Proceedings: Mise-en-scène and Kinaesthetically Charged Atmosphere in John Cassavetes' Faces

Authors

  • Ian Dixon Qantm College

Keywords:

film, Cassavetes, Chekhov, acting

Abstract

In my talk at the 2013 CEA Conference in Savannah, I focused on the theory and practice of Michael Chekhov by using his ideas of kinaesthesia, atmosphere, psychological gesture, spontaneous groupings, and the actor's nature in an overall interdisciplinary and lateral approach to the creation of filmic mise-en-scène. This approach places the actor as fundamental tool in understanding the principles of dramatic art and consequently generating dramatic material. In part, I exemplified American independent filmmaker John Cassavetes (1929-1989) as unwittingly utilizing Chekhov's notions within his own acting and through his parallel methodology for the creation of textual narrative. Here, I wish to explore (through video links) a concrete example of the resulting praxis by examining certain scenes from Cassavetes' film Faces (1968), especially in light of how such work affects the formation of his maverick mise-en-scène.

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Published

2021-05-27