“An original artist is unable to copy “An original artist is unable to copy. So, he has to copy in order to be original.” – Jean Cocteau- Director

International Cinema Through WW 2 1930s - 1945 Sound motion pictures now dominated Europe and much of the world World War II forced filmmakers to make painful choices Thea Von Harbou Fritz Lang Show Boxing Cats and Experimental Sound film

France Many of the French Filmmakers during the 1930’s – 1940s were considered to be very adventurous Jean Renoir – Grand Illusion – anti-war film Jean Cocteau – Orphic Trilogy Blood of A Poet Beauty and The Beast Orpheus Jean Cocteau

England National cinema was hampered by trying to produce too many films to fill the quota because of the Protectionist Cinematographic Film Act of 1927 The other primary film business force during this time for England was J. Arthur Rank Bought production facilities, production labs, theater chains, and distribution exchanges – Rank Organisation – Odd Man Out Documentary films boomed for England – Night Mail Rank

Post – World War I - Germany After WW I, Germany was in economic ruin and experienced “National” stress Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany in 1933, then elected leader (the Fürher) in 1934 The movement to sound was used by the Nazis (Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s Party) in a negative way Adolf Hitler Citizen Kane (1941) Triumph of the Will (1934)

Germany Propaganda films – films which try to promote OR disregard certain points of view, attitudes, beliefs toward a specific cause, politics, or position. Joseph Goebbels created Reichsfilmkammer (Reich Film Chamber) in 1933; made himself the sole authority on what could and could NOT be shown on the screen. Reich Cinema Law – No Jewish person could work in the film industry Goebbels imported Hollywood “B” movies, but wanted to re-invigorate German cinema Fritz Hippler’s The Eternal Jew – Kurt Gerron’s Theresienstadt Joseph Goebbels Fritz Hippler

Leni Riefenstahl The foremost filmmaker for the Third Reich The Triumph of The Will 1:33:00 mark Olympia (released (1938))– Documentary about the 1936 Olympics 00:38:30 mark 00:40:40 mark

Anti-Nazi Propaganda Many filmmakers, commissioned by their governments, made anti-Nazi propaganda films including Walt Disney The Lambeth Walk – Charles A. Ridley (UK) Disney’s - Hitler’s Children Frank Capra’s Why We Fight Charlie Chaplin – The Great Dictator final speech (1940) Walt Disney

Facist Italy Benito Mussolini created The Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografice (ENIC) in 1934 Melodramatic films were very popular (soap operas) Telefoni Bianchi films – Positive looks at family and Italian society – Guido Brignone example Roberto Rossellini’s Roma, Citta Aperta (Open City) – ushered in the Golden age of Italian Neorealism Benito Mussolini Roberto Rosselini

Controversy – Rome, Open City Rome, Open City tells the story of German occupied Rome and the Italian Resistance fighters trying to hide from the government Rod E. Geiger, a U.S. Army private stationed in Rome, met Rossellini Geiger had worked for an American distributor which helped to facilitate distribution and exhibition for foreign films Federico Fellini recounts a different story – claims Geiger was a fraud

Japanese Films During WW II Developed mostly war films Yasujiro Ozu – There was a Father Japan invaded China – The Chinese film industry became a tool of the Japanese propaganda films

The End of World War II WW II ends on May 8, 1945 (Germany surrenders) – September 2, 1945 (Japan surrenders)

Back in America Post-War Movies had changed because the country had changed People questioned the “Dream Factory” of Hollywood Hollywood developed the “Problem film” – tackling social issues like alcoholism, racism, and mental illness Audiences saw the world AND the film industry in a new light