The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the
Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics

k 2023

The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics

KOKEŠ, Radomír D.

Základní údaje

Originální název

The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics

Autoři

KOKEŠ, Radomír D.

Vydání

The Formation of A National Film Culture in the Balkans and East Central Europe between the Two World Wars, Sofie, 2-5 May 2023, 2023

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Prezentace na konferencích

Obor

60405 Studies on Film, Radio and Television

Stát vydavatele

Bulharsko

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

URL

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ano

Kód RIV

RIV/00216224:14210/23:00134367

Organizační jednotka

Filozofická fakulta

Klíčová slova anglicky

Poetics of Cinema; Czech Cinema; Silent Cinema; Film Narrative; Film Style; Research Project

Štítky

rivok

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam

Změněno: 18. 2. 2024 09:17, Mgr. Michal Večeřa, Ph.D.

Anotace

V originále

The silent period of (not only) Czech cinema is usually seen as one continuous period, as a sequence of mutually influencing personalities and as bundle of works. In this perspective, the artistic development was held back by commercial ambitions at the expense of more responsible or valuable ones, associated with (a) socially conscious themes, (b) imitation of foreign avant-garde movements, or (c) international stylistic trends. Thus, the silent period is reduced to a few exceptional works or seen through the lens of imported aesthetic features. Such an approach only minimally accounts artistic practices, principles, and norms identifiable and explicable within a particular historical context. This paper argues that instead of focusing on exceptional works, it is important to understand the typical works of the silent period in terms of production, creative choices and aesthetics. By carefully analysing Czech films of this period, along with the conditions of artistic cooperation and production, a less straightforward trajectory of the era emerges, explaining the variability and simultaneity of filmmakers’ long-term preferences in dealing with narrative and style. ___ The paper focuses on the year 1925, which represents a transformative step from the systematic production of Czech feature films to the more fully realized Czech film industry. As a bridge between two periods I identified, the “transitional” one (1918–1924/25) and “pre-studio” (1925/26–1933) one, 1925 reveals some of the shifts and transformations, as well as the continuities and discontinuities previously suggested. These will be approached by examining a trio of important filmmaking groups that, in my view, through 1924 represented relatively separate axes of development in film style and (feature-length) narrative, as well as alternative creative and production models of professional collaboration. Nevertheless, from 1925 onwards, their boundaries began to dissolve, and their stylistic and narrative techniques became intertwined. I argue, that if we want to understand the aesthetic history of cinemas that (like the Czech one) can be described as rather peripheral, small and oriented towards the domestic market, it is necessary to be aware of the existence of several simultaneously developing groups of conventions – and to examine them separately in their own terms before proceeding to explain the general norms.

Návaznosti

GA22-23827S, projekt VaV

Název: Před Barrandovem: Narativní a stylová poetika českého filmu do roku 1933

Investor: Grantová agentura ČR, Před Barrandovem: Narativní a stylová poetika českého filmu do roku 1933

Citovat

KOKEŠ, Radomír D. The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics. In The Formation of A National Film Culture in the Balkans and East Central Europe between the Two World Wars, Sofie, 2-5 May 2023. 2023.

@proceedings{2359921,
   author = {Kokeš, Radomír D.},
   booktitle = {The Formation of A National Film Culture in the Balkans and East Central Europe between the Two World Wars, Sofie, 2-5 May 2023},
   keywords = {Poetics of Cinema; Czech Cinema; Silent Cinema; Film Narrative; Film Style; Research Project},
   language = {eng},
   title = {The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics},
   url = {https://sofia.czechcentres.cz/bg/program/konference-formovani-narodni-filmove-kultury-na-balkane-a-ve-stredni-a-vychodni-evrope-mezi-dvema-svetovymi-valkami?locale=bg},
   year = {2023}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 2359921
AU  - Kokeš, Radomír D.
PY  - 2023
TI  - The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics
KW  - Poetics of Cinema
KW  - Czech Cinema
KW  - Silent Cinema
KW  - Film Narrative
KW  - Film Style
KW  - Research Project
UR  - https://sofia.czechcentres.cz/bg/program/konference-formovani-narodni-filmove-kultury-na-balkane-a-ve-stredni-a-vychodni-evrope-mezi-dvema-svetovymi-valkami?locale=bg
N2  - The silent period of (not only) Czech cinema is usually seen as one continuous period, as a sequence of mutually influencing personalities and as bundle of works. In this perspective, the artistic development was held back by commercial ambitions at the expense of more responsible or valuable ones, associated with (a) socially conscious themes, (b) imitation of foreign avant-garde movements, or (c) international stylistic trends. Thus, the silent period is reduced to a few exceptional works or seen through the lens of imported aesthetic features. Such an approach only minimally accounts artistic practices, principles, and norms identifiable and explicable within a particular historical context. This paper argues that instead of focusing on exceptional works, it is important to understand the typical works of the silent period in terms of production, creative choices and aesthetics. By carefully analysing Czech films of this period, along with the conditions of artistic cooperation and production, a less straightforward trajectory of the era emerges, explaining the variability and simultaneity of filmmakers’ long-term preferences in dealing with narrative and style. ___ The paper focuses on the year 1925, which represents a transformative step from the systematic production of Czech feature films to the more fully realized Czech film industry. As a bridge between two periods I identified, the “transitional” one (1918–1924/25) and “pre-studio” (1925/26–1933) one, 1925 reveals some of the shifts and transformations, as well as the continuities and discontinuities previously suggested. These will be approached by examining a trio of important filmmaking groups that, in my view, through 1924 represented relatively separate axes of development in film style and (feature-length) narrative, as well as alternative creative and production models of professional collaboration. Nevertheless, from 1925 onwards, their boundaries began to dissolve, and their stylistic and narrative techniques became intertwined. I argue, that if we want to understand the aesthetic history of cinemas that (like the Czech one) can be described as rather peripheral, small and oriented towards the domestic market, it is necessary to be aware of the existence of several simultaneously developing groups of conventions – and to examine them separately in their own terms before proceeding to explain the general norms.
ER  -

KOKEŠ, Radomír D. The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics. In \textit{The Formation of A National Film Culture in the Balkans and East Central Europe between the Two World Wars, Sofie, 2-5 May 2023}. 2023.

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