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

Bordwell and Thompson define the prowess image as "a film which, time made under commercial circumstances take an approach to trope and style influenced by "high prowess" which offers an alternative to mainstream entertainment" (1). want avant-garde film making, this style offer the audience with a characterization that takes glory in cinemas stance as a modern cheat form, for art house films are not just intended to be entertaining, they are designed to be imaginative. Shekhar Kapurs 1998 film Elizabeth presents us with a contemporaneous art film. Although it does offer entertainment through a fascinating narrative, the film as a whole is presented in a creative way, owe to the auteurish vision of Kapur. Indeed, as the film is arguably British, abroad Elizabeth by commentary becomes as art film, since Bordwell and Thompson in any case define the term art house as a phrasal idiom "used by the U.S film industry to describe imported films of relate to upper -middle class, 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 knotty and by comparing the fundamental ideas regarding art films to Elizabeth, one can gateway the validity of its claim to being cinematic art. The characteristics of an art cinema film are best defined in David Bordwells article The Art 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 narrative" (3), yet Elizabeth is clearly customary in narrative style. Film analyst Wendy Ide, even suggests that Elizabeth follows the tradition cardinal act narrative set-up precisely, with climaxes at the end of each act. As substantiation she suggests that Queen Marys death is the climatic resolution to the first act, "which takes place inci sively 30 minutes 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 kick upstairs Elizabeths narrative. For example, 40 minutes into the film, the royal court debate the danger of an be "French attack" (6). Queen Elizabeth resolves to send an army, prompting a recent 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 discomfited the resolution to this specific narrative strand has been provided.