Arthouse Film
Definition
In short the title Arthouse film refers to any film that is not made by mainstream Hollywood. There seem to be two main types of arthouse film, foreign films and films made with an overtly artisitic agenda.
1. Characteristics of Mainstream Hollywood Films
- Produced by major studios such as Warner Brothers
- Feature “star” performers and directors
- Usually have big budgets
- Heroes and villains tend to be clearly defined
- Story lines tend to be linear i.e. move directly from beginning to end
- Especially nowadays, there is a strong emphasis on computer generated special effects
- Made to entertain the masses
2. Characteristics of Arthouse Film
- In general, arthouse film makes more demands on the viewer who has to think about what the film means
- Foreign language films often have subtitles which force the viewer to read in order to understand the dialogue
- Arthouse films often deliberately do things differently from what is expected for a mainstream Hollywood production which means that these films exhibit great variety
2.1 Bollywood
- Music & dance items included within the movies.
- Includes deliberate comic scenes which don’t necessarily make a difference to the plot.
- Complex plot.
- Films are very long usually around 3 hours if not longer.
- Reflects Indian values especially with regard to family i.e. individuals need to fulfill societal expectations rather than their own aspirations.
- Very colourful.
- Emphasis on over-the-top emotion.
- Mainly in Hindi with English subtitles.
- Realism not a priority.
- Heavy reliance on lip syncing
- Happy endings are not essential.
- No onscreen nudity and physical contact kept to a minimum, passion dealt with indirectly often in music/dance sequences.
- There seem to be few major stars who appear in a great many films.
2.2 Australian Film
- Heavy emphasis on landscape, particularly the Outback.
- Characters seem to display a relatively narrow range of emotion.
- Tends towards understatement.
- Focus on the Aussie Battler i.e. characters tend to be ordinary people trying to get by.
- An interest in the Tall Poppy syndrome.
- Will feature something to do with Indigenous people.
- Complex and interesting treatment of the villain.