Professor says film studies raise important questions about culture
Star Wars is the first movie that Josh Stenger, assistant professor of film studies and literature, remembers watching. But the film debuted when he was just 6 and hadn't yet honed his approach to critical theory. An American literature-turned-film scholar, Stenger says that film resembles literature insofar as both use narrative to shape and raise questions about culture, but there are important differences.
"Film studies really took off in the 70s when the VCR was introduced. "It allowed people to study film differently," Stenger says, noting that an important correlation exists between national priorities and mood, and the production of consumer products--film.
"A good example of this is the production of wartime films during WWII. They functioned in the promotion of patriotism [which was economically and politically important], and as entertainment that would appeal to the women left at home." Stenger notes that he's interested to see Hollywood's depiction of evil in the wake of September 11, as representation of villains is often politically charged, especially since the Cold War.
In Stenger's Introduction to Film course, students now view True Lies. " I added it [in Fall 2001] given what's been going on. It's about terrorism in the United States and is a fairly reactionary film. It has a lot of coarse, anti-Arab sentiments in it; I thought it would be a good way to provoke a discussion about nationalism and ideology in film but also to prompt discussion about how quickly films can respond to historical changes," Stenger says.
Stenger's expertise centers on Hollywood and American cinema. He teaches classes in film history and theory and has studied the interaction between Hollywood film and the cultural landscape and mythology of Los Angeles.
In spring 2002, Stenger teaches an online class on the Oscars. "The centerpiece of the course, offered to alums, parents and friends of the college, is two one-hour chat sessions...one will take place several days before the ceremony, one several days after."
Stenger says he expects participants to discuss this year's nominees and the behind-the-scenes "Oscar skirmish" that seems to have been fought harder than ever in recent months by studio marketing personnel. "The winners of this year's Academy Awards will be tougher than usual to predict," according to Stenger. "One thing seems clear, the trend in pre-Oscar campaigning by studios has become intensely competitive and has added a new dynamic to the voting process."
Efforts to create a "buzz" surrounding certain films have gained new momentum, he says. "It has become more important than ever, which means timing the big push to promote the film to Academy voters is essential." Stenger notes that several "counter-offensives" have been launched in the form of "leaks" and "spins" about various aspects of different films. "The whole thing seems not unlike the 2000 Presidential election," he observes.
Much has been made of the possibility of "splitting the vote" this year between A Beautiful Mind and Lord of the Rings he says, "which could leave the door open for Moulin Rouge as best picture." (Moulin Rougesucceeded in winning the Producers Guild Award for best picture in March.)
Sissy Spacek is heavily favored for best actress and Russell Crowe for best actor. "Crowe won last year," notes Stenger, "and he's not considered a 'team player', so members of the Academy might be more reluctant to honor him again." Denzel Washington is a second favorite for best actor, says Stenger, "But he has been critical of the Academy, especially in regards to the paucity of African-American nominees and award recipients, which could hurt his chances" 2002 is the second year in the history of the Academy that three African-Americans have been nominated for awards.
This year's attempts to influence Oscar balloting include the usual marketing trick of saturating the trade press with ads, an approach spearheaded by Miramax five years ago, according to Stenger. "Both The Lord of the Rings and Moulin Rougehave been aggressive in using using this tactic," he says.
According to Stenger, this year's "counter offensives" include the carefully crafted spread of rumor and innuendo, all well-timed. The week the ballots were mailed to the Academy, a story about (Russell Crowe's character) John Nash being anti-Semitic was leaked, he says. "Given the significant Jewish representation in Hollywood, this could potentially effect the voting," he says.
While still a "huge fan" of the movies himself, Stenger says the film industry has clearly evolved into more of a business than art form, at least with Hollywood's domination of the global cinema market. "On the positive side," he says, "it is interesting to witness the restoration project on Hollywood Boulevard, where the Oscar ceremonies were last held in the mid-1960s, and event's new Kodak Theatre venue."
"I would look for the venue to be one of the dominant side stories," he says, "since both the city and the industry have been looking forward to the day when both could photograph Hollywood Boulevard lined with limos and celebrities again."
Despite the ramped-up backstabbing and campaigns of influence in Hollywood, Stenger says he remains a strong supporter of the annual Academy Awards ceremony:
"The fact is, Oscar continues to reinforce the star system and the culture of fandom that follows it. The awards allow for one of our greatest and most enduring media spectacles. Despite being aired around the world, the annual event somehow manages to create a feeling of intimacy with film fans.
"The tradition of star-gazing--sitting on the bleachers and waiting to see the stars arrive--hearkens back to the studio era when gala premieres were relatively commonplace in L.A. and New York, and thus makes for a nice bit of nostalgia, especially now that they'll be held next door to the Chinese Theater and across the street from the El Capitan, two of the city's most well-known movie palaces from the 1920s. While the nominees are rooted very much in the present, this year's ceremony will, I suspect, be making overtures to the industry's past." Stenger notes that the Internet is only reinforcing this sense of intimacy, allowing for greater audience participation and interaction.
It's all quite glamorous, yes. But why bother studying film as an academic subject? "You study things that are important to society and culture--and popular culture, in all of its forms, is woven into American life. And because the history of film predates the history of television, if you want to talk about visual media it's important to understand how long film has played that part in producing and shaping popular cultural tastes and values," Stenger says.
"In studying film, you also learn a lot about history. When you study American film, you can't really understand it without knowing the history of the culture that produced it. Students can also learn a lot about basic economics, and quite a bit about products and ideology and
certainly a lot about other basic subjects such as gender, race and the social sciences. It's an inter-disciplinary subject, really," Stenger says.
A native of Los Angeles, Stenger earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University. More on Josh Stenger can be found at http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/Faculty/JoshStenger.html