Silver Screen Research Articles

The Cinematic Depiction of Media’s Social Responsibility: An Analysis of Journalism Films

Journalism has been portrayed on the silver screen many times. Over the years, filmmakers have been attracted by the role of the journalist, and the news industry has been represented in a variety of ways in Indian cinema. This study examines how the concept and theory of ‘social responsibility of the media’ has been depicted in journalism films. In this context, it is imperative to understand that the professional practice of journalism in the past shows that the press has the responsibility to act in the public interest. Whether it is the role of the press in India’s freedom movement or the investigative function of the press in unearthing corruption and crime, the media has social duties and obligations towards society. Journalism and the media are often called the watchdogs of Indian democracy, and hence, it cannot be denied that society has some positive expectations from the media. These expectations go beyond journalism's obvious normative role(s). This paper will examine how the media’s social responsibility has been depicted in cinema. The researcher will do a thematic analysis of journalism films that portray the social responsibility of journalism. Research on popular culture portrayals is important because such portrayals cultivate popular perceptions as well as myths about journalism. Film theory suggests that films are a reflection of real-life (to some extent), and therefore, films play an important role in documenting the contemporary trends in journalism. This study is based on the theory of ‘film analysis’ to understand the relevance of cinematic representations of social responsibility in journalism.

The Innocent Perpetrators: The Portrayal of ‘German Victimhood’ in Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter (Generation War) (2013)

ABSTRACT This paper explores how the German TV production Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter (2013) characterizes the ‘war generation’ with regard to its role in Nazi crimes and as perpetrators, both on screen and as a historical TV event. The three-part TV miniseries tells the story of five young Germans between 1941 and 1945. The narrative of the episodes follows the five friends who supposedly symbolize representative experiences of the war: four non-Jewish characters—two soldiers, a nurse, an artist—and one Jewish one. The involvement of the Gentile characters in crimes is shown, but they are never portrayed as antisemitic or ideological; rather, their deeds are explained by the overwhelming circumstances they find themselves in. They might become perpetrators, but they remain innocent in their intentions. The first screening of the TV miniseries in Germany and Austria was accompanied by educational materials, on-screen roundtable discussions, and documentaries. I argue that the TV production and its promotional campaign portrayed Germans primarily as victims of the war rather than exploring questions concerning the willing involvement of Germans in Nazi atrocities. This is done using references to and aspects of Holocaust cinema and Holocaust memory that serve as the blueprint for an apologetic story that presents Germans as a community of victims rather than perpetrators. Beyond the silver screen, Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter represents broader contemporary developments in ‘coming to terms with the past’ in German film, focusing on ‘German victimhood’ that resonate with contemporary debates in German society about its immediate past.

Martial Culture, Silver Screen: War Movies and the Construction of American Identity

Hollywood tells us stories about ourselves and our history. Just as important, it tells us stories we pay to see. As the editors of Martial Culture, Silver Screen point out, its stories about war and about the roles the United States has played in global conflicts have had an outsized and often inaccurately positive effect on “popular metanarratives in history and trends in collective remembrance” both in the United States and abroad (p. 3). Tracing common themes through the cinematic portrayals of a given war can tell us a lot about how Americans see themselves, even—or especially—if those portrayals lack historical accuracy. The introduction and eleven essays in this volume treat “war movies” as “an archive of us imagining ourselves” (p. 17). It will come as no surprise that the archive that they describe privileges able-bodied, white, masculine soldiers as the agents and heroes of American history, and often portrays violence as a source of regeneration and redemption. However, the editors and authors are keen to uncover ways film reflects changes in national self-understanding. The volume asks, but does not definitely answer, this question: Are Americans becoming more skeptical about the value of waging war?

Reforging the Rust Belt: China’s Northeast on the Silver Screen

Abstract In the 1990s, China’s northeast including Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, the bastion of state-owned heavy industry, underwent a massive state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform engineered by Deng Xiaoping as part of the “Reform and Opening-up Policy,” which resulted in large-scale SOE bankruptcies and some 30 million blue-collar workers being laid off. 20 years after the reform, China’s northeast, once among the most urbanized regions in the country, has effectively become China’s “Rust Belt.” This article examines the cinematic representations of China’s Rust Belt, specifically in China’s northeast, arguing that cinema plays a crucial role in both capturing and interrogating the emergence of new urban spaces and urban subjects amidst the spatial and ideological reorientations of the reform era. It also investigates the ways in which cinematic representations, through a shifting “system of symbols,” mediate the contradictions in the production of urban spaces, cultural norms, and social identities.

Snake in the Grass: Adapting Sex and Sexuality from Journalistic Truth to the Silver Screen

Snake in the Grass: Adapting Sex and Sexuality from Journalistic Truth to the Silver Screen

The Power and the Glory – and the Money

Abstract These two anthologies continue Charles Halperin’s exploration of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The first presents nineteen essays, each focused on a question that Halperin believes needs further investigation, ranging from family relationships to state policy to cultural achievements. He discusses sources and interpretations, then suggests additional avenues for further research. The second volume analyzes Ivan’s place in Russian historical memory in light of the new openings for discussion in the post-Soviet period. Looking at popularized accounts, textbooks, and specialist research, Halperin finds a range of opinion from supporters of canonization to harsh critics of policies and methods of implementation. Part Two examines Ivan on the silver screen, focusing on Eisenstein’s classic (pre-1991 but imprinted on everyone’s memory) and Lungin’s recent portrayal of the tsar in the Oprichnina years. What it meant to be Ivan remains as contested in the public mind as it is among specialists. Throughout both volumes, a consistent thread is the continuing influence of Karamzin’s concept of the two Ivans, Ivan the Good and Ivan the Terrible. Two centuries later, Ivan the Only continues to stride over the landscape of the Russian past. Halperin’s studies point the way to new assessments of his impact.

An Adaptation Study on “Cold Mountain” from Novel to Movie

This paper, from the movie adaptation perspective, chooses the novel Cold Mountain written by an American novelist, Charles Frazier and the corresponding Film, adapted by Antony Minghella, as the cases to make an analysis how to adapt the plots from the novel to the film, including some typical techniques: the montage in both the novel and the movie. This thesis makes a deep research between two works and explicates these two versions in respects of the plots adaptation, and montage technique from novel to movie. Nowadays more and more excellent novels are shot on the silver screen, so an adaptation study on Cold Mountain is meaningful.

HASEGAWA Koichi, Seiko Matsuda on the Silver Screen: The 1980s Viewed from the Angles of The Izu Dancer, Hawaii, Tokyo Disneyland, and Church Wedding

HASEGAWA Koichi, <i>Seiko Matsuda on the Silver Screen: The 1980s Viewed from the Angles of The Izu Dancer, Hawaii, Tokyo Disneyland, and Church Wedding</i>

On-Screen: The Silver, Small and Smartphone Screens of Heroism

The representation of heroism on screens, and the ways we make sense of heroic imagery across them, is the theme of this special issue of Heroism Science. Each article makes the case that our comprehension of heroism can only be augmented and enhanced by the film, the television series, the video game, the news broadcast, the phone camera and the social media stream, all of them on screens that are silver, small and smart. The articles demonstrate how the screen’s ability to display, represent, convey, conjure and critique heroic moments. Moreover, this special issue shows how fictional heroism as a guiding principle has much in common with the guidance of the fictional utopia. We use both concepts as aspects to strive for socially, culturally, technologically, and diplomatically. Our understanding and our seeking the best possible course for humanity is aided and informed by the way we use fiction to metaphorically assess how that course can be undertaken.

Glamour: Famous Gowns of the Silver Screen, curated by Cornelia Bujin, Italo Nunziata and Hannu Palosuo

Glamour: Famous Gowns of the Silver Screen, curated by Cornelia Bujin, Italo Nunziata and Hannu Palosuo Serlachius Museum Gustaf, Mänttä, 26 September 2020–10 January 2021

Optimized front TCO and metal grid electrode for module‐integrated perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells

AbstractTo unlock the full potential of perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells with &gt;30% efficiency at presumably low cost, the transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) and metal grid at the front side need to be adapted compared to classical silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. By means of optical and electrical modelling, we consider the main aspects to optimize the front electrode for the tandem case, where in contrast to silicon single junction devices, there are (i) different optical properties including a lower refractive index of the perovskite absorber (ii) about half the current, thus quarter the resistive power losses for the same series resistance contribution (iii) lateral transport at the front needs to be provided solely by the front TCO layer and (iv) lower thermal stability of the perovskite, which affects TCO deposition conditions and results in a less efficient sintering of the silver screen printing pastes. This study concludes that compared to silicon heterojunction cells, the thickness of the front TCO should be reduced from 75 nm to around 20 nm, resulting in less parasitic absorption and a potential cost reduction of 1.46 €ct/cell for ITO. We investigate the impact of different front metallization including plating and silver screen printing and showcase that for multi‐wire interconnection concepts, the number of wires can be reduced from 18 wires to 9 or even less depending on the front metallization. Finally, we give an outlook on the silver consumption and levelized cost of electricity.

Electrochemical Investigation of Light-Induced Plating of Nickel on Si Solar Cells and Study of Nickel Silicide Formation

Front-contact metallization plays an important role in the fabrication of a solar cell as it adds up to 40% cost to the total production cost.1 Silver (Ag) screen printing is the commercialized technology for the front contact metallization. On the other hand, silver screen printing causes higher Si wafer breakage and results in conversion loss due to high line resistivity, poor aspect ratio and large printing spot size. Moreover, the high price of silver also drives up the cost of a solar cell. Copper, more than a hundred times cheaper than silver, is an alternate option for the front contact as its conductivity is comparable to that of silver.2 However, copper has a tendency to diffuse through Si and create recombination sites, which decreases the cell performance. To avoid diffusion of copper in silicon, a metal film has to be deposited that acts as a barrier layer. Among various diffusion barrier materials, Ni is the most promising because of its low bulk resistivity that makes nickel silicide compatible with the semiconductor technology.In this work, a nickel seed layer is deposited on silicon samples with light-induced plating (LIP) to obtain the low-resistive NiSi (1:1) phase. In-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) is carried out along with annealing to understand the phase changes associated with silicide formation (Figure 1). The obtained XRD patterns of nickel deposited by LIP were not comparable with that of EM (electroless metal deposition). Mott-Schottky analysis is carried out to investigate the interface properties of Ni deposited by LIP and electroless methods.3, 4 XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) data confirms the interfacial oxide which hindered the nickel diffusion to form silicide. References M. Razykov; C.S. Ferekides; D. Morel; E. Stefanakos; H.S. Ullal; H.M. Upadhyaya., Sol. Energy, 85, 1580 (2011). Kamp; J. Bartsch; S. Nold; M. Retzlaff; M. Hörteis; S.W. Glunz., Energy Procedia, 8, 558 (2011). Priyadarshani, P. Leuaa, R. Maurya, A. Kottantharayil and M. Neergat, J. Phys. Chem. C, 124, 19990 (2020).B. Bera, A. Chakraborty, T. Kar, P. Leuaa and M. Neergat, J. Phys. Chem. C, 121, 20850−20856 (2017). Figure 1

The Act of Killing: Sins Appearing on the Surface of the Crystal-Image

As one of the critical concepts in Gilles Deleuze's philosophy of cinema, crystal-image makes visible the pure state of time that contains the real and the imaginary, the present and the past, the actual and the virtual in a way that cannot be distinguished from each other. This type of image, in which the virtuality of the past and the actuality of the present coexist, is of great importance in providing an audio-visual context that can be investigated to discover the connection between time and memory. In this article, firstly, based on Henri Bergson's views on time and memory, recollection-image and the use of flashback will be considered, and in connection with this, it will be explained what the crystal-image is. Then, it is aimed to reveal the characteristics of the perfect crystal-image, which is the first of the four types mentioned by Deleuze, through the analysis of The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012), which is identified as one of the contemporary examples. In line with this goal, the self-confrontation of paramilitary gang leader Anwar Congo, who is the main character, through becoming a spectator of his own life due to the manifestation of the pure state of time within the crystal-image, will be explained by analyzing certain scenes selected from the documentary. In addition, the possibility of transmission of the crystallized personal memory to the silver screen independently and objectively from the fictional history that surrounds it will be investigated, and the possible practical benefits of crystal-image will be addressed through the change in the perception of the national and international public opinion regarding the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966 after the screening of the documentary.

Between the scene and the silver screen: early Romanian cinema and the rediscovery of the ‘lost’ woman film pioneer Marioara Voiculescu

ABSTRACT Although some significant contributions to early filmmaking production and exhibition involve strong entrepreneurial female figures, very few women’s names appear in the histories of Balkan cinemas. Based on original archival research and press of the time, this article foregrounds the filmmaking activities of the Romanian theatre director and actress Marioara Voiculescu (1885–1976) and the role of her star persona and theatrical experience in the making of early fiction films produced by Leon M. Popescu’s Filmul de Artă company. Voiculescu achieved considerable success during her lifetime, a prolific stage career, founding her own theatre company in 1912, and playing a key role in the production of early films in 1913, yet she has received scant attention in film scholarship thus far. By shifting the focus to Voiculescu’s contribution to early cinema in Romania, I reflect more broadly on the spaces and roles that women occupied in popular culture within the ongoing process of modernisation of Romanian society.

‘For better or for worse, there is history, there is the book and then there's the movie’: Foregrounding and Marginalizing African American Women in the Film Hidden Figures (2016)

This paper critically examines the representation of gender and race in the biographical drama film Hidden Figures (2016), directed by Theodore Melfi. The film is based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s nonfiction book of the same title, which spotlights previously hidden figures in US history: the black female mathematicians who worked in the early US space program. The movie was released to critical acclaim and embraced by audiences as empowering African American girls. At the same time, the film was criticized for including a ‘white savior’ scene in which the black female protagonists are marginalized.&#x0D; After providing background information on Shetterly’s book and the film’s critical reception, this paper conducts a close formal analysis of a pivotal sequence in the film, which is compared to the events told in the nonfiction book. To shed light on the power structures that the film sequence projects, the results of this analysis are, subsequently, related to critical theoretical approaches to Hollywood cinema, as well as to Sara Ahmed’s concept of ‘affective economies.’ In conclusion, we argue that Hollywood filmmakers’ expectations about the desires of ‘mainstream’ audiences work to perpetuate the repression of previously repressed herstory on the ‘silver screen.’

Martial Culture, Silver Screen: War Movies and the Construction of American Identity. Edited by Matthew Christopher Hulbert and Matthew E. Stanley

<i>Martial Culture, Silver Screen: War Movies and the Construction of American Identity</i>. Edited by Matthew Christopher Hulbert and Matthew E. Stanley

Design, test and build of a monopropellant thruster using 85% hydrogen peroxide

The objective of this research is to design, build, and test about a 5N Hydrogen Peroxide(H2O2) monopropellant thruster (MPT). It is utilized in remote sensing satellites for attitude control and orbit manoeuvres. The MPT uses high test peroxide (HTP) of 85 % concentration. Firstly, H2O2 ≈85% concertation by weight is prepared in the laboratory. A distillation and filtration units are built. The distillation and filtration processes are performed. Next, the design of the monopropellant thruster is done based on the developed mathematical model using NASA CEA rocket performance code. The test facility is developed which consists of the thruster, the feeding system, static test stand and data acquisition system with measuring sensors. An experimental test stand is designed and fabricated with Pendulum thrust mechanism for measurements of thrust. Finally, the silver catalyst is prepared and packed inside the MPT chamber where silver screens of high purity 99.96 % are used. The 10-firing tests are conducted under atmospheric conditions. The firings performed without heating are not completely successful. The analysis of the results shows that the thruster has a thrust range from 3.8-4.2 N. The performance of thruster starts to decay after consuming 6 kg of stabilized H2O2. The specific impulse (Is) is evaluated to be ≈93-97s at decomposition pressure of ≈10 bars and mass flow rate conf≈4.18 g/s. The performance evaluation is judged to be successful. However, using the whole potential of the 85% concentrated H2O2, is expected to increase (Is) up to ≈111.5s.

From burlesque to horror: a century of sleepwalking on the silver screen

BackgroundLong before being described as a disorder, sleepwalking was considered as a mysterious phenomenon inspiring artwork. From the early beginning of cinema, sleepwalkers were shown to populations, playing a crucial role in storytelling and collective knowledge. ObjectiveWe characterized how sleepwalking has been portrayed in a large number of movies from the origins of cinema to recent years. MethodsMovies containing the words “sleepwalking” or “somnambulism” were searched for in International Movie Databases. Types of movies, sleepwalking characters, postures and behaviors during episodes, triggers, and suggested treatments were collected. ResultsProduction of 87 movies and 22 cartoons portraying sleepwalkers was clustered around two peaks, in the 1910s and 2010s. Comedies predominated before 1960, and thriller/horror movies as a dominant genre after 1960. In contrast with real-life sleepwalking epidemiology, sleepwalkers are more often portrayed as women than men (and often wearing a transparent white nightgown), as adults more than children on-screen, and 23% suffered psychiatric comorbidities. The unrealistic posture of outstretched arms and eyes closed was found in 20% of movies and 79% of cartoons. Night terrors, sexsomnias (kissing, having sex, initiated pregnancy), sleep-related eating and sleep driving were also featured. Homicides and falls while sleepwalking were recurrent fear-inducing topics. The first sleep EEG was featured in a sleepwalking movie in 1985, and a sleep specialist gave his first advice in 1997. DiscussionThe representation of sleepwalking on the screen seems to have evolved from popular, unrealistic stereotypes of somnambulism towards a medical condition, paralleling the development of sleep medicine.

Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western

While the 1930s in the United States is oftentimes overshadowed by the effects of the Great Depression on everything from the economy to everyday life, at the same time, it was an era filled with avid moviegoers. The advent of sound in film provided a unique opportunity for minority filmmakers to contribute to the early cinema. African American filmmakers like Spencer Williams, for example, turned to the genre of the western because it was a familiar genre for both mainstream and minority audiences. It was also cheap to produce, a boon for screenwriters and directors like Williams with limited budgets. By adopting a popular genre like the western, Williams brought minority perspectives to the silver screen during a period when these perspectives were often met with hostility or completely ignored within mainstream culture. In doing so, Williams includes elements of the western that are familiar to audiences, such as the singing cowboy genre. He then pairs this familiar element with subversive ones like the use of dialect and the trickster figure. Through an analysis of Williams’s adhesion to and disruption of tendencies in the western, it becomes clear how he appealed to both white and black audiences during a period of poverty, unemployment, and segregation. In addition to this, a closer look at William’s manipulation of a western like Harlem Rides the Range helps locate and explore black identity in early cinema history.

Lights, camera, scalpel: a lookback at 100years of plastic surgery on the silver screen.

BackgroundThe presentation of medical topics in the cinema can greatly influence the public’s understanding and perception of a medical field, with regard to the doctors and surgeons, medical diagnosis, and treatment and outcome expectations. This study aims to evaluate the representation of plastic surgery in commercial films that include a character with a link to plastic surgery, either as a patient or surgeon.MethodsThe international film databases Internet Movie Database (IMDb), The American Film Institute (AFI), and British Film Institute (BFI) were searched from 1919 to 2019 to identify feature-length films with a link to plastic surgery. Movies were visualized and analyzed to identify themes, and the portrayal of plastic surgery was rated negative or positive, and realistic or unrealistic.ResultsA total of 223 films were identified from 1919 to 2019, produced across 19 countries. Various genres were identified including drama (41), comedy (25), and crime (23). A total of 172 patient characters and 57 surgeon characters were identified as major roles, and a further 102 surgeons as minor roles. Disparities were noted in presentation of surgeons, both in terms of race and gender, with the vast majority of surgeons being white and male. In total only 11 female surgeons were portrayed and only one black surgeon. Thirteen themes emerged: face transplantation, crime, future society, surgeon mental status, body dysmorphic disorder, vanity, anti-aging, race, reconstructive surgery, deformity, scarring, burns, and gender transitioning. The majority of films (146/223) provide an unrealistic view of plastic surgery, painted under a negative light (80/146). Only 20 films provide a positive realistic image (24/77).ConclusionsThere exists a complicated relationship between plastic surgery and its representation on film. Surgical and aesthetic interventions are portrayed unrealistically, with surgeons and patients presented negatively, perpetuating stigma, particularly with regard to cosmetic surgery. Cinema is also characterized by lack of representation of female and non-white surgeons. Recruitment of surgeons as technical advisors would help present a more realistic, representative view, without necessarily sacrificing creativity.Level of evidence: Not ratable.