Cinema is a relatively young form of art, by and large just beginning its life. However, since the first screening on Boulevard des Capuchins in Paris, 116 years have embraced many evolutionary and revolutionary moments that have changed the cinema almost beyond recognition. And it’s not just about technological innovations, but also about major changes within the cinematic language. Perhaps an analysis of the first century of cinema can help answer the question of what the future holds.
A look back
It is generally accepted that in the twentieth century cinema experienced two full-fledged revolution associated with the advent of sound and color.
On September 17, 1922, the first sound film, Der Brandstifter, was shown in Berlin. It was followed by the Warner Brothers, founders of Warner Bros., one of the world’s major studios, who bought recording equipment and in 1927 released The Jazz Singer, signaling the end of the silent era. The film won an honorary Academy Award for “creating the first sound picture to revolutionize the industry. (It’s worth noting that the 2011 Oscar ceremony was a triumph for The Artist by French director Michel Hazanavicius, a black-and-white silent (!) film dedicated to the arrival of sound in cinema, which can be seen as a return to its origins.) The first color film was not long in coming. In 1935 the film Becky Sharp directed by Ruben Mamoulian was released. Thus, by the end of the 1930s, technology allowed filmmakers to create color sound films. This greatly increased the power of the impact on the viewer and finally established cinematography as a full-fledged art form (do not forget that initially the Lumière brothers treated their invention more like an attraction, not fully aware of its potential).
The latest technological breakthrough in the field of cinema came quite recently. A 3D fan, James Cameron directed Avatar in 2009, in which he demonstrated that computer effects are not just decorative for sci-fi movies, but can also be used as narrative elements, allowing viewers to literally walk around the planet Pandora. The incredible box office success of “Avatar” (the global box office receipts exceeded 2 billion dollars) led to a real boom in 3D format. Every other Hollywood blockbuster is now filmed in 3D, with 3D glasses becoming an everyday part of the viewing experience. As with any innovation (needless to say, what extensive discussions were associated with the advent of sound and color in the cinema), enrapturing new format has caused not only enthusiasm producers, but also legitimate questions and disputes. The main claim is that 3D technology often does not bring anything new to movies, but merely serves as a decoration and attraction. Each side has valid arguments to defend its own position, it is pointless to deny only one thing – since the release of “Avatar” the world cinema has really changed.
Speaking of changes in the language of cinema, it is important to emphasize that, unlike technological revolutions, these changes were evolutionary in nature and related to one of the most important functions of cinema as such: reflection and analysis of changes in the life of the world community throughout the twentieth century. The great Hollywood style of the mid-century, the post-war Italian neo-realism, the New French Wave, Soviet socialist realism transformed cinematic means of expression in a serious way while making sense of specific historical events – the Great Depression, World War II, the war in Vietnam, etc.