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Toward a Theory of Cinematic Style: The Remake

Jeremy Butler – Northwestern University

Deposited 12/18/2017

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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
TOWARD A THEORY OF CINEMATIC STYLE: THE REMAKE
A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
for the degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Field of Radio, Television and Film: Film
BY
JEREMY GAYLORD BUTLER
Evanston, Illinois
June 1982
ABSTRACT
Toward a Theory of Cinematic Style: The Remake
Jeremy Gaylord Butler
The history of cinematic stylistic analysis has
been marked by evasions, mysticism, intellectual appre-
hension and other scholarly ills and evils. The influx
of semiotics into cinema studies (ostensibly dealing with
the "how" rather than the "what") has offered some mostly
unrealized potential for remedying this state of affairs.
Still, no one has particularized how style operates in the
process of cinematic signification. This study, therefore,
constructs a model of film style's position within the
semiotic process. (Style as elicitor of emotion or as
"signature" of the auteur does not enter into the
discussion.)
After surveying the writings on style in literary
studies, art history and film analysis, I provisionally
conceptualize a signifier, a signified and a sign for
style in narrative film. Specifically, the stylistic
signifier is the patterning of technique. The stylistic
signified (the "meaning" of style) is produced by this
patterning. The stylistic sign, then, is the correlation
of signifier and signified--in other words, the signified
as apprehended through a specific signifier (as concep-
tualized by Roland Barthes). This stylistic signified may
be grouped into three large categories: (1) style as
abstract graphic, (2) style as narrative expression (either
"echoing" or undercutting the denotation) and (3) style as
thematic expression (signifying an idea or concept).
Working from these premises, the styles of a film
and its remake (Imitation of Life [John Stahl, 1934] and
Imitation of Life [Douglas Sirk, 1959]) are analyzed.
These films share a similar denotation, differing most
significantly in terms of style. Hence, a close comparison
can illustrate the material of style and its functioning.
Absolute conclusions elude this study. One cannot
predict how a particular viewer will interpret the style
of a particular film. One can, however, trace the route
by which he or she arrived at that stylistic interpreta-
tion, a posteriori. This is the purpose of the present
model of stylistic semiosis in the cinema.
PREFACE
In any endeavor such as this, one inevitably
exploits the resources of one's friends and colleagues.
I consider myself particularly fortunate to have been
encouraged by several persons who were both generous with
their time and genuinely concerned with my project (and
at critical times when my own interest flagged), Chuck
Kleinhans (chairperson), Stuart Kaminsky and Paddy Whannel,
my original committee members, provided early guidance by
commenting on a substantive preliminary paper. Jack Ellis
graciously joined the committee after Professor Whannel's
death--a loss we all still feel.
Blaine Allan, Dave Kehr and Patrick Leary also read
early drafts. I owe much of the following's lucidity to
them; the obscurities remain my own.
Financial aid was lent to this study by Northwestern
University and the University of Alabama, School of
Communication, through a Dissertation Year Fellowship and
a Research Grant, respectively. The Society for Education
in Film and Television provided material from an S. E. F. T.
weekend seminar on mise-en-scene.
Final preparation of the manuscript entailed the
work of many, and the proper payment of few. Christine
iv
V
Miller unselfishly lent her typewriter and made numerous
typographical and editorial suggestions, Helen Rogers
performed the odious chore of proofreading. Charles
Groover and William C. Rogers furnished equipment and
expert advice in photographic matters, The difficult task
of transcribing the musical score from the analyzed seg-
ment of Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life was executed by
Andrew Wells; Lori Richards developed the final form of
the transcription--which appears as appendix D.
My support was not all technical or scholastic,
however. The Lyon family (Elliott, Miriam, Michael and
Julie) warmly accepted me, sight unseen, into their home
in Evanston, providing many convivial holiday dinners.
Finally, I must thank Valentin Almendarez for
insisting that I watch Sirk's Imitation of Life on WGN
late one winter's night, He is right: life is melodrama.
For all of the teachers in my life--especially,
Chuck Kleinhans, Michael Silverman, and Penelope and
Jeremy E. Butler --and in memory of Paddy Whannel.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
PART I. STYLE AND THE RELATED ARTS
Chapter
I. STYLE AND THE VISUAL ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . 6
II. STYLE AND THE STUDY OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . 22
PART II. STYLE AND FILM
III, THE STYLISTIC SIGNIFIER . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Technique in the Cinema
Style and Techniques of the Image
Style and Cinematic Sound Technique
Summary
IV. THE STYLISTIC SIGNIFIED . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Beginings of Film Theory: Russia
in the 1920s
The Formalist Tradition: Rudolf
Arnheim
The Realist Challenge: André Bazin
The Continuing Influence of Bazin:
Auteur Criticism
Contemporary Trends in the Writings
on Cinematic Style
Representation of the Stylistic
Signified
Style as Technology or Technique
Style as Abstract, Non-Representational
System
Style as Narrative or Thematic Metaphor
Summary
V. THE STYLISTIC SIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
The Barthesian Model of the Chain of
Signification
vii
viii
A Model of Signification in Narrative
Film
The Work of Style in the Signification
Model
The Paradigms of Cinematic Style
PART III. APPLICATION
VI. STYLE AND IMITATION OF LIFE . . . . . . . . 186
Imitation of Life: Denotation,
Narrative, Theme
Imitation of Life: A Segmental Analysis,
Introduction
Imitation of Life: Style and Meaning
Imitation of Life: Stylistic Meaning
and Narrative
Imitation of Life: Stylistic Meaning
and Theme
VII. SOME CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
APPENDIX A. "KISS ME DEADLY: EVIDENCE OF A
STYLE" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
APPENDIX B. IMITATION OF LIFE: SEGMENT
DESCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
APPENDIX C. IMITATION OF LIFE: SUPPLEMENTAL FRAME
ENLARGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
APPENDIX D. IMITATION OF LIFE: SEGMENT MUSICAL
SCORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
APPENDIX E. IMITATION OF LIFE: FANNIE HURST'S
ORIGINAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
APPENDIX F. IMITATION OF LIFE: RACE-DENIAL
PARADIGM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
APPENDIX G. IMITATION OF LIFE: FILMOGRAPHY . . . . 331
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
VITA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. A Basic Model of Communication . . . . . . . . 36
2. Citizen Kane, Frame 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
3. Citizen Kane, Frame 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
4. Citizen Kane, Frame 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
5. Schematic Representation of Formalism, Bazinian
Realism and Classicism in Terms of Space and
T i m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6. Three-Point Lighting Scheme . . . . . . . . 121
7. Barthes' Signification Model . . . . . . . . 155
8. A Model of Cinematic Signification . . . . . 162
9. A Man's Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
10. A Model of the Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Axes 178
11. The Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Axes: Revised
Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
12. Paradigms of Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
13. Imitation of Life: Character Name Changes . . . . 194
ix