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Home , Cinema of China, Crows and Sparrows, Henry MacRae, Keechaka Vadham, Raja Harishchandra

Unit 2: Motion Picture in the Topic

• Silent era in the East • Sound era of film in the East • history of Thailand Objectives

• Be able to highlight important history of motion picture inventions. • Be able to explain related terms of motion picture inventions. • Name some important during the silent and early sound era. • After watching films, be able to express feelings and give opinions on aspects of motion pictures (silent era and early sound era) in the west and the east. Silent films from

Motion pictures were not entirely new to Japan due to its rich tradition of pre-cinematic devices such as gentō or the magic lantern. The first successful Japanese film in late 1897 showed sights in Tokyo

Ghost films in 1898 - Bake Jizo (Jizo the Spook) - Shinin no sosei (Resurrection of a Corpse) with description

“Passing Fancy”, 1933 Japanese “silent movies” were never silent

Silent Film Narrator Benshi

“Orochi” “Roningai” (The Serpent), “The Water (Samurai Town, Magician”, 1933 1925 1928 Silent films from India (over 27 silent Indian films )

“The Flower of Persia” was produced from India in 1898, directed by Hiralal Sen who was considered as one of India's first filmmakers.

“Raja ” (King Harishchandra), the 1913 Indian silent film directed and produced by , considered the first full-length Indian Mythology was one of the favorite subjects of filmmakers in India during this time.

“Lanka Dahan” made in 1917, which highly received influence from exotic Indian culture and the mystique secrets and invaluable emotions of the Indian mythologies-Ramayana and

“” made in the same year

Silent film with the theme of Wives “Pati Bhkati” made in 1922, involved in the controversy of showing obscene scenes which was not appropriate for people of that time. Silent films in the Philippines

“Dalagang Bukid” (Country Maiden) with English, Spanish, and Tagalog subtitles. The leading actress had to sing Nabasag ang Banga (a song which is a part of the film) for every screening of the film in Manila, along with three others playing a violin, a cornet, and a piano.

“Luzon Lingerie” made in 1920, a documentary film on the needlework skills Film industry history of Thailand

▪ King 5’s trips to Europe. ▪ Camera shots during trips such as Switzerland, shot by Mr. Lavanchy-Clarke ▪ Later, the films were exhibited and at a point this inspired and make interest among the Thai royals and local entrepreneurs. ▪ Imports of film making equipment from abroad. ▪ 1920 was the year Thai film industry started. ▪ 10 years later it was the prosperous year of Thai film industry since it started. Miss Suwanna of Siam (นางสาวสุวรรณ/ Nang Sao Suwan), was a 1923 romance film written and directed by Henry MacRae, set in Thailand (Siam) and starring Thai actors. It was one of the first feature films to be made in Thailand, and was the first co-production in Thailand.

Nothing of the film exists today except for some promotional materials and other ephemera held at the Thailand National Film Archive. “The King of the White Elephant”, 1941, Thai film made during World War II

Based on a novel and produced by Pridi Banomyong and released before Thailand's involvement in World War II.

The film had the aim of spreading the message of peace to international countries during the onset of the World War II. Waen Wises (Magic Ring/ แหวนวิเศษ) a silent film made by King Rama VII in 1929 (B.E. 2472) Silent films recorded in Thailand (Siam) and during World War II

Filming during 1940- 1946 (B.E. 2483- 2489) recorded by the British and the Japanese

Filming for Tour of Asia Ceylon/ , Thailand, Japan and Great Wall of China: Silent in Thailand (from Film Archive (Public Organization) (https://www.fapot.or.th) Films during the early sound era: The Movies Learn to Talk

The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900

Innovations in sound-on-film led to the first commercial screening of short motion pictures using the technology, which took place in 1923. / Sound-on-film

+ The sound films which Synchronized Music and effects dialogue included synchronized dialogue, known as "talking pictures", or "talkies", “The Jazz Singer”, 1927 American musical drama film : the film with synchronized recorded music score and lip-synchronous singing and speech

This musical film marked the beginning of the end for silent films.

Today, the film was preserved in the National Film Registry as the "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" motion picture.

“The Jazz Singer is unique in that it is the only film where blackface is central to the narrative development and thematic expression”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouldiKY4oOc The Golden Age of Asian Cinema (late 1940s to the 1960s )

The end of World War II by the mid-1940s and Cold War Successful films: Rashomon (1950) Japanese cinema's Tokyo Story (1953) 'Golden Age‘: Seven Samurai (1954) 1950s and 1960s Godzilla (1954) The Hidden Fortress (1958) Indian cinema's Indian Independent Films 'Golden Age‘: The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) 1950s and 1960s

India’s filming movement

Parallel cinema during Cinematographic the 1950s and 1960s as technique an alternative to the of bounce mainstream lighting, commercial introduced by Indian cinema (popular Subrata Mitra cinema)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgv68E_ o6VM The The classics and romantic drama experienced a The Spring River Flows East (1947) 'Golden Age' in the Myriads of Lights (1948) late 1940s. (1949)

Spring in a Small Town (1948), a film made Crows and Sparrows (1949), film shortly prior to the Chinese Communist about difficulties during the Revolution or the War of Liberation in 1949 situation of the conflict between led by the Communist Party of China and the Chairman and the Communist Party of China The film was often regarded by Chinese film critics as one of the most important films in the history of Chinese cinema. Philippines (1950s- 1960s/1970s) with the emergence of more artistic and mature films, and significant improvement in cinematic techniques among filmmakers.

Malaysia (1950s- 196os) (post- war period)

South Korea (1950s- 196os)

Pakistan (1960s)- black-and-white became obsolete, and Pakistan saw the introduction of its first color films

Cambodia (1960s) Individual Assignment (10 marks) Study and prepare power point presentation on “Film Genres” Presentation Outline

➢ Main motif ➢ Examples of sub-genres ➢ Standard genre characters ➢ General or typical film making styles and techniques/ communicative function ➢ An example film in the selected genre and explanation of main motif, genre characters, film making styles and techniques