In English

IN ENGLISH. Kenji Mizoguchi remains as one of Japan’s most accomplished filmmakers. His work called upon a number of influences, not just from his cinematic peers, but also from his own culture. One such influence which was prevalent throughout his life as a director was the Japanese theatre, particularly traditional noh theatre which was used as both a stylistic and narrative device. In our latest article, Paul Spicer explores this relationship by examining two of his most important works of the 1950s.

IN ENGLISH. How do contemporary television distribution methods and consumption practices influence TV comedies? How are texts, production routines and ways of engaging the audience reshaped? Critically acclaimed TV series Master of None (2016-) and Atlanta (2016-) are good examples of such deep tranformations, leading to a reinvention of the comedy genre.

IN ENGLISH. The original cycle of giallo films were infamous for their scenes of murder presented in lurid and graphic detail. Although dismissed at the time as exemplifying the traits of ‘bad’ filmmaking, these films have since become highly influential. Lindsay Hallam argues that the neo-giallo focuses less on recreating a giallo narrative, and more on evoking sensory responses through vivid colour schemes, psychedelic soundtracks, and visceral imagery.

IN ENGLISH. Anton Chigurh, the main villain of the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men (2007), has been called a ”Monster for the Ages.” What makes him so? Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen shows how a moral psychological perspective can render the aesthetically supercharged antisociality of the character intelligible.

FEATURE. John Ford is commonly labelled as a ‘visual’ director who was careless about dialogue, even disdainful. However, Ford was not so much careless about words as concerned that they should be trimmed down, and earn their place. Here, Charles Barr argues that names, and acts of naming, are a central thread in his work. Ford is the master not just of the Western, but of the vocative case.

VIDEO-ESSAY. Fans of the BBC’s Sherlock very actively have taken the show to their hearts. How does Sherlock succeed in involving its worldwide audiences in the show? In this video-essay Palle Schantz Lauridsen examines audience involving strategies within and around the show.

FEATURE. Paths of Glory (1957) is one of the best anti-war films ever made as well as Stanley Kubrick’s first masterpiece. It also contains one of the most highly praised film endings. Drawing on a particular form of complementarity, non-doing/doing, Richard Raskin sheds new light on this classic ending.

IN ENGLISH. Why do we rarely see him carry out the actual act of killing while we often get to see him eat a fancy dinner? Whenever the sadistic cannibal Hannibal Lecter enjoys another gourmet meal, this broadcast TV series displays culinary cannibalism with luxurious aesthetics that could rival most cooking shows. But why? Mads Møller Andersen analyzes the many appeals of NBC’s Hannibal and especially its food strategies.

IN ENGLISH. The drama series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have been lauded for their unique audiovisual design, often described as “artsy” or “cinematic.” In this article, which is based on interviews with cinematographer Arthur Albert, sound designer Edmond J. Coblentz and supervising sound editor Nick Forshager, Andreas Halskov revisits the audiovisual style in the two shows, trying to define Vince Gilligan’s signature style.

VIDEO-ESSAY. Having won the Palme d’Or in 2017, it is no surprise that Ruben Östlund draws from other prizewinning directors like Michael Haneke and Roy Andersson. But you wouldn’t expect a Palme d’Or-winning director to find stylistic inspiration in skiing films and on YouTube. Mathias Bonde Korsgaard traces the unlikely origins of Östlund’s long-take style.