Understanding Stan Brakhage as a Poetic Filmmaker

Griffin, Jacqueline (2023) Understanding Stan Brakhage as a Poetic Filmmaker. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

Preview

PDF Download (46MB) | Preview

Abstract

This thesis explores how Stan Brakhage can be understood as a poetic filmmaker and aims to investigate how the model for poetic proposed by Maya Deren can aid in this understanding. Maya Deren’s model proposes that films may be categorised along two axes, the horizontal which includes narrative, plot, and a linear sense of time, and the vertical, which is the domain of the subjective and emotional, with a manipulated sense of time. Deren’s model claims that the vertical is the realm of the poetic. This research also investigates the model's traits and how Brakhage's filmmaking exemplifies these as well as what any limits of the model might be and how Brakhage's films might test these limits. Specific traits of Deren’s model identified within this thesis are the unconventional use of point-of-view/perspective shots, the use of dissolves, the use of editing to manipulate narrative time, abstraction through defocus, extreme close-up, and the use of audio. The research methodology includes archival study and involves an in-depth textual analysis of several Stan Brakhage films, ranging from 1952 to 2000 and covering multiple genres and filmmaking styles. The findings indicate that multiple poetic devices were used by Brakhage in alignment with the ideas proposed by Deren. Further, the study reveals that these devices were used to varying degrees in each film and also reveals how the use of poetic devices in Brakhage’s films challenges the commonly held concept of Stan Brakhage as a 'silent' filmmaker. This has important implications for understanding Brakhage's use of filmic poetic devices, the validity of Deren's model, and solidifying the medium specificity of his filmmaking. The study concludes with recommendations for future research to further explore the bounds and usages of Deren's model in relation to Brakhage's other work and beyond Brakhage.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Art, Media and American Studies (former - to 2024)
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2024 14:21
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2024 14:21
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/97459
DOI:

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item