Close Up (Jan-Jun 1929)

Record Details:

Title:
Close Up
Date:
Jan-Jun 1929
Publisher:
[London, etc., Pool]
Volume:
Close up ... devoted to the art of films
Leaf #:
000237
Language:
English
Subjects:
motion pictures, Motion pictures -- Periodicals
Collection:
Switzerland, Early Cinema, and Global Cinema
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
Library of Congress, MBRS, Moving Image Section
Sponsor:
Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
As an active film magazine, CLOSE UP lasted only a short time, from 1927 to 1933. Yet the legacy of this English-language periodical, which was published in Switzerland, continues to matter. Edited by Bryher and her husband Kenneth Macpherson, CLOSE UP became THE magazine for energetic debates about the nature of cinema and manifestos imagining new forms of filmmaking and spectatorship. The magazine published articles by filmmakers, such as Sergei Eisenstein, and female literary modernists, such as H.D. and Gertrude Stein. As film scholar Anne Friedberg explains in the anthology CLOSE-UP, 1927-1933: CINEMA & MODERNISM, 'CLOSE UP became the model for a certain type of writing about film -- writing that was theoretically astute, politically incisive, critical of films that were simply 'entertainment.' For six and a half years, CLOSE UP maintained a forum for a broad variety of ideas about the cinema; it never advocated a single direction of development, but rather posed alternatives to existing modes of production, consumption, and film style.' Like Friedberg's own writing, CLOSE UP continues to be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of film and media theory. -- Eric Hoyt, 2014
Date Added:
June 20, 2024
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CLOSE UP Having" smoothed that difficulty over, further embarrassment was caused when Anders and Enok were presented to Elizabeth Svani as her two bouncing boys. Having got over these difficulties and more or less settled the family in their film hut, the serious business started — filming them. Directing them well-nigh drove Mr. Hart to despair. He had to do every action needed in the picture himself, and if by chance he should scratch his head or wipe an icicle from his nose, they would immediately copy him in that direction as well. Still, difficulties can be overcome, and such minor matters as these were, but whilst one can conquer the human element, nature stepped in and nearly made these young men give up in despair. The days were getting shorter and they heard with dismay that within another fortnight the land would be in total darkness for six months. They had now only three hours of light to work in. Could they finish in time ? Their artistes were getting restless at being so long away from home, and their little boys skied off to their mother some 12 to 15 miles away. They were brought back. The next day — a snowstorm. The day after that — wind, which made it almost impossible to stand up. They were feeling hopeless. The difficulties seemed insurmountable, but they persuaded, bullied and cajoled their artistes and with great good luck the following days were comparatively fine and they turned their last foot of film on the last day it was practical to shoot. They shot the last sequence with one hour of daylight remaining to them. (See photograph in this issue.) 91