简介：THEFARSHORE,a1976CanadianfeaturefictionalfilmbypainterandfilmmakerJoyceWieland,hasacontinuinginterest.Initweseehowawomanexperimentalfilmmakerhasattemptedtousemelodramaticformforfeministends.Thefilmisinitssubjectmatteraradicalfeministpolemic.Itdepictsthewaythatthebourgeoisfamilyentrapstheindividual,anditcriticizesthenuclearfamilyasthebasicsocialmodelofpatriarchalculture.Initsstyle,THEFARSHOREmakessuchanideologicalcritiquebymixingacodified"avant-garde"styleandtheHollywoodgenericconventionsofdomesticmelodrama. Generic-formuladramasandexperimentalcinemamakemarkedlydifferentsetsofdemandsuponthespectator.YetTHEFARSHOREdidmakeexpliciteitherwithinthetext(thebodyofthefilm)orinitscontextofmarketingandpublicitythatspectatorsmustsimultaneouslycomprehendbothlevelsofdiscourse;andthisledtoseriousproblemsforaudiences'"reading"thefilm.PopularcommercialmovieaudienceswerenotgenerallyfamiliarwiththewaytheStructuralfilmstyleemployedbyWielanddisruptedtheillusionofrealistnarrative,norweretheyaccustomedtotheplethoraofvisualsymbolismwhichmakesthefilmcoherent.Atthesametime,experimentalcinema'sfollowerswerenotcomfortablewithanavant-gardecinematicstylethatwassoenmeshedinpopularcodesandsoremovedfromits"pure"form,asseenusuallytheninlow-budget,short,anti-narrative,personalfilms.Wieland'stwolargestpotentialaudienceswereunpreparedforthe"intertextual"familiaritynecessaryfor"reading"thefilm,sothefilmdidnothaveafinancialsuccess. ButthestrengthsofTHEFARSHOREareexactlythosetwostylisticstrategies,thestrategiesthatalienatedaudienceswhenthefilmwasfirstreleased.THEFARSHOREplacesavalueonsimultaneouscognitionandondisruptinglinearnarrativityandillusionistspectacle.Itusestheseasameanstoinaugurateafeministdiscourse.Becauseittriedtoestablishthedynamicsofaradicalfeministfilmform,THEFARSHOREhasinfluencedBritishfeministtheorist-filmmakerLauraMulveyandYvonneRainer,oneofthefirstU.S.filmmakerstopursuesimilarformaldirectionsasameansforengagingpoliticalradicalism.[1][opennotesinnewwindow]THEFARSHOREengagesandcritiquesbothHollywoodandexperimentalcinematicstyleinanattempttocreateacommerciallyviablefeministcinema.Thusitprefiguresamajordirectionthatindependentcinemawouldmoveinthe1980s. THEFARSHOREpresentsthestoryofEulalie,arefinedFrenchCanadianwomanwhoin1919marriesaboorishTorontoengineer.Thefilm'sopeningpre-creditsequenceshowsEulaliebeingcourtedbyherfuturehusbandinhernative Quebec.Accompaniedbyayounggirl,EulalieandRossseempossiblyabletoestablishanidealizednuclearfamilyinthemostromanticofallsettings,acountrylandscapeofflowersandgrassesonasunnysummerday.Withinthatpastoralsetting,wehearEulalie'sliltingFrenchtones.WrittenEnglishsubtitlesappearonthescreen,suggestingtheaudience'sdistancefromfull,immediateidentificationwithandcomprehensionofEulalie'sQuebecoisculture.Eulalieexpressesagreaterloveforhersurroundingsthanforhercompanion,andheseesthelandonlyassomethingtobeimprovedscientificallywhilehestifflystrugglesinEnglishandbrokenFrenchthroughthecourtshipritual.Thetwocharactersrepresentsimplifiedaspectsofbi-cultural,bi-lingualCanada.Thisidentificationisfurtheraccentuatedwhenthechildservesasago-betweenforRoss'smarriageproposalandRossisunabletounderstandEulalie'sacceptanceinFrench. Ross'sandEulalie'sweddingoccurssilentlyduringthecreditsequence.ThedramaticactionbeginswhenEulaliemovestoherhusband'sTorontohome.Thereshediscoversthathewantedonlya"wife,"adomesticandsocialornament.Psychologicallyandculturallyisolated,Eulaliemeetsoneother"kindredspirit,"alandscapepainterresidingonherhusband'sestate.Wielandmodeledthepainter,TomMcLeod,onCanada'smostlegendaryartist,TomThomson(1877-1917),amasterofCanadianwildernesssceneswhomysteriouslydisappearedonanOntariolakein1917.ThomsonalsofiguredprominentlyintheformationoftheGroupofSeven,Canada'sfirstorganizedsupportersandproducersofanationalistart. EulalieandTomshareamutualrespectfortheunspoiledbeautyofnature;symbolicallythetworepresentthepossibilityofaunionbasedonaloveforthearts,closenesstotheland,anduncomplicatedromanticpassion.ButwhenTomrefusestocompromisehisidealsbyservingasRoss'sguideonanorthernOntariosilverexpedition,Tomleavestheestate,andEulalieislonelierthanever.Later,onanorthernOntariocampingtripwithherhusbandandhisfriends,Eulalieagainmeetstheartist.Dissatisfiedwithhermarriageandthewayoflifethatherhusbandrepresents,shetakesanaxtoRoss'srowboat,jumpsfullyclothedintothelake,andswimstojoinTomwhoiscampedacrossthewater.Rossandafriendsubsequentlymakeafutilesearchforthecouple,whoareenjoyingapassionatereunion.ButfinallyRoss'sfriendspiesthecoupleintheircanoeandfirestwoshotsatthem.Thelastimagesconsistoftheoverturnedcanoe,theartist'sdeadbody,andEulalie'shatfloatingonthewater. Madein1975and1976inTorontoandnorthernOntario,THEFARSHOREpromisedtobeoneofaseriesofcommercialCanadianfilmsinthemiddle1970sthatwouldmakeaninternationalbreakthroughinNorthAmericancinema.ThesuccessofsuchfilmsasTHEAPPRENTICESHIPOFDUDDYKRAVITZ(1974)andLIESMYFATHERTOLDME(1975)seemedtoindicatetheemergenceofaCanadianfilmindustryviableenoughtoshareamarketmonopolizedbyHollywoodfilms.Wielandreceivedfundingintheearly1970sfromthenationalagencythatpromotedCanadianfeaturefilmmaking,theCanadianFilmDevelopmentCorporation.HerefforttoobtainmoniesfromtheCFDCwaspartofafour-yearstruggletofundaCanadiannationalist,feministfilm(apoliticalapproachunlikelytoguaranteecommercialsuccess).Themoviefinallyattractedotherbackers,however,becauseinitsguiseasaperiodmelodrama,itratherapoliticallysentimentalizedQuebecoiscultureasclosetonatureandantagonistictoEnglishCanadianmodernization. Thefilm'scommercialcareerwasbriefandtroubled.Wieland,marketingthefilmherself,wasnaiveaboutdistributionandexhibitionpractices.Avictimofinexpertmarketingandofthelimitedaccessthatindividualfilmmakers(particularlywomenfilmmakers)havetotheatricaloutlets,THEFARSHOREreceivedonlylimitedtrialcommercialrunsinafewmajorCanadiancities.Popularaudienceswereunpreparedforthefilm'sradicalformalstrategies.Theartcrowdfeltthefilmwasapaeantocommercialism.AndthenationaliststhoughtthatTHEFARSHOREpurveyedanapolitical,sentimentalfederalism.Thusthefilmhadfewchampions.Amongthedetractors,THEFARSHORE'sinnovationsasafeministfilmwereoflittleinterest. Criticssuggestedthatthefilm'soriginalitylayinitsuseofpainterlyqualities—visualcomposition,hue,shapeandtexture,anditsformalinnovationsforexpressingmoods,statesofmind,andrelationshipsbetweencharacters.[2]THEFARSHORE'simageryemphasizesenvironmentaltextures,colors,shapes,andslowrhythms.Theexpressivenessofthemuse-en-sceneismoreimportantthannarrativeeventsorcharacterization.Cinematicallythefilmuseslongtakes,limitedcameramovement,andeditingpatternswhichelongatesceneswithlittledramaticactionorconcentratesceneswithmuchdramaticaction.Suchcinematictacticsfurtherheightentheexpressivenessofsetting,decor,objects,andgestures. Domesticmelodramadependsonvisualizationofpsychologicalstates.Becausethecrisesofdomesticmelodramaarepersonalandemotionalratherthansocialandbehavioral(incontrasttosci-fi,orhorrormovies),thepossibilitiesforbroadspatialactionarelimited.Thegenremustdependuponstatesofmindexternalizedintovisualcorrelatives.Onlyapsychologicallyexpressivecinematographycanarticulatethefilm'sthemes.ThomasElsaesserhasdescribedtheprocessasexpressingthedramaticvaluesthroughthemise-en-scene.[3]Hefurtherexplainshowinmelodramatheobjectsofthemise-en-scenesymbolicallycritiquethepatriarchalsystemsoffamilialrelationships, "Thesettingofthefamilymelodramaalmostbydefinitionisthemiddle-classhome,filledwithobjects,whichsurroundtheheroineinahierarchyofapparentorderthatbecomesincreasinglysuffocating…[It)alsobringsoutthecharacteristicattemptofthebourgeoishouseholdtomaketimestandstill,immobiliselifeandfixforeverdomesticpropertyrelationsasthemodelofsociallifeandabulwarkagainstthemoredisturbingsidesinhumannature."[4] Elsaesserconcludesthatthefamilymelodramaintroduceswithinthemise-en-sceneasubmergedlevelofdiscoursethatsubvertstheveryvaluesofinstitutionalclosureandpatriarchalauthoritythatthenarrativeattemptstouphold.[5]Bypresentingtheclaustrophobiaoffamilialrelations,thegenreformatsubversivelyrevealsitsowninternalcontradictions.[6] InthebestofHollywoodfamilymelodramas,forexample,thosebyVincenteMinnelliorDouglasSirk,thedirectorsself-consciouslyplayoffthemise-en-sceneagainstthecharacters'dilemmas.Thedominantthemesinthenarrativesareaboutindividualcriseswhichthreatenthestabilityofthefamilyunitandwhichendinreconciliationsthatreinforcetheauthorityandself-containmentofthefamily.Thedirectorsmanipulatethemise-en-scenetoemphasizethematerialistvaluesinherentinthebourgeoishome.Thevisualdepictionofthehomesuggestsafixeddefinitionoffamily.Thevisualbackgroundandcinematographyimplythatthe"home"cannotfunctionallyhelptoresolvetheconflictsposedbyindividualswhosewishesopposethestableoperationofthefamilyunit.InsuchfilmsasALLTHATHEAVENALLOWS,HOMEFROMTHEHILLS,andTHEMAGNIFICENTOBSESSION,SirkandMinnelliamplifythecontradictionsbetweenthefamilystructure'sinabilitytogiveprioritytoindividualfulfillmentandthestories'contrivedendings,whichartificiallyreconciledifferenceswithoutresolvingtheinitialproblems. TheseargumentsregardingdomesticmelodramaareimportantwhendiscussingTHEFARSHOREbecauseWielandmakestheinternalcontradictionsoffamilymelodramagenreanaestheticissue.The"subversive"elementwithinthemise-en-sceneherebecomesthefilm'sdominantwaytodepictspatialandmaterialentrapmentinthefamilyasitsprimarytheme.Whilemaintainingthecharacteristicstructureoffamilymelodrama,Wielandalsointroduceselementsthatestablishatensionbetweenexperimentalfilmstrategiesandtraditionalnarrativefilmpractices. THEFARSHORE'svisualcorrelativesarticulatedthroughthemise-en-scenedependuponahostofallusionstopersonal,filmic,andpainterlyartthatexistoutsidethespaceofthefilm.Theflattenedscreenimageoftenechoeshistoricartstyles.InteriorscenesreproducethelookofDutchandItalianoldmasterswhilethelakewildernessscenesmimicfamousCanadianpainters'interpretations.Forexamples,criticshavenotedsimilaritiesbetweenTHEFARSHORE'suseofcolorharmoniesandthatofeighteenthcenturyVenetianartistGiovanniBattisteTiepolo.[7]Themovie'slightingandtexturaleffectsincertainscenesarederivativeofJean-BaptisteChardinortheCanadianlandscapeartistsoftheGroupofSeven. WielandemploysdramaticexpressionisticlighttointensifycolorandoftenimitatesaBaroquepainterlyillusionism.Themise-en-sceneissimultaneouslyavisualcorrelativefortheintenseemotionalcrisesoftheheroineandaphotographicencapsulationofEuropeanandCanadianarthistory.Itreliesuponsuchanextendedplayofpainterlyhomagethatitrupturesthesmoothillusionofcinematicrealism.Asself-consciouslycomposed"forgeries,"Wieland'simagescontradictthenotionthattheyrepresentphotographicmaterialofanaturalworld. Threeexamplesillustratethepoint.Repetitivecutawayshotsthatareextremeclose-upsofcarpets,paintings,andembroideriesareusedonthenarrativeleveltobridgespatio-temporalellipses.Onthesymboliclevel,theobjects(allworksofart)functionasleitmotifsintertwiningEulalie'sandTom'sidentificationwithartisticactivityasawaytospiritualredemption.Theclose-upsaresomagnifiedthattheyemphasizethematerialqualitiesoftheimages-texture,hue,reflectionoflight,formalarrangements.Butthatmagnificationdeconstructsthephotographicrealityandmakestheobjectssignifytheirownphysicalcompositions.HereWielandexploitsacinematictechniquecommonlyfoundinStructuralexperimentalfilms,includingseveralofherown. Forexample,WielandappliesatechniquethatsheusedinherexperimentalfilmSOLIDARITY(1973).Freelyborrowinganexperimentaldevicetobreakconventionalnorms,Wielandusesaclose-upofarichlypatternedcarpettorepresentEulalie'ssubjectivepoint-of-viewwhileEulalielistenstoherhusbandlecturinghisemployees.Theextendeddurationoftheclose-upfixestheimageasarepresentationofanartobjectandasaself-referent,andthelengthunderminestheimage's"story"rolewithinthenarrative'sillusion.TheaccompanyingvoiceofEulalie'shusbandRoss,whichspeaksabouttherolethatengineeringwillplayinbuildingthefuture,comesfromanoff-screenspacethatcannotbeidentifiedasanextensionoftheon-screenspace.Soundandimageoperateasdiscreteelementsandtheyhaveanantagonismbetweentheactofcontemplatingobjectsasartandthescientificapproachofdominatingandmasteringnature. Twoothersuchcutawayclose-upsservesimilarfunctionsandbuilduponthefirstone.Aclose-upofanembroideredfishandahandsewingintroducesanightsceneofEulaliealone.TheshotagainservesasEulalie'ssubjectivepoint-of-viewandreinforcesouridentificationwithher,bothastheprotagonistandasanactiveartist.Theembroideredfishsymbolicallyreferstothewater/lifemotifthatlinkstheartistTomtoEulaliethroughoutthefilm.Theimageoftheembroideryalsoreinforcestheroleoftheartpieceitself.Hereartisbothanobjectofbeautyandastructuralandsymbolicmotifofunity. Thelongsceneintroducedbytheembroideryclose-upendswhenthehusbandRossbeginstorapeEulalieintheirlivingroom.Ross'ssexualactivityisaviolentattemptatdominationintheformofrape.Hisprofessionalactivityalsorapesthelandandwaterinordertobuildsewers,bridges,anddamsthatwillexemplifyman'smasteryoverhisenvironment.Thefilmcutsfromamediumlongshotofthegrapplingcoupletothenextscene'sopeningextremeclose-up:anotherfishisbeingpaintedbyTomontoashopwindow.ThemotifcontrastsTomandEulalieasartiststoEulalie'shusband.Thisextremeclose-upofthefishthatTomispaintingatfirstlacksdefinition,anditcannotinitiallyindicateanyphotographicornaturalobject.Itmomentarilyunderminestherealisticillusionatthesametimethatitconnectslocalesandcharactersthroughthefishimage'spoeticproperties. AnextendedscenebetweenTomandEulalieinTom'scabinmidwaythroughthefilmfurtherillustratestheoperationofthisprocess.Thecharacterstaketurnsholdingamagnifyingglassuptotheirlips,andtheysilentlymouthtextstoeachother.ThemouthisWieland'spersonalmotifforwomen'sstrengthandpower.Adetailwithintheclose-up,themouth,herebecomesmagnifiedcinematographically;itproducesavisualpunonthecinema'siriseffect.TheimageisreminiscentofWieland'suseofanextremeclose-upoflipsofaQuebecoispoliticianasthedominantimageinPIERREVALLIERES(1972).Thisscene'slackofanyaccompanyingsoundtrackfurtherinterruptsthekindofflowonwhichclassicnarrativecinemaisbased. Afterthesilentmouthingwhichoccursinrealtime,Wielandelidesseveraldaysandweeksintoroughlythesameamountofscreentimeastheaforementionedlipgestures.ShethenagaininvertshowthefilmdepictselapsedtimeasEulalieandTomsinganentirefolksongtogetherinrealtime.Thesedifferentdepictionsoftimeoccurwithinthesamegeographiclocaleinthenarrative.Butthesesequencesconveylittlenewnarrativeinformationandonlylimitedcharacterinsights.Theyoperatemoreaspoeticdevices.Theyexemplifyacreativemixofexperimentalandnarrativetechniquesthatunderminethefilm'snarrativeline. Othercinematicdevicesthathighlightvisualexpressionismincludemise-en-scenemovementandjumpcuts.Wielandheightensasenseoftheflat,formalqualitiesofthetwo-dimensionalimages.Movementwithintheframeusuallyoccurswithinshallowspaceandacrosshorizontalorverticallines.Movementslackdepthcues,diagonalmovement,andanyreferencetooff-screengeographythatwouldindicateadeeper,moresolidsenseofspace—theidealofcinematicrealism.Thefilmhasamovingtableaueffect. Inanoriginalhandlingofconventionalmovieromance,WielandusesrepeatedjumpcutstopunctuatethesequenceofTomandEulaliemakinglove.Theeditingpatternestablishesarhythmicmetaphorfortheiractofsexualintercourse,andbyavoidingpoint-of-viewshotsandclose-upsofeitherperson,Wielandhandlesthescenewithoutisolatingeithercharacterasanobjectofscrutiny.Thepatternofjumpcutsformallyportrayseroticismwhilealsoslightlydisturbingtheillusionistspectacle. Onespecificmomentperfectlycombinesadominantdiscoursethatdepictsthethemeofpatriarchalrelationsandasubversivediscoursethatcritiquesrealistcinemapractices.Itisascenetwo-thirdsintothefilmwhereEulalie,aloneinherbedroom,feelsfullytheclaustrophobicentrapmentofhermarriage.Thefilmirisesintoaclose-upofEulalie,whichfadestoawhiteirisframedinred.Theimageslowlyfadesuptoacanoecrossingalakewithintheiris.Thenthecamerairisesoutsothatthelandscapeimagefillstheentireframe. Thetour-de-forceofsuchanimage-transitionhasmulti-leveleffects.ASasimplenarrativetransition,itfluidlywedsEulalietothewildernesslandscape,throughwhichTomglidesinhiscanoe.Theiris-incinematicallyreflectsEulalie'spsychologicalclaustrophobiawithRoss,andtheiris-outsymbolicallyforeshadowshersubsequentpsychologicalreleasewhenshejoinsTominthewilderness.Theimagetransitionalsosuggestsasubjectivesexualdaydream.Theactivityoftheiristechniquemakesfemaleorgasmthepowerthatherecontrolsandunifiestheimages.Themidwayred-and-whiteabstractionoftheextendeddissolvesymbolicallylinksEulalieandTomwiththecolorsoftheCanadianflag(WielandfrequentlyusesredandwhitetosignifyCanada'snationalcolors).Thetransitionhasthesamebridgingfunctionthattheearlierartobjecttransitionshotsdid.ButitintroducesmoreabstractlevelsthatmakeEulalie'spsychologicalstateintoacinematicartobject. ThetechniquealsopayshomagetoD.W.Griffith'scinematicuseofirisesasaneffectivebridgebetweenscenes.THEFARSHOREispunctuatedwithsilentfilmtechniquesthattreatthestorywithformalmethodspopularinthenarrative'stimeperiod.Forexample,WielandemploysanincreasingtempoasshecutsfromEulalieandTominonecanoetoRossandhisfriendchasingtheminanothercanoe:thecrosscuttinghereseemslikeGriffith'suseofparallelaction.ThereferentialallusiontoGriffith'sconventionforconveyingaclimacticpursuitbecomesobviouswhenaccompaniedbyamusicalclichéforsilentfilmchases.InTHEFARSHORE,thechasesceneseemsremovedfromcontemporarynarrativestylesofhandlingofapursuit,moreaparodyofsilentfilmchase.Thecinematicmethoditselfbecomesthesubject,creatinganarrativeruptureduringthefilm'smostdramaticmoment. THEFARSHOREmayemphasizeartoverpoliticalfeminism,asfeministcriticBarbaraMartineausuggests.[9]Butitchampionsthepossibilityofagenrecritiqueasapoliticalchallengewithinthenarrativearts.Withintheconfinesofdomesticmelodramaticform,THEFARSHORE'sendingmakesthepoliticalpoint.Tom'svisibledeathandEulalle'sphysicaldisappearancearemarkedbyanobjectofclothingleftbehindon-screen.Thewomandoesnotreturntothespacewithinconventionalbourgeoisboundaries.Uptothefinale,sucharesolutioncouldhavecomethroughTom,asthemoresuitablepartnerforacontemporaryliberalmarriage,orthroughTom'sdeathandEulalie'ssubsequentreturntoherhusband.ButEulaliedisappearsbeyondtheboundariesoftheframe;thiseffectsaruptureinmelodramaticclosure.Eulalie,beyondtheon-screenspaceestablishedbythefilmescapestotheinvisibleterritorythatWielandlabels"thefarshore."WhereasfeministshavecriticizedEulalie'sdisappearanceasWieland'scondemningthecharactertoinvisibility,incontext,thefilm'sconclusionisafeministstatementwhichacknowledgesthatEulaliecannotbeintegratedintothedominantorderandcanonlyaccedetoanasyetunactualizedterritory.…