It can be argued that throughout history there have been many major plot lines, which have had audiences thoroughly entertained and on the edge of their seats. From Shakespeare’s plays performed in the Globe Theatre to Spielberg’s big screen wonders, audiences have always loved to be told tales. So why is it that film is turning more visual? Is it distancing itself from traditional narrative as digital media opens new doors?
It could be said, in the early days of cinema, things were very much the same. Georges Melies 1902 silent film, while having a strong narrative, is well known for it’s incredible editing and cinematography with Melies being branded a ‘magician’ with his techniques such as ‘stop trick’ which were extraordinary for the time. Due to the lack of sound in early film, the narratives were often explored with a few captions. The rest was left up to the visual to narrate the story. This could still create dramatic, exciting and humours films such as Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’ one of cinemas greats with no spoken word and just music to accompany. When the ‘talkies’ of the 20’s were introduced, studios were convinced they wouldn’t take off and believed nobody would be interested in this type of film. But from the big hit ‘The Jazz Singer’ onwards, talkies excelled to the modern day. But suddenly there’s a large market interested in going back to older ways.
The film that stands out most is in modern culture is ‘The Artist’. This created a large buzz in the industry with no spoken word and filmed in black and white. This influenced an interest in an era long before our time, the 20s. With Baz Luhrmann’s remake of The Great Gatsby, and even a fashion trend of flapper dresses.
The constant development in cameras and computers and the flexibility we have with them means film can be created from inside of your head. Famously, many of the tiger scenes in Life of Pi are completely computer generated, with many artists working to create the simplest things such as the tigers fur. And this year’s big Oscar winner Gravity, has a basic storyline which could be covered in 9 minutes, but the long stretch is made exciting through the visuals, with new and exciting styles to create this outer space image. Not only does this rely on the edits and special effects, but also with help from the actors who are creating a believable feeling. The film has been described as the most ‘groundbreaking’ of it’s time. Fxguide.com also agreed that Framestore’s work on Gravity is ‘central to the story’.
This is not however to say that narrative is being completely abolished and ignored, but modern films have a much greater focus on the visual, creating a new reality for the audience. Two big directors who focus on this quirky image of the world are Wes Anderson and Baz Luhrmann. Wes Anderson has an undeniable look to his films with a constant use of symmetry and a different colour palette for each film he creates. Where as Baz Luhrmann has said he gets inspiration from films of the ‘30’s and 40’s which have a contract with the audience’ and also making them aware they’re always watching a movie. These unique filming styles are what is making modern film exciting. With every director having there own uniqueness, the market is broadening with less interest in the average rom-com.
The most recent film on the market to be critised for it’s plot is the Godzilla remake. I have only heard high praises for the stunning visual work with ‘japanese throwbacks’. However many have said it doesn’t live up to the trailer, with a uninteresting plot with tame characters. This is a risk Hollywood is facing, visual effects artists are very expensive and films with large budgets may lose a lot of money to create this modern exciting style. However, as the budget is spread elsewhere often a lot of the extra detail or experienced actors are lost, not only taking away market appeal but also lessening storylines.
Overall, I believe the film industry will always be changing and progressing, but that’s not to say it won’t revisit old styles and techniques. The most exciting thing in Hollywood at the minute is the incredible ability we now have with editing software and visual art, so of course the films are visual and more engaging as the audience experience something completely new. Narrative will always differ along with the visual and although at times they may not be level in quality or excitement, they will both progress as we do.