essay abstract 1.5

Paul Marino-Edwards

Colloqium

Dr. Knorr

September 13, 2014

            Have you ever watched a movie and looked at the costumes the actors and actress’ wear?  Often the audience doesn’t actively analyze the costumes within the movie and how those costumes affect the perspective of that character.  Movies such as Cambria, Cleopatra, and both Ben Hur’s have costumes that affect how certain people are viewed.  Costumes give the idea of how a certain person thinks or what his or her ideals are, if that certain character is the hero regardless of historical accuracy.    

Paragraph 1 Costumes representing peoples and ideals

            -Egyptians shown as wild and savage and sexy (Machismo Cabria, Cleopatra)

            -Roman’s powerful and militaristic (Ben Hur, Cleopatra)

            -Earthly colors of the Jews (Ben Hur 1959)

Paragraph 2 Wearing white

            -Ben Hur vs. Messala (Both Ben Hurs)

            -Mark Antony and Cleopatra (Cleopatra)

            -Jesus always in white but no face (Ben Hur 1959)

Paragraph 3 Costumes reflected by era

            -Short toga (Ben Hur 1925)

            -Long togas (Ben Hur 1959)

            -Cleopatra costumes (Cleopatra 1963 vs. Cabiria)

Conclusion

            Costumes have a powerful effect on how the audience perceives certain characters or people.  It has the power to show how powerful the Roman army was, but also show the realistic Jews and their ideals.  Costumes can show us the hero of the situation or how a character is holy and has god features.  Though costumes can help the audience show these qualities, it is not always historically accurate.  Typically Cleopatra would never lay naked in front of a foreign ruler on first appearance.  Costumes have a powerful effect on how characters are perceived and I urge you next time you watch a movie look out for these details.

SAMPLE ABSTRACT: Extreme Puppy Love in Martial 1.109

Thought you'd be interested in a sample abstract. I've recently presented this paper at a conference in Canada and am going to present it again at Willamette's Faculty Colloquium (despite the name everyone on campus is invited to attend) on Friday, October 3, 3PM in the library's Hatfield Room.

Extreme Puppy Love in Martial 1.109

Martial’s humorous praise song on the cute little dog Issa in Epigram 1.109 is a favorite among dog lovers and Latin textbook authors alike. Scholars have treated it as an “elegant compliment to a patron” (Fitzgerald  2007:185; cf. Sullivan1991:20: “written in pursuit of patronage”). 

I will argue, however, that such readings overlook several red flags that suggest a very different type of content. In the very first line, e.g., Martial boasts that his Issa is “naughtier than Catullus’ sparrow”, that is, naughtier than the famous poem by Catullus (c. 2), in which the poet observes his beloved playing sexually suggestive games with her pet sparrow. Moreover, Martial’s praise for Issa in the first three lines of the poem is couched in terms of a “subtle erotic ambiguity” (Citroni 334). And finally, the alleged patron, like other victims of Martial’s invective, bears a suspiciously generic Roman first name, Publius, so that it is impossible to identify him with anyone in particular. 

A closer examination of Martial’s Issa epigram will show that the poem cleverly uses the themes and vocabulary of elegiac poetry to lampoon both Issa’s owner as a man who loves his puppy a bit too much and the reader as someone who similarly struggles to decide whether Issa is a dog or a sexually attractive girl.

In this paper I am going to argue that the directors of the movies portrayed women in the earlier years of  film either as symbols of sex or as unintelligent help but later showed a more complex and “real” portrayal of women.

In Cabiria the women characters in the movie are nurses or servants. This movie made in 1914 is set when women were still mainly viewed as homemakers and mothers. In the early 1900’s which is when this movie was made women still didn’t have many rights and the movement to get them was still in progress. Women hadn’t broken down all of the gender barriers yet. Although the titles of the movie is Cabiria which is the name of the little girl who is abducted and sold by pirates her role in the film is primarily getting carried around and thrown around with not much emotion or character complexity. We never really get a insight into the feelings or emotions of the little girl as well as any other women in the film. Surprisingly enough even small roles like that of the lowly innkeeper become developed over time. The innkeeper is a role played by a male character.

Women slowly start to get larger roles also in the earlier films men were usually the main characters. In the later Ben Hur Esther plays a larger role in the story and influences Ben Hur. She is more of a support and caring person than just being someone to “lure” him in.

Finally 50 years later come Cleopatra where the main focus of the movie is the female role of the ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra. Although she is sometimes portrayed as a temptress who uses her sexuality to “lure” in men, we also see insight into her emotional thoughts and get to connect to her more.

In conclusion, you can see the transformation of how men directors portrayed women as the years have passed. They have slowly transformed from minor roles with little screen time to more major roles. Over time the women stopped becoming the negative influences and started being the supportive force in the relationship as illustrated in the remake of Ben Hur.

Camera and Editing Techniques 1913 to 1963

In this paper, I’m going to argue that the use of camera and editing techniques in films from 1913 to 1963 have changed drastically to create a more immersive and entertaining art form. Camera angles are a very important aspect in film, further reinforcing the mood and intensity of a scene. In the 1913 film Cabiria, one can notice that in all the scenes the camera is always at the same height from the ground. Whereas, 50 years later in Cleopatra the camera ranges in a wide spectrum of angles. For, example in the scene where Cleopatra sneaks into Caesar’s quarters by being rolled up into a rug, the camera is at a high angle. This exemplifies Cleopatra’s weakness when she is unfurled at the feet of Caesar, furthering her state of need. Another important camera technique is moving the camera. This not only provides deeper immersion for the audience, but also further creates emotion in the viewer. While there is movement in Cabiria, it does not compare to the emotions evoked by later films camera motion. Even in the 1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ there is an extensive advancement in the camera movement. The chariot race is an excellent example of this. In the intense battle between Ben-Hur and Messala in the Circus, the camera quickly sweeps with the chariots and horses, not only to exemplify the speed of the chariots, but also to reinforce the emotions of danger and uncertainty within the audience. Editing also plays into how a film conveys the mood of the scene, and it has advanced considerably over the 50 years since Cabiria. Cabiria already was advanced for its time, as it still did not implement as many cuts as the films to come after it. The film has a few scenes where it is cut so the camera is at different shots, but nothing like the 1959 Ben-Hur. In the later Ben-Hur the chariot race exemplifies the use of editing. The scene constantly cuts between different camera positions and angles, from close ups of horses, the main characters, and their clashing chariots to further the intensity of the race. The quick cuts also provide a greater sense of speed, paralleling the racing chariots, and furthering the feelings of tension within the audience. All these techniques not only provide for a more interesting film to watch, but also present a deeper connection with the film, illustrating emotion and mood, and thus providing the audience with a more entertaining work of art. Many of these modern film techniques were first seen in the 1913 Cabiria, however all these methods have been vastly improved upon in the 50 year time period between these films, allowing the art form to provide more immersive entertainment.

First Paper Abstract

In this paper I am going to argue that in the four films that we watched as a class, over time Romans were portrayed as more powerful and influential.

In Cabiria, the main Roman characters were a spy and his slave. Both of these characters do nothing to show the grandeur of Rome. The Roman navy is portrayed as weak and incapable. At the Battle of Syracuse, they are destroyed by a giant lens that burns their ships. In the first Ben Hur, the Romans are more imposing. They are shown oppressing the Jews of Jerusalem, they deny Ben Hur water as he is marched to the galleys, they have a navy that wins a battle, and they have great spectacles such as chariot racing. In the second Ben Hur, the Romans, while similar to the Romans in the first Ben Hur, are portrayed as even more powerful and influential. They show the same as the first Ben Hur and more, including long shots of Rome itself. However, it is Cleopatra that outdoes them all. In Cleopatra, Rome is a superpower. It takes what was done in both Ben Hurs and multiplies. There are large Roman armies, along with multiple military victories, and grand shots of Rome. The soldiers are heavily armed and clad in shiny armor. There are a lot of powerful Senators and rues dressed in robes and outfits that signifies that they have power. And even though the Romans are not always united, they remain just as powerful. When one Roman fails, another takes his place. This is the case with Caesar and Antony. And when the Romans lose trust in Antony they turn on him and are victorious. Both Caesar and Antony fail when they turn their backs on Rome and instead focus on Egypt and Cleopatra.

In conclusion, Rome and Romans, in the four movies that we watched, increased in power. That is not to they are not powerful in all four movies, but it is to say that they are more powerful in Cleopatra than they are in Cabiria.

Abstract: Women's Roles

    In this paper I will argue that although Ben-Hur (1925) tells the story of men, the interwoven stories exemplifying women's roles allows for female characters to have their own narratives and become more than background figures. This can be compared with other movies of the 20th century and how they looked at women.
    One prominent role is that of the mother or caretaker. In Ben-Hur, Miriam and Tirzah fulfill this role. They also have their own story that is separate from Ben-Hur's--their imprisonment, leprosy, sacrifice to not tell Ben-Hur that they are still alive, and their conversion to Christianity. Their screen time shows their story (crying by Ben-Hur's feet, scenes in prison). While the director could have easily mentioned that they were imprisoned once, their narrative was  instead revisited throughout the movie. The idea of the mother is also important in Cleopatra (1960). Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra is much more than the role of a mother, but it is still important to the story (scene where she falls in love with Caesar and takes care of him develops only after she learns of his illness, her concern for Caesarian).
    Another type of role that is common is the vamp. Iras in Ben-Hur is represented as a sexual object and a seductress, literally throwing herself on Ben-Hur. Often the role of the vamp is the least fleshed out, like Sofonisba in Cabiria, who has some importance to the story line (takes in Cabiria as a slave) but mostly is just represented as a sexualized persona. By the time of Ben-Hur (1959), the role of the vamp had been eliminated entirely. Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra relies a lot on sex appeal, but this is also supported by the power of her brilliant political mind.
     The final important role for women to fulfill is related to morality and self-sacrifice. In Ben-Hur (1925), Esther's character ultimately scarifies her own development for Ben-Hur by ceding her money and freedom to Ben-Hur. Still, she has her own story--she is the moral compass for Simonides (scene where he tells her it is her choice to recognize Ben-Hur or not, scene where she goes into the Valley of the Lepers to save Tirzah and Miriam). Esther's story is important to the plot because her self-sacrifice opposes Ben-Hur's revenging, who at that point is still set on racing Messala. In the 1959 Ben-Hur, the themes of revenge and forgiveness are more prominent. Esther is more of Ben-Hur's moral guide (scene where she equates him to Messala). She expresses her ideals with her voice as opposed to her actions.
     In conclusion, Ben-Hur (1925) is mostly about men and their stories. But by giving the women characters sufficient screen time we see that they are more than just their gendered roles. For example, Tirzah and Miriam are supporting characters to Ben-Hur's story and represent the importance of family and the mother figure, but they also have their own development involving their imprisonment and sickness. These additions to their stories make them more than just background figures. The structure of the story telling, by interweaving women's stories with that of the main male characters, lets the viewer know of their importance and shows their development.

Abstract: Women's Roles in Ancient Greece and Rome in the movies 2014

Thesis:

In this paper I will argue that the roles for female characters have become more independent and strong through their actions, dialogue and the size and scope of their roles in the movies; “Cabiria”(1914), “Cleopatra” (1963) and “Ben Hur” (1927,1959).

Body:

In “Cleopatra” the size and the scope of the role was drastically different then of the female roles in “Cabiria” which was produced forty-nine years earlier. In the movie “Cabiria” the roles of the females didn’t create much of an impact and were more used as “props” to help the main characters of Fluvius and Maciste. For example, in the a lot of the scenes which involve Fluvius and Maciste, Cabiria is off to the side of them or behind them. Forty-nine years later in the movie “Cleopatra” the female role had grown in size and scope.  In “Cleopatra” Cleopatra (played by Elizabeth Taylor) was one of the major characters in which the film focused around her and her actions. For example, Cleopatra uses her sexuality with men as a way to persuade them to do what she wanted, therefore making her powerful. The change in actions also changed between the two “Ben Hur” movies.  In the first film production of Ben Hur (1927) the role of Ester changed from being more abiding and “damsel in distress” to the 1959 “Ben Hur” where Ester’s actions were more prominent and “gutsy”. For example: the Ester in the 1958 version was more vocal with her opinions and surer about her actions then the previous Ester in the 1927 version. For example Ester in the 1927 “Ben Hur” was conflicted about keeping the secret that Ben Hur’s sister and mother were alive after she saw them. Whereas in the 1959 version Ester has less confliction about telling Ben Hur that his mother and sister are dead because she knows that the fact that they are lepers would almost be more hurtful to the image he had of them before they died. The dialogue of the female characters throughout all four movies changed from being subservient to the male characters (Cabiria, Ben Hur (1927)) to becoming more vocal and opinionated with what they say (Cleopatra, and Ben Hur (1959)).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the roles of females have become more prominent and independent through the uses of their actions, dialogue and the size and scope of their roles in the movies; “Cabiria”(1914), “Cleopatra” (1963) and “Ben Hur” (1927,1959).

Word Count: 421