Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1949)

380 W* HAT must be part of the general escape mechanism in operation in the other arts is strongly evidenced in the current output of the major studios on both sides of the Atlantic, resulting in an overwhelming array of lavish costume pictures. Period or modern, however, basic cinematic techniques employed professionally provide meaty study for the amateur, ivho will find in them tricks of the trade eminently suitable for adaptation to his own needs. —D. C. VIGNETTE OF VIOLENCE Prince of Foxes: The tempestuous times of the Renaissance dictator, Cesare Borgia, as recorded in the best selling novel by Samuel Shellabarger, have been brought to the screen by Twentieth Century-Fox with imagination, good taste and a passionate devotion to detail. The film was produced in ftaly as a starring vehicle for Orson Welles, the theatre's one time fair haired genius. Italy's ancient countryside, her castles and churches, provide authentic backgrounds for the proceedings, which are related in simple chronological order to match the objective photographic technique employed. The most impressive passages in the production are the expertly staged and convincing battle sequence and the extravagant banquet scene, representing the best mounting of such material since Henry V. The most useful techniques for amateur study are the skillful editing and the judicious use of cross cutting in the battle scenes, used to record various events over a wide field of action. MUSIC HATH CHARMS Song of Surrender: Springtime in Connecticut, 1906, is the time and place of this tender Paramount romance. Involving the puritanical views of the small town inhabitants, the story centers on the conflict between an uneducated farm girl's desire for beauty and affection and her devotion to her fifty year old spouse. The simple story of love and anguish is played out against the austere New Fngland countryside, accentuating the powerful emotional undertones of the drama. Objective but dramatic use of the" camera helps mate London Film Studios LOW ANGLE LIGHTING, plotted as if it came from the single '.andle in scene, lends accent to this dramatic shot from Dolwyn. Aids for the amateur cameraman, to be seen in current theatrical films rially to sustain the mood and spirit created by the setting and the performers. A neat little trick of following the gaze of one or another character with a slow pan to pick up the object being looked at is used effectively at several points. It makes for a smooth follow-through in individual sequences and an excellent transitional device from scene to scene. OF OUR TIMES Sword in the Desert: Recent historic events in the Middle East, out of which the new state of Israel emerged, provided the material from which Robert Buckner wrote and produced this topical drama for Universal-International. The events depicted take place during the last days of the British Mandate, rather than during the subsequent war, but the dramatic possibilities offered are no less great. Despite praiseworthy motives, the theme is badly mishandled by attempts at sugar-coating. The unique aspect of the production, which may interest amateurs, is that four fifths of the footage was exposed on infra-red film — to simulate night scenes. Credit for this most effective photographic handling must go to chief cinematographer Irving Glassberg. ACROSS THE YEARS Dolwyn: From London Film Studios, in England, comes an offering of modest proportions but significant content, a homely tale of simple folk in a rustic setting. The film so closely approximates greatness that the failure to achieve it, because of the unfortunate distortion of the climax, is all the more disappointing. The story concerns a village of Dolwyn, in North Wales, and its struggle for existence as a neighboring manufacturing center seeks to flood it to gain additional water supply. Merri, a humble and respected widow, is the focal point of the action, first as she rises to become the savior of the village and then, later, as she destroys it with her own hands. The performance of Merri by Dame Edith Evans provides one of the truly great moments in recent film history. The initial fade-in reveals a weathered sign which is being studied by some tourists. It describes the flooding of Dolwyn, while in the distance, beyond the sign, can be seen the tip of a church steeple, all that remains of the doomed village. A watery dissolve focuses attention upon the steeple and, when the dissolve is completed, the old village emerges as it was in 1892, before the flood waters destroyed it. Related integrally to the story line, such a device could be adapted, with variations, to many opportunities in amateur production. Also worthy of study is the exceedingly effective use made of the music and sound generally. Silence is an adjunct of sound, and frequently in Dolwyn it is silence that most eloquently underlines a dramatic situation. Judiciously used, it may also heighten the value of the music and narrative when used.