number 2 - |ˈnəmbər|

Sitney, “The Lyrical Film”

1. While Brakhage’s Reflections on Black is a trance film, why does Sitney argue that it anticipates the lyrical film?

Sitney called Rflections on Black a move toward "the cinema of triumphant imagination." This film focuses on a physicality of a blind mans vision represented visually on film. Sidney claims this was a a transitionally period for Brakhages work in some part due to him moving to New York.


2. What are the key characteristics of the lyrical film (the first example of which was Anticipation of the Night).

In a lyrical film we assume that the view of the camera is the point of view of the protagonist instead of actually seeing him/her on screen. We the viewer experience what they see and the camera movement is made to represent actual human sight. Lyrical film also reject the idea of being a window into illusion (juxtaposition, plot set up, on screen dialogue, etc.)



3. Which filmmaker was highly influential on Brakhage’s move to lyrical film in terms of film style, and why?

Joeseph Cornell was a surrealist collagist who gave Brakhage many new opportunities to shoot subjects that could be represented in this lyrical kind of way. He was very supportive of Brakhage's work.



4. What does Sitney mean by "hard" and "soft" montage? What examples of each does he give from Anticipation of the Night? {Tricky question; read the entire passage very carefully.]

A soft montage usually deals with colors and movements. its a more impressionistic approach to a montage. A hard montage would be more representational of reality.

5. What are the characteristics of vision according to Brakhage’s revival of the Romantic dialectics of sight and imagination? [I’m not asking here about film style, I’m asking about Brakhage’s views about vision.]

Film creates a system of 'viewing' images that make it easy for audiences to comprehend. In no way is this system truly reminiscent of human sight. Brakhage calls the camera eye a liar.



Sitney, “Major Mythopoeia”

6. Why does Sitney argue, “It was Brakhage, of all the major American avant-garde filmmakers, who first embraced the formal directives and verbal aesthetics of Abstract Expressionism.”



7. What archetypes are significant motifs in Dog Star Man, and which writers in what movement are associated with these four states of existence?

This film explores Romanticism is several ways. for example Nature consciousness,sexuality and vision obviously. Dog star Man is influenced by Blake's four realms of existence.


Sitney, "The Potted Psalm"
[This is an addition to the syllabus. After reading the introductory paragraphs, focus on the discussions of The Cage and Entr'acte (p. 47-54 and The Lead Shoes (p. 68-70).]

8. According to Sitney, what stylistic techniques are used to mark perspective and subjectivity in The Cage, and why is this an important development in the American avant-garde film?

Peterson actually has a separate camera man hired for the filming of The Cage. This allowed a more focused cinematophers touch to the film which had not been seen in more Avant-Qarde film up to this point.

9. For Sitney, what are the key similarities and differences between Entr'acte and The Cage?

Both film manipulated image through camera tricks and stop motion filmmaking, yet the cage is more of a free form art film, as opposed to the agenda and message or Entr'acte. It is more of a Dada film, using paper cutouts and the stop motion technique is more prevalent.

10. How does Peterson synthesize the seemingly incongruent suggestions of his Workshop 20 students into The Lead Shoes?

Peterson takes control of the film after all is said and done. I think he more so used the suggestion with a grain of salt to stay within the perameters of his own new of the film as a whole.

11. Compare your response to The Lead Shoes with the descriptions by Sitney and Parker Tyler.

Sitney's description is more contextual and covers the film as a whole. I picked out certain points of the film and described them in depth to represent my feeling for the film as a whole. I think my response may be a bit more negative in some ways.