Post-War Experimentation

 Kali Spencer

Richard Simpson

ENGL 342

10/13/20

Post-War Experimentation

This week we watched Shoeshine by Vittorio de Sica (1946), O Dreamland by Lindsay Anderson (1953), Glass by Bert Haanstra (1958), and Nuit et Brouillard by Alan Resnais (1955). These films fall under the experimental mode of filmmaking. This mode of documentary is most easily identified by its goal of re-evaluates cinematic conventions and its use of non-narrative forms/non-linear narratives.   

The films I found the most interesting this week were O Dreamland by Lindsay Anderson (1953) and Glass by Bert Haanstra (1958). Both of these films seemed to revolve around an interest in new technology and its impact on society. O Dreamland, while lacking a solid narrative structure, still creates an argument through its use of editing and juxtaposition of images. It seems to open a discussion around whether or not our technological advancements are actually advancing us as a society and ideas of the distance technology offers us from our responsibilities. The argument of whether or not our technological advancements are actually advancing us as a society can be seen in the film's title. The title O Dreamland refers to the idea of this utopian version of society that was being proposed to people at the time that seemed to view any new technology as a positive step. This however is juxtaposed against images of prisoners being put to death in the electric chair, an example of technology that has obviously been harmful. The example of the electric chair also ties into the argument that technology offers us distance from our responsibilities. This is shown in the way that we tend to view murder as wrong and barbaric but because we are killing them with a machine it's as if we aren't doing it ourselves. The argument is also shown in the way that both children and adults easily view horrible and gruesome activities because they are being acted out by animatronic people rather than real people. This seems to create a distance between the people and the events that took place because it’s easy to detach feelings when only machines are being harmed and the connection doesn’t need to be made that these are problems that have/continue to affect real people. 

Glass has a similar argument to O Dreamland and also asks the viewer to question whether or not our technological advancements are actually advancing us as a society. This can be seen in the calm and artistic way the human glassblowers create glasses versus the robotic and rigid way the mechanized glass blowing process occurs. This seems to advance the argument that while machines may be useful for creating large quantities of things in a very efficient manner nothing can replace the human element when it comes to crafting quality pieces and art. This can also be seen in the scene where the machine breaks the bottle and requires human intervention to correct itself, it can also be seen as an argument for the invaluable and irreplaceable efforts of humans. 

Both of these films seem to move their narratives along through the use of changing rhythms in songs, increased speed of images displayed, and juxtaposing images. This clearly demonstrates the way an argument can be constructed through the editing process.