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Photo Romain Finished project: BetweenTheLines

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Psychoanalysis and Film

Psychoanalysis is the study of the mind to reveal the role of the unconscious mind.
Pioneers of this study are Freud, Jung and Lacan.

This study can be applied to film in the form of The Id, Superego and Ego. I have made examples of each bellow from the Film Grosse Pointe Blank (1997 Dir. George Armitage).


The Id - Grocer (Dan Aykroyd)

The Superego - Dr Oatman (Alan Arkin)

The Ego - Martin Blank (John Cusack)

Part 3: Conclusion

Is it right to include some and exclude others? overall i feel that the use of Appropriation in film is a technique to be used sparingly as it does add to a film and its narrative flow, but at the same time it can take away from the viewers full enjoyment of the film as they may not understand or miss the reference that you are trying to make or who you are paying homage to.

The Benefits of this technique are that you place the viewer right at that place and time and i feel that i you know where a film stands culturally in history then you have a greater understanding of it. This has also lead to the creation of "Geek Culture" where the more you know the more you are included in the inside jokes and narrative. This also makes people look at what influences them in their lives e.g what makes you laugh?, what makes you cry? and what makes you empathise with a character? what makes the narrative relatable

However the draw backs of this technique are exclusion which i mentioned earlier and that the film looses its timeless quality, it will always look like it was made when it was made, but at the same time it puts the viewer in that place and time in history. 

So why would I use this technique in one of my films? I would use this in the way that most film makers do as an homage to my own influences and those that came before me and had an impact on my life and my own experiences of the arts. 

Part 2: Case Study Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith is an American Film maker from New Jersey who created success based on his first film Clerks.

For his first film Clerks which received critical acclaim during the sundance film festival smith's idea was to create that great first film the one that people pay attention to and to prove that they (smith and mosier) could  then they could get financing for their next film.  After watching Slacker (richard linklaker) at the Independent Feature Film Market (New York, NY) he decided "hey I can make a funny flick". So what is it that stars out about this film? Why is it a comedy? the answer is the same in nearly all of his films…Appropriation 

From the beginning of his film career Smith has always used appropriation in his films. His cultural references to comic books, old TV shows and referencing his own films have always left the viewer feeling included in the film itself or excluded due to not having the prior knowledge of the cultural reference.

Due to the nature of his work being based around characters and situations that exist in our own world exterior to the films, it adds to the viewer feeling included in the situation and immediately makes the stories relatable and loveable.

The cultural references he makes to comics and film makes the outsiders in society become included within his films

the social commentary of this time (the early 90's) perfectly places the viewer in his world and letting them see ordinary people living ordinary lives i.e. Clerks, which is a film about a day in the life of two shop workers in New Jersey, this i feel depicts the lifestyle of young adults even to this day they encounter all of the usual frustrations with everyday life e.g. customers asking them stupid questions to arguments with the two main protagonists about which is better "Empire or Jedi?".  

This theme of Appropriation and referencing popular culture continues into smiths next film Mallrats, which again is about a day in the life of two 20 somethings hanging out, this of course being a reference in itself to Clerks. From the start of the film it is clear that this is going to have many references to popular culture at that time, the title sequence is made up of famous comic book covers re worked to tie in with the characters in this film. He often uses the same actors and characters in his films, "Jay and Silent Bob" are reoccurring characters that offer comic relief in his films that use references from  Star Wars, Batman and other comic books and their creators. This use of appropriation creates a Fanboy style club, a club in which only those who get the reference get to see the whole picture, this may be a good technique to use as it is a social commentary to that specific time in history but at the same time excludes audiences who watch the film years later. 

Part 1: Appropriation as a film making technique

Appropriation is drawing influence from different backgrounds and cultures and then referencing them in your project be it visual, audio or literary. Appropriation is often used in film, it is a device that is used to make reference to something else be it another film, book, TV show or Artwork. Most use it to pay homage to other artists.

This is also used to place the piece of art in a specific place and time by its cultural reference. 

Examples of Appropriation can be seen all around us in the art world, it is used in wide range of created pieces from the thrash metal band Anthrax having a song called "I am The Law" a popular catchphrase from the 2000ad comics character Judge Dredd, 

upon closer inspection to the song's lyrics it describes the origins behind Dredd and the story arcs from the comics which was rise to new highs of popularity in the late 80's, Therefore using this as the basis of a song immediately places that song in the late 80's. Appropriation is also used as the comedy structure to popular TV show Family Guy.

When it is used in film it is slightly more noticeable to some as it is a visual reference, this is mainly used to pay homage to film makers that came before, a popular example of this is Quentin Tarantino. His use of appropriation is used to show what influences him, he makes you pay attention to what inspired him. Examples of this can be seen in Pulp Fiction from just the movie poster itself it looks like a 50's American Pulp book cover. These books would often have tales of love, action and suspense. The dance contest scene can also be a reference to the Jean-Luc Godard film band a part dance scene, therefore referencing new wave cinema. 

There is a film genre that directly uses appropriation and that is the Comic Book Film. They have no choice but to use as many references from the comic series as possible which most do successfully, personally in my own opinion the best adaptation of a comic book to film was V for Vendetta, not only did the characters looked like the ones in the book but they also enraptured the feel of an alternate universe to our own which was something that was the main idea within the pages of the book. 

The reason why i chose to look at appropriation is that over the years we have developed a culture in film, TV and even music called "Geek Culture" this i feel to be an area of interest. this "Geek Culture" thrives on appropriation in the arts to validate itself, without it the culture could not exist. Appropriation creates a sense of inclusion to those who dwell in the "Geek Culture" category and exclusion for the others, but does that make it right? to include some and not others? shouldn't all be included regardless of there cultural background?

I shall be looking at where i draw my own influences from and consider the ideas of applying this technique to my own films.

Appropriation in Film : A Fan-boy's Club.

Within this essay i will be looking into the use of appropriation in film. i will also be looking at how it has an effect on an audience and how it is received. i will be researching what appropriation is, how it is used in filmmaking and why it is used. 

is it right to include some and exclude others? what if you don't get the reference? does that mean that you feel left out like your not being shown everything, but do the film makers want to give you everything? most of us like it when we have to think for ourselves or try to figure out problems. but as most see cinema as a way of escaping reality this can have a negative effect on the viewing experience if they feel left out of the joke.

or this the examples i will be using the three films, Clerks, Mall rats and Chasing Amy by director kevin smith. 

i will also be referencing other film makers, who use appropriation to cause a different effect. I will also be touching on a musical reference.