Article Review

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Sight and Sound magazine would suite my film best because of its touch on social context which is important to my film set in Poland. This magazine also mainly review and discuss foreign films of any kind and any time. Many films are compared to old films respecting many directors styles and cultures. The article I had chosen to reference in composition and style of writing is the Sight and Sound article on Agnieszka Holland. The journalist talked about Holland's life and upbringing in communist Poland, she included other Polish directors and the history of Poland's political issues that influenced many Polish films during a specific era.

My review would cover on the environment that show a true image of Polish culture in a small town. And because my film is an art-house film inspired visually by directors such as Tarkovsky, Coppola and Pawlikowski, the review would heavily touch on film form and rituals.

Film Posters

- Poster analysis

1. Copy what wording is used and what is suggested
2. Colour what does it suggest, why chosen? Does it link to genre?
3. Cinematography what camera shot has been used and why? Audience positioning?
4. Layout (composition) framing of different elements (importance)
5. Imagery
6. Tag line what the film is all about

The poster is a black and white picture with a red font to the wording that is highlighted. For example, the title, the date the film is released, the five stars the film has been given, the film festivals and awards the film has won. The rest of the wording is information in a black font against the white background snow. The picture is a scene from the film but it also represents the entire film and its narrative. The shot is positioned to fit in the main character on the right side in the foreground whilst there is a view of the background showing location and a little about the narrative. The building is a convent suggested by what Ida is wearing, a nuns uniform. The trail that Ida leaves and is following represents her journey she makes, that is the main structure of the narrative. The fact that no one is behind her and that she is leaving at winter time in thick snow, seems unwelcoming from the convent and portrays a bleak life as a lonely person. She looks like a child in the poster by the shape of her compared to the shape of a woman and it almost seems strange to see such a young woman dressed as a nun or to even become a nun. So these suggestions add up to the journey and maybe questioning her religion. As the picture is black and white, enhancing the non existent colours and by the style of clothing and environment, the film is set in the past communist time of Poland.

This poster is another shot from the film in landscape representing the narrative of the film. The only difference is the title colourisation in black, this may have been done so that the words don't overpower the imagery that is important to the film. As Pawlikowski said "The film I was after would be made of strong graphic images and sounds. It would work through suggestion rather than explanation.".

These two film posters are from biography documentary films, although they are documentaries about iconic people for a worldwide audience I still wanted to search the layout of a biography poster. The two are very similar but also have slight similarities to Ida. The colours used are white, black and red which create a sophisticated respectful poster for a simple biography. However, Ida uses the colours in a different way that creates more of a bleak look depicting to the bleak and controversial narrative towards religion and Poland's history.

Ida would be the better poster to take inspiration from because a narrative is shown surrounding the main character as the audience do not know who Ida is yet. For the biography documentary posters, an iconic face is all that is needed which doesn't apply to my film.

UNEDITED

Narrative Theories

LEVI STRAUSS

http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/extras/binaryopposition.htm

• Binary opposition is a theory of how we attribute meaning to things. These theorists came to be called "Structuralists" because they proposed that meaning is developed within mental structures that require "opposites" in order to create meaning.

•  The method offers a way to explain how the many deep-seated beliefs in our society called dominant ideologies exist and continue to exist - and to show how texts work to reinforce and maintain a particular world-view or mind-set, one that can be argued supports and maintains the traditional power structures of society.

• Structuralist thinkers recognised that the meaning we create from the language we use is not at all straightforward and has important implications for society as a whole. The meaning of many words is created by a subconscious awareness of a 'culturally opposing’ idea – a binary opposite. The important aspect of this is that one half of each binary is dominant or favoured.

• The effect of these binary oppositions or pairs can be argued to help create and reinforce the norms of thinking in our society - and language is at the heart of how these ideas are maintained. The ways in which our thought processes rely upon binary opposites helps to explain how difficult it is to shift from, for example, the ‘male is norm’ aspect of modern patriarchal society. Other common binaries are ‘youth’ / ‘age’, ‘health’ / ‘disease’; ‘dirty’ / ‘clean’  - but there are thousands. These cultural ‘norms’ are deep-seated ideas that are more properly called society’s prevailing or dominant ideologies.

ROLAND BARTHES

The hermeneutic code (HER.) refers to any element in a story that is not explained and, therefore, exists as an enigma for the reader, raising questions that demand explication.

The proairetic code (ACT.) refers to the other major structuring principle that builds interest or suspense on the part of a reader or viewer. The proairetic code applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. We wait to see if he kills his opponent or is wounded himself. Suspense is thus created by action rather than by a reader's or a viewer's wish to have mysteries explained.

The semantic code (SEM.) points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation.

The symbolic code (SYM.) can be difficult to distinguish from the semantic code and Barthes is not always clear on the distinction between these two codes; the easiest way to think of the symbolic code is as a "deeper" structural principle that organizes semantic meanings, usually by way of antitheses or by way of mediations (particularly, forbiddend mediations) between antithetical terms.

The cultural code (REF.) designates any element in a narrative that refers "to a science or a body of knowledge". In other words, the cultural codes tend to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works, including properties that we can designate as "physical, physiological, medical, psychological, literary, historical, etc.". The "gnomic" code is one of the cultural codes and refers to those cultural codes that are tied to clichés, proverbs, or popular sayings of various sorts.

TZVETAN TODOROV


Tzvetan Todorov's narrative theory suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure where they begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.

SEYMOUR CHATMAN

CZERWONY BARSZCZ

CZERWONY BARSZCZ from Media 12345 on Vimeo.

From a list of voice recordings I made during the week I was in Szydlowiec with my grandmother. This voice recording was the one that stood out to me the most and I what I personally found my favourite. Although the story is generally sad, there are parts that are comical creating a bitter sweetness that I am very fond of.
My original plan was to remake the voice recording with my mother to make the Polish clearer as well as not have any background noise. However, I tried a sample editing footage with the original voice recording and I thought it wouldn't be the same if I had remade it. My grandmother speaks a very primitive Polish however has a way of telling her stories, which is what saved the original voice recording.
The background noise is from the television. As a child I watched Reksio, a Polish children's cartoon programme, so my grandmother left it on for me whilst talking about her childhood.

The footage begins with the main square of Szydlowiec of the tower playing bells. Along with an old woman walking into the square. The footage then goes on to observe the traditional houses of Szydlowiec with dogs guarding at the gates. But if anything they were the most gentle dogs that would just stare and be happy to be stroked. I wanted to include the dog in the snow outside the house because I thought it was a nice representation of the story to come. A lonely dog in the snow with a warm house just next to it. Another small dog barking outside eventually sneaking back under the gate. My grandmother left with her sister whilst her father is away leaving her nothing. She tries to make a nice Sunday lunch but her sister would rather beg to her neighbours for a better food. The only thing my grandmother wanted was her mother who made a meal and a warm home.
The next scene is in my grandmothers flat with curlers in her hair watching the television (Reksio). There is then a sequence of her in the kitchen sharpening a knife and cutting a fish (Carp).
I included these scenes because I wanted to show a traditional routine in Poland during the winter time. But it also included my grandmothers routine as a widow living alone.
I had asked her the previous day to go to the graveyard which she agreed on as she hadn't been there in a while. So I filmed during the walk there as well as her routine in the graveyard.
There is around 30 minutes of footage I had taken in the graveyard that I had to pick from. So I picked the few that made a mini narrative of simply lighting up the candles with a small prayer at the end. I wasn't sure whether to translate the ending of the prayer but I decided to translate the only part you could hear because its almost an intrusion into her present life even though it had nothing to do with the story of the past.
The most noticeable editing was with the music. My grandmother asked me a question and it didn't sound right with music playing on top. So I edited the music to play as she tried to light a match but stopped as soon as it was noticeably not lit until she tried again. The music would then play when the match had finally lit until the moment she closes the lid of a candle lantern and asks me a question. She then finally places the candle into the other lantern putting the lid into place which then continues the music once again.

Plan of Sequence: CZERWONY BARSZCZ

Plan of Sequence

Czerwony Barszcz

SHOT 1:

Medium Long Shot

Main Square/Tower

Sound: Bells ringing

SHOT 2:

Long Shot

A woman walking into the square

Sound: Bells ring/choir singing

SHOT 3:

Long shot

Cross road with religious cross gated in the centre

Sound: Distant bells ringing

SHOT 4:

Long shot

Old wooden Polish house gated with dog sitting outside

Sound: Another dog barking with birds in the background

SHOT 5:

The other dog (smaller and black) running and sliding under a gate

Sound: Birds

SHOT 6:

Long shot

Door frame with Marta inside sitting on a chair watching television

Sound: The television (Reksio)

SHOT 7:

Close up

Marta sitting watching the television with curlers in her hair

Sound: The television and Marta beginning to narrate

SHOT 8:

Long shot

The television playing

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 9:

Close up

The television of cartoon playing

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 10:

Medium long shot

The kitchen, Marta preparing food

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 11:

Medium long shot

The kitchen, Marta sharpening knife

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 12:

Close up

The kitchen, Marta cutting carp

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 13:

Medium close up

The kitchen, carp placed in bowl

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 14:

Medium long shot

Hallway of block, Marta walking down the stairs

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 15:

Medium long shot

Hallway of block, Marta walking down the stairs

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 16:

Close up

Marta walking

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 17:

Long shot

Marta walking in the distance

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 18:

Long shot

Marta walking into the distance (graveyard)

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 19:

Medium close up

Marta lighting candles

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 20:

Medium close up

Marta walking with plastic bag

Sound: Television and narration

SHOT 21:

Medium shot

Marta lighting candles

Sound:

Television and narration ending

Lighting match but not lit - music begins playing then stops

Finally lighting match - music begins playing again

SHOT 22:

Medium close up

Marta walking with plastic bag

Sound: Music

SHOT 23:

Medium close up

Marta lighting candles

Sound: Music

SHOT 24:

Close up

Marta lighting candles and stops to ask me a question

Sound: Music playing until Marta puts the lid on a lantern, then music stops

Marta asks me a question twice

Marta places candle in lantern placing lid on top which begins music again

Shot 25:

Medium close up

Marta standing and fixing lantern

Sound: Music ends and Marta begins to pray which has sounds of mumbling

Theories

Barthes

Enigma Code

(Hermeneutic)

Enigma Code - The Hermeneutic Code refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader.

As a story is being told, the enigma is mostly in the visual present time as the narration and visual narrative does not match.

Plan of Sequences: TO OSTATNIA NIEDZIELA

Plan of Sequence

To Ostatnia Niedziela

  SHOT 1:

Main character/documentary narrator: Marta Zytnicka

Long shot facing downwards

Putting on a pair of shoes

Sound:

SHOT 2:

Medium close up shot

Unfolding a scarf

Sound:

SHOT 3:

Medium close up shot

Closing the door to her home

Sound: Marta begins to talk (answering a question not in the sequence)

Background music (sounds as if maybe from radio or television) the beginning of the song

To Ostatnia Niedziela by Mieczyslaw Fogg

SHOT 4:

Medium shot

Walking down the stairs from behind Marta

Sound: Marta still talking about past (answering question)

The music (from radio or television) still playing

SHOT 5:

Medium shot

Walking down the stairs from behind Marta

Checking mail opening door

Sound: I ask question, she answers

The music turning down



SHOT 6:

Long shot

Following Marta walking

Sound: Non - Diegetic sound of the song To Ostatnia Niedziela by Mieczyslaw Fogg

playing throughout film

SHOT 7:

Long shot
A man and his dog walking into their home

SHOT 8:
Long shot
Marta walking around into an unnamed street/alleyway

SHOT 9:
Long shot
Marta walking

SHOT 10:

Medium close up shot

Marta walking

Shot is slowed down

SHOT 11:

Long shot

Mini river with ducks

Slow panning movement finally tilting upwards

SHOT 12:

Medium long shot

Marta walking ahead to the graveyard

(religious crosses behind wall ahead)

Sound: The song finally ending

Theories

Barthes

Enigma Code

(Hermeneutic)

Enigma Code - The Hermeneutic Code refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader.

The narrative to this short sequence is not fully explained as the camera only observes the actions of an individual as she dresses and walks to an unknown destination. It is only suggestive as Marta walks beyond the camera to what looks like religious crosses behind a wall in the ending shot. This could be a graveyard.
What was asked of her to talk about is also unknown and the audience are only given the information they get as visuals are not connected to the narration.

And what she talks about is in past tense while the visuals document the present.
The Enigma Code applies to Pawel Pawlikovki's film form in Ida, which my film is heavily influenced by.

"The film I was after would be made of strong graphic images and sounds. It would work through suggestion rather than explanation."

"I was more convinced the story could tell itself without coverage and exposition. It was enough to put strong moments in strong shots, side by side, and leave things to the imagination. The film would work as a meditation as much as a story." - Pawel Pawlikovski

This style of narration along with the cinematography overall becomes a mystery to the spectator as detail is left to the imagination.

For example, Marta walking along she constantly turns around to the camera. What could she be looking at. Or where is she walking to.

Where is the man she is talking about now?

The long shot of a man and his dog is shown, this could be another suggestion to the man she is talking about. The fact that he could be anywhere but a mystery as he and the man in the sequence is unknown.

Cultural Code

The cultural code tends to point to out shared knowledge about the way the world works, including properties that we can designate as "physical, phycological, literary, historical, etc."

The short film is a documentary based around the culture of Poland. However, consists of personal memories, dreams and childhood which creates a different perception and knowledge to Polish culture. With additional observation of the town and its local people and traditions.