Lecture Notes// Film Theory

'Film is not that art of scholars, but of illiterates.' - Werner Herzog.

Italian Vernacular Cinema (1970);

Vernaculate in the sense that the films are made for the majority of people, the working classes of the Italian city. A film can be interpreted in different ways, this means that the modernity of films aren't made for the intellectual, but made for the normal people. A film itself isn't about literacy or dialogue, but more visuality and the spectacle.

The Vernacular cinema holds opposing theories to that of the Auteur (Previous lecture)


{Werner Herzog - One of the greatest German film directors in New German Cinemas. Known for using people from the locality in which he is shooting, also using specifically American and German film actors.}
{The best known director of films in the Italian vernacular cinema is Fellini - taken seriously as an Auteur, his films are associated with style and sophistication. technical mastery means his films have an interior meaning, superficially commenting on the upper class, his films are worth of critical appraisal. One of his most iconic films is 'La Dolce Vita' (1960).

Films influence a large proportion of people, due to films sunglasses became an icon in the fashion world through actors and actresses always sporting them. Associating them with style and sophistication. Popularity exists due the repeating habits of lifestyle and content of the films.

Italian films are effected by the audience, the form of the film isn't always up-to the Auteurs, more then often the needs of the audience drive the direction of the film. Italy is a Catholic country and this very much effects the film making, A genre of film associated with italy in particular is the Spaghetti Western films

Wagstaff explains that in Italy there is a class division in cinemas - First and Second class...

Cinemas are broken down into; Primavisone , Seconda Visione and Terza Visione.  

• Primavisone and Seconda visione, are the cinemas that attract the more sophisticated and middle class audiences.
• Terza Visione, are shown in less popular areas and sold cheaper tickets, were the audience go to the cinemas based on habit rather then film attraction.
• These people will go to the cinemas every night, therefore the Italian film industry will need to produce a constant supply of films.

• The conventions of watching a film are really different to Britain or America, as people in Italy may talk, eat and drink throughout the film, the Terza vision cinemas are more of a social gathering to meet people. 
• Wagstaff notes in his essay that "Terza Visione audience are more like a television audience".
• During the 1970's Italian families couldn't afford TV sets therefore they'd pop down to the local cinema after dinner without a particular film in mind.
• As the films were more of a social gathering opportunity, the audience will often view the film in a cyclical way as oppose to a linear way.

Giallo Directors; Mario Bava, Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci.

They produced very generic films that were stylish and expressionistic. Taking advantage of one's good taste with gore and sex appeal. They're sometimes refered to as the exploration of movies. They were so cheaply made that sometimes they went out as a title without a script...

Dario Argento

• Contemporary Giallo director, sometimes referred to as the Italian Hitchcock
• He always placed himself in his films such as Hitchcock in his films
• He shoot his films without sounds so then different languages can be dubbed.
• The films are made cheaply and sold around the world.

Product Placement in Giallo

Evoking a sophisticated lifestyle within the films, Usually being drank around women in bikinis and luxury swimming pools, targeting the upper class male. The product now signifies a lifestyle as oppose to a sole product.