THE CINEMATIC ESSAY: THE CINE WHAT? (with Filmography & Bibliography) Note !

or a le"t#re by $eter Thomp o% (&e': (()(*)+,)

In the fourth grade, Miss Rich taught us all how to write an Essay. This is what she taught us: No personal experience! irrele!ant", No personal pronouns! irrele!ant", #on$t state what you thin%! who cares&", 'tate your pre(ise! Miss Rich had gi!en it to us", )ather your e!idence! this, too, Miss Rich had gi!en to us", #iscuss aspects of the pre(ise *y ordering the e!idence! Miss Rich had nu(*ered e!erything on the *oard the wee% *efore", Ma%e s(ooth transitions! up to us", Re+state what you ha!e done.

,or (any years, I followed the recipe gi!en to us *y Miss Rich. Then I leaned a*out the Infor(al Essay that had *een *orn fro( the union *etween tra!el writing and the Essay. The Infor(al Essay can *e characteri-ed in this way: Flexibility-+it can change for(s of narrati!e address on a di(e and spea% directly and !ery si(ply to its audience++unli%e a short story author who generally creates a character to *e his or her (outhpiece. The essayist can, in other words, step out of character. Self-reflexivity-+it can ac%nowledge the presence of the author. Self-criticality -+it can ac%nowedge, analy-e and criti.ue its own processes as it writes itself. Its territory can stay s(all or expand to fit the (ind of the essayist as it e!ol!es there. /n essay can *e lin%ed with other essays and other fictions, or non+fictions. Blurred narrative boundaries-++it can a*sor* or incorporate different genres and tones and the(es. It can incorporate *iography, auto*iography, history, culture, poetry, fiction, criticis(, photographs, drawings, and film.

Film?

01/2ITIE' 3, 43NTEM53R/R6 4INEM/TI4 E''/6'

The Cine m a t i c Ess a y 1

The (ar!elous, flexi*le .ualities of the conte(porary Infor(al Essay ha!e now found their ways into conte(porary fil( in the for( of the 4ine(atic Essay, the newest fil( genre that incorporates the other three docu(entary, fiction, and experi(ental", as appropriate. 7ow does the 4ine(atic Essay wor%& 8ell, for exa(ple, what the pre!ious generation of docu(entary fil((a%ers too% as their 9su*:ect9++a passi!e su*:ect as co(pared to the 9acti!e9 fictional su*:ect++fil( essayists can now ta%e as their theme in which the su*:ect is a particular de!elop(ent or an interpretation of that the(e, and one that has a determining influence upon the form of the film. The the(e there*y *eco(es extre(ely acti!e in that the cine(atic essay is often a meditation on ideas in conflict and these conflicts actually suggest the form that the fil( (ight ta%e. ;The cine(atic re!olution now in progress is *ased on what is essentially a !ery si(ple idea: that a su*:ect can engender for( and that to choose a su*:ect is to (a%e an aesthetic choice.< Noel =urch, ;Non+,ictional 'u*:ects<, fro( T7E T7E3R6 3, ,I2M 5R/4TI4E". 'o(e salient aspects of the (odern 4ine(atic Essay as a for(: Meditation on a The(e 'u*stituted for 5lot #isunity of Ti(e, 'pace, Tone, Materials, 'tyle Modularity 'uspension of =elief as opposed to 'uspension of Dis+*elief" 'elf 4riticis( > 'elf Reflexi!ity Non+/nticipatory 4a(era Mediu( shots Editing strategies !aried '3ME /NTE4E#ENT' T3 T7E 4INEM/TI4 E''/6 =ERT32T =RE47T =recht$s career started in the ?@$s with Lehrstucke anti+illustionist, didactic plays. The later =recht e(phasi-ed the dialectic (ode, or the alternation of anti+ illustionist and illusionist ele(ents. Exa(ple: in ABCC, =recht and director 8olfgang 'taudte wor%ed together on a fil( !ersion of ;Mother 4ourage<. They wor%ed well together during the script stage. Then there were differences: =recht wanted to ha!e print stoc% which flic%ered li%e the old Edison cylinders (atched to (odern sound. 'taudte didn$t *ecause he *elie!ed in the unifor(ity of ele(ents. =recht wanted to contrast !ord and image. The pro:ect ended *ecause of the disagree(ent. =recht$s "pic #heater he stro!e for a ;de(onstrating<, non+illustionistic style of presentation, which *ro%e stories into (odular units or central (o(ents. =recht wanted to use documentary film in theater as a %ind of ;optical chorus<. That is to say, docu(entary fil( would function li%e a co((entary (ediu(. This is a surprising use of docu(entary *ecause we tend to thin% of the genre of docu(entary as o*:ecti!e, factual. =recht wanted to ;undocu(ent< the genre, to su*:ect its su*:ect to o!ert (anipulation *y the fil((a%er. 7ans+=erhard Moeller: ;=recht and DEpic< ,il( Mediu(< in 8I#E /N)2E: ;The salient point in the docu(entary chorus exa(ple, in =recht$s incorporation of fil(
The Cine m a t i c Ess a y 2

pro:ections into plays and in the =rechtian fil( is the separation of elements.$ ;The *asic (ethod of the =rechtian fil( is thus to polari-e action, sound, acco(panying (usic and the narrati!e !oice, to *ring the( into conflict. 1nity should *e discontinuous, contradictory, dialectical<. )eorge 2ellis: ;I a( con!inced that in ter(s of what %ind of fiction fil(s should *e (ade, =recht is the theorist to contend with. The central .uestion of how for( affects content is one of the %nottiest of our ti(e, and no other writer a*out theatrical aesthetics calls into .uestion what the relationship *etween fil( and spectator should *e with the sa(e degree of (odernity.<

'3ME 53'T+=RE47TI/N ,I2MM/EER' /2EF/N#ER E21)E$s separation of ele(ents in ;/rtists 1nder the =ig Top: 5erplexed< ABGH" used footage of 7itler re!iewing the 8ehr(acht acco(panied *y the =eatles$ (usic. MI47E2 IER73EIEN$s ;Matings< ABGH". 'cenes are depicted in co(pletely different color gels. In ;The #itch< ABJA" the protagonists *rea% character and discuss pro*le(s confronting the( in their professional li!es. In ;3E< ABJ@" the actors are introduced into the fil(, play their parts, and then are reintroduced *ac% out into the real world at the end of the fil(. It is a Iietna( fil( played in =a!aria with the )I$s spea%ing =ayerisch with intertitles and !oice o!er narration. 'TR/1=+71I22ET$s fil(s. '3ME T7E3RETI4/2 T332' 'igfried Eracauer in his T7E3R6 3, ,I2M co((ents on the %found story% one in which the fil((a%er disco!ers patterns in an open+ended way, unstaged, indeter(inate what 5aul Rotha called the 9 slight narrative%". EracauerKs co((ents on the %sleuthing motif%& which is that of see%ing out the truth and dri!ing the fil((a%er into the raw (aterial of life and upholding the i(portance of the world. The sleuthing (otif in!ol!es the accidental& refers to scientific in.uiries as a (odel, loo%s to (aterial clues closely, and in!ol!es the chase.

S-ME E.AM$/ES -F THE CINEMATIC ESSAY (Compile0 by $eter Thomp o%1 &e'i e0: (()(*)+,) 2 !ilm i% the Col#mbia College Chi"ago Film a%0 3i0eo Colle"tio%1 22 !ilm a'ailable i% 'i0eo at Fa"et M#ltime0ia 4hantal /c%er(an, 2ETTER' ,R3M NE8 63RE Ralph /rlyc%, /N /401IRE# T/'TE ABHA" 41RRENT EIENT' ABHB"
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/lan =erliner, INTIM/TE 'TR/N)ER Tony =u**a, 2I)7TNIN) 3IER =R/##34E Lean 4octeau, TE'T/MENT 3, 3R57E1' Lonathan #e((e, '8IMMIN) T3 4/M=3#I/ M 7arun ,aroc%i, IM/)E' 3, T7E 83R2# /N# T7E IN'4RI5TI3N 3, 8/R, ABHB, JC (inutes. ,rederico ,ellini, R3M/ Morgan ,isher, /4/#EM6 2E/#ER 'u ,riedrich, T7E TIE' T7/T =IN# 'INE 3R '8IM Lean+2uc )odard, M/'412IN+,EMININE M 2ETTER T3 L/NE ABJ?" I4I ET /I22E1R' ABJN" 7I'T3IRE '" #1 4INEM/ Lill )od(ilow, ,/R ,R3M 532/N# M Lean+5ierre )orin, 53T3 /N# 4/=EN)3 ABH?" R31TINE 52E/'1RE' Ianalyne )reen, / '56 IN T7E 731'E T7/T R1T7 =1I2T ABHB" 8erner 7er-og, ,/T/ M3R)/N/ Loris I!ens, 'T3R6 3, T7E 8IN# Lon Lost, '5E/EIN) #IRE4T26: '3ME /MERI4/N N3TE' ABJO" MM 1N43MM3N 'EN'E': 52/IN T/2E P 43MM@N 'EN'E ABHH"M Isaac Lulian, 233EIN) ,3R 2/N)'T3N 5atric% Eeiller, 23N#3N /lexander Eluge$s short fil(s (ade for TI. 2ouis Malle, 57/NT3M IN#I/ M6 #INNER 8IT7 /N#RE 4hris Mar%er, '/N' '32EI2 ABH?" '36 MEFI43 T7E E31MIE3 M6'TER6 41=/, 'I T7E 23NE2INE'' 3, T7E 23N) #I'T/N4E 'IN)ER++6IE' M3NT/N# T7E /=6'' 3, T7E /IR I' RE# I, I 7/# ,31R 4/ME2' 2E L32I M/I MM 'T/T1E' /2'3 #IE '1N#/6 IN 5EEIN) 2ETTER ,R3M 'I=ERI/ #E'4RI5TI3N 3, / 43M=/T /MERI4/ #RE/M' T7E 2/'T =32'7EIIE Ross McElwee, '7ERM/NK' M/R47 M IJG?B '3MET7IN) T3 #3 8IT7 T7E 8/22 ABB@" TIME IN#E,INITE Michael Moore, R3)ER /N# ME =382IN) ,3R 4321M=INE ?@@?" ,/7REN7EIT B>AA ?@@N" Errol Morris, T7E T7IN =21E 2INE M ,/'T, 47E/5 /N# 31T 3, 43NTR32 T7E ,3) 3, 8/R 5ier 5aolo 5asolini, N3TE' T38/R# /N /,RI4/N 3RE'TE' ABJ@" M 6!onne Rainer, 5RIII2E#)E ABBA" /lain Resnais, NI)7T /N# ,3) M Lean Rouch, L/)1/R ABGJ"
The Cine m a t i c Ess a y 4

Michael Ru**o, 8/ITIN) ,3R ,I#E2 ABJN" Morgan 'purloc%, '15ER'IQE ME: / ,I2M 3, E5I4 53RTI3N' ?@@N" 7ans+Lurgen 'y*er*erg, 31R 7IT2ER: / ,I2M ,R3M )ERM/N6 Eidlat Tahi(i%, T7E 5ER,1ME# NI)7TM/RE 5eter Tho(pson, 1NIIER'/2 73TE2 ABHG" M 1NIIER'/2 4ITIQEN ABHJ" M Trihn, Min+ha T., N/EE# '5/4E': 2I,E I' R31N# ABHC" 5eter 8at%ins, E#I/R# M1N47 3rson 8elles, , ,3R ,/EE ABJO" I#J?B" ,I2MIN) ;3T7E223< ABJH" 8i( 8enders, NI4EK' ,I2M: 2I)7TNIN) 3IER 8/TER M IJGJA" T3E63 )/M Michael Ierhoe!en, 3E ABJ@" T7E #IT47 ABJA"

S-ME B--4S AN5 A&TIC/ES -N THE CINEMATIC ESSAY (&e'i e0: (()(*)+,) /lexandre /struc, 9The =irth of the New /!ant+)arde: 2a ca(era+stylo9, in T7E NE8 8/IE, #ou*leday, N6 ABGH. classic article written in ABNH which *egan it all..." Noel =urch, ;Nonfictional 'u*:ects<, in T7E3R6 3, ,I2M 5R/4TI4E, 5rinceton, 5rinceton 1ni!ersity 5ress, ABHA. exa(ines the history of the non+fictional fil( and centers on two pro(ising conte(porary for(s, the essay fil( and the ritual fil(. This *oo% is one of (y mo t used reference *oo%s as a fil((a%erRe!en though =irch, in his introduction, renounces (uch of itS." Italo 4al!ino, ;4ine(a and the No!el: 5ro*le(s of Narrati!e<, in T7E 1'E' 3, 2ITER/T1RE, New 6or%, 7oughton, Mifflin, spea%s to the essay+fil( as the for( which see(s (ost rich in its narrati!e possi*ilities". 2ouis )ia(atti, ;The 4ine(atic Essay<, in )3#/R# /N# T7E 3T7ER': E''/6' IN 4INEM/TI4 ,3RM, 2ondon, Tanti!y 5ress, ABJC. !ery reada*le, insightful essays on aspects of for(ing the fil( essay with i((ediate applica*ility to fil((a%ing." 4hris Mar%er, 43MMENT/IRE', !olu(es I, II, Editions du 'euil, 5aris, ABGJ. in ,renchT extre(ely creati!e translations of fil(+essays in written and photographic for(s". 5hillip 2opate, ;In 'earch of the 4entaur: The Essay+,il(<, in =E63N# #341MENT: E''/6' 3N N3N,I4TI3N ,I2M, edited *y 4harles 8arren, 8esleyan 1ni!ersity 5ress, ABBH. pages ?NO+?J@. / lo!ely, detailed atte(pt to define the genre of the cine(atic essay. 'ery good". Lonas Me%as, 9The 4hanging 2anguage of 4ine(a9, M3IIE L31RN/2: T7E RI'E 3, / NE8 /MERI4/N 4INEM/, ABCB+ABJA, 4ollier =oo%s, N6, ABJ?. pps. NH+C@. Lonas Me%as, 9The 4hanging Techni.ues of 4ine(a9, M3IIE L31RN/2: T7E RI'E 3, / NE8 /MERI4/N 4INEM/, ABCB+ABJA, 4ollier =oo%s, N6, ABJ?. pps. BA+BO. Lonas Me%as, 9In #efense of )odard9, M3IIE L31RN/2: T7E RI'E 3, / NE8 /MERI4/N 4INEM/, ABCB+ABJA, 4ollier =oo%s, N6, ABJ?. pps. ?@N+?@C.
The Cine m a t i c Ess a y 5

7ans+=ernhard Moeller, ;=recht and DEpic$ ,il( Mediu(: The 4ineaste 5laywrite, ,il( Theoretician and 7is Influence<, 8I#E /N)2E, AB++. Lonathan Rosen*au(, ;2oo%ing for /(erica: 1nco((on 'enses<, T7E RE/#ER, /ugust ?G, ABHH. a loo% at so(e of the salient characteristics of the conte(porary fil( essay *y the guy whose got (y !ote as the finest wor%ing fil( critic in /(erica." Lonathan Rosen*au(, ;)irl with a 4a(era: Iideos *y 'adie =enning<, T7E RE/#ER, No!e(*er AC, ABBA. 7ans+Lurgen 'y*er*erg, 7IT2ER: / ,I2M ,R3M )ERM/N6, ,arrar, 'traus,+.)iroux, N6, ABH?. the co(plete screenplay, with photographs, of the se!en+ hour fil( essay". 7ans+Lurgen 'y*er*erg, '6=ER=ER), 5aris, 4ahiers du 4ine(a, hors+serie, Editions de l$Etoile, ,e*ruary, ABH@. in ,renchT an account of the (a%ing of 31R 7IT2ER, including the frontal pro:ection techni.ues in that fil(". 8i( 8enders and 4hris 'ie!ernich, NI4E$' ,I2M: 2I)7TNIN) 3IER 8/TER, Qweitausendeins, ,ran%furt a( Mein, ABHA. the co(plete screenplay, with photographs, of the fil( essay".

S-ME 6&ITTEN ESSAYS -F INTE&EST T- FI/MMA4E&S The !ollowi%g mat"h ma%y o! the attrib#te o! the "i%emati" e ay: !le7ibility8 el!9"riti"ality8 hi!ti%g %arrati'e !orm 8 el!9re!ere%tiality8 et"1) 5aul /uster, T7E INIENTI3N 3, '32IT1#E, 5enguin =oo%s, N6, ABH?. an extraordinary (ixture of for(sR(e(oir, fiction, news stories, diary" La(es =aldwin, N3=3#6 EN38' M6 N/ME, ABGA T7E ,IRE NEFT TIME, ABGO Elias 4annetti, T7E I3I4E' 3, M/RREEE'7, 4ontinuu(, N6, ABJ?. fa*ulous, circular tra!el essays of the 8est (eets East !ariety *y a No*el pri-e winnerRsee especially ;Encounters with 4a(els< and the last one entitled ;The 1nseen<". Loan #idion, T7E 87ITE =33E, ++++++ '23147IN) T38/R# =ET72E7EM,+++++ '/2I/#3R,+++++++ /nnie #illard, editor, T7E =E'T /MERI4/N E''/6' ABHH, Tic%nor and ,ields, N6, ABHH. this is a !ery fine anthology of !ery different and sti(ulating approaches to the for(. Excellent intro, too++a (ust+read. I also heartily reco((end each of the yearly co(pilations in this series that has a different editor". 2oren Eisley, ;The 'tar Thrower<, R+ &, ABGB. 8illia( )ass, 3N =EIN) =21E: / 57I23'357I4/2 IN01IR6, #a!id )odine, =oston, ABJB. tour+de+force !ariations on the the(e of ;*lue+ness<". 5eter 7and%e, / '3RR38 =E63N# #RE/M': / 2I,E 'T3R6, translated *y Ralph Mannhei(, New 6or%, ,arrar, 'traus and )iroux, ABJJ. extraordinarily, deeply felt essay on the girlhood, adult life and suicide of 7and%eKs (other, and of his relationship to her and to her loss". Maxine 7ong Eingston, T7E 83M/N 8/RRI3R this, too, is a (ix of for(s, including creating a fictional character out of a real character." =arry 2ope-, #E'ERT N3TE', +++++++++. /R4TI4 #RE/M': IM/)IN/TI3N /N# #E'IRE IN / N3RT7ERN
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2/N#'4/5E, 4harles 'cri*ner$s 'ons, N6 ABHG. ;The Ra!en<, ++++++++++. La(es Mc4on%ey, 431RT 3, MEM3R6, ++++++, ABHA. 7er(an Mel!ille, ;The Encantadas<, in T7E 5I/QQ/ T/2E', N6, #ou*leday, ABGA. tra!el essays so dense and finely wrought that they ha!e often *een (ista%en for fiction". Michel de Montaigne, E''/6', 5enguin =oo%s, N6 ABJG. T7E classic". Lan Morris, #E'TIN/TI3N': E''/6' ,R3M R322IN) 'T3NE, New 6or%, 3xford 1ni!ersity 5ress>Rolling 'tone, ABH@. Richard 'el-er, 2ETTER' T3 / 631N) #34T3R, 'i(on and 'chuster, N6, ABH?. essays *y a doctor+writer on the issues of learning and care that co(e out of his own life. Iery good." )ay Talese, editor, T7E =E'T /MERI4/N E''/6' ABHJ, Tic%nor and ,ields, N6, ABHJ. #iane 8a%ows%i, E''/6 3N REII'I3N, 'anta =ar*ara, =lac% 'wallow 5ress, AB++. *rilliant, infor(al exa(ple of a piece of art a*out the process of recogni-ing its own the(e and creating the piece itself". 6ou (ight wish to loo% for other essays written *y: 4ynthia 3-ic%, ,rancine du 5lessix )ray, Eli-a*eth 7ardwic%, Edward 7oagland, Edward /**ey, 5eter Matheisson, May 'arton. 2oo% also for the (aga-ine of international writing in English called )R/NT/ that pu*lishes fa*ulous conte(porary exa(ples of the essay for(. su*scription address: 'u*scription 'er!ice #epart(ent, c>@ 5.3. =ox B@B, ,ar(ingdale, N6 AAJOJ".

The Cine m a t i c Ess a y