[英语学习]英语电影赏析简介.doc

Chapter 1 Categorization 0f Genres Much academic ink has been wasted in the fruitless attempt to give a definitive list of the Hollywood genresWhile there seems to be agreement across the board that both the Western and the musical (音乐片) constitute well-defined genres，the former is now basically extinct，and the latter very nearly soComedy (喜剧片)and the war film - two enduringly popular forms - are also generally considered to form distinct generic(有关一类的)categories，but are problematized by prominent subgenres (egcomedian comedyVietnam War films (越战片) ) and generic hybrids(混合物，混血儿) (eg romantic comedy(浪漫喜剧片) that，arguably，constitute fully fledged (羽翼丰满的，) genres of their ownThe gangster film seems to qualify as a genre on the grounds of its relatively predictable structure and content，as well as its distinct history unless，of course，it is better considered a subgenre of the crime film(犯罪片)Horror and science fiction seem relatively unproblematic，if one ignores the fact that their edges are blurred and it is sometimes difficult as in the case of the Alien(异形)series to say which is whichThe blockbuster may，as some critics are increasingly willing to argue，constitute a new genre，or may instead constitute a mode of postindustrial productionProblems with genre definition are exacerbated still further by the differences between the genres recognized by the industry and those accepted by academic criticsSocial drama(社会问题片)，for instance，is a category that has been used by the industry，but less commonly in the academic community In fact，genres and generic classifications are used more flexibly than much academic criticism would suggestIt is rare to find a film that belongs exclusively to one genre；that is to say，almost no film will possess all of the characteristics of a single genre and none of the characteristics of any otherFor example，Blade Runner (银翼杀手) may be considered both- science fiction and film noir，and The Silence of the Lambs (沉默的羔羊) could be viewed as both a horror film and a thriller(惊悚片)The films selected for this book，similarly，do not fall neatly into generic categories：The Matrix (骇客帝国)，although analyzed here as a “blockbuster，could also be classified as an action film (动作片)，or alternatively as science fiction；The English Patient(英国病人)is a romance，but as it is set against the backdrop (背景) of the Second world War it could also be seen as a variant (变体) of the war film；2001: A Space Odyssey (2001：漫游太空) is science fiction，but delivered with a grandiosity (壮观)more commonly associated with epicThis reflects the Way that filmmakers and audiences in practice use the concept of genreas a loose，flexible，and overlapping system Putting aside the knotty theoretical questions of genre definition and enumeration(列举)，how in practice should one go about determining the genre(s)of a given film? Generic categories are generally defined on the basis of subject matter，formal properties，style or affective(感情的，情感性)responseThe science fiction and gangster genres，for example，are defined primarily on the basis of their subject matter：We expect science fiction to immerse US in an imaginary futuristic(未来主义的，超前的，领先的)world，and we expect the gangster film to tell the story of a gangsterAction films and musicals，on the other hand，are distinguishable on account of(由于)certain necessary formal qualities：action setpieces(固定套路)in the case of the former，and song and dance routines for the latterAlternatively，film noir，is a category defined primarily on the basis of a distinctive style：Scenes will be filmed at night，actors will be positioned within shadow，it will be raining outside，etcOther genres，such as the comedy or the thriller，are categorized on the basis of the effect produced on the audiencecomedies make you laugh and，unsurprisingly，thrillers give you thrills The table next (adapted from that drawn up by Paul Watson) gives a schematic overview (全面的评述) of how this approach might be used to identify genres：GenreDefining CriteriaDifferentiating CriteriaSocial DramaRomanceGangsterWar FilmScience FictionFantasy(奇幻片)WesternDisaster(灾难片)CrimeEpicSubject MatterSerious social topicRomantic relationship between loversGangsters in urban AmericaSpecific military conflictsFuturistic technologiesfuture worldsImpossible worldsfantastical charactersAmerican WestNatural or manmade catastropheCriminal activities and investigationBiblical(有关圣经的)or ancient historyActionMusicalFormal CriteriaPresence of action setpiecesPresence of song and dance performancesBlockbusterFilm Noir/Neo-NoirStyleSpectacular eventsChiaroscuro (明暗对照法)lighting and dark mise-en-scene (场面调度)ComedyHorrorThrillerAffective ResponseIntended to generate laughterIntended to horrifyIntended to thrillChapter 2 Character and Performance-IntroductionCharacterization(角色塑造)and performance are two of the essential aspects of any cinematic work：Without characters there can be no narrative-since narrative depends on characters taking action and without performance characters cannot be presented to the audienceCharacterization in films is sometimes novelistic(小说的，与小说有关的)，in the sense that novels typically seek to convey depth and intricacy(复杂)of charactersHowever，characters on the biz screen may also be designed to fulfill certain“functions”in the narrative，or even to correspond to certain mythological“archetypes”Characters will grow and develop through the course of the film，but because their growth cannot be described it must be shown through actionCinematic performance has its own specific qualities，and film actors must be able to adapt themselves to the different performative demands necessitated by the great variety of shots that can be employedHollywood performance has also developed in two radically different directionstowards both Method acting (方法表演) and the “star” performance (明星表演)一both of which are now a fundamental part of film history and of films as they are made todayCharacter Functions and Cast DesignCharacters in films can be divided into three basic“functions”(or categories)：main characters，secondary characters，and minor charactersEach of these functions has a certain role to play.The main character is the most important character in a film, and the character of greatest interestUsually the main character is also the protagonist, the character whose actions trigger the chain of causes and effects that drive the plot forward. Occasionally，however，the protagonist is not the main characterTake Citizen Kane (公民凯恩) as an exampleThe main character- the most important character-is Kane himselfKane is，however，dead，and so cannot function as a protagonist and drive the action forwardIn this case，the protagonist is the journalist who is investigating Kane and unearthing(挖掘)his dark secretsThe motivation and goal of the protagonist is what provides the impetus for the story，and when that goal is concluded the story endsThe protagonist is thus the character that the audience will focus on through the course of the narrativeThe audience will，accordingly，be encouraged to see the action from the perspective of the protagonist，and the chief “point of view”will be that of this characterThe audience will be most likely to identify emotionally with this character：to share his dreams，to sympathize with his problems，to pity his predicament，to share his elation(得意)when the action is successfully concluded，or to feel his pain when his goal is frustratedThe protagonist will be involved throughout the whole course of the narrativeand thus will be on screen most 0f the timeSecondary characters are those who interact with the protagonist and have significant impact on the development of the narrative. They can often be divided into three main functions the opposition character，the mirror character，and the romance character.The opposition character (also known as the“antagonist(反面主角)”) is the character who opposes the intentions of the protagonist；antagonists stand in the way of protagonists and create obstacles for themAntagonists are usually individual figures，but they often also represent and embody the whole system against which the protagonist is fightingOccasionally，there maybe no single human antagonist but only “forces of antagonism”: a ferocious (凶残的) animal (Jaws (大白鲨)，a natural disaster (The Day After Tomorrow)，a corrupt institution (All the Presidents Men (总统班底)，self-defeating racial prejudice (American History X (野蛮良民)，or a hopeless socio-economic system (The Full Monty (光猪六壮士)。The final climax of the film is normally a direct confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonist/forces of antagonism. The protagonist is not always the hero/heroine, and the antagonist is not always the villainThe terms protagonist and antagonist refer specifically to the initiator (发起人) and opposer of the action respectively，and it is possible for the initiator of the action to be a villain (and，conversely，for the opposer of the action to be a hero)When protagonists are villains，they are referred to as“antiheroes(非英雄主角)”Norman Bates in Psycho (“精神病患者) is an antihero：Although a murderous psychopath(心理变态者)，he is nevertheless still the initiator of the main action of the filmThe mirror character (also known as the “ support”) is the character most clearly aligned with and supportive of, the protagonistMirror characters offer support to the protagonist through the difficulties of encounters，often because they share with him certain beliefs and attitudesThey have the important dramatic function of engaging in regular dialogue with the protagonist，helping him to formulate his goals and at the same time helping the audience to better understand the protagonists character and situationThe romance character (or love interest” ) is the character with whom the protagonist is - or becomes-romantically involvedThe romance character may be the prize to be gained when the main plot is resolved(as is usually the case in the romance genre)；or the relationship between the protagonist and the romance character may function as the main subject of the subplot(次要情节) (as is usually the case in other genres such as science fiction or the gangster film)Either way，the romance character will alternately support the protagonist and oppose him，help him out and at the same time create difficulties for himIn this sense the romance character can be viewed as a character combining the functions of both support character and antagonistFilmProtagonistAntagonistMirrorRomanceStar WarsLuke SkywalkerDarth VaderHans SoloPrincess LeiaBraveheart William WallaceKing Edward IHamishMurronPrincess IsabelleThe MatrixNeoAgent SmithMorpheusTrinity Gladiator MaximusCommodusJubaProximoLucillaSpectators come to engage and identify with characters in a threestage process of recognition，alignment(结盟，合作)，and allegiance(忠诚)Recognition is the translation of the fictional construct into a fully believable characterAnd occurs when we recognize the character as a type we might encounter either in life or in fictionAlignment with a character occurs when the events of the story are presented from the point of view of the characterThe final stage，allegiance，Occurs when the spectator makes a judgment about whether or not the character is attractive and appealingVoglers Seven Character ArchetypesOne alternative to the fourfunction model of cast design that can profitably be used to analyze film characters is the model formulated by Christopher Vogler （克里斯多佛沃格勒，好莱坞几家大电影公司的故事分析家和顾问，现任二十世纪福克斯公司的发展部主管，代表作有作者的历程：讲故事者和编剧的神话结构)。） Vogler一 formerly story analyst at Disney (迪斯尼公司，1 923年由沃尔特迪斯尼和罗伊迪斯尼兄弟创办，推出了风靡世界的米老鼠、白誊公主等卡通人物。现在，公司已经从一个卡通王国发展成为拥有亿万资产的传播集团) and now Director of Development(发展部主管)at Fox 2000(二十世纪福克斯电影公司)一studied the work of Joseph Campbell (约瑟夫坎贝尔，美国多产作家和编辑，致力于比较神话学的研究。)on the mythological basis of storytelling，and adapted Campbells thinking to cast new light on characterization in cinemaHis book，The Writers Journey：Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters(作者的历程：讲故事者和编剧的神话结构)，has been called“the current industry bible”Vogler argues that there are seven basic character functions：hero，mentor(导师)，threshold guardian(关卡守卫者)，herald(信使)，shapeshifter (变化者)，shadow(影子)，and trickster(骗子，魔术师)These character functions are really best thought of as character archetypes：That is，they are mythological types to which humans respond on a deep instinctive level because they represent the basic unchanging features of human experienceHowever，when they appear in films they are also，very definitely，functions rather man static character types since an individual character can，at different points in the film, play the role of more than one of the archetypesVogler himself suggested that they should be thought of as masks that are worn by different characters through the course of the action.The character archetypes are key elements of a story pattern that gives (in Voglers words)“accurate models of the workings of the human mind，true maps of the psyche (心智，灵魂，精神). They do so because，at the deepest level，they reflect different aspects of the human mind. The Hero is the “ego”，the self-aware and self-seeking part of the psyche；the Shadow is the “dark side”；and the Trickster represents curious，probing，unorthodox(非正统的) tendencies，etc The table below gives an outline of the seven character archetypes described by Vogler and the psychological and dramatic functions associated with them：ArchetypeDramatic Function(s)Psychological FunctionHeroThe Hero is the protagonist who embarks on a quest and who carries out the decisive and central action within the storyThe Hero serves as the focus of audience identification，and grows as a human being through the course of the filmThe Heros growth is predicated on (以为基础) his making a great sacrificeThe Hero represents，in Freudian terms，the ego - that part of the psyche that is responsible for the sense of distinctive personal identityThe “Heros Journey” represents the egos journey towards completeness through the recognition and incorporation of hitherto unacknowledged aspects of the self(These aspects are represented by the other archetypes)MentorThe Mentor is a wiser and more experienced character (often in the form of a wise old man or woman) who gives aid to the Hero，usually in the form of teaching or trainingThe Mentor may motivate the Hero， helping him to overcome fear or uncertainty(不确定感)，or may function as the Heros conscience， guiding him to an understanding of right and wrongThe Mentor represents the “higher self”，which is，according to Vogler，both the Heros highest aspirations” and the“wiser，nobler，more godlikepart of us”Threshold GuardianThreshold Guardians are figures who temporarily(暂时)block the Heros advance at any of the key moments (or“thresholds”、in the course of the narrativeThreshold Guardians are there to test whether the Hero is really ready to accept the challenge of the narrativeThreshold Guardians represent both (i) the ordinary obstacles we face in our daily lives(bad luck，prejudice，oppression，hostile people) and (ii) our internal demons (“the neuroses (神经官能症)，emotional scars，vices，dependencies，and self- limitations that hold back our growth and progress”).HeraldThe Herald is the figure that “calls” the Hero to adventure by announcing an important change or by issuing a challengeThe Herald may be a person，or maybe a force fin Earthquake(地震) it is the first tremors(震动)of the earth, and in Hurricane(龙卷风) it is the coming of the storm)Heralds have the psychological function 0f announcing the need for changeVogler writes，“Something deep inside us knows when we are ready to change and sends us a messengerThis may be a dream figure，a real person，or a new idea we encounter”ShapeshifterShapeshifters are characters who confuse or mislead the Hero by appearing in a deceptive form or telling liesThey bring uncertainty，tension，and suspense to the narrativeShapeshifters are often of the opposite sex from the Hero，For male protagonists，they may represent the unacknowledged and mysterious “feminine side(女性的一面)” of the psyche; for female protagonists the unacknowledged and mysterious “masculine side”ShadowThe Shadow is the antagonist who creates conflict in the story by opposing the HeroThe Shadow represents the “dark side” of the Heros personality - the repressed(压抑)fears，desires and traumatic(受创伤的) memories that cannot be revealed to others or even oneselfTricksterTricksters are characters who bring comic relief to the film through joking and mischiefTricksters embody the energy of mischief and desire for changeThe Concept of “the Actors Two Bodies”Richard Maltby：理查德莫尔特比，20世纪美国电影理论家，代表作有无睿的娱乐：好莱坞和舆论的思想体系等。Robert De Niro：罗伯特德尼罗，美国电影演员，1943年出生于美国纽约，曾主演出租车司机、教父I I、猎鹿人、美国往事等。In his book，Hollywood Cinema(好莱坞电影)，the theorist Richard Maltby has suggested that，from the perspective of the audience，the film actor has“two bodies”He argues that, because the real actor and the character being acted must occupy the same physical body，“the audience experiences the presence of the performer as well as - in the same body as - the presence of the character” When Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (出租车司机)，the audience accepts that it is really Robert De Niro acting a role，but at the same time “suspension of disbelief” in the illusion of cinema and imagines that the actor has disappeared and that Travis Bickle has taken his placeCorresponding to these “two bodies” of the actor and the character are two fundamentally different acting stylesThe performance style that emphasizes the reality of the actor has been called the“present