Chapter 11 takes a look at film history played out in Europe. As Hollywood was the dominant player in cinematography, Europe found it necessary to keep up with their competition as America greatly profited from distributing films throughout Europe. In response to this Europeans developed art films that stood out substantially and gained a name for European film.
European art films offered story-lines that could be somewhat difficult to follow, though this was entirely intentional. This type of film centered around psychological problems associated with the characters. The open-ended story endings in art films allowed for the viewer to interpret their own opinion formed around the story and how it was played out. The character's mental states played a prominent role in the developing stories. Flashbacks and flash-forwards were a popular use in these films (Douglas and Pafort-Overduin).
Reading about this original style of filmmaking was very interesting to see. Many of the characteristics of European art films can be noticed in many modern films. Thinking of films like Shutter Island, I can see this film considered as an art film. The main character was constantly going through different mental states, the story was somewhat difficult to follow, flashbacks were consistent throughout and the ending was definitely left open for interpretation. It is really interesting to see how early European art films developed a style that is still played out in today's cinema.
Gomery, Douglas; Pafort-Overduin, Clara (2011-02-28). Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition (Kindle Location 7348). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.
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