Study Notes on Hollywood's Decline and Spanish Cinema
Hollywood's Golden Age vs. Television
Hollywood's Golden Age (1930-1945):
Massive creativity and success in filmmaking.
Iconic classics: Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz.
Fueled by the studio system: control over production, distribution, and exhibition.
Tight management of stars' careers.
Emergence of Television:
Post-WWII suburban growth and rising incomes.
Affordable home TVs drew people from movie theaters.
Late 1940s: Four major networks broadcasting nightly.
1948 Supreme Court antitrust ruling: Weakened studio control by ending theater monopolies.
Studios blocked from entering the TV business due to prior monopolistic practices.
Impact on Hollywood:
Loss of control and revenue for studios.
Cold War pressures: Blacklists of suspected Communists drained talent.
Audiences and stars shifted to television due to lower costs and convenience.
Hollywood's Response:
Producing TV shows.
Licensing movies for broadcast.
Opening new ventures: Theme parks and record labels.
Moved toward edgier content not allowed on TV due to FCC rules.
Transformation by the 1960s:
TV transformed entertainment.
The dominance of Hollywood’s Golden Age became history.
Film Noir
Main Features:
Themes: Fatalism, moral ambiguity, existential dread.
Characters: Anti-heroes, femme fatales, detectives, criminals.
Style: High-contrast lighting, urban settings, complex narratives.
Mood: Pessimistic, reflective, with unease.
Aesthetics: Shadows, unique camera angles, voiceover narratives.
Elaboration:
Film noir is known for its dark, moody atmosphere.
Focuses on themes like fatalism, moral ambiguity, and existential dread.
Explores the darker sides of human nature and the world.
Characters are often trapped by fate, pasts, or difficult choices.
Stories told from a cynical or jaded point of view.
Anti-heroes break rules; femme fatales use charm to deceive.
High-contrast lighting creates a mysterious, uneasy atmosphere.
Urban settings reflect the tough and gritty lives of characters.
Camera work includes unusual angles and tight framing to increase tension.
Voiceovers offer insight into character’s thoughts or backstory.
Conversaciones de Salamanca & Spanish Cinema (1952-1961)
Definitions:
UNINCI:
A production company founded by Juan Antonio Bardem and Luis García Berlanga.
Aimed to renew Spanish cinema through socially relevant themes.
Sought to critique societal issues and promote a reflective, progressive approach.
‘Cine con niño’:
A genre of Spanish cinema emphasizing children and their experiences.
Popular in the 1950s.
Portrays youthful innocence against societal issues.
Explored themes of childhood and societal issues through the lens of youth.
“Viridiana affair”:
Controversies surrounding Luis Buñuel's film Viridiana.
Accused of blasphemy, leading to censorship and a ban in Spain until 1977.
Highlighted tensions between artistic expression and the regime's censorship.
Internationalization:
Process during the 1950s when Spanish cinema engaged more with global cinematic practices.
Influenced by foreign films and collaboration with international filmmakers.
Main Trends in 1950s State-Supported Commercial Cinema in Spain:
Continued censorship and state control shaped film productions.
Limited creative expression.
Spurred filmmakers to innovate within constraints.
Dominant genres: Comedies and folkloric musicals.
Reflected escapism and social critique.
New film schools and initiatives by figures like García Escudero promoted modern cinema.
Engaged with social realities.
Aimed for international appeal despite struggling to attract audiences.
The New Waves & Hollywood in Transition
European Cinema:
Post-war transformation (late 1940s into the 1950s).
French Nouvelle Vague and Italian Neorealismo.
New visual styles, non-linear narratives, socially conscious themes.
Broke away from traditional studio systems.
American Studio System:
Faltering due to outdated practices and resistance to change.
New Hollywood:
Began with the release of Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
Younger generation of filmmakers challenging Classical Hollywood.
Unconventional storytelling, visual experimentation.
Themes spoke to the counter-culture and youth of the era.
Spanish Cinema in the 1950s:
Heavily influenced by continued censorship and state control.
Forced filmmakers to navigate moral, political, and social restrictions.
Led to innovation within constraints, using subtle methods to express dissent.
Dominant genres included comedies and folkloric musicals.
New film schools aimed to introduce a more modern approach to filmmaking.
Gary Young’s The New Cinema (1968?):
A little-known documentary by Gary Young.
IMDb lists release in 1968, but includes clips from Easy Rider (1969).
Captured voices of late-60s cinematic figures.
Featured Dustin Hoffman, Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Andy Warhol, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas.
Directed by Young; edited by Paul Golding (USC classmate of Lucas).
Never aired on television but was preserved and uploaded to YouTube.
Serves as a time capsule of old Hollywood breaking apart and a new one emerging.
Contextual Definitions: MPAA, Exploitation Cinema, Runaway Productions
MPAA Rating System:
Created in 1968 by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Replaced the outdated Production Code.
Voluntary system of age-based ratings: G, M (later PG), R, X (later NC-17).
Allowed filmmakers greater freedom to explore adult themes without automatic censorship.
Exploitation Cinema:
Low-budget films capitalizing on sensational content (sex, violence, taboo subjects).
Thrived in drive-ins and grindhouse theaters.
Pushed the limits of acceptability, influencing later mainstream filmmakers.
Runaway Productions:
Films shot outside the U.S. (often in Europe or Canada) to reduce costs.
Helped studios save money in the 1960s.
Allowed filmmakers more creative freedom away from Hollywood’s tight control.
The Shift in 1960s Cinema
Social and Political Turmoil:
Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, student protests.
Assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy.
Fueled disillusionment and inspired filmmakers to challenge American ideals.
Developments in Film Technology:
Color became more affordable and widespread.
Innovations in camera mobility, sound recording, and special effects.
Lighter cameras enabled more on-location shooting, adding realism.
Three Main Attacks on Classical Hollywood:
Narrative Disruption:
Filmmakers rejected rigid storytelling formulas.
Favored ambiguity, fragmentation, and character-driven plots.
Demand for Representation:
Calls for more diversity in race, gender, and ideology.
Challenged predominantly white, male, and conservative perspectives.
Independent Challenges:
Young and independent directors bypassed studio systems.
Created more personal, often politically charged works.
Signaled a decentralization of Hollywood's creative control.
Rise of Corporate (Global) Hollywood:
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, corporate consolidation transformed Hollywood.
Media conglomerates prioritized marketability, global appeal, and franchise potential.
Gave rise to blockbuster filmmaking (e.g., Jaws and Star Wars).
Shifted focus from personal, risky storytelling to brand-driven entertainment.
Main Trends and Styles in 1960s American Cinema:
Embraced nonlinear narratives, surrealism, documentary realism.
Counter-cultural themes: drug use, anti-establishment sentiments, sexual liberation.
Films like Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, and Easy Rider captured the voice of a restless generation.
Defining Spanish Cinema
Cine de Arte y Ensayo:
Artistic or experimental approach.
Focus on personal, emotional, and intellectual themes.
Prioritizes creative expression over commercial appeal.
Landismo:
Filmmaking movement in Spain during the 1970s.
Themes relevant to Spanish youth and societal changes.
Mix of commercial appeal and critical reflection.
Tercera Vía:
Theoretical approach in Spanish cinema.
Sought a middle ground between commercial and artistic cinema.
Gained prominence during the 1960s and 70s.
Escuela de Barcelona:
Filmmakers and artists based in Barcelona.
Known for innovative narrative techniques and social commentary.
El espíritu de la colmena (1973):
Directed by Victor Erice.
Exploration of childhood innocence, memory, and the impact of the Spanish Civil War.
Unique visual style and narrative structure.
Elaborating on 'Nuevo Cine Español'
Defining traits:
Unconventional narratives that often break traditional storytelling molds.
Focus on social issues such as political repression and individual identity.
Reflected the transitional period in Spain during the late 20th century.
Popular film genres in Spanish cinema in the 1960s:
Musicals, dramas, comedies, and thrillers.
Aimed at entertaining audiences while addressing relevant social and political themes.
The New Hollywood & Reagan Era Ideology
Define:
‘Lucas-Spielberg syndrome’:
Ideological crisis of the 1970s reflected in films.
Nostalgia and the reassertion of patriarchal ideals during the neoliberal age.
“Compensatory fantasy”:
Cinematic narratives that provide an escape or reassurance to audiences.
Counters real-life anxieties and discontent.
“Incoherent text”:
Films that lack cohesive narrative structure.
Disjointed storytelling that reflects broader cultural or ideological confusions.
Pleasure as ideological construction (p. 146):
Enjoyment from films is shaped by underlying ideological frameworks.
Serves to reinforce dominant social narratives.
Elaborate:
According to Wood, Hollywood films from the 1980s provide reassurance through familiar genre conventions and happy endings.
Counters the turmoil outside the theatre, reflecting a desire for stability.
Spanish Cinema: Transition Period to Globalization
Definitions:
Oppositional Cinema:
Films that challenged the ideological constraints of Francoism.
Worked to re-examine Spanish history and represent wider social perspectives.
Carlos Saura:
Most internationally successful director of the late Franco years and the Transition.
Critical examinations of authoritarianism and the lingering effects of the Civil War.
Films: La prima Angélica and Cría cuervos.
Pilar Miró:
Director General of Cinematography under the Socialist government from 1982.
Introduced reforms aiming to modernize the industry and improve artistic standards.
Supported quality cinema through selective state subsidies.
‘Quality’ Cinema:
Films supported by state subsidies under the Miró reforms.
Chosen based on artistic and cultural value rather than commercial potential.
‘New Social Realism’:
Emerged in the late 1990s.
Depicted contemporary social issues in a naturalistic and accessible way.
‘Neo-vulgar Spanish Cinema’ (N. Triana-Toribio):
Trend in late 1990s Spanish cinema.
Characterized by popular, commercially-driven films with crude humor, sexuality, and irreverence.
Elaborations:
Reforms During the Transition (1975–1982):
Loosening of censorship and emergence of new funding models.
Filmmakers addressed previously taboo subjects.
Policies from the Mid-1990s to Early 2000s:
Spain’s film policies aimed to embrace the marketplace.
Diversifying content, promoting genre films, and increasing support for co-productions.
Renewal of Generations and Personnel:
New generation of directors and producers emerged in the late 1990s.
Influenced by television, advertising, and international cinema.
‘Crossover’ in the 1990s:
Rise of Spanish films that succeeded both at home and abroad.
Blended local cultural elements with globally recognizable formats.
(Post-)Cinema in the 21st Century & The Political Economy of World Cinema in the Digital Age
Define:
‘Event movies’:
Films designed to offer an immersive and unique experience, often leveraging spectacle, special effects, and broad audience appeal to create a must-see theatrical event. These movies typically have extensive marketing campaigns and are intended to generate significant box office revenue.
Cross-promotion:
A marketing strategy that involves promoting a film through partnerships and collaborations with other products, brands, or media. This can include merchandise tie-ins, product placements, and joint advertising campaigns, all aimed at increasing the film's visibility and commercial success.
‘Deterritorialization’ (of the Hollywood film industry):
Refers to the phenomenon where the production, distribution, and financing of Hollywood films are no longer limited to the geographical boundaries of the United States. With globalization, Hollywood has expanded its operations internationally, co-producing films in various countries, utilizing global talent pools, and targeting worldwide audiences, thus becoming less tied to its domestic origins.
Elaborate:
Role of TV & video in the re-configuration of the Hollywood film industry from the 1960s onwards:
Changing viewing habits and the rise of home media led to shifts in revenue streams and content strategies, with studios increasingly leveraging television
Narrative Disruption – Filmmakers rejected rigid storytelling formulas in favor of ambiguity, fragmentation, and character-driven plots.
Demand for Representation – There were calls for more diversity in race, gender, and ideology, challenging the predominantly white, male, and conservative perspectives of Classical Hollywood.
Independent Challenges – Young and independent directors bypassed studio systems to create more personal, often politically charged works, signaling a decentralization of Hollywood's creative control