EARLY and SILENT CINEMA in ISTANBUL Canan Balan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CHANGING PLEASURES OF SPECTATORSHIP: EARLY AND SILENT CINEMA IN ISTANBUL Canan Balan Thesis Submitted to the University of St Andrews for the Degree of PhD in Film Studies 2010 ABSTRACT This project explores a curious facet of early cinema that has not been studied as yet: the relationship between Turkish modernity and the culture of spectatorship within the context of the late nineteenth century’s viewing habits along with the era of early and silent cinema in Istanbul. The aim of this project is to examine the evolution of viewing habits in Istanbul at a particular period in which a radical cultural transformation was experienced, namely from the 1890s to the 1930s, when the late Ottoman era with its pre-cinematic shows, the cinematograph, and silent films led to the early Turkish Republic and the end of silent cinema. In order to cover the shift in the reception of early cinema, this study makes use of revisionist works on early cinema and on modernity in Ottoman history. To this end, newspapers, novels, memoirs and consular trade records that formed the majority of the primary sources of this project are analyzed. The transformation of Istanbulite spectatorship was initially experienced through a rupture in the late nineteenth century created by the global flow of mechanical images. The cinematograph was viewed by a multi- ethnic public that was accustomed to seeing both traditional and other more widely recognized pre-cinematic shows such as the shadow play, public storytelling, dioramas, panoramas and magic lanterns. At first the early cinematograph displays were haphazard and parts of other shows. Yet, the international influence of the early cinema attracted a curiosity-driven public even if the same public was critical of the imperfect technology of the apparatus. With the outbreak of World War I, nationalist resistance played a role in the reception of popular European films, particularly Italian melodramas. The end of the war caused the demise of the Ottoman Empire and the foundation of the Turkish Republic, after which, cinema started to be seen as an educational tool in the service of nation-building. i DECLARATIONS I, Canan Balan, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 85, 000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2005 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in September 2005; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2005 and 2009. Date…… Signature of Candidate ……… I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of ……… in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date…… Signature of Supervisor……… In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews we understand that we are giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. We also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be ii electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. We have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Access to all or part of printed copy but embargo of all or part of electronic publication of thesis for a period of five years on the following ground: publication would preclude future publication; Date…… Signature of Candidate …… Signature of Supervisor……… I, Canan Balan, received particular assistance in the writing of this thesis in respect of matters of style, idiom, grammar, syntax or spelling, which was provided by Maria Alba Brunetti and Kerry Tavakoli. Date ……… Signature of Candidate …………………….. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project witnessed and itself came to be involved in a very important period of my personal and academic development. It changed me in many ways that, at the present, I still cannot grasp completely; but time will surely crystallize this experience and its full impact. The University of St Andrews has given me a ‘wondrous’ opportunity by sponsoring my project and thus helped me to empathize with the feelings and thoughts of the initial spectators of the cinematic apparatus in Istanbul. Firstly, I wish to thank to my supervisor Professor Graham Petrie. I am deeply indebted to his invaluable experience, opinions, patience, encouragement and support. My second supervisor Professor Dina Iordanova also has a special place in this project for pointing out new directions and alternative intellectual perspectives while being a protective guide. I would also like to thank to Professor Cemal Kafadar for his suggestions on a wide range of issues, from shaping my arguments to reading lists on Ottoman history, and his encouragement throughout the entire process. I am grateful to each and every staff member in the department of Film Studies at St Andrews for creating a stimulating academic atmosphere, for their continuous support and feedback on various occasions. The Film Studies administrator Karen Drysdale has been of great assistance in various practical matters as well as a warm friend. The Student Support Services within the University of St Andrews has been helpful for overcoming various financial and personal difficulties. I wish to mention particularly Maggie Stracey for her precious friendship, guidance and kind heart along with Joyce Lapayre and Maggie Neilson for their support. I learned to admire the language skills of Maria Alba Brunetti, Carmen Cvetkovic, Kerry Tavakoli and my supervisor Graham Petrie during the thankless iv task of translating some French materials and their careful proofreading. I also value the feedback and suggestions I received from Richard Abel, Bernard Bentley, Kaveh Askari, Tom Gunning, Ozlem Koksal, Frank Kessler, Luke McKernan, Hamid Naficy and Giovanni Scognomillo. As a young scholar in the field of early and silent cinema, I benefited much from the discussions and the thought provoking environment at The International Domitor Conferences and the Annual Pordenone Silent Film Festival. Thanks should also go to the archivists at the Macedonian Film Archive in Skopje and Mimar Sinan Sinema-TV Merkezi in Istanbul. The dearest company and presence of Eleni Bizas, David H. Fleming, YunMi Hwang and Vizzy Sagar has made my life in Scotland an invaluable experience. I am also grateful individually to all the postgraduates in the Film Studies Department for their friendship, intellectual responses and support. I am profoundly thankful to my mother Birsen Balan and my sister Aycan Balan. Notwithstanding everything else I owe to both, I feel obliged to mention their strength in fighting with my mother’s illness, while I was away working on this project. This thesis is dedicated to their grace, courage and understanding for my absence, to my grandfather Haydar Tuzer who passed away during the course of this project and to my other grandfather Ismail Balan. v NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS I received special help in translating French material into English from my supervisor Graham Petrie and Carmen Cvetkovic. Graham Petrie translated the French newspapers and annual used in Chapter Four and Five: namely, Annuaire Oriental du Commerce de l’Industrie, de l’Administration et de la Magistrature, Le Courrier de Turquie, Le Journal d’Orient, Lloyd Ottoman, Le Moniteur Oriental and Stamboul, published in the years between 1896 and 1920. Carmen Cvetkovic translated reports from Artistik-Sine, Cine and Opera-Cine, published between 1925 and 1927; these materials are used mainly in Chapter Six. Excerpts from Turkish and Ottoman Turkish books, poems, novels and newspapers are my own translations, unless stated otherwise. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................iv NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS ....................................................................................vi TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................................................vii 1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION...................................................................... 1 1.1. Approaches to Early and Silent Cinema Spectatorship in Istanbul.................. 2 1.1.1. Methodology ................................................................................................ 5 1.1.2. Literature Review......................................................................................... 8 1.1.3. Summary of the Chapters........................................................................... 14 1.1.4. Contribution of the Project to the Field of Early Cinema .........................