Theme: Wordless expression

For posts related to a specific film -- beware of spoilers o ye who dareth enter!
prowler
Posts: 469
10 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:53 am

Theme: Wordless expression

Post by prowler »

hi guys, i haven't posted here in a while, i'm sorry

There is this tendency in some modernist writers that the book "What Ever Happened to Modernism?" drew to my attention - of being at a loss for words, of the inadequacy of words to express new feelings or images. From the Lord Chandos Letter through Kafka to Beckett.

I was wondering, can you think of specific films or directors, where characters often feel this frustration, and turn to expressing themselves without words? films with long silences, perplexed stares.. Dreyer comes to mind, but he's my fave director so i always think of him first.

maybe Bresson? I haven't seen enough of his stuff.

of recent films, maybe the Turin Horse? although that seemed almost thoughtless to me..

edkrak
Posts: 704
132 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:49 am

Re: Theme: Wordless expression

Post by edkrak »

Not sure if that's what you're looking for, but in Żuławski's films characters express themselves by going completely nuts, running, shaking etc.

MustUnsee
Posts: 139
0 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:43 am

Re: Theme: Wordless expression

Post by MustUnsee »

just looking through my top 60 on my =prs page, I'm reminded Antonioni likes to be poignant like that. Akerman has a number of moments of potent silence between characters, but well all time is potent with her. look out for an upcoming example of this in Godard's Farewell to Language 3D, probably.

but really this must be a current running through all film. after all, the first decades of film were always wordless when actors were on the screen. showing a character experience a moment and be beyond mustering words isn't a 'trope' that can ever fall by the wayside.

ShogunRua
Posts: 3449
0 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 3:18 am

Re: Theme: Wordless expression

Post by ShogunRua »

fakesenator wrote:but really this must be a current running through all film.


Exactly. It's hard to think of a quality art film that does NOT feature this at one point or another.

JooJoo
Posts: 523
0 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:37 am

Re: Theme: Wordless expression

Post by JooJoo »

Michelangelo Antonioni & Yasujiro Ozu are famous for their pauses. Moments of inactivity and silence that establish scenes. I'd say they're a bit too dependent on scripts (especially Ozu) for what you're asking for, but their experimental form fascinates me. Anyone seriously interested in film theory should at least check them out. Takeshi Kitano's earlier work is also a great example of pauses and silence as an effective device to tell a story, and develop characters, and especially humor. He might be an ever better choice come to think of it. I really love Sonatine.

Bresson is probably the director who most closely comes to creating his own language through the images he creates. Au Hazard Bathazar is the clearest example of his minimalist style in full force. The only thing that irks me is his dependence on narration and something was lost when he started using color stock.

Jia Zhangke (or Zhang Ke Jia), Miang-liang Tsai, & Bela Tarr also use similar techniques to varying effect. I'm not really heavily into any but the first guy.

That's all I can think of without resorting to browsing my rankings.
Last edited by JooJoo on Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

JooJoo
Posts: 523
0 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:37 am

Re: Theme: Wordless expression

Post by JooJoo »

Oh and for individual films - Naked Island (1960), Le Samourai (1967), & Kwaidan (1964).

Know 'em, watch 'em, love 'em.

prowler
Posts: 469
10 Ratings
Your TCI: na
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:53 am

Re: Theme: Wordless expression

Post by prowler »

thanks for the recommendations so far, some great starting points.

been putting off Ozu far too long :( i love Kwaidan but i wouldn't have thought of it, maybe cause of the narration. will definitely check out the other two

and yes, there was unlimited potential for this kind of expression in the silent era, but i think it was seldom fulfilled..

Post Reply