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From Theatre to Cinema (and back again)
Everything you need to know about storytelling on stage and screen in the Anglosphere
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Yes 1 The one about you
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Yes 8 Religion
Yes 9 Love
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Yes 18 Women
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* only available with this cover in digital format (the contents is the same for 7a and 7b).
GENERAL CONTENTS
YES Volume 28
This page should help you to navigate the magazine in general. Notice that on pages 6, 12, 56, 87 and 111 there are more details for each section of the magazine.
11
14
4
How to Use Your English Supplement
6 7-10
Current Affairs Contents News and anecdotes (including cinema and theatre news) Science News
11 12 13 14-17 18-21 22 23-25 26-27 28-30 31-33 34-35 36-38 39-41 42-45
The Performance Dossier Performance: our story-telling instinct Anglo theatre before cinema Silent cinema Sound, colour and decline Shakespeare on film Hollywood and literature Broadway and Hollywood: the odd couple Cinema and Ancient Greek mythology Inconvenient realities: filmmaking and racism Animal stars: Winter is coming Poetry in film titles Judging movies: what goes wrong – the seven deadly sins 46-47 Movies in context 48-50 Basic plots: you may have heard this one before... 51
SUBSCRIPTION FORM
52-53 A parallel universe: roles that stars rejected 54-55 Logo land
18
31
56 57 58 59-61 62-63 64-65 66-69 70 71 72-75 76-77 78 79-83
Performance Grammar Phrasal verbs of performance US vs. UK theatrical terms Theatre idioms Performance false friends Misspelling in movie titles The language of film: identifying movie genres Cinema idioms Pronouncing movie-star names Translating movie titles Movies about Translation Guerrilla translation Phrasal verbs in movie titles
84-85 THE YES COMMUNITY
36
59 Audio Download Code: Yes28_h58t_44 To download the audio files for this issue, please go to the 'Downloads' page on www.yes-mag.com for instructions. You will need the code given above to access the files.
86
The future of cinema
87 88
Audio Scripts Contents Audio Scripts
111 Exercises Contents 112-133 Exercises 134 135
Staff and contact addresses In next month’s issue
www.yes-mag.com // facebook.com/YesZine // @yeszine www.yes-mag.com
YES 28 | 3
How to Use Your English Supplement SYMBOLS
Each page-long article in the magazine has been created to be used more or less independently so that you can learn and practise even if you only have five or ten minutes free. At the same time, the symbols below allow you to develop a theme you are interested in more extensively. Teachers can use these symbols to instantly prepare a class or classes around a common theme.
Exercise (at the end of the magazine). Test and consolidate what you have learned.
Speaking extension. A question aimed at provoking a group discussion of the topic in question.
Downloadable audio file (see also audio scripts). There are recommendations on how best to use the audio files on p. 87.
This arrow directs you to other related articles in the magazine.
ABBREVIATIONS KEY Listening extension (Internet). Once you’ve learned the basic vocabulary of a topic, why not listen to further discussions? 4 | YES 28
These are the only abbreviations you have to know to use this magazine: sb. = somebody sth. = something swh. = somewhere [U] = uncountable noun [C] = countable noun
FOOTNOTES
The superscript numbers in the text refer to the footnotes at the bottom or at the side of the same page. The footnotes explain the difficult vocabulary as determined by our non-native proofreaders. Like you, these proofreaders are learners so they are able to identify the exact words you need to know to understand the sentence. Definitions are given in English, so that you learn to think in English and these definitions are then checked by the non-native proofreaders to ensure that you will understand them. Some words are defined by pictures: we use these visual stimuli when that is the best way to fix an idea in your memory. Read the definition or look at the illustration and then re-read the sentence in question. By working with English-language footnotes you will rapidly increase your vocabulary and learn how English words relate to each other, all of which will have a dramatic impact on your fluency and self-confidence1 . Some readers find it useful to put their finger next to the word in the article that they are looking for in the footnotes to make it easier to return to the text afterwards. Either way, it shouldn’t be difficult to find your place because the footnotes are numbered and the words are highlighted in bold. Notice that the syllables and words that should be stressed2 are underlined. Red footnotes give extra cultural (rather than linguistic) information, or they refer you to other articles.
PHONEMIC SYMBOLS Here are the phonemic symbols that we use which might cause you problems.
Consonants
1
self-confidence – self-assurance (opposite of ‘self-doubt’, ‘hesitancy’) to stress sth. – emphasize, underline
2
/ʧ/ as in church, watch /ʃ/ as in wash, sure, action /ʤ/ as in judge, gesture /ʒ/ as in measure, vision /j/ as in yes /θ/ as in thick, path /ð/ as in this, breathe /ŋ/ as in sing
Pure Vowels
/æ/ as in cat /ʌ/ as in cut /ə/ as in occur, supply, aroma /ɜ:/ as in first, turn, earn /ɔ:/ as in court, warn
Dipthongs
/iə/ as in ear, here /eə/ as in air, there
YES 28 | 5
CURRENT AFFAIRS
SPEAKING & LISTENING EXTENSION 7
This section of the magazine offers short news stories organized thematically:
8
7
- Three stories from China illustrate how difficult it is to understand other cultures despite globalization Exercise 2
9 8 9
- Theatre without Walls: Scotland and Wales say ‘the Nation is our stage’ Exercise 2
- The Passion of a Welsh town (or why a Hollywood star got very cold and very wet) Exercise 2
- Do you remember Geena Davis? She has discovered something important about our societies. - These days Uncle Vernon’s accommodation for Harry Potter doesn’t seem so mean. Exercise 2
11
Science News - Why elephants don’t get cancer. - How the Ancient Britons mummified dead bodies. Exercise 2
10
10
11
6 | YES 28
Watch this Young Turks report about the Chinese traffic story (there is no unpleasant video footage in this report): https://goo.gl/S8qRCO Watch this short presentation about ‘Theatre Without Walls’ in Wales at: https://goo.gl/kVvsdE Speak: Have there been similar experiences of theatre going out to the people in your country? Is theatre relevant to people today? Speak: does it make sense to use religious theatre for secular ends? Watch this documentary about the Port Talbot Passion at: https://goo.gl/ip24f7 Speak: should TV and film be used to manipulate society? Are they already? Speak: should rents simply be determined by supply and demand or should the authorities do something to ensure they are affordable? Watch this short cartoon presentation on pachyderms and cancer at: https://goo.gl/KyLOYE Watch this short news item about Ancient British mummies: https://goo.gl/0WxCQF
News
HOLLYWOOD ON A WELSH BEACH by Carys Shannon
W
hy was film actor Michael Sheen wading into1 the freezing2 sea on a South Wales beach at dawn3 on Easter morning4? A crowd5 of people watched as the actor stripped off6 and entered the waves with a man dressed in dark robes7 at his side. The man grabbed8 the actor and pushed9 him into the water submerging him for a few seconds before he resurfaced gasping for air10. Some bystanders11 cried whilst12 others filmed the event on their mobile phones. The man in robes7 was playing John the Baptist and Michael Sheen was enduring13 a cold morning dip14 for his role as Jesus in the National Theatre Wales production of The Passion.
PASSION FOR PORT TALBOT
Sheen, who was born in Port Talbot, undertook15 this ambitious project as a homage to his hometown. He
Michael Sheen with cross to wade into – walk into water so it covers one’s legs 2 freezing – icy, very cold 3 dawn – sunrise, sun-up, daybreak 4 Easter morning – Sunday morning in Holy Week 5 crowd – big group, multitude 6 to strip off – undress, take one’s clothes off 7 robe – cloak, kaftan 1
2
p. 6
p. 6
Credit: National Theatre Wales
to grab – seize, take hold of to push – force 10 to gasp for air – inhale desperately 11 bystander – observer 12 whilst /wailst/ – while, by contrast 13 to endure – suffer, put up with 14 dip – quick swim 15 to undertake (-take/-took/taken) – take on, execute 8
9
Michael Sheen with cast on the beach
Credit: National Theatre Wales
wanted to involve16 the whole community in the performance and use the town as a ‘stage’ 17. The result was a live theatre event lasting18 72 hours that took place19 in the sea, streets, bars, neighbourhoods, roads, tunnels and public places throughout20 Port Talbot. The city was filled with tens of thousands of people enjoying dramatic scenes in the shopping centre, cemetery, motorway and social club. The Passion followed The Gospel of Mark interwoven with21 real stories from the working-class neighbourhoods and made with a modern twist22. People watched Michael Sheen from baptism to crucifixion in a theatrical spectacle that included government agents on boats, messages of hope projected onto large23 public screens, fireworks24, angels and a guest appearance by The Manic Street Preachers. The production was a critical success25 gaining five-star reviews in the national press and highlighting26 the value of participatory theatre. Since the production, a feature film27 of the same name has been made, a ‘making of’ documentary and even the publication of ‘The Gospel of Us’ a literary version of the event by writer Owen Sheers. This small industrial town finally got to28 tell its own story and even though Michael Sheen shone29 in his performance the real star of the show was undoubtedly Port Talbot itself. to involve – have the participation of 17 stage – (literally) platform on which actors act 18 lasting – that continued for 19 to take place (take-took-taken) – occur 20 throughout – in every part of 21 interwoven with – mixed with 22 twist – variation, alteration 23 large – (false friend) big 16
fireworks – pyrotechnics to be a critical success – be admired by theatrical reviewers 26 to highlight – (in this case) demonstrate 27 feature film – full-length movie 28 to get to (get-got-got) be able to 29 to shine (shine-shone-shone) – be brilliant 24 25
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YES 28 | 9
PERFORMANCE DOSSIER: FROM RITUAL TO THEATRE TO MOVIES 13
Performance: Homo hypocritus – the anthropology of storytelling
14 15-16 17
The Origins of Anglo Theatre Religious Theatre in Britain Anglo theatre from Shakespeare to cinema Exercise 4
18 19 20 21
The origins of cinema Griffith & propaganda Silent movies are golden The tragedy of talking movies Exercises 6, 21
22
Colour and decline
23-25
Shakespeare on film: the world’s greatest scriptwriter
26-27
Hollywood and literature Exercise 24
28-30
Broadway & Hollywood: the curious relationship between US theatre and the movies
31-33
Hollywood and the Greek Myths
34-35
Inconvenient realities: filmmaking and racism
36-38
Hollywood’s animal stars
39-41
The poetry in movie titles Exercise 3
42-45
Judging movies: what goes wrong – the seven deadly sins Exercise 26
46-47
Movies in context
48-50
Basic plots: How many fundamental stories are there – 35, seven or two?!
51
SUBSCRIPTION FORM
52-53
A parallel universe: roles the stars turned down Exercise 23
54-55
Logo land: the curious stories behind the symbols of the major studios
SPEAKING & LISTENING EXTENSION Watch: an interesting animated presentation on the prehistory of cinema at: https://goo.gl/7EkwGo 18
44-45
12 | YES 28
Speak: ask and answer the following questions. Try to convince others to change their answers to yours:
a. Which is the most unconvincing period drama you’ve ever seen? b. Which is the worst edited film (too long) you’ve ever watched? c. Which is the worst edited film – cut to death – you’ve ever watched? d. Which film contained the worst special effects you’ve ever seen? e. Which multi-million dollar movie was the biggest waste of money? f. Which is the movie with the most unconvincing script you’ve ever watched? g. Which is the worst recent film made in or about your country? h. Which is the worst film-adaptation of a book you’ve ever seen? i. Who is the worst actor amongst movie stars? j. Have you ever walked out of the cinema rather than finish watching a film?
Performance
Performance: Homo hypocritus A
performance is a controlled shared1 experience. Going for a walk with someone can be a shared experience but it’s not controlled – anything could happen. At a facile2 level, if you watch a movie with someone, you have something to talk about. But the origins of performance as a shared experience are much more profound. If your community listens to the bard 3 singing about the tribal heroes or you watch a simple play about the religious truths of the community, a common culture is created. Performance cements a community. The effect is multiplied many times for the performers but it is really the audience that matters4. As far as we know5, humans are the only animals that tell each other stories and, to the extent that6 all societies do so in a more or less formal context, performed story-telling is something that defines us. This is not a mere ludic by-product 7 of our need for entertainment. Modern humans outcompeted 8 other forms of Homo, such as the Neanderthals, because we could live in larger9 communities. That was possible because, despite not being all genetically related, groups of modern humans could perceive themselves as a single entity that should cooperate. This is St. Crispian shared – (in this case) experienced by more than one person 2 facile – (false friend) simplistic, superficial 3 bard – tribal poet 4 to matter – be important 5 as far as we know – according to what we currently know 6 to the extent that – to the degree that, in as far as 1
by-product – unintended/unintentional consequence 8 to outcompete – triumph over 9 larger – bigger 10 to fool – deceive, persuade sb. to believe sth. that is not true 11 the Ancient Greek word for an actor was hupokrités, from which we get the word ‘hypocrite’
7
anti-natural and it is made possible by ‘fooling’ 10 the group into thinking that they are related 11 – through storytelling, performance. 12 Comedy13 celebrates the community bonds 14 ; tragedy15 commemorates the sacrifice of the individual for the community.
Propaganda for Ourselves Shakespeare knew intuitively that performance was about bonding16. His Henry V is a natural-born storyteller. He persuades a disparate 17 group of Englishmen, Welshmen, Irishmen, Scotsmen, aristocrats and criminals18 – people with different languages and almost no common experience – that they are a single community in his famous St. Crispian speech. This is a fantasy about the future but it is a compelling19 fantasy and it brings Henry’s men together20 as an army. Similarly, the play has brought British people together in times of crisis for centuries, most famously in Olivier21’s film of the play made during World War II. Performance matters4. Sports have a similar function. This is why the Latin word ludus (and the English word ‘play’) refer both to sport and theatre. 13 from the Ancient Greek komos (= merrymaking, revel, celebration) 14 bond – connection, camaraderie 15 from Ancient Greek tragos (= [sacrificial] goat) 12
bonding – connecting, camaraderie 17 disparate (adj.) – (false friend) diverse 18 criminal – (semi-false friend) delinquent 19 compelling – convincing 20 to bring together (bringbrought-brought) – unite 21 Laurence Olivier (1907-89) British actor and director 16
www.yes-mag.com YES 28 | 13
Performance
The Birth of an Art Form Homo cinephilus God or natural selection apparently designed Homo sapiens to watch cinema. The human eye has the ability to perceive an image for a short time after it has disappeared. Without this knack1 – called the persistence of vision – we wouldn’t be able to watch moving images. Prehistoric humans made use of the persistence of vision. 2 The Ancient Egyptians were also aware of3 it. It is what makes magic lanterns4 and flip books5 work. The idea of using 2D moving images to tell a story is also ancient. Plato’s Cave is one of the earliest references to storytelling using moving images. Cultures around the world invented shadow puppets6 to tell stories over a millennium ago.
Georges Méliès’s Impossible Voyage knack – special skill, capacity, superpower 2 see Yes 14, p. 27 3 to be aware of – be conscious of 4 magic lantern – primitive way of projecting moving images 5 flip book – flick book, book with gradually changing images on each consecutive page. When the pages are turned very fast there is apparent animation 1
18 | YES 28
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shadow puppet – silhouettes on a translucent screen 7 awareness – consciousness 8 to pair up – combine 9 pretty (adv.) – reasonably 10 disapproval of – displeasure at 11 time-lapse photography – technique that seems to accelerate the action that has been filmed (the opposite of ‘slow motion’) 6
Shadow puppets
Photo by TheaterFiguren
The Advent of Cinema So, in the last three decades of the 19th Century there was an awareness7 in both Europe and North America that pairing up8 photograph and the persistence of vision could create a pretty9 impressive effect and the efforts to ascribe the invention of cinema to one individual are unhelpful and tendentious. The Lumière Brothers opened the first ‘cinema’. According to some religious groups, God showed his disapproval of10 the new Cinématographe when a fire in a movie theatre killed 121 people in 1897. However, the new art form was saved by Georges Méliès who should be credited with making the first narrative films. He added multiple exposure, slow motion, time-lapse photography11 , dissolves 12 and hand-tinting13 of the film strip14 to the filmmakers’ repertoire. Unfortunately, in 1917 400 of Méliès’ films were destroyed to produce heels15 for the boots16 of French soldiers! Edwin Stanton Porter added parallel action and close-ups17 to the mix. All the films made in the first 12 years of theatre were what we would call shorts – less than 15 minutes long. In 1908 the Societé Film d’Art began to bring a bit of respectability to the producing movie versions of classic plays and novels. In so doing18 they proved that the audience was ready to sit through a film that lasted19 over20 a quarter of an hour! dissolve (n.) – the act or process of moving gradually from one image or scene in a film to another 13 hand-tinting – colouring by hand 14 film strip – reel of film 15 heel – the raised part at the back of the sole of a shoe/boot 16 boots – heavy footwear 12
close-up – close shot, images taken at a very short distance from the subject 18 in so doing – by doing this 19 to last – continue for 20 over – more than 17
21
FOOTNOTES
The superscript numbers in the text refer to the footnotes at the bottom or at the side of the same page. The footnotes explain the difficult vocabulary as determined by our non-native proofreaders. Like you, these proofreaders are learners so they are able to identify the exact words you need to know to understand the sentence. Definitions are given in English, so that you learn to think in English and these definitions are then checked by the non-native proofreaders to ensure that you will understand them. Some words are defined by pictures: we use these visual stimuli when that is the best way to fix an idea in your memory. Read the definition or look at the illustration and then re-read the sentence in question. By working with English-language footnotes you will rapidly increase your vocabulary and learn how English words relate to each other, all of which will have a dramatic impact on your fluency and self-confidence1 . Some readers find it useful to put their finger next to the word in the article that they are looking for in the footnotes to make it easier to return to the text afterwards. Either way, it shouldn’t be difficult to find your place because the footnotes are numbered and the words are highlighted in bold. Notice that the syllables and words that should be stressed2 are underlined. Red footnotes give extra cultural (rather than linguistic) information, or they refer you to other articles.
PHONEMIC SYMBOLS Here are the phonemic symbols that we use which might cause you problems.
Consonants
1
self-confidence – self-assurance (opposite of ‘self-doubt’, ‘hesitancy’) to stress sth. – emphasize, underline
2
/ʧ/ as in church, watch /ʃ/ as in wash, sure, action /ʤ/ as in judge, gesture /ʒ/ as in measure, vision /j/ as in yes /θ/ as in thick, path /ð/ as in this, breathe /ŋ/ as in sing
Pure Vowels
/æ/ as in cat /ʌ/ as in cut /ə/ as in occur, supply, aroma /ɜ:/ as in first, turn, earn /ɔ:/ as in court, warn
Dipthongs
/iə/ as in ear, here /eə/ as in air, there
YES 28 | 5
Performance
Broadway vs. Hollywood
Astor Place Riot
The Theater of Hate The USA is the country of Hollywood and most people around the world would associate America with movies more than theater. However, 19th-century Americans were passionate about the stage 1 . In 1849 two rival actors, the American Edwin Forrest and Englishman William Macready, were both appearing in New York. Tensions between rival groups of fans steadily2 grew until one night a mob3 attacked the Aston Place Opera House where Macready was playing Macbeth. In the ensuing4 battle 22 people were killed and 36 were wounded 5! Moreover, we should not forget that one of the most dramatic events in US history, the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865 was committed by an actor in a theater.
William Charles Macready
Stage 6 Resistance Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) was the first great American playwright7, and he successfully8 resisted the allure 9 of Hollywood. He was sent a telegram asking him to write a screenplay10 for Jean Harlow. The cable11 requested12 a reply13 in no more than 20 words. Eugene wrote back, “No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No O’Neill”! This set the tone for14 US playwrights’7 resistance to ‘prostituting’ themselves in Tinseltown15. the stage – theater steadily – gradually, constantly 3 mob – violent crowd, destructive multitude, tumult 4 ensuing – subsequent, resulting 5 to wound – hurt, injure
stage (adj.) – theatrical playwright – dramatist 8 successfully – effectively 9 allure – temptation, attraction 10 screenplay – film script 11 cable – telegram 12 to request – ask for
Some of this dread16 of Hollywood might be justified. For example Warner Brothers bought the exclusive rights to Murray Burnett and Joan Alison’s play Everybody Comes to Rick’s (1940) and so prevented17 it from being performed in the theater until 1991. This might seem like a scandal until you realize18 that Warner turned Burnett and Alison’s little-known play into19 a picture called Casablanca (1942), considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made. reply – response, answer to set the tone for sth. (setset-set) – establish the character of sth. 15 Tinseltown – (derogatory) Hollywood
6
13
2
7
14
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Photo by Carl van Vechten
Sabotaging the Stage?
1
28 | YES 28
Eugene O’Neill
dread /dred/ – fear, apprehension 17 to prevent – stop 18 to realize – (false friend) become conscious 19 to turn A into B – transform A into B 16
Performance
How to Evaluate Movies: Great Films Photo by Jensbest
What Makes a Movie Great? A film is the result of the work of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of people. For it to be truly1 successful2 each must do his or her job well, but also they must all function as a team. An otherwise good picture can be ruined by hideous3 daba-daba music, by tinny4 special effects, by a wooden 5 script, by ham acting6 or by lacklustre7 directing. Indeed8, in a great movie none of the vital contributing factors should stand out 9. You shouldn’t notice the script because what each person says is true to character. The music should enhance 10 the ambience of the scene but shouldn’t create it. Ideally, you shouldn’t even notice that music was used because you are too focused on the story. In a great picture you can suspend your disbelief11 and accept that what you are seeing is actually12 happening. If the action is true to life13, you don’t notice that the actors are acting and there are apparently no special effects because you can assume14 it is real. A movie like E.T. (1982) Alex Ferrari
truly – really successful – effective, (in this case) brilliant 3 hideous – very ugly, very unpleasant 4 tinny – cheap, (in this case) unconvincing, poor-quality 5 wooden – unnatural, unconvincing 6 ham acting – overacting, unconvincing performances 7 lacklustre – uninspired, unimaginative 1
2
42 | YES 28
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indeed – (emphatic) in fact to stand out (stand-stoodstood) – be noticeable, be conspicuous 10 to enhance – magnify, elevate 11 to suspend one’s disbelief – provisionally accept sth. as truth even though you know it isn’t 12 actually – (false friend) really 13 true to life – convincing, believable 8
9
works15 so well because its special effects are entirely concealed16 behind old-school sentimentality (worthy of17 J.M. Barrie 18). Yet19, at the same time, it eschews20 mawkishness21 because its kids are true to life – they exchange colourful insults that are only half-understood like ‘penis breath’22! Similarly, camerawork should be original but appropriate to the action; you may be seeing things from an interesting angle or with unusual lighting23 but, again, you don’t notice because that is the only way the scene could be shot24 perfectly. All the tricks of the trade25 can be learned at a good film school but what makes a movie great is that it offers something genuinely new but at the same time recognizable as conforming to the possibilities of our experience. It treats26 the audience as intelligent, sentient27 beings but is generous and not manipulative. Have you seen any films like that recently? Photo by Numbrobot
to assume – (false friend) suppose, accept 15 to work – function 16 concealed – hidden, camouflaged 17 worthy of – similar to what one would expect from 18 the author of Peter Pan 19 yet – (in this case) however, nevertheless 20 to eschew /iˈskju:/ – avoid, renounce 14
mawkishness – excessive sentimentality 22 breath – exhalation, halitosis 23 lighting – illumination 24 to shoot (soot-shot-shot) – (in this case) film 25 tricks of the trade – professional techniques 26 to treat – interact with, deal with 27 sentient – able to perceive, responsive 21
26
Performance
Cinema in Context I
t is perfectly possible to appreciate Apocalypse Now (1979) without knowing anything about its literary context – Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1898) – or even its historical context Photo by Todd Barnard Marlon Brando as Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now – the Vietnam War. It is not strictly necessary to know anything about its production context – the three arduous years it took to Similarly, film noir with its femmes fatales and make1 that drove2 the director to the brink of3 suicide. doomed 13 fall guy14 can be seen as reflecting the Nevertheless, all these contexts can enhance4 your anxieties of World War Two veterans and the angst15 appreciation of the film. Moreover, a fuller understanding born out of rapid social change. Even more evident is of the contexts of this seminal 5 movie will help you to the case of horror and sci-fi movies – always a sounding understand the entire subgenre of ’Nam6 movies – as all board16 for the fears of each generation. Those of the subsequent films about that conflict are, to a greater or 1950s, for instance 9, are full of mutants and aliens lesser extent, a reaction to Apocalypse Now. because of anxieties about the threat17 of nuclear war Coppola’s war movie both reflects the popular and the menace18 of Communism (e.g. Invasion of the attitudes of its time and influenced them. This is hardly7 Body Snatchers19, 1956). surprising considering it was a major film about a recent war. However, it can be much more illuminating to The Filmic Context discover references to society at large8 in movies that Films are made in the context of other movies. What has are not apparently about historical events or politics. gone before sets up20 expectations that most audiences Westerns, for instance 9, have often been more about find it satisfying to have fulfilled. However, iconoclastic the hopes and anxieties of the times in which they were filmmakers may enjoy frustrating expectations and made than about the period in which they were set10. challenging21 conventions. John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) is an allegory about the Expectations are generally set within 22 film genres USA as the country moved from the Depression into the but they can be challenged 21 by mixing genres and Second World War. High Noon (1952) – a western about thus23 creating something new. A good example is the sticking up for11 your principles in a climate of fear – is a classic Bladerunner (1982). In one sense it is a fairly24 comment on McCarthy’s anti-Communist witch-hunt12 in conventional piece of film noir – except that it is a sci-fi Hollywood. movie set10 in a remote future. it took to make – that were required to make it 2 to drive (drive-drove-driven) – force 3 to the brink of – to the edge of, to consider 4 to enhance – improve 5 seminal – influential 6 ’Nam – (slang) Vietnam 1
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hardly – not really at large – in general 9 for instance – for example 10 to be set – take place, occur 11 to stick up for (stick-stuckstuck) – defend 12 witch-hunt – persecution 13 doomed – destined to fail
fall guy – loser, victim angst – anxiety, fear 16 sounding board – way in which sth. is disseminated 17 threat – danger, peril 18 menace – danger, threat 19 body snatcher – (in this case) sb. who indoctrinates others and manipulates them
7
14
8
15
to set up (set-set-set) – create, establish 21 to challenge – question, call into question 22 within – inside, in 23 thus – in this way 24 fairly – more or less, reasonably 20
Performance
Basic Plots: The Countdown1 T
wo and a half centuries ago Italian playwright2 Carlo Gozzi declared that there were 36 dramatic situations – including the revolt 3, the enigma, madness, involuntary crimes4 of love, self-sacrifice and ambition. In 1895 Georges Polti elaborated on 5 Gozzi’s list but respected the total. Since then the race 6 has apparently been on7 to reduce the number of basic plots8. The Tennessee Screenwriting Association produced a list of 20 basic plots some time ago. In 2004 Christopher Booker famously claimed9 that there were seven (or on a closer reading10 nine) basic plots. 11 Earlier this year Prof. Matthew Jockers of the University of Nebraska, using computer analysis of 40,000 novels, states12
An individual who is forced to act. (Film star Terence Stamp) Photo by Πελοποννησιακό Λαογραφικό Ίδρυμα
that there were just13 two fundamental storylines! In fact, Booker insinuates in his study that ‘at a deeper level’ there is only one basic story. This of course would end the reductionist game. If for a moment we take this idea seriously, we can say that any tale14 is about an individual who is forced to act. She or he then faces15 a number of moral dilemmas and/or reverses. As Aristotle pointed out16, there must be some type of conflict for a story to work17. Finally, the individual achieves18 his or her apparent objective, though this may19 involve20 his or her death in the process. However, the real story arc is the journey from self-ignorance to self-knowledge. That description would cover most movies, plays, novels, legends and myths in the Western tradition. At the same time it is so totally abstract that it offers practically no insight21 into how stories interrelate. countdown – (literally) act of counting numerals in reverse order to zero, (in this case) gradual reduction in the number of options 2 playwright – dramatist 3 revolt – rebellion 4 crime – (false friend) offence, transgression 1
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to elaborate on – develop, advance 6 race – (in this case) competition 7 to be on – be in progress, have started 8 plot – storyline, story 9 to claim – say, declare, state 10 on a closer reading – if one reads the book in detail 5
The Seven Basic Plots (2004) to state – say, claim, declare 13 just – (in this case) only 14 tale – story 15 to face – confront 16 to point out – indicate 17 to work – function 18 to achieve – accomplish, reach, get
may – might to involve – (in this case) require, mean 21 insight – perspicacious understanding
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Performance
Logo Land: the Early Studios P
ub quiz question: What are the most frequently watched film sequences of all time? The answer is, of course, the logos of the major Hollywood studios. Not only do they appear1 at the beginning of hundreds of big box-office movies every year but1 they have also1 been around for decades. Indeed2, as we will see the oldest has existed for a century.
The Majestic Mountain The oldest surviving film logo is ‘the majestic mountain’, which William W. Hodkinson, founder of Paramount, drew on a napkin3 at a meeting in 1914. The idea is that it is a generic mountain, though it is probably based on Ben Lomond Peak in Ogden, Utah, close to where Hodkinson grew up4 . The mountain and the word ‘Paramount’ are encircled by 24 stars, supposedly representing the 24 film stars that Paramount had signed5 at the time.
The Silent Roar6 Two years later MGM was founded. Samuel Goldwyn said that he wanted a logo that was “big and loud enough to be heard even from the silent screen7 ”. Advertising executive Howard Dietz remembered the Columbia University motto8, “Roar, Lion, Roar”. Five different lions have appeared over the years, though in the logo it is9 always referred to as ‘Leo the Lion’.
The Torch10 Lady Columbia’s Torch Lady, based on the Statue of Liberty, first appeared in 1924. The current11 version was created in 1993 and is based on Jenny Joseph, a mother of two from Houston.
The Globe in the Universe Although they were founded in 1912, Universal Studios did not start using their logo until 1920 when it was decided that a globe would reflect the theme of their cosmic name. The logo has been periodically tweaked12 with a plane going round the world at one point and, more appropriately, a view of outer space13 before the camera pans over to14 our planet. not only do they appear... but... also – they appear both... and... 2 indeed – (emphatic) in fact 3 napkin – serviette 4 to grow up (grow-grew-grown) – (in this case) live as a child 1
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had signed – had contracts with 6 roar – loud noise made by a lion (or a bear) 7 from the silent screen – in a silent movie 8 motto – maxim, slogan 5
in the logo it is – in the context of the logo the lion is 10 torch – (in this case) beacon, portable fire 11 current – present-day, contemporary
9
to tweak – adjust, subtly alter outer space – the physical universe beyond the Earth’s atmosphere 14 to pan over to – change the orientation of a movie camera to 12 13
PERFORMANCE GRAMMAR
79 80 81 82 83
Film titles & Phrasal verbs: imperative titles Film titles & Phrasal verbs: translating foreign titles Film titles & Phrasal verbs: phrasal-verb nouns Film titles & Phrasal verbs: gerunds Film titles & Phrasal verbs: phrasal-verb adjectives Exercise 29
84-85 THE YES COMMUNITY 86 57
Phrasal verbs of performance Exercise 22
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US vs. UK theatrical terms Exercise 7
59 60 61
Theatre idioms: performance Theatre idioms: bad actors Theatre idioms: curious expressions Exercise 16
62-63 Performance false friends Exercise 5 64 65
Misspelling in movie ‘titlez’ Misspelling in movie titles: racial stereotyping Exercise 17
66-69 The language of film: identifying movie genres Exercise 20 70
Cinema idioms Exercise 11
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Pronouncing movie-star names Exercise 14
72 73 74
Translating movie titles: brevity and resonance Translating movie titles: memorable movie titles Translating movie titles: mistranslating movie titles Translating movie titles: necessary changes Exercise 25
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76-77 Movies about Translation: everything is illuminated Exercise 9 78
Guerrilla translation: private jokes for polyglots
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The Future of Cinema: The End?
SPEAKING & LISTENING EXTENSION 76-77 Read Michael Cronin’s excellent book “Translation Goes to the Movies” (2009), available in PDF at: http://goo.gl/vAXYcN 86
Speak: does cinema have a long-term future?
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Speak: is theatre on the decline?
100
Speak: if you could interview any actor alive or dead, who would you interview? What would you ask him/her?
105
Speak: what would be your dream trip?
Grammar
Theatre Idioms: Performing “Raquel y Rachid” (Africa Jurtado and Julio Alonso) Written and directed by Alberto de Casso. Photo by www.ilusionopticafotografos.com
Theatre has given English dozens of expressions. Here is a selection: >> to take one’s cue from sb./sth. [take-took-taken] = follow sb. else’s example. Literally, your ‘cue’ is the last thing the previous actor says or does before you have to speak so ‘cue’ has come to mean any indication that one should start to speak. >> a one-night stand = a casual sexual encounter. However, the original expression referred to a theatrical performance that was on1 for just one night at a specific theatre rather than2 running3 over several nights or weeks. >> to bring the house down [bring-brought-brought] = (of a performance) be enthusiastically received by the audience. This exaggeration is based on the idea that the spectators clapped4 and stamped their feet5 so loudly and vigorously that the ceiling6 fell in and the theatre collapsed. The term was originally used sarcastically in Victorian music halls. >> to be a hard act to follow = have been extremely successful7. This expression to be on – be performed, appear rather than – as opposed to, instead of 3 to run – (in this case) be performed, continue 4 to clap – applaud 5 to stamp (your feet) – make a noise with your feet on the floor 6 ceiling – cover over a room 1
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comes from a cabaret performance that is so impressive that it makes the following act seem mediocre, even if it is perfectly good: - Her Presidency was very popular – it’ll be a hard act to follow. >> a stage whisper8 = a comment that is supposed to be private but which the person really wants everyone to hear. The expression comes from an actor who whispers 9 something to someone on stage 10 so that the audience can hear (even though the other players act as if they have heard nothing): - The countess made her comment on her daughter-inlaw’s dress in a stage whisper. Of course she wanted her victim to hear her. >> slapstick = visual/physical comedy. This word comes from an instrument used on stage 10 that consisted of two pieces of wood that were loosely11 joined12. When one comedian hit the other with this ‘stick’ it made a loud ‘slapping’ 13 sound, even though it did not hurt. People apparently inflicting pain14 on each other has long been considered hilarious. successful – effective, triumphant, popular 8 whisper – comment in a low secretive voice 9 to whisper – talk in a low voice, say sth. secretively 10 on stage – in the theatre
7
loosely – not tightly, not securely, with the possibility of movement 12 joined – connected, tied/fastened together 13 slapping – (in this case) the noise when two flat surfaces collide 14 pain – suffering 11
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Grammar
Translating Film Titles A
nyone learning English will have been surprised at some point by the great difference between Anglo movie titles and the titles given to the same films in other languages. Sometimes these divergences are the result of crass1 mistakes by translators. However, usually the explanation is more complicated than a simple mistranslation. To understand the complicated world of film titles, you first have to know what criteria are applied to the titles of Anglo movies. Ideally, in the Anglosphere the titles of motion pictures should be short, evocative and easy-to-remember.
that Anglo film titles are proper names5. These may be considered opaque in non-English-speaking countries. So, for example Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977) was rendered 6 as Urban Neurotic (der Stadtneurotiker) in Germany. However, this tendency seems to be changing and recent proper-name film titles – such as Lucy (2014) or Mr Holmes (2015) – have been left untranslated in many countries.
Brevity
Resonance7
English-language audiences seem to prefer shorter titles than many other nationalities. In fact, it is an axiom2 of cinema history that the longer a film’s title is in English, the more likely3 it is to be a dud4. Often this means
Anglo movie titles tend to resonate8 if they evoke multiple meanings and interpretations. A fragment of a poem (see pp. 43-45) or a nursery rhyme9 will have this effect on Anglos. Of course, understanding such resonance7 requires a lot of cultural baggage 10 and most nonnatives will be left cold by the most evocative title for native English-speakers. For instance11, Along Came a Spider (2001) will make any Anglo immediately think of the nursery rhyme ‘Little Miss Muffet’. The inevitable serial killer is tenuously compared to a spider but there is no real reason to take this metaphor to heart12 and the arachnoid association in the Spanish translation ‘The Hour of the Spider’13 is unnecessary. In fact, the original title was part of a sinister fashion for associating nursery rhymes with serial killers. For example, another serial-killer yarn14 written by James Patterson and starring Morgan Freeman called Kiss the Girls (1997) came from another nursery rhyme (‘Georgie Porgie’).15 Georgie Porgie pudding and pie, Kissed the girls and made them cry.
Morgan Freeman
Photo by David Sifry
crass – stupid, ignorant axiom – established principle, rule 3 the more likely – the greater the probability that 4 dud – (in this case) bad film 5 proper name – name of a person 1
2
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to render – (in this case) translate 7 resonance – the power to evoke enduring images, memories, and emotions 8 to resonate – evoke images, memories, and emotions 9 nursery rhyme – poem for children 6
cultural baggage – the cultural information that one has accumulated over time 11 for instance – for example 12 to take sth. to heart (taketook-taken) – take sth. very seriously, consider sth. significant 13 La Hora de la Araña 14 yarn – tale, story 10
15
on that occasion the translator ignored the original title completely and called it El Coleccionista de Amantes (= the Collector of Lovers)
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Grammar
Film Titles & Phrasal Verbs F
ilm titles can be a good mnemonic to remember what a phrasal verb means. Try to visualize the movie poster/CD cover as you think about the verb; it should help you to remember the meanings of the phrasal verbs in future.
Imperative Phrasal Verb Titles >> Bring It On (2000) ‘To bring sth. on’ [bring-brought-brought] means ‘to provoke sth.’. For example, we could say, “Smoking, heavy drinking and overeating brought on his heart attack.” By extension, ‘bring it on!” is more or less a provocation; it means “Show me the best you’ve got”. In the context of this film about cheerleaders1 “Bring it on!” is a challenge2 to a rival team. >> Get Over It (2001) ‘To get over sth.’ means to recover from it. Typically, this phrasal verb is used in connection with some amorous disappointment3 and this is precisely the idea in this romantic comedy starring Kirsten Dunst.
>> Knock Off (1998) For an appalling4 action movie there is a surprising amount 5 of wordplay6 in the title. Marcus Ray (JeanClaude Van Damme) sells knock-off7 jeans in Hong Kong. However, when he implausibly8 becomes involved with9 the CIA, the KGB and international terrorists there is a real danger of him getting knocked off10. Of course, in the end Van Damme knocks off11 everyone else. >> Let Me In (2010) This is an acclaimed story of two socially excluded preteens12. ‘To let sb. in’ literally means to permit sb. to enter. Metaphorically, it means to allow sb. into13 one’s inner14 world. >> Look Back in Anger (1958) ‘To look back’ means to think about the past. Richard Burton starred in the first film version of John Osborne 15’s great play. Subsequent film versions starred Malcolm McDowell (1980) and Kenneth Branagh (1989). >> Man Up (2015) ‘To man up’ means to be brave in a difficult situation, like a ‘real man’. The buzzword16 in the title is pretty17 irrelevant to this comedy of errors. >> Stand by Me (1986) ‘To stand by sb.’ means to defend sb. and provide support18. So, the title of this excellent film is an appeal for19 help.
cheerleader – sb. (typically a girl) who dances before and during US sports events 2 challenge – gesture of defiance, provocation 3 amorous disappointment – romantic unhappiness
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appalling – awful, terrible amount – quantity, level 6 wordplay – playing with words 7 knock-off (adj.) – (in this case) false, imitation 8 implausibly – in a way that is difficult to believe 9 to become involved with (become-became-become) – begin to interact with
4
5
to get knocked off (get-gotgot) – be killed, die 11 to knock sb. off – kill sb., eliminate sb. 12 preteen – child aged between 10 and 12 13 to allow sb. into – permit sb. to enter 14 inner – internal, (in this case) intimate, private 15 (1929-93) British dramatist 10
buzzword – newly popular term 17 pretty (adv.) – largely, more or less 18 support – (in this case) backing, help, defence 19 an appeal for – act of asking for, request for 16
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AUDIO SCRIPTS
The following pages contain the transcriptions of what is spoken on the audio files.
SPOKEN-ENGLISH TIPS
Spoken English is significantly different from the written language: A more limited vocabulary is generally used and it is, by definition, more colloquial. Moreover1, spoken English uses many more incomplete or badly constructed sentences. On the other hand, intonation and stress can be used in speech.
HOW TO USE THE AUDIO SCRIPTS
Follow our eight-step process to get the most out of the audio scripts:
YES NO 28 TRACK LIST Debate: Theatre in the 21st Century (12m27s) 1. Part 1: Blaming Beckett (3m46s) 2. Part 2: Profitability & Public Taste (6m04s) 3. Part 3: Celebrities & the Theatre (2m37s) Three Actors Speak about Film & Theatre (30m50s) Interview with a British Actress (8m04s) 4. Part 1: Getting into Acting (4m19s) 5. Part 2: Working with Tom Stoppard (3m45s)
1
Before you listen we recommend that you read through the relevant section of the footnotes2 (not the text itself). This should give you some idea of the subject3 and help you to understand the more difficult vocabulary as you listen.
2
When you listen the first time, don’t expect to understand everything; listening practice should not be a painful4 process. Simply see how much meaning you can extract from the recording.
6. Interview with A British Actor (12m13s)
3
Listen more times going back to the footnotes to integrate the information you have.
4
Once you understand reasonably well, do the relevant exercise.
Monologues: My Dream Tour (13m38s) 8. Monologue 1 [UK English] (3m19s) 9. Monologue 2 [US English] (3m08s) 10. Monologue 3 [UK English] (4m20s) 11. Monologue 4 [Irish English] (2m49s)
5
Finally, read the audio scripts as you listen again.
12. Pronunciation: Film-Stars’ Names (3m48s)
6
Stop each time you get lost or encounter a structure that interests or confuses you.
Total time: 1h00m45s
7
Repeat words or phrases whose pronunciation surprises you.
8
Two or three days later, listen to the text again without reading to see if your understanding has improved5.
This process is intense and time-consuming. However, it will eventually6 solve the problem most learners have of relating7 the spoken word to the written. Once you’ve done that, the rest is easy!
7. Interview with an American Actress (10m32s)
moreover – what’s more, furthermore footnotes – notes at the bottom of the page (in this box) 3 subject (n.) – (in this case) theme 4 painful – (in this case) arduous, unpleasant 5 to improve – get better 6 eventually – (false friend) in the end 7 to relate – associate, connect, link 1
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AUDIO SCRIPTS
3. Part 3: Celebrities & the Theatre (2m37s) EM: But isn’t... I mean4, to what extent72 do people go to see your star in your play for the experience. And to what extent72 is it to – sort of7 – say, “Well, I remember when I went to Broadway and I saw Vanessa Redgrave playing la-la-la.” UKW: Well, if that… IW: Probably a little of both. UKW: If Redgrave turns you on 61, but you could say it’s… Who might it be that would be of interest? Sienna Miller? I dunno73, whoever it is that you’re interested in seeing – erm – Ian McKellen… IW: Mmm. UKW: …whoever it is. I mean4, it’s an opportunity and maybe, maybe it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, certainly with a limited season. I mean4, some of these plays can’t afford to74 just9 run and run75 and run and run. IW: Mmm. UKW: It takes that long for them to make the money. EM: So, is there an element to which theatre has to prostitute itself to, sorry, to film stars to be able to actually8 work76? UKW: Unfortunately, there’s a level of that… IW: Yeah. UKW: …but I think there’s a level of that with any of the arts. I think education has a lot to do with77 it, frankly, because the more children to what extent – to what degree, how much I dunno – I don’t know, (pause filler) y’know, like, sort of, kind of, I mean 74 can’t afford to – not have the financial resources to 75 to run and run – continue indefinitely 76 to work – (in this case) function 77 to have a lot to do with – be closely related to 72 73
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Photo by Wikimania2009 Damián Buonamico
are focused, focused in their education on a screen78, the less they are going to appreciate the business of the communicating arts… EM: But… UKW: …person-to-person arts. EM: …is that fair79? I mean4… UKW: Yeah, it is. EM: …for the vast majority of people the last time they went to see a play was when they were taken to see a play at school. So, I mean4, that’s… UKW: Very rarely are those experiences joyful80 experiences. IW: Yeah. UKW: I can remember taking years to get back to enjoying reading Charles Dickens having been put through a complete mangle81… IW: Yeah. UKW: …at school. And – er… EM: So is it… I mean4… There’s 82 two scenarios83 here: there’s a scenario83 that theatre ultimately84 is for people who – er – have expanded their vocabulary which is something that just9 happens with age anyway – if you read etc., etc. And so theatre is
naturally… UKW: Not necessarily. EM: …a middle-aged thing instead of85 being a middle-class thing. UKW: Not necessarily at all. I think it completely depends on the work26. AUS: Actually8 , you know something, I was reading an article about this last week. And you know that in the last few years the average86 age of theatregoers – in the last – like 87 – five or six years I think it was – is actually8 dropping 88 – y’know28 . And now the biggest age group that goes to the theatre is between – like 87 – 25 to 35 years or something like that. Whereas89 maybe five or six years ago it was more around 45 to 55. So, actually8 younger people are going to theatre more. UKW: Well, that ’s really encouraging90… IW: Yeah. UKW: …but I suspect they’re being attracted by more sensationalist-type shows, but that’s not necessarily a problem.
screen – tablet, smartphone, computer or TV 79 fair – (in this case) just, equitable 80 joyful – happy, festive, celebratory 81 to put sb. through a mangle (put-put-put) – torture sb., torment sb. 82 there’s – (informal) there are 83 scenario – (false friend) hypothesis
ultimately – (false friend) in the final analysis instead of – rather than, as opposed to 86 average – median, mean, typical 87 like – (pause filler) y’know, kind of, sort of, I mean 88 to drop – fall, (in this case) get younger 89 whereas – by contrast 90 encouraging – heartening, positive
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AUDIO SCRIPTS
A French bistro
Photo by Almudena Cáceres
wall. Anyway, I like that idea of the history in the landscape. For the same reason I’d like to do the Appalachian Trail325. And, again, I’ve done a little bit of it, but I would like to do more. Obviously not, maybe not the whole 2,000 miles 326 . I’m attracted by the wilderness327, which being born in England, is quite alluring328. And, again, the history and the landscape.
11. Monologue 4 [Irish English] (2m49s) Right, my trip would be, I suppose I was about 13 when I saw Murder on the Orient Express and I always thought it was the most glamorous thing to do. Of course, people wouldn’t be exactly like they were on the Orient Express. It was written in the 1930s by Agatha Christie. But the idea of starting in Istanbul or Constantinople, maybe as it was known then, I’m not sure, and going right through to Paris on a train and trail – track, route 3,200km 327 wilderness – uninhabited, uncultivated and inhospitable area of terrain 328 alluring – seductively fascinating, mysteriously attractive 329 china – porcelain 325
326
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The Orient Express
eating all that wonderful food off that wonderful china 329 and meeting all those glamorous people on-board330 always seemed to me a great way to tour. I don’t really like walking, like everybody else. I actually8 like travelling by train. Nowadays331 people I think travelling by train is really slow and not very efficient, maybe you’re better off332 in a car, but I love sometimes to have four or five hours where I can just9 be on the train, read, talk to people, buy food, look out. And I think the most glamorous one would’ve been on the Orient Express. I don’t know whether23 I’d like to do it in winter or in summer because in winter it actually8 goes through countries where it’s stopped by the snow ad you may have to wait – I dunno73 – five hours before the snow is cleared off the tracks333. But then again – y’know28 – you could always go to the restaurant, the dining car, and have a good meal. Or maybe in the summer, as I like travelling in the summer more. I dunno73, maybe in Turkey and that it gets really, really hot. But it’s the glamour of it all, that’s what I really like and the fact that it’s of another time and on-board – aboard, (in this case) on the train 331 nowadays – these days 332 to be better off – (in this case) be in a better situation 333 tracks – railway line 334 to get to (get-got-got) – reach, arrive in 330
Photo by Didiaszerman
maybe something that’s not so quick. In our world now that we can just154 – y’know28 – maybe take a week or two weeks to get to334 Paris from Istanbul. Now, the other thing maybe I’d like to do is a culinary tour, maybe of France. Y’know28, just9 to go through the different regions and sample all the food and all the wonderful sauces335, of course accompanied by great red wine. I know living in Spain, for example, there’s also culinary tours you can do, but I think experiencing the French idea, going from Brittany and all the seafood336 and then going down to – y’know28 – towards302 the Pyrenees, almost the French Basque Country and going across maybe to Strasburg and Dijon for the mustard337 and going back to Paris and all those wonderful bistros338 that, again, I’ve seen in wonderful movies but… and I’ve never been there. I’ve been to Paris but I’ve never been to the bistros. I would love to do it too. 12. Pronunciation: Film-Stars’ Names (3m48s) Commentary: Listen to these names from p. 71. sauce – (false friend) viscous liquid food eaten with solid food to moisten it or add flavour 336 seafood – molluscs and crustaceans 337 mustard – pungent dark yellow or brown paste 338 bistro – small inexpensive restaurant 335
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EXERCISES PAGE
EXERCISE
112 1. Illustrations round-up: see if you can identify some of the things mentioned in the footnotes of this issue. 113 2. News and Science comprehension test: answer the questions about the articles on pp. 7-11? 3. Poetry in movie titles: find the titles in the fragments of poems (pp. 39-41). 114 4. Word Search: find the theatrical terms from the relevant articles. 115 5. Theatrical false friends: correct the sentences (pp. 62-63). 6. Too Many Words – early film: Find the surplus word in this text from p. 20. 7. US vs. UK: complete the chart with equivalents from throughout the issue.
PAGE
EXERCISE
122 17. Misspelling: put the film titles into Standard English (pp. 64-65). 18. False Friends Round-up: test to see if you learned the false friends marked in the footnotes throughout the magazine. 123 19. Monologues: a true-false listening comprehension on audio tracks 8-11 (pp. 107-110). 20. Film genres: match the movies to their genres (pp. 66-69). 124 21. Wordplay: a word game – relating to cinema terminology. 22. Theatrical phrasal verbs: fill the gaps with the multi-word verbs. (p. 57). 23. A Parallel Universe: match the movies to the intended actor and the final actor (pp. 52-53). 125 24. Homophones: correct this text about ‘unfilmable’ movies (pp. 26-27) 25. Movie title translation: match the original film names to how they were translated in Spain (pp. 72-75).
116 8. Crossword: for revision of vocabulary from throughout the magazine.
126 26. Prepositions: choose the best option for each of the gaps in this text about film critics with prepositions. (pp. 42-45)
117 9. Translation: correct these broken English sentences. (pp. 76-77)
127 27. Debate: a varied listening comprehension about audio tracks 1-3 (pp. 88-94).
118 10. Interviews: varied listening comprehension exercises for audio tracks 4-7 (pp. 95-106).
128 28. Wordplay: test your vocabulary and understanding of English morphology.
119 11. Cinema Idioms: complete the sentences with terms from p. 70. 12. Reading Comprehension – Anglo Theatre: check your comprehension of pp. 14-17.
129 29. Phrasal Verb in movie titles: see how well you have learned the phrasal verbs from the films mentioned on pp. 79-83.
120 13. Pronunciation: revise the difficult words from the footnotes. 14. Film-Stars’ Names: check your pronunciation of the names of these movie idols (p. 71).
130 30. Sentence transformation: revise structures from throughout the issue. 131-133 ANSWERS
121 15. US vs. UK theatre terms: match the terms from p. 58. 16. Theatre idioms: fill the gaps in the sentences (pp. 59-61).
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Crossword
Test how well you have retained the vocabulary from this issue of Yes by doing the following crossword If you find the crossword difficult, do the easy clues (in bold) first. This will make the rest of the words much easier to find.
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39. subject and object pronoun. Homophone of ‘ewe’ and ‘yew’ 41. @ 42. chair with no back; piece of faeces 43. utensil 44. male cat – Thomas? 46. subject pronoun 49. Her Majesty (initialism) 51. regain, retrieve 52. assert, declare 53. objective 55. devils, sprites 56. frequently 57. number
Down 1. two-wheeled vehicle for racing and warfare 2. intense illumination; the focus of public attention
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1. exciting ending to an episode 5. object from which to suspend clothes. Homophone of ‘hangar’ 6. rage, fury 9. blow; success 10. same as 3 DOWN 11. former (spouse?) 13. (I) exist – in the morning? 14. most favourable level 16. mother; silence 18. structure in which fissile material can be made to release energy 19. male thespian 20. conjunction. British homophone of ‘awe’ 22. Associated Press (initialism) 24. sick 26. consumed food. Homophone of ‘eight’ 27. knock out (initialism) 29. grease, lubricant 30. holy 32. colour 33. Togo (internet address) 34. object pronoun 35. member of an Indian religious group. Homophone of ‘seek’ 37. dried grass
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Across
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3. subject and object pronoun. Movie starring Florence Lawrence 4. part of a cinema or television film recording a particular event 6. female thespian 7. publicity stunt 8. new version of an existing film 15. container for flowers or cooking. Anagram of ‘opt’ 17. do; manufacture 18. violent public disturbance 19. every part. Homophone of ‘awl’ 21. Michael 23. stage, dais 25. opposite of ‘heavy’ and ‘dark’ 26.epoch 28. abhorrence, revulsion 31. space between seats or shelves. Homophone of 36 DOWN 32. cadence; momentum
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34. reflexive pronoun 36. island 38. film 40. energy (informal) 41. wrong, haywire. Anagram of ‘wary’ 45. ironic. Homophone of ‘rye’ 46. Harvard College Observatory (initialism) 47. pixie 48. compete 49. same as 49 ACROSS 50. miles per hour (initialism) 53. same as 41 ACROSS 54. Mongolia (internet address) 55. preposition - fashionable
26. Prepositions. Fill the gaps in this text about film criticism with appropriate prepositions: Many great literary figures were clearly excited 1 _____ the advent 2 _____ cinema. 3 _____ fact, the first serious film review 4 _____ history was written 5 _____ 1896 6 _____ none other than Maxim Gorky. The article appeared 7 _____ a local newspaper 8 _____ Nizhni-Novgorod and commented 9 _____ a version 10 _____ the Lumières’ show that was touring northern Russia 11 _____ the time. Other great writers who published perceptive comments 12 _____ cinema 13 _____ the very early years 14 _____ the new art form included H.G. Wells and Bernard Shaw. The first regular film critic is generally considered to have been Louis Delluc (1890-1924) who started writing film reviews 15 _____ the popular press before the outbreak 16 _____ World War One. After the War the poet Carl Sandburg wrote regularly 17 _____ cinema 18 _____ The Chicago Daily News throughout the Twenties. 19 _____ the following decade Graham Greene put his literary career 20 _____ hold 21 _____ five years 22 _____ order to write 23 _____ films 24 _____ The Spectator. 25 _____ this time reviewing films had become standard 26 _____ western newspapers. Interestingly, film journalism was largely considered women’s work 27 _____ the time because reviewing theatre was considered ‘too demanding’ and too dangerous 28 _____ female journalists (as they would have to return home late 29 _____ night). A major gap appeared during the Interwar Period between film scholars 30 _____ the one hand and newspaper film reviewers, who the former looked down on 31 _____ disdain. 32 _____ 1937 Alistair Cooke wrote, “33 _____ this day and age, which has seen remarkable theoretical criticism 34 _____ many arts, there has been a tendency 35 _____ movie criticism to stake a claim 36 _____ a critical field which is still open to squatters.” The major film studios have always viewed film critics 37 ______ suspicion; reviewers should be bought 38 _____ ‘hospitality’ or silenced 39 _____ other means. The story 40 _____ The New York Times film critic, Frank S. Nugent, illustrates the mindset 41 _____ the movie moguls. After a series 42 _____ negative reviews, Twentieth-Century Fox made Nugent an offer he couldn’t refuse and hired him as a consultant. 43 _____ the end he wrote 10 scripts 44 _____ John Ford. 45 _____ the 1940s MGM publicly declared that they thought the BBC’s film critic, E. Arnot Robertson, was incompetent. She sued 46 _____ libel and the case went 47 _____ the House 48 _____ Lords. However, their lordships ruled 49 _______ Robertson; not only did MGM have a right to criticize her work, just as she had a right to criticize theirs, but, as the BBC had kept her 50 _____ her post despite the studio’s criticism, there was no case to answer. The bullying tactics 51 _____ the studios came 52 _____ a head 53 _____ the 1950s when they came together to withhold advertising 54 __________ the Beaverbrook newspapers because 55 _____ Milton Shulman’s reviews 56 _____ The Evening Standard. The media group resisted the pressure, kept Shulman on and the tactic failed. 57 ____ 1958 the Cannes Film Festival tried to keep François Truffaut 58 _____ arm’s length 59 _____ refusing him accreditation to cover the event after he had published some criticism. Truffaut responded 60 ___ making his own film the following year and triumphantly returning 61 _____ Cannes, this time 62 _____ the red carpet. Pauline Kael (1919-2001) is considered 63 ____ many to have been the greatest film critic 64 _____ all time. She was opinionated... and usually right and her style has influenced a whole generation 65 ____ film critics. Despite the odium 66 ____ many movie directors, she recognized that she was providing a public service, “The critic is the only independent source 67 _____ information. The rest is just advertising.”
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WRITERS, VOICES, INVALUABLE SUPPORT & HELPING HANDS Douglas Jasch, Prof. Raoul Franklin, Carys Shannon, Bea Alzona, Colman Keane, Miles Pratt, Almudena Cáceres, Susannah Jones, Robbie K. Jones, Greg Collins, Susan Wall, Garrett Wall, AmyJo Doherty, James Duggan, Jim Trainor, Rod E. Musselman, Adrian Hall, Paul Thomas, John Adedoyin, Hamish Binns, Lois Humphrey, Julie Davies, Irene Tremblay, Dave Mooney, Howard Brown, Saskia Eijkins, Cristian Dopazzo.
PHOTOGRAPHY Cover photo: Film star Michael Sheen in the Port Talbot Passion by the National Theatre of Wales Marina Carresi, Mech Mullins, Susannah Jones, Kim Martin, Belén Gutiérrez
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Published by Anglo Files S.L. C/ Bronce 27, 11-B, Madrid 28045 Depósito legal: M-9788-2013 // ISSN: 2255-5676 PVP: 9,95€ VAT included/incluido IVA // Printed in Spain All rights reserved. Neither all nor part of this magazine can be reproduced, recorded in or transmitted by any information-recovery system by any means, be it mechanical, photochemical, magnetic, electronic, photocopies or any other method or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the publisher and in accordance with the Intellectual Property Law. Any violation of these terms and conditions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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