Jane Campion as Auteur

Jane Campion is one of the most applauded and dynamic filmmakers from New Zealand. Her depiction of strong female characters rebelling against stereotypical roles within society has attracted international praise, as have her story telling techniques of original and striking visual compositions, non-linear editing style and moments of narrative ambiguity. While most films offer a clear message, morally ambiguous works such as Jane Campion’s force us to question our sense of right and wrong and we are forced to interpret the message in a variety of ways. Campion started her career by making short films and infused them with intriguing close-ups and arresting / uneasy images that have become the trademark of her work today.

Campion’s style fits into cinema of unease with her films having a dark and brooding nature, which Neill considers a reflection of New Zealand’s struggle to find, or form, its own identity. Jane Campion has given a voice to female characters that haven’t been displayed in a lot of films. Matching her poetic imagery with harsh stories about women struggling with their identities, Campion’s work has definitely made her standout against many other film directors and labeled her as a ‘feminist director’. She brings her own sense of feminist ideals to both shock and comment on the role of women which is very apparent in three of her films that I have watched.

In ‘An angel at my table’ she explores very different color schemes to convey Janet Frame’s moods as she loses herself in mental and emotional anguish over being published. The tone  changes in the third act when Frame gets the chance to go around the world, and gain some fame for her work. It is this choice in approach,  that allowed Campion to stylistically deviate from the tropes of conventional bio-pics while still remaining true to the source material.

‘The Piano’ features New Zealand west coast landscape which helped Campion to convey striking gothic imagery that was also poetic. Since ‘The Piano’ is largely told from the perspective of its mute protagonist Ada, Campion used Ada’s soft narration to add to the poetic tone of the film. Jane Campion wanted to maintain a certain dark atmosphere throughout the film and she also desired to incorporate moments of improvisation that felt natural. An example of this can be found in the scene where Flora is shown doing cartwheels on the beach. The balance of innocence and dramatic tension heightens the film and makes it distinct among NZ cinema.

in ‘Holy smoke’ Campion maintained a loose presentation style that allowed the idea of spiritual enlightenment to resonate. Some of the most light-hearted moments of the film come when she is posing serious questions about sexuality, spirituality, and what it means to be a man and a woman.

After viewing these three works by Jane Campion I can distinguish her as an auteur. To sum up her style I would say it is very dark, gothic and very unsettling and uneasy. NZ landscape in particular is used to underline the power and authority of its usual connotations as a dark and dangerous environment. Fitting into the NZ film industry with dark and gloomy settings and story lines, she discusses many grotesque topics in a very open way which many film directors would find hard to express.

NZ film review – ‘The Piano’ directed by Jane Campion

Jane Campion’s film ‘The Piano’ released in 1993 quickly gained huge critical acclaim as it became a feature film representing NZ and our unique cinema. Set in the mid-19th century, this film portrays many important themes and ideas which inspire all audiences and stay within the guidlines of NZ ‘cinema of unease’.

Watching ‘The Piano’  recently, made me realise the beautiful cinematic imagery and mystery that the film conveys. The impenetrable landscape of dark trees and NZ beaches. Holly Hunter’s cello-like torso. The rigid hair and clothing of the time. The constant, and near tangible dampness of skin and hair and muddy clothes. The idea of being unable to speak and of music being a therapy. Its distinctive aesthetic. Seeing the film I was able to see the perfectly symphonic allegory being play which is emphasized by NZ nature. Here are some of my thoughts.

Ada is mute; the obvious allegory being a woman made to fit into a male dominated environment and having no voice there. She is imprisoned within her own world, only capable of limited communication via her daughter, an imperfect translator, using signs and symbols.

Ada’s clothing: Black, multi-layered, rigid and confining, represents the confinement of her sexuality. She is clothed in her repression. Her corset tied tightly around her torso both restricts her movement and disguises her femininity. The sharp line of the corset literally and metaphorically obscures the natural softness beneath. When Baines encourages her to remove first her tunic, then her over-skirt, he is simultaneously encouraging her to remove the layers of tension, hostility and mistrust that she has been carrying. In a perfect representation of her status, the bone and fabric structure we see beneath her skirts ‘resembles a bird cage’.

The piano on the beach: The piano is the instrument of Ada’s self-expression is dismissed and left behind on a beach by her husband, where it threatens to be washed away , never to be played again. Ada is trapped in a world where her husband can only understand the language of his own world, not hers. Interestingly, the image of a piano is the first and only suggestion of refined culture within the story. It seems to say that it is only when a woman is accepted on her own terms into a male-dominated environment, the beginnings of civilisation and cohesiveness are possible.

A certain dark tone is set in one of the films first sequences. A crew of sailors unloads Ada’s belongings in the surf. Mother and daughter , Ada and Flora, appear vulnerable and frail. The men, on the other hand, are crude and careless. They clearly have no appreciation of the significance of the piano. To them, it is simply something heavy to lug around. Throughout this opening scene the ideas behind ‘cinema of unease’ are put forward through the use of reoccurring themes such as people in authority evoking fear,patriarchs and ‘lone’ characters within a unsettling environment. “I think that humans believe themselves to be rational beings when they are not, they are governed by something completely different” – Jane Campion. This significant quote resembles her creative vision and over riding themes throughout her bodies of works which makes her a very distinct Auteur in the film industry.

Jane Campions work is socially and politically charged art which is negotiated physical and phycological trauma through irrational and mythical imagery.The film’s great popularity stems from the fact that it applies a sensitive outlook to fairly uneasy and dark real life themes. ‘The Piano’ is one of my favourite films because of its distincly NZ styled cinematography and the simplicity that is explored through a complicated yet socially moving story.

Cinema of Unaese

“If a natural cinema is a reflection of ourselves, then ours is a troubled reflection indeed”. Cinema of Unease is less of a documentary and more of an opinion piece narrated by Sam Neill. It’s a in depth look at New Zealand’s interesting cinematic history. Cinema of unease is told to be the sense of precariousness portryed though films and refers to the dark and brooding nature of them. Many of New Zealand’s most notable films are of which Neill considers to be a reflection of our nation’s struggle to find, or form, its own identity. 

He argues that New Zealand cinema reflects a lonely place. He sees the desolate roads of Aotearoa to be symbolic of freeom and anarchy and also the role that journeying plays in NZ narratives – both physically and metaphorically. He uses movies such as  Good Bye Pork Pie 1981 by Geoff Murphy as an example. There are many reocurring themes that are dominant throughout NZ cinema such as grotess murder, violence, patriarchs, dilemmas of a troubled adolsense and lone individuals/outcasts. Fear evoked through authority is also a subject of study for Kiwis filmmakers. The work of early New Zealand directors such as John O’Shea and John Laing is looked at to support this. In contrast to depictions of what Neill calls “psychological interiors,” was the portrayal of New Zealand as a picturesque place, emphasized by the release of the nationalistic scenic ‘This is New Zealand’ (1970) by Hugh MacDonald which the NZ film indistry set up to convey uplifting short films. 

Neill argues that New Zealand’s national cinema gains its distinction by its performers as much as its auteurs. These recurring themes that are apparent in NZ cinema all contribute to the title ‘cinema of unease’ by making NZ films unsettling and haunting to watch. I see NZ cinema of unease as a reflection of our society. Because the NZ film industry is so young I believe that its unique style  among other films globally make them memorable, and New Zealanders and foreners have began to show a real approval and enthusiasm for our dark , energetic and confident countries films.

Two cars one night film reveiw

A very memorable film directed by Taika Waititi is a tale of first love. While waiting for their parents, two boys and a girl meet in the carpark of a rural pub set in a typical Nz back to basics location. What at first seems to be a relationship based on rivalry soon develops into a close friendship and we learn that love can be found in the most unlikely of places. A prestigious film made by a NZ director, this is uniquely a Nz story portrayed through film conventions such as strong (Maori) accents of characters, cultural references, the raw / rural setting and visual clues such as landscape and moko tattoos displayed on characters faces. Through the use of Slang associated to our society such as ‘Sweet as’,’choice as’ and ‘bro’ New Zealand  viewers become particularly attached to this short film as it has a sense of familiarity to us and it is very memorable.

Daisy

Blog reveiw

Huntington Post Blog review:

As the number one blog in America with over 3.5 million followers and gathering an estimated 110,000,000 unique visitors monthly, the Huntington post blog attracts readers of many backgrounds. Publishing a wide variety of news updates and articles including that of politics, business, entertainment, tech, media and live blogs, it is easy to understand why this world renowned blog sits as number one.

It’s a great site if you are liberal, and it’s World Post section is good for anyone who cares more than just reading about gossip and the latest ‘celebrity scandals’.The Huffington Post is a great site to keep up to date with current news because it is very easy to navigate. It enables you to  search for a specific area that interests you so you are able to find articles that  cover the subject matter you are looking for.

I really enjoy the ”feel good” articles on this blog and believe it’s one of the most positive news aggregators compared to other popular blogs such as ‘ Perez Hilton’. Featuring up to date stories to please all audiences, the Huffington Post remains my personal favourite blog of 2015.

Daisy