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.
daisythorpoet 