The lights dimmed, the reels began spinning and the audience settled in for a double feature of the Alfred Hitchcock classics "Spellbound" and "Vertigo." This was no Tuesday night on the couch for film buffs -- it was the launching of the Dartmouth Film Society's Fall 1994 Film Series, "Switching Reals," which explores realism and surrealism through classic and contemporary films.
Owen Gottlieb '95, the new Director of DFS, developed the idea for "Switching Reals" two terms ago, drawing on his love of cinematic realism, which attempts to replicate the world as accurately as possible on film. Realist filmmakers are concerned with mise-en-scene -- with what the frame contains, rather than creating a narrative through editing.
"Realism has always fascinated me. The realist films in the series are gritty films and tough documentaries. I wanted to show a lot of realist films but wanted an added spice," Gottlieb said.
His interest in the artist Salvador Dali inspired him to choose surrealism in film as an intriguing contrast to realism. Surrealist films make use of fantastic imagery and special effects to explore the subconscious.
Gottlieb's series contains a number of documentaries, but he cautioned against confusing the genre with realism.
"Documentary films shape the language with which realist films are made," he said. "For example, 'This Is Spinal Tap' is a documentary that parodies realism."
One of the powerful documentaries to be shown this term is "The Thin Blue Line," a 1988 investigative film about the murder of a Dallas police officer. The film helped clear the name of convict Randall Adams, who had wrongly served 15 years on death row. Although the film depicts real events, it employs re-enactments and the eerie music of Phillip Glass to create an otherworldly atmosphere.
"Just like the series itself, 'The Thin Blue Line' is an intertwining of realism and surrealism. The characters are bizarre -- dreamlike," Gottlieb said. "The real people who are interviewed are almost like caricatures or grotesques."
Contrastingly, "Gimme Shelter" is dramatically realistic. The movie tells the story of the Rolling Stones' Altamont Speedway free concert that infamously resulted in at least one murder that a cameraman captured on film.
"'Gimme Shelter' transcends documentary to become a sociological study of the human race," Gottlieb explained. "The film says more than, 'there were murders at this concert' but 'this is what human beings do to each other.' You get this disturbing window on the world.'"
Also to be shown this fall are more recent films like "Beetlejuice," "The Mask," and "Aladdin." "Beetlejuice," to be screened tomorrow, presents a contemporary legacy for surrealism, as interpreted by director Tim Burton.
Some of the other movies presented this fall are highly celebrated films from every cinematographic period. They include The Marx Brothers' "Duck Soup," Woody Allen's "Zelig," and "The Bicycle Thief," Vittorio De Sica's famous neo-realist piece that was filmed on location with a largely non-professional cast.
Explaining his selection of a Marx Brothers film, Gottlieb said, "The surrealists loved them because of their anarchic comedy. When they switched studios, they challenged the establishment much less. 'Duck Soup' is one of their earlier, more rebellious films."
Gottlieb's vision for a film series was selected by the voting members of the DFS last Spring, out of six other proposals. The Film Society is comprised not only of students but of faculty and community members as well. Gottlieb's job as director of the society entails arranging the series and running meetings, which usually feature a roundtable discussion of films. DFS meets on Mondays at 5:30 in 205 Wilson Hall, and welcomes anyone interested in film.
Gottlieb anticipates success for "Switching Reals."
"Most of the films have a wide appeal. You go in and don't know what to expect, and you come out saying 'Wow, that was amazing,'" he said.