Suspension and Light: the Films of V~Ctor Erice
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SUSPENSION AND LIGHT: THE FILMS OF V~CTORERICE Dominique Russell A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy Graduate Department of Spanish and Portuguese 0 Copyright by Dominique Russell 1998 The author has granted a non- L'auteur a sccorde me licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant a la National Lrirary of Canada to Bibliothkque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduke, preter' distniiuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/£h, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur consewe la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the clroit d'auteur qui protkge cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement repmduits sans son permission. autorisation. Thesis Abstract Suspension and Light: The Films of Victor Erie Ph-DI 1998 Dominique Russell Department of Spanish and Portuguese University of Toronto This thesis is a st~~dyof Victor Erice's cinematic style through a close analysis of his three feature films: El espiiinc de la cohena [lk Spmt ofthe Beehive] ( 1973),El SM South] ( 1982) and El sol dei membrillo [The Quince Tree Sun] ( 1992). It examines stylistic choices made in editing, sound, mise en dne,camera movement and structure, focusing on the elements which contribute to the ambiguous and meditative quality of Erice's films. Despite the years separating Erice's three films and their different genres, these films are very much unified in theme, tone and style. Four elements stand out as constants in Erice's work: an acute sense of the passage of time, ambigtiity, luminosity and reiterative structures. This is demonsuated through a methodology which begins by assessing the reception of the film before analyzing intrinsic and extrinsic norms. Chapter 1 argues that the diversi ty of interpretations of El espiriru points to the use of ambiguity as an experience in itself rather than as a mystery to be resolved. I examine how the film's ambiguity is developed by a focus on cbjects, the use of ekphrasis, internal paraJ!els and ellipsis, as well as the parodic repetition of James Whale's Frankenstein ( 193 1). In Chapter 2, I argue against the Freudian readings that have been applied to El sur, seeking to wrest the film away from a totalizing interpretation by demonsbating its open and ambiguous nature. Through an analysis of the soundtrack, I demonstrate the complexity of the film's use of music and sound, paying particular attention to the striking use of siience- Chapter 3 contextuaiizes El sol del membrillo, an exploration of the creative process of realist painter Antonio L6pez Garcia, within the documentary tradition. I argue that sol communicates an experience of time, in which repetition, ellipsis, music, sound and dialogues all serve to transport the viewer into the contemplative time of the artist A concluding chapter gathers up the elements discussed into a tentative poetics d Erice's cinema Dominique Russell born Ottawa, Canada B-A. Honours University of Ottawa M.A. University of Toronto Ph-D. University of Toronto Graduate Studies Maior Field: Modem Spanish Peninsular Literature 20th Century Spamsh Poetry R-Skyme Modem Spanish Theatre E. Neglia Contemporary Hispanic Women's Writing A. Percival Directed Research in Hispanic Literatures A. Percival 20th Century Hispanic Novel M.J. Valdk Problems in Contemporary Literary Theory M.J_ Vdd6s Minor field: Spanish American Literature Spanish American Cuento K. EIlis Neruda, Guilldn, Cardenal, Val t ejo K. Ellis Coverage Courses Spanish Language in America A. Gordon Medieval Spanish Namtive J. Burke Cervantes G. Hughes Hermeneutics D. Misgeld Wittgenstein J. Hunter Publications "Reflections on Pablo Neruda's Last Poems." Revista cdiense & estudios hiqdnicos 20. no. 2. Winter 1996: 327-340. 'The Fantastic Short Story: On Jdio Cortazar and John Cheever." Tinta y Sombra 2. March 1WZ "Techniques of Humour and the Search for Ultimate Freedom in Vallejo's Poem Hzununos. " Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Latin American Studies, Liverpool, England, April 19, 1998. "Discord in El SUE Victor Erice's Use of Sound-" Paper presented at the XXXIII Congress of the Learned Societies, Canadian Association of Hispanists, St John's New foundland, May 30, 1997. '"Fleeing From His Feet': Vallejo, the Word, the Body." Paper presented at the XXXII Congress of the Learned Societies. Canadian Association of Hispamsts, St Cafharines, May 16, 19%. "La traducci6n como actividad subversiva- cinco poetas canadienses." Paper presented at the I V Simposio International de Traduccidn Literaria (UNEAC), Havana, Cuba, April 18, 19%. "The Presence of the Past Neruda and the Tradition of Love Poetry." Paper presented at the XXVl Canadian Asmiation for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Toronto, November 10, 1995. "Last Laughs in Don Quiro~e:A Belated Reply to Peter Russell." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Peterborough, November 5, 1994. "Elespiiitu& h colmena: icine parametrico?' Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, London, October 30, 1993. "Linguistic Double-Dutch: Some Thoughts on the Translation of Poetry." Paper presented at the aanual meeting of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Toronto, October 24, 1992. Film and television Anne Michaels' "A Height of Years.' 35mm. 4 minutes. Raven Media/Bravo. 1997. Writer and producer. Broadcast Bravo! Television August 8, 1997- Nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award at the Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, 1998. Ronnn Bloom's "rite Meeiing of the Weather." Video. 1 rnin. Raven Media 1997. Writer and producer. Virtud. 35 mm. 24 minutes. Raven Media 1995. Writer and producer. Broadcast CBC Television "Canadian Reflections" March 8 1996. Selected for the Sao Paolo International Film Festival Oct, 1996. Acknowledgments Thanks are due to the many people who helped this project come to fruition. Firstly, to my advisor, Wendy Rolph, whose sharp and unfailing eye, enthusiasm and support were invaluable to me as I wrote under an ever-tightening deadline. Also my readers, James Burke, who generously gave of his time, and Keith Ellis who supported my literary and academic aspirations from my first days in the department and who graciously encouraged me to tackle this topic. The external examiners on my committee, Katherine Russell and Cam Tolton, both provided invaluable feedback. Thanks also to Stephen Rupp for providing encouragement and advice, as well as to Gethin Hughes and Olga Pugliese, whose support saw me through a dark period. For all her encouragement, advice and kindness over the years, my sincerest thanks is due to Blanca Talesnik I was fortunate in finding willing readers among my friends, especially Martin Reinink whose comments, fine editing skills and patient encouragement sustained me from stan to finish, and Lee L'Clerc, whose example and support helped me balance the thesis and creative projects and kept me from artistic despair. My father, Dr. Kenneth Russell, provided steam when I was running out, proofing the last chapters with enthusiasm. I'd also Iike to thank Elizabeth Parkinson for further proofreading, Dave McDonald for his comments on the documentary, Doug Arrowsmith for vetting the section on Freud and Carl Bessai, old friend and creative collaborator, who clarified a number of techrucal aspects and discussed the documentary with me at length. Finally, for proofreading key sections of the manuscript, I am deeply grateful to Michel Roulx (encore et toujours mon ange gardien). I 'd also Iike to acknowledge Mario Valdds, whose courses in comparative literature helped define my thought, and my undergraduate professors at the University of Ottawa, whose unflagging codidence in my abilities spurred me forward. I fell in love with Spanish and Argentinian literature in Nigel Dennis and the late Rodolfo Borello's classes, and that, in the end, is how all tfus got started. Finally, thanks are owed to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their fmancial support in the fom of a doctoral fellowship, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Programme for two years of doctoral funding and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese for a Buchanan Research Grant which allowed me to travel to Spain, as well as a Simcoe Special Fellowship in my master's year. vii Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Parallels and Ellipses: El espiiiru de la colmena Chapter 3 Repetition and Silence: El sur Chapter 3 The Experience of Time: El sol del membrillo Conclusion: Toward a Poetics of Erice's Cinema Appendix A: Segmentation for El espr'nhi Appendix B: Segmentation hrEl sur Appendix C: Segmentation for El sol Appendix D: Biographical Sketch of Victor Ence Filmography Bibliography The ideas that make a poem prescnt themselves as images. Their significance may not be immediately apparent and indeed may never be [. .. ] Poetry is a drama in which objects are cut loose tiom their moorings and sent flying to make their own connections. -Louis Simpson Introduction Victor Erice is considered one of Spain's consummate film artists, an auteur of international stature despite his sparse output of three films in twenty years. A rather reclusive figure, he has nevertheless exerted an important influence on the work of his peers and a younger generation of filmmakers. His films are described as "haunting7' and "poetic" and his meticulous style has often been commented on, though rarely analyzed. John Hopewell, in his 1986 study Out of the Pasc Spanish Cinema Am Franco, states that "Victor Erice is one of Spain's few mainstream directors who invites a detailed study of his stylew(203).