Bela Balazs and Jean Epstein: The Close-Up

Summary

In this video lecture, we explore the work of silent era film theorists Béla Balázs and Jean Epstein, focusing on their analysis of the close-up and the face on screen. The lecture discusses three key concepts: revelation, expression, and duration, illustrating how cinema reveals hidden aspects of reality, expresses inner emotions, and captures the flow of time. By examining these ideas, we gain insights into how silent films communicate profound human experiences through visual means, beyond the limitations of language and traditional art forms.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The lecture focuses on the close-up and the face on the screen, discussing two silent era film theorists: Béla Balázs and Jean Epstein.
• 📽️ The close-up is a significant topic in classical film theory as it exemplifies unique cinematic images distinct from theater and other arts.
• 🇭🇺 Béla Balázs and 🇫🇷 Jean Epstein are renowned for their enthusiasm and investigation of the close-up, particularly focusing on the face on screen.
• 🧠 Theorists like Munsterberg and Arnheim were interested in manipulations of space and time, but Balázs and Epstein channel their energy into the close-up.
• 🔍 Revelation: Cinema is analogous to a microscope, revealing aspects of the world hidden to natural perception. Epstein uses the phrase 'drama of the microscope.'
• 🗣️ Expression: The close-up allows access to the mind's contents through the body and face. Balázs argues that body movements express non-rational self directly.
• ⏳ Duration: Based on Henri Bergson's philosophy, duration is a non-quantifiable form of time as a flow of subjective consciousness.
• 🎶 Balázs uses Bergson's concept of melody to explain how faces in close-up are experienced as a whole, not just the sum of their parts.
• 🧩 Epstein and Balázs emphasize the limitations of language and signs, arguing that the close-up can convey emotions and thoughts more directly.
• 🎥 Silent films are seen as a medium that teaches us to read expressions and emotions without relying on language, highlighting the purity of visual communication.

Q & A

Who are the two silent era film theorists discussed in this video lecture?

The two silent era film theorists discussed are Béla Balázs and Jean Epstein.

Why is the close-up a significant technique in classical film theory?

The close-up is significant because it exemplifies unique kinds of images that distinguish film from theater and other arts. It allows for the detailed portrayal of emotions and expressions, which are crucial elements that classical film theorists find interesting.

What are the three terms introduced to understand the preoccupations of Balázs and Epstein?

The three terms introduced are revelation, expression, and duration.

How does the concept of 'revelation' relate to film according to the lecture?

Revelation in film refers to cinema's ability to reveal aspects of reality that are invisible or otherwise inaccessible to natural human perception. This is akin to using a microscope to uncover hidden details.

What is the 'revelationist answer' as described by Malcolm Turvey?

The revelationist answer is the idea that cinema's most significant property is its ability to uncover features of reality invisible to human vision, revealing the true nature of reality to viewers using techniques that differ from human sight, such as time-lapse and slow-motion photography.

How does Balázs view the relationship between language and the body in communication?

Balázs believes that written communication, which has dominated Western civilization, suppresses a more natural and primordial ability to express oneself through the body and face. He argues that body movements and facial expressions are direct expressions of the soul, offering a more pure form of communication than language.

What does Jean Epstein mean by 'the close-up is drama and high gear'?

Epstein suggests that a close-up can directly convey abstract emotions and concepts, such as love, through facial expressions. The close-up intensifies the drama by making the audience feel they are witnessing the emotion itself, not just an acted representation.

What is the concept of 'duration' as influenced by Henri Bergson?

Duration, in Bergson's philosophy, refers to the non-quantifiable, continuous flow of subjective time experienced as a whole. It contrasts with the scientific measurement of time as discrete, equally distant moments. Bergson's duration is the experience of time as an uninterrupted flow of consciousness.

How does Balázs apply Bergson's concept of duration to the experience of film?

Balázs applies Bergson's concept by arguing that a face in a close-up is experienced as a whole, similar to how a melody is experienced as a continuous flow rather than discrete notes. This holistic perception allows the audience to feel the emotional essence directly.

What is the significance of language and signs according to Bergson's philosophy as mentioned in the lecture?

Bergson is suspicious of language and signs because they are human-made abstractions that cannot fully capture the continuous flow and complexity of real phenomena. He argues that relying on language and signs can obscure the true nature of experiences and the world.