MARGINS: On The Side Line of Contemplative Cinema

Because in the margins of Contemplative Cinema remains a bunch of outliers (see CCC or Not? and Slow Cinemas Analysis (diagram)) without a more accurate critical branding than “Slowish Cinema”...

MARGINS:

On The Side Line of Contemplative Cinema

Sergio LEONE (1964)

Wojciech HAS (1965)

Jean-Pierre MELVILLE (1966)

Miklós JANCSO (1966)

Stanley KUBRICK (1968)

Andrei TARKOVSKY (1969)

Philippe GARREL (1971)

Werner HERZOG (1972)

Wim WENDERS (1972)

Victor ERICE (1973)

Theo ANGELOPOULOS (1975)

David LYNCH (1977)

Jim JARMUSCH (1980)

HOU Hsiao-hsien (1983)

Leos CARAX (1984)

These famous names get too often lumped in with the "Slow Cinema" tradition... I contend they do not belong to the core of Contemplative Cinema for obvious reasons (earlier narrative generation, diegetic or non-diegetic character speech, musical score, actors/non-actors...), and other less obvious reasons (degree of minimalism, narrative/anti-narrativism, sophistication of mise-en-scène, scripted scenes/real life, interior/exterior perspective). They only share a relative slowness, some non-systematic long takes… 

Nonetheless they participated in nurturing the birthplace of Contemplatives, from the 60ies to the 80ies.

 

First and foremost, Shindo (1960) and Warhol (1964), prototypes of Contemplative Cinema, preceded all (without dialogue) ahead of any minimalist breakthroughs marked on this list (date in brackets). Minimalism in cinema experienced several stages, from the silent Avant Gardes, to the most recent Experimental Cinema, via Cinéma Pur, Neorealismo, Cinéma Vérité (Free Cinema), Direct Cinema, all the New Waves, the Underground, Modernist Cinema and "Slow Cinema"... But there is a huge gap between the 60ies Modernist Cinema and today's "Slow Cinema", where films and aesthetics don't get named for their particularities, thus the confusion and the two broad umbrella terms that are "Modernist Cinema" on one side and "Slow Cinema" on the other (if they are not blended together sometimes).

The outliers (from the point of view of Contemplative Cinema):

Sergio LEONE, an italian spaghetti western filmmaker, who has done a lot to impose long takes and mutic scenes to mainstream genre cinema, in a period when it was not popular (except in the "Italian New Wave" for example). In particular Once Upon A Time In The West features long stretches of silence (punctuated by notes of music) and suspenseful wait, but action catches up pretty quickly and the narrative is rather classicist if elongated.

Wojciech HAS, a Polish Modernist filmmaker, is rarely associated with Slow Cinema (even though he should) but belongs to the same group of minimalist auteurs of this period who developed a slow paced style, within the Polish mainstream. He often resorts to voice over narration, inner monologue and numerous dialogues (even if they get dreamy, poetical or obtuse without plot-driven relation). The Saragossa Manuscript, is a 3h-long and slow-burning opus in the Modernist tradition, chock full of speeches. The Hour-glass Sanatorium, is a surrealist, oneiric journey led by a voiceover that could reminisce a Tarkovskian atmosphere or early Sokurov. The Tribulations of Balthazar Kober is even slower and dream-like. The fantasy of his universe poses against the hyperrealism of Contemplative Cinema.

Jean-Pierre MELVILLE, French Noir and Neo-noir crime filmmaker. Not all his films are considered “slow”, but Le Second Souffle, Le Samouraï and Le Cercle Rouge are all minimalistic narratives that stand out from the mainstream fare of the time. This said, his work method and his mise-en-scène are far from the Contemplative aesthetics, even if parts of Le Samouraï could be considered Contemplative with more cuts though.

Miklós JANCSO, Hungarian filmmaker, known for his majestically choreographed long-takes, and his political, stylised, symbolic films. Especially The Red and The White (1967) is a masterpiece of long takes. But making long takes is not enough to be considered Contemplative Cinema… (see Snake Eyes or Rope). Jancso is definitely a precursor, but he belongs to the previous generation.

Stanley KUBRICK, American filmmaker. Why 2001, A Space Odyssey (1968) is not Contemplative?, It could be, it is highly inspirational as a precursor, but its musical score and the introductory narrative disqualify it because the operatic mise en scène makes it a grand spectacle. Barry Lyndon (1975), The Shining (1980), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) are also rather slow, and minimalist at times, but the directing is too sophisticated to be hyperrealist and mundane.

Andrei TARKOVSKY, Russian filmmaker, known for his metaphysical, cerebral, poetical, oneiric film essays and historical dramas. All his films feature long takes, slowness and silences, most notably in Mirror (1975) and Stalker (1979), but even these two, at their utter minimalism, wouldn't exist without their powerful verbal content. The narrator's voice in the former (among other voices), and the verbalisation of the intellectuals in the latter (deciphering the intangible Zone).

Philippe GARREL, French filmmaker, started as an experimental filmmaker (for instance La Cicatrice intérieure (1972) or Les Hautes Solitudes (1974)). The latter being silent and an accumulation of portrait-shots is listed as Contemplative Cinema in spite of the cuts. But his entire oeuvre is pretty much Modernist Cinema.

Werner HERZOG, German filmmaker, might use long takes and slow acting, but his conception of mise en scène and acting direction is definitely not Contemplative. Here is why “slowness” and “contemplation” are not equivalent… His voice over, inner monologues, editing technique, his musical scores all disqualify him.

Wim WENDERS, German filmmaker, has always been a rather “slow” filmmaker.

His latest feature to date, Perfect Days, is the only one considered Contemplative (despite the non-diegetic soundtrack). Even Paris, Texas, often cited as “Slow Cinema” is only partly slow or minimalist, the other half is rather conventionally narrative or at least Modernist.

Victor ERICE, Spanish filmmaker, makes few films with huge gaps in between. Each one is a masterpiece of everyday poetry mixed with the realism of a tragedy. But he’s boderline, yet belongs to the precursors of the previous generation.  

Theo ANGELOPOULOS, Greek filmmaker, makes long and slow films with little going on and no rush to get to a point... He is very often cited as the “icon of the so-called Slow Cinema movement”. But his dialogues are still too primordial to the narrative to be overlooked. His inner monologues/voiceover narrators are part of the Modernist tradition, it’s a matter of generational gap. Overall, his minimalism is weaker, his narrative is tougher, for him to be considered as extreme as Contemplative Cinema… 

David LYNCH, American filmmaker, began making experimental shorts, until Eraserhead, which is slow and non-narrative but incredibly Surrealist, while Contemplative Cinema is hyperrealist... It's not because Lynch isn't slow enough (more reason why slowness isn't the best criterion), but because he narrates a story and a complex one at that. The only of his feature films that suits the Minimum Profile is The Straight Story for its realism overtaking the traditional (or tortured) narrative of his other films, the mutism of its protagonist and the slice of life storytelling including all "down times".

Jim JARMUSCH, American filmmaker, has started a minimalist career making road movies, whether on foot or in cars, with friends and little means in black & white. He’s often cited in “Slow Cinema” books as part of this family. However his latter works are more narrative and less minimalist even if they remain relatively slower than the mainstream norm.

HOU Hsiao-hsien, Taiwanese filmmaker, is a master of the long choreographed long take, but his films are more narrative overall, if still quite minimalistic and quiet. He makes epic realistic dramas about extended families and large casting, where it talks a lot and argues. Basically he’s part of the “long take” aesthetics but not the ascetic aesthetics of hyperrealistic Contemplative Cinema.

Leos CARAX, French filmmaker, makes very few (like ERICE), but unique films with his oneiric touch. Usually associated with Beinex and Noé (New French Extremity), he’s sometimes lumped in with “Slow Cinema” because of his long takes and relative slowness… but speech plays an important role in his stories, both as dialogue for the camera and as inner monologue off-screen. He likes to cite his favourite music. In short, he’s not minimalist enough for Contemplative Cinema.

Are they "lone wolves" or do they belong to one or several other trends? 

Below is a table showing how each of these outliers comply with (YES) or not (NO) the 5 Contemplative Cinema criteria established here (CCC FAQ #6 : What are the main features of Contemplative Cinema?):