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Working Through the Ambiguities of Focalization with the Films of Edward Yang James Benoit Department of East Asian Studies Mcgi

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Working Through the Ambiguities of Focalization with the Films of Edward Yang James Benoit Department of East Asian Studies Mcgi Working Through the Ambiguities of Focalization with the Films of Edward Yang James Benoit Department of East Asian Studies McGill University Montreal, Canada August, 2005 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts Universal Copyright © 2006 James Benoit Library and Bibliothèque et 1+1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-24848-5 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-24848-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans loan, distribute and sell th es es le monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, électronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. ln compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privée, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont été enlevés de cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. ••• Canada Abstract This thesis is an evaluation of the extent to which theories of focalization are useful for the analysis of point of view in film. In it, 1 apply the smaIl number of focalization models advanced within film studies to an analysis of the works of an internationaIly acclaimed Taiwanese director, Edward Yang. 1 reveal that Yang's films serve weIl to demonstrate how the conventional typologies of external and internaI focalization are convenient labels that mask the considerable degree of ambiguity that is reflected by processes of focalization and narration in many films. Furthermore, 1 iIlustrate how an application of the alternative theory of auto-focalization to film analysis can generally free us from the limitations of these typologies, by drawing our attention to the iconic implications of film imagery. Finally, 1 determine that both models of focalization are largely useful for highlighting the degree to which the functions of character-focalizers and narrators can be indistinguishable, particularly in self-reflexive films. Résumé Cette thèse est une évaluation de l'éfficacité des théories de focalisation pour l'analyse de cinema point-de-vue. Avec l'aide de quelque modèles de focalisation cinématographique, nous analysons l'oeuvre de Edward Yang, un réalisateur de réputation mondiale. Nous cherchons à relever comment les films de Yang montre la manière que les typologies de focalisation externe et interne peuvent fonctionner commes des étiquettes convenables qui cache une ambiguité qui se trouve dans les procès de focalisation et narration dans plusieurs films. Par ailleurs, en attirant l'attention sur les implications iconique de l'image, nous mettrons comment l'application d'une théorie alternative de l'auto-focalisation pourrait nous libérer de tous les typologies de focalisation. Enfin, nous concluons que les deux modèles de focalisation peuvent démontrer comment les focalisateurs de personages et les narrateurs se mêlent, en particulier dans les films auto-reflexif. Acknowledgements 1 am highly indebted to my supervisor Professor Peter Button for inspiring me to renew my interest in the study of narratology and film. His teachings on Chinese literature and film have allowed me to embark on new voyages of academic discovery, ones that have provided me with a greater appreciation of the importance of narrative theory and the cinematic medium. Without the invaluable support and guidance that he has offered to me throughout my graduate studies at McGill, it would have been impossible for me to complete this thesis. My sincerest thanks also go to Professor Kenneth Dean for supervising my independent research on Taiwanese poli tics and culture during my first semester as a graduate student. His insightful comments were very useful in contributing to the development of my thesis research and 1 would not have been able to discover so many unique perspectives on contemporary Taiwan without his valu able suggestions. 1 am also indebted to Professor Sean MacDonald for the time and effort that he put into the translation of my thesis abstract. Without his help, my journey would have been prolonged. 1 wou Id also like to thank many of my fellow graduate students who participated in various courses with me. Many of their comments on various aspects of my research proved to be indispensable and permitted me to realize alternative viewpoints on the study of narrative theory and film. Finally, 1 would like to express my deepest gratitude and respect to my partner Her Hyun Jung. 1 am eternally grateful for her presence, patience and devotion throughout the past two years of my life. 1 would also like to thank my mother and father for being so supportive of my pursuits at McGi11. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Working Through the Ambiguities of Focalization with the Films of Edward Yang 1. An Introduction to an Unconventional Film Maker and an Innovative Theory ........................................................................................... 1 2. Deleyto's Application of Focalization to Film .......................................... 11 3. Ambiguous Focalization and the Limitations of the External-Internal Typologies ................................................................................... 19 4. Auto-focalization as a Valuable Alternative to Ambiguous Focalization .......... 22 5. AB Ambiguities Aside: The Contributions of Deleyto's Approach to Focalization ................................................................................. 32 6. Summation of Objectives .................................................................. 37 Chapter II: Case Studies Part 1 - Focalization in A Confucian Confusion 1. Techniques of Focalization in the Films of Edward yang ............................ .41 2. A Brief Synopsis of A Confucian Confusion ............................................ .43 3. The Use of the Long Shot and Camera Movement in Ambiguous Focalization ................................................................................. 45 4. Framing and Mise-en-scene as a Vehicle for Ambiguous Focalization ............. .49 5. The Role of Technology and its Twofold Purpose: Empowerment and Enslavement. ................................................................................ 51 6. The Reoccurring Window Motif......................................................... 55 7. Absences of Focalization: Effaced Interventions and Meta-Narration .............. 57 Part II - Focalization in Yi Yi 1. A Brief Synopsis of Yi yi ..................................................................62 2. Shifts in Focalization, Indirect Narration and Continuity Editing: Weaving Together Divergent Story Lines ............................................................65 3. The Use of Reflections in Ambiguous Focalization ...................................70 4. The Use of Projections .....................................................................78 5. Problematic Eyeline Matches: Blurring the Lines Between Leveis Focalization and Narration ............................................................................... 82 6. The InternaI Focalization of Imagined Experience - Dream Sequence or ReaIity? ................................................................................................................. 84 7. Focalization, Effaced Interventions and Meta-Narration in Yi yi ....................92 Chapter III: Conclusions and Afterthoughts .....................................................97 Bibliography ...................... -.................................................................... 109 1 Chapter 1: Working Through the Ambiguities of Focalization with the Films of Edward Yang 1. An Introduction to an Unconventional Film Maker and an Innovative Theory In comparison to the vast majority of mainstream films of the contemporary era, particularly those that have originated from Hollywood, it wou Id not be an exaggeration to claim that Edward Yang's contributions to Taiwanese (and global) cinema are markedly unconventional in terms of their presentation of narrative structures and cinematographic styles. Unlike man y of the commercially oriented pictures that are produced by many Hollywood film makers and studios, the plot
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