (E. Baaren 2003) This accurate quote perfectly describe
what a big power has camera angles and montages. It can create a
realistic effect and people have no choice but to believe that what
they watch is reality. A point that Bazin made and it is shows his a
bit nave position here that Camera never lies. (Bazin, 1967) He
believed that camera, video and music effect can make an illusion
to think that everything what movies show is nothing else but
reality. Furthermore, The Prestige has sometimes background
music; natural birds and audience sound effects that is painting
more realistic view in our heads. Lightning is dark and shadowy in
the whole movie to create oppressive mood. Clothes were old
fashioned to represent the past and old times. The interesting fact
that all of the dress up scenes seem to be quite formal where men
wear suits and hats. Additionally, not only we see mystery and
confusion mood but also a happy mood which theme of magic
creates because people love magic, like magicians performances.
They admire them and laughing from their jokes and tricks. Also,
Bazin is arguing that the reproduction of reality, through camera, is
imbued with an advantage because, unlike a painting or sculpture is
a replacement for an object, a photograph the reproduction. Bazin
believes that this reproduction is treated, commonly, as if it is the
object. (A.R. Duckworth 2008). It is truth that camera has a lot of
advantages and can design a realistic illustration of life. Finally,
third look characters were we are talking about this the most.
The Prestige shows us two rival magicians where the aim was
create the worlds greatest magic trick. The characters are shown
as mysterious and their life is all about tricks and magic. Also, we
have two women who think that they love the same person, but in
the ending film shows us that there were two different men who are
twins and who were sharing one-man life. Also, we have a little girl
was showing as a person who need to save from something. To
summarize, all these three looks present a reality. We can see
realism signs such as actors appearance and behaviour use of
authentic speech patterns, local accents, and dialect. Also,
costumes, make up, professional actors who knows about theatre
and dramatic acting. In the film where use real locations and natural
lightning. Moreover, there were used of screen sounds and rough
compositions. All these details show how film wanted to show
reality and how with cameras, effects, characters costumes,
locations made audience believe that everything what they see in
the screen is a truth.

283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283
The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan has a big connection
with the Bazin theories. Today cinema has been toward realism. For
example, The Prestige gives us an illusion of reality that has the
logical demands of cinematographic narrative and with the limits of
technique. (Bazin, 1971) Also, cinema shows less and less poetry,
fairy-tales and brings more technical, economic, politics and
psychological grounds to movies. Talking about novels, it is not a
secret that Hollywood is adapting American novels to the screen and
the cinema of American literature has become a reality. These films
become popular because America found a balance between art and
reality. Directors have their own narrative techniques. Christopher
Nolan is not an exception. Nolan has a different way to present
movies as we can see it from film The Prestige. He is playing with
your memory; his editing techniques keep audience on their toes all
the time. It can be really difficult to understand the movie
completely if you miss five minutes because there is a non-linear
sequence and extremely innovative photography. But the only thing
about narrative is impressive that it is a creative surge, the special
way in which the situations are brought to life. (Bazin 1971). Films
narratives have to touch audiences feelings because it is directors
mission to make sure that they reach out successfully all society and
implement their expectations. Also, I think That Christopher Nolan
did it perfectly in The Prestige and fettered everyones attention.
Also, the whole idea about film and cinema has been changed and
perception is a bit different now then it was in the past. The famous
film critic and theorist Andr Bazin was right when he was saying
that people want to see reality in the movies. Viewer wants to be
more informed about digital techniques while viewing a film.
Audience compares film with real life because they believe
everything what they see. As Bazin was believed that camera is
showing the truth. It is does not matter if they know all camera
techniques or not they still will be strongly into the film. For
example, The Prestige is good film with clearly story line. I am as a
viewer a bit missing more sounds effect which will give me more
mystery, also I can say what looks fake and what is real because
some of the video effects are clearly visible. But still audience think
that cinema is realistic. The problem which audience is encounter
now is the experience with illusions of reality. However, people are
obsession with realism is growing that is why cinema that is the
reproduction of reality is popular nowadays. Realism is combination
of conceptions and perceptions of reality and it is reliance that is full
replete with the power of truth. Bazin also argue that realism is the
optimum style of film and the movie is powerful and medium with a
technical process of production which allows it to represent an
object rather than replace it which painting and sculpture does.
(A.R. Duckworth 2008). It is truth film is powerful, it can make us
think, cry, make us even happy for whole day. It has a big influence

283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283
to our lives but we never thought of how film control our emotions
and feelings.
In conclusion, we can see that Christopher Nolan film The Prestige
is close related with Andr Bazins theories. We can say that this
Nolans movie reflects the reality and it has a lot of signs to prove it.
Three looks create a vision to think that everything what we are
watching in the screen is real and it effect us much more than we
want to believe. For example, costumes, natural lightning, make up,
real space, actors who are professionals; these all details are
creating meaning of what is realism and what main features belong
to it. Also, directors are demonstrating their own techniques and
give us an opportunity to be part of the film and impel us to think.
The Prestige is a great example how director make audiences
head to think and imagine what will be next and what the ending
will be. People can collect hints that are seeing in the scenes. Bazin
believes that photography and cinema replicates the physically real
without the barrier that one encounters when admiring a painting or
sculpture (A.R. Duckworth 2008) Also, cinema is often modified but
still it try to capture reality as much as it can because what people
want to watch the most is realty. Moreover, I think that people are
clever and smart and they can analyse films, they can see video and
sounds effects, they can see what are camera angles. Of course,
there are masses that belong to first tear and they see just a films
surface entertainment.

Bibliography:
Andrew,D.(2010)OpeningBazin:PostwarFilmTheoryAnItsAfterlife.New
York:OxfordUniversityPress

283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283

Bazin,A.andGray,H.(1967)WhatIsCinema?.Berkeley:Universityof
CaliforniaPress
Brunette,P.(1985)"RosselliniAndCinematicRealism".CinemaJournal25
(1),34
Duckworth,A.R.(2008)InfluentialTheorists:AndreBazinTheMythOf
TotalCinema[online]availablefrom
<https://ardfilmjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/influentialtheoristsandre
bazinthemythoftotalcinema/>[10March2016]
Shapiro,S.(2001)TheCinemaOfAbsence[online]availablefrom
<http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=7939>[10March2016]
Totaro,D.(2003)IntroductionToAndrBazin,Part1:TheoryOfFilmStyle
InItsHistoricalContext[online]availablefrom
<http://offscreen.com/view/bazin4>[10March2016]

Mygroupsremakeclip:https://vimeo.com/154823608
Dossiertasks:
Sucker Punch
The film which made me think a lot what I saw in the screen. I was
confused by the genre, about the story, about jumps between shots
between reality and fantasy. A lot of special and sound effects
transfer my mind into film really deeply. Sad and dark music let me
understand one of the characters Babydolls feelings and how sad
she is. Special video effects were massing around with my minds
because I wasnt sure is it stupid and crazy and really unnatural or it
is really great work. It was really feminist film where majority of
characters were women. I like that all girls had nicknames and it
gave each of them a sense of danger, mystery. It was really great
where you can see different symbols represent different genre of
films. Dragons and rabbit from fantasy, robots from sci-fi. It was
used voice over which gives girl a voice and sense of empowerment.
When she is dancing location is changing really fast. She jumps from
reality to fantasy. The non-diegetic music used in the fantasy world.
You can hear electric guitar or heavy rock drum beat which is an
element of action genre films. For me, it is a film thats at once too
much and not enough, groovy and laughable, dead serious and total
joke.

283MC: Transcultural Film

Kornelija Gudzeviciute
Student ID: 5824283

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoebZZ8K5N0
IchosefilmTheRevenantdirectedbyAlejandroGonzlez.Before,Italian
neorealism,filmmakersdidntshownegativesideintheirfilms.Theydidnt
wanttoshowalotofproblemsinunequalsociety,increaseofunemployment
becausetheyknewthatpeopledidntwanttowatchthis.Butin1943intheend
oftheWorldWarIINeorealismbecamethemainstreamofItaliancinema.
NeorealismwasarejectionofclassicalHollywoodactingstyles,a
documentarystyleofcinematography.Usually,itwasnonprofessionalsactors,
theyhadverysmallbudget,filmdidnthavehappyendlikeinHollywood
movies.OntheonesideTheRevenantwastotaldifferentfromneorealism,
butatthesametimewecanfindalotofsimilarities.Oneofthemwillbe
outdoorshooting.Whenneorealismstartedfilmmakerswereusingnatural
spacetoshowwhatisgoingoninthestreets,alsotheywerefocusonsimple
gestures,glances.IntheAlejandrofilmTheRevenantwasusednatural
spacesaswell.Allsceneswereshootingoutsidewherewerereallycold.
Moreover,thesamestyleinTheRevenantandneorealismisthatthey
wantedtocapturethebeautyofordinarylife.InTheRevenanttheyshowed
allbeautyofCanadianwilderness.Thefilmwasreallyamazingbecauseofthe
naturaloflandscapes.Also,theyusedopenformnarrativewhichwecansee
inmychosenfilm.Theytoldallsocialproblemswhichareworldaredealing
with.Oneofthemisclimatechange.Itisahugeprobleminnowadaysandthey
spreadthehugemessagetoeveryonethroughthefilm.Furthermore,filmhas
cameratechniqueswhicharetypicaltoneorealism.Itwillbelongtakes,
mediumandlongshots,profileangles.Filmmakersofneorealismhighlighted
therealityofsocietalproblemsanddidntadornit.IthinkthatfilmThe
Revenanthasalotofsimilaritieswithneorealism.