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Diplomarbeit View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by OTHES DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit American Independent Cinema Der unabhängige Film am Beispiel von David Lynch Verfasser Kordian Prokop angestrebter akademischer Grad Magister der Philosophie (Mag.phil.) Wien, 2011 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 317 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: Theater-, Film- und Medienwissenschaft Betreuerin ODER Betreuer: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Meurer gewidmet meiner Familie… Besonders danken möchte ich an dieser Stelle auch meinem Betreuer Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Meurer. 2 Inhaltsverzeichnis Kapitel 1 Einleitung oder die Frage, ob der Independent-Film (noch) unabhängig ist… ................................................................................ 05 Kapitel 2 Der Versuch einer Definition ............................................................ 08 Kapitel 3 Die Geschichte des Independent-Films ............................................. 12 Kapitel 4 Produktion, Distribution und Finanzierung ....................................... 20 4.1. Finanzierung: Von Low-Budget-Filmen zu Mini-Blockbustern .................................. 21 4.2. Produktions- und Distributionsunternehmen: Von unabhängigen Firmen bis zur Gründung der Specialty Divisions..................................................................... 25 Kapitel 5 „Once upon a time…“ – Narration .................................................... 31 5.1. Narrative Merkmale des klassischen Hollywood-Films .............................................. 31 5.2. Abweichungen von der Norm: Die Erzählung des Independent-Films ....................... 38 Kapitel 6 What it looks like – formale Merkmale ............................................. 45 6.1. Style im Hollywood-Film ............................................................................................. 45 6.2. Abweichungen von der Norm: Formale Merkmale des Independent-Films ................ 49 Kapitel 7 Celluloid Maverick David Lynch ...................................................... 55 7.1. Eraserhead (1977) ....................................................................................................... 57 7.1.1. Produktion und Distribution ................................................................................ 57 7.1.2. Narration .............................................................................................................. 60 7.1.3. Formale Merkmale .............................................................................................. 68 7.1.4. Fazit Eraserhead ................................................................................................. 72 3 7.2. Blue Velvet (1986) ....................................................................................................... 74 7.2.1. Produktion und Distribution ................................................................................ 74 7.2.2. Narration .............................................................................................................. 75 7.2.3. Formale Merkmale .............................................................................................. 85 7.2.4. Fazit Blue Velvet .................................................................................................. 89 7.3. Lost Highway (1998) ................................................................................................... 91 7.3.1. Produktion und Distribution ................................................................................ 91 7.3.2. Narration .............................................................................................................. 92 7.3.3. Formale Merkmale ............................................................................................ 101 7.3.4. Fazit Lost Highway ............................................................................................ 104 7.4. INLAND EMPIRE (2006) ........................................................................................ 106 7.4.1. Produktion und Distribution .............................................................................. 106 7.4.2. Narration ............................................................................................................ 108 7.4.3. Formale Merkmale ............................................................................................ 118 7.4.4. Fazit INLAND EMPIRE .................................................................................... 123 Kapitel 8 Conclusio / Schlussbetrachtungen ................................................... 125 Bibliographie.................................................................................................... 131 Primärquellen ........................................................................................................................ 131 Sekundärliteratur ................................................................................................................... 131 Onlinequellen ........................................................................................................................ 133 Anhang ............................................................................................................. 134 Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 134 Curriculum vitae.................................................................................................................... 136 4 Kapitel Einleitung oder die Frage, ob der Independent-Film (noch) unabhängig ist… 1 Das Jahr 1997 war ein sehr interessantes in der Geschichte des US-amerikanischen Independent-Films. Der Grund dafür liegt darin, dass damals lediglich ein von einem großen Studio produzierter Film für die Academy Awards in der wichtigen Kategorie Best Motion Picture Of The Year nominiert wurde. Es handelte sich um den von Columbia TriStar produzierten Film Jerry Maguire (Cameron Crowe/1996). Den Rest der Nominierungen machten Filme aus, die von kleineren Studios realisiert und somit von einer breiten Öffentlichkeit als independents bezeichnet wurden, nämlich The English Patient (Anthony Minghella/1996), der von Miramax vertrieben wurde, Shine (Scott Hicks/1996) von Fine Line, Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh/1996), von October und Fargo (Joel und Ethan Coen/1996) von Gramercy.1 Dies veranlasste das New York Times Magazine zu einem Artikel über den Independent-Film, auf den sogar auf der Titelseite mit folgender Schlagzeile aufmerksam gemacht wurde: „The Two Hollywoods: studio and independent. One is a global blockbuster business, the other a scrappy intendant cinema.”2 Im selben Jahr erschienen in der US- amerikanischen Presse auch weitere Beiträge über den unabhängigen Film: Das Time- Magazin veröffentlichte eine Reportage, diesmal über Bob und Harvey Weinstein, die Gründer des ehemals unabhängigen Distributions- und Produktionsunternehmens Miramax, und auch das Wochenblatt Entertainment Weekly, Variety und der Hollywood Reporter widmeten dem Indie-Film einen Artikel.3 Den Oscar für den besten Film des Jahres erhielt schließlich The English Patient. Aber nicht erst im Jahr 1997, sondern seit dem Beginn dieses Jahrzehnts befanden sich immer wieder vermeintliche Indies unter den Nominierungen für die Academy Awards. Produziert wurden sie fast alle von Miramax.4 Beachtlich ist auch, dass von 1994 bis 1998 nur Drehbuchautoren den Best Original Screenplay Oscar erhielten, die 1 Vgl. Pribram, Cinema & Culture, S. 3 2 New York Times Magazine, zitiert nach ebd., S. 3 3 Vgl. Levy, Cinema Of Outsiders, S. 13 4 Zwischen 1993 und 1997 waren das etwa Filme wie The Crying Game (Neil Jordan/1992), The Piano (Jane Campion/1993), Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino/1994), Il Potstino (Michael Radford/1995), oder Shakespeare in Love (John Madden/1998)Vgl. Pribram, Cinema & Culture, S. 4 5 Skripte für Filme lieferten, die von vielen als independent verstanden wurden und 1997 die Hälfte aller für den Academy Award nominierten Schauspieler in (auf den ersten Blick) unabhängigen Filmen agierten.5 Erobert der Independent-Film seit dem Anfang der 1990er also den Mainstream „made in Hollywood”? Öffnet sich die „Traumfabrik“ in der jüngeren Filmgeschichte auch für unabhängige Filme? Obwohl das von mancher amerikanischen Zeitung so verkündet worden ist, sollte man mit dieser Vermutung trotzdem vorsichtig sein. Denn zur gleichen Zeit, in welcher die von vielen als Indies eingestuften Filme ihren Siegeszug in Hollywood feierten, entstand eine interessante Debatte darüber, ob man diese überhaupt als unabhängig bezeichnen könne.6 Diese Zweifel basieren auf mehreren Tatsachen: Der experimentelle Filmemacher Jay Rosenblatt findet es beispielsweise lächerlich, einen Film wie The English Patient aufgrund seines hohen Budgets, der bekannten Schauspieler, der nach Hollywood-Konventionen gestalteten Narration und Ästhetik als unabhängig zu bezeichnen.7 Ähnliches ließe sich etwa auch über Quentin Tarantinos palme d’or-Gewinner Pulp Fiction (1994) sowie viele andere Werke sagen. Es scheint, als ob der Independent- Begriff zu einem bedeutungslosen Modewort verkommen ist, mit dem so mancher Filmemacher seinen Film zu schmücken versucht, um ihn vielleicht einem bestimmten Publikum „schmackhaft“ zu machen. Jedenfalls ist es mehr als fraglich ob sich sogenannte Indies, wie die bereits erwähnten The English Patient und Pulp Fiction, von Produktionen, die dem Mainstream zugerechnet werden, wie
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