Sohrab Modi’s: The Tiger and The Flame: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) in The Light of The Biopic and Hagiopic
Nandita Ramlakhan 10441247
MA Media Studies: Film Studies MA Thesis
Supervisor: Dr. Sudha Rajagopalan 20 July 2014
Abstract
This thesis contains a comparison of the filmic representations of two historical female figures namely, Jeanne D’Arc from France and Jhansi Ki Rani from India. Though they both have a different background, religious, cultural and historical, certain similarities regarding their lives can be traced back in history, as well as, in films. In both history and films they feature as epic female figures, who set an example for their nations by means of their rebellion against the British invaders.
In this thesis, I would like to examine whether the filmic representation of Jhansi Ki Rani can be compared to the filmic description of Jeanne D’Arc. By means of utilizing the conventions of the biopic and hagiopic genres, two concepts which will further be illuminated in this thesis, along with my case studies, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) by Luc Besson and The Tiger and The Flame: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) by Sohrab Modi, I attempt to elucidate how these genres along with their conventions position the filmic representations of Jeanne D’Arc and Jhansi Ki Rani.
The conclusion of this thesis provides a response to the hypothetical question of whether the filmic representations of Jeanne D’Arc and Jhansi Ki Rani exemplify the hagiopic or biopic conventions.
Acknowledgements
This thesis would not have been possible without the help of many others. First of all, I would like to thank my parents Sila Ramlakhan-Ramdin and Soebhas Ramlakhan who have given me an opportunity of an education at the best universities, and always have supported me in every single one of my decisions. Without their guidance and persistence I do not know where I would have been today.
I’m also very grateful for my late nani (grandmother), she has always expressed the necessity of education towards all her grandchildren. Also, because of her storytelling I got acquainted with countless narratives of the legend, Jhansi Ki Rani. Furthermore, I would also like to thank Dr. Sudha Rajagopalan for her supervision, because her advice regarding my thesis was most certainly indispensable. She has given me great insight on how to approach these historical female figures (freedom fighters) and contrast their filmic representations in the light of the biopic and hagiopic. Above and beyond her, I would also like to thank Dr. Laura Copier, since, I really got interested in the relationship between religion and film as a study, while taking her courses.
Additionally, I would also like to thank the University of Amsterdam for
the wonderful, interesting and inspiring (guest) lectures and colleges I followed. I have learned a great deal about film in one year. I was educated to critically understand film, as well as, changes in film and cinema culture. On top of that I have gained so much in-depth knowledge regarding varied research fields such as, media archeology, the philosophy of film and religion and film. Also, aside from learning to think theoretically about film and cinema, this MA study has also taught me other essential academic skills such as, writing and doing research in this field.
regarding film has helped me to sharpen my creative and critical mindset during this year and with writing this MA thesis
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements _______________________________________ p. 3-4 1. Introduction __________________________________________ p. 6-18 2. Film Genre an Introduction ______________________________ p. 19-35
2.1 The Biopic _________________________________________ p. 26-28 2.2 The Hagiopic _______________________________________ p. 29-35 3. Analysis of The Filmic Representation of Jeanne D’Arc in
Luc Besson’s: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
(1999) in The Light of The Biopic and Hagiopic _______________ p. 36-52 3.1 Filmic Analysis in The Light of The Biopic ________________ p. 38-43 3.2 Filmic Analysis in The Light of The Hagiopic ______________ p. 43-52 4. Analysis of The Filmic Representation of Jhansi Ki Rani in
Sohrab Modi’s: The Tiger and The Flame: Jhansi Ki Rani
(1953) in The Light of The Biopic and Hagiopic _______________ p. 53-72 4.1 Filmic Analysis in The Light of The Biopic ________________ p. 54-64 4.2 Filmic Analysis in The Light of The Hagiopic ______________ p. 64-72 5. Conclusion ____________________________________________ p. 73-76 6. Appendix A: Luc Besson and The Messenger:
The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) _____________________________ p. 77-80 7. Appendix B: Sohrab Modi and The Tiger and The Flame:
Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) ___________________________________ p. 81-86 8. Bibliography __________________________________________ p. 87-88
1. Introduction
When one looks up the definition of the word freedom, one is immediately overloaded with the many descriptions given by numerous dictionaries, be it online or in books, e.g. oxforddictionaries.com elucidates on several meanings of the noun ‘freedom’ as “1. the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants; 2. the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved; 3. (freedom from) the state of not being subject to or affected by (something undesirable).” One may declare that freedom then is knowingly linked with synonyms such as, independence, imprisonment and liberty. A great deal of history has been written based on these synonyms, and nations then struggled for not being subjected to prejudices, discrimination, colonization, ethnic cleansing, slavery, imprisonment etc. Nowadays, citizens are still fighting for their freedom. History repeats itself, and human beings are sluggish in learning about the significance of freedom and therefore remain ignorant until this day.
As a child I was always fascinated with the term freedom, but more in particular how freedom was executed by people, specifically freedom fighters. Perhaps, because I cannot stand injustice towards humanity, prejudices or discrimination myself. So, at an early age I gave presentations on the lives and principles of freedom fighters at elementary school, wrote papers about their ideologies in high-school, watched their biographical films, read their books or articles whenever I had time, in order to understand their beliefs and philosophies.
Hence, I was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi (October 2, 1869 –January 30, 19480), who was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-India, led India to independence and encouraged non-violent movements, along with freedom, and civil rights. He is also known as the Father of The Nation, and his life, principles or philosophy are commemorated on his birthday, 2 October world-wide, as the International Day of Non-Violence. One may say that Gandhi’s philosophy was, and still is, pragmatic, as well as his
message, which was in essence as he himself said “My life is my message.” In addition to this, Dr. Martin Luther King (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968), famous for his “I have a dream” speech, being an activist, clergymen, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King was also acknowledged for his role in the development of non-violent civil rights and disobedience, and also became a national icon in history. To conclude, Nelson Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013), whom was also known as Madiba (his clan name), became the most famous South-African and anti-apartheid activist, first African president of South-Africa and was accredited world-wide for tackling and fighting against racism, poverty and inequality.
Although I’m well aware that these men are of course three of the myriad male freedom fighters out there, until this day their beliefs have always influenced and moved me along with many others. Furthermore, they are representations of the same principle, namely, freedom in equality, in speech, to believe, to not be confined for acting against injustice or to be subjected to someone else’s rule or power, but to be free men and women in this world. While I was pondering over these men, I mulled over the concept of freedom fighters even more, given that these men have a made a huge mark in history and set an example for others. What about female freedom fighters and their place in history?
I browsed the internet for famous female freedom fighters and I instantly got a hold of many lists which involved women, who either led a revolt, or rebellion during their quest for freedom. Whilst I browsed, I also considered the courses I took throughout this year, in particular the Film & Religion classes I took in the first semester. One of the topics we discussed, and kept lingering in my mind was the article written by Paul Schrader, Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer. In this article from the 1970s, Schrader observes and scrutinizes that, “film has developed a transcendental style, a style which has
been used by various artists in diverse cultures to express the Holy” (Schrader, 3), and takes films from Ozu, Bresson and Dreyer as an example of this style. He claims that:
Transcendental style uses temporal means – camera angles, dialogue, editing – for predetermined transcendental ends … Transcendental style is not a vague label like “religious film” which can be attached to films which feature religious themes and evoke appropriate emotions; it is not a catch basin for all the sniffles, sobs and goose bumps one has experienced at religious films. It is neither a personal vision nor an official catechism. It is not necessarily typified by Joan at the stake, Christ on the Mount, or St. Francis among the flowers; it is not necessarily suffering, preaching, or good will come among the men. It is only necessarily a style
(4)
Transcendental style is not a “vague label like “religious film” where one can be emotionally involved, and induce “appropriate emotions.” Moreover, transcendental style is also not a personal image or “an official catechism” as he states. It is only a style, but it has three stages: everyday, disparity and stasis (119-120).
Additionally, according to Schrader, Transcendental style has unfortunately fallen under “the jurisdiction of journalese” (5) mainly amidst film critics. Thus, Schrader concludes that, “ “Transcendental” is currently a catch-all term for the imprecise film critic: a film’s plot, setting, acting, theme, and direction are all spoken of transcending each other or themselves, and “style” can refer to anything from camera angle, to a way of life (5).
In addition to Schrader’s article, Melanie Wright’s excerpts of her book Religion and Film was also on the weekly reading schedule. Her book discusses the aspects of the inter-relationship of religion and cinema while drawing on cultural studies approaches and films like, La Passion de Jeanne D’Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928). What was interesting to observe here, is how the concept of the Transcendental/Religion was illuminated by these authors in their own manner and was linked to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), a silent film produced in France and based on the trial of Joan of Arc. Seeing that
movie while comprehending Schrader’s view on the transcendental, as well as, Wright’s visions of religion in films, made me consider the possibilities of religion in film as a concept.
A few years ago I watched another interpretation of Jeanne D’Arc, namely, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), by director Luc Besson. Along with that version and understanding Dreyer’s intentions of The Passion of Joan of Arc, it raised my interest in the narrative of Jeanne D’Arc as a freedom fighter even more. To many the story of Jeanne D’Arc is one of the greatest narratives of modern combat in history. As a teenage girl, Jeanne was inspired by the voices of saints/divine. She was further notorious for her boyish haircut, wore a military garment, and revolted against the British during the Hundred Years War, when the French were on the verge of losing. As a result of that, Henry VI of England claimed the rights to the French throne. Hence, after she assured the French military of her mission, Jeanne was determined and completed the compulsory examinations. As a consequence, she was given troops to command and received a military rank as captain and led the French to their first victories.
Her victory and the battle of Orleans in May of 1429, is principally in the main
considered as an extraordinary achievement, and was credited with her presence during the coronation of Charles VII King of France that summer. Furthermore, at the inauguration, Jeanne was given a place of nobility next to the king, and was praised for her services. However, the following year, she was incarcerated in combat and turned over to a religious court. This ecclesiastical court tried her for witchcraft and for heresy. Yet, much of this trial focused on the fact that she was indifferent towards women’s clothes, and therefore the orthodox opponent claimed that to wear men’s garment is a crime against God. This resulted in her conviction and on 30 May 1431 she was burned at the stake. Jeanne D’Arc was 20 years old when she departed this life.
this, Pamela Grace, author of The Religious Film, claims that, “for over five hundred years, painters, sculptors, composers, playwrights, and poets have explored the life of Joan of Arc” (Grace 120). Additionally, Grace continues and states that “most portrayals of Joan celebrate her courage and achievements, even if they stray from historical facts” (Grace 120). Moreover, Grace then gives a few examples in her book of authors that either romanticize Jeanne D’Arc as an “embodiment of virtue,” “one that undergoes intense personal conflict, but finally regains her sense of purity and moral purpose,” or as, “one that has no virtues at all” (Grace 120).
One may notice that for these reasons Jeanne D’Arc, “the illiterate peasant girl who led an army, brought about the coronation of a king and changed the history of France” (Grace 120), remains a lively topic till today. Accordingly, authors that invest a lot of time in Jeanne D’Arc as a topic can be identified as “Johannic,” and they mainly focus on “the Maid of Orleans,” or her brief appearance in history that occurs during the last phase of the Hundred Year’s War between Lancastrian England and Valois France. Furthermore, numerous volumes have been written on Jeanne D’Arc’s influence during that dramatical and critical moment in history.
Until now those events regarding the war and the army she led remain controversial. According to Stephan W. Richey claims in his book, Joan of Arc; The Warrior Saint, that for those “Joannicists” there is an insufficient recognition of her military role, not just as a “warrior” but as a “military leader,” and further indentifies questions concerning her military career. In view of the fact that, Jeanne D’Arc’s often told story is mostly summarized and supported by the usual principal references that refer to her courageous character and achievements. Hence, despite the fact that military historians praise Jeanne D’Arc in the last phase of the Hundred Years War, Richey attempts to develop his own rationale by elucidating her performance as that of a warrior. For instance, Richey insightfully refers to the numerous
instances that allowed Jeanne D’Arc to exploit her martial skills. He speculates that they derived from her innate intelligence and self confidence.
The narrative of Jeanne D’Arc can easily undergo certain transformations may it be in a painting, poem, play narrative or even film. So to say, artists have the power to either strengthen, weaken her as a character, or embody her as someone, a mission from the divine. While reading excerpts of Richey’s book along with the descriptions of Jeanne D’Arc as a warrior it also reminded me of my late grandmother and the stories she used to tell me about an Indian warrior queen or heroine, namely, The Rani (queen) of Jhansi also known as Lakshmibai and later as Jhansi Ki Rani. What I found interesting to observe, is that like Jeanne D’Arc she was another young woman, who centuries after her, also fell victim to the British rule and fought for the freedom of her country.
Throughout the Indian history, many ballads, books, articles, movies, plays, paintings and statues etcetera have been dedicated to honour the rebel queen Jhansi Ki Rani. She embodied the archetype of a strong woman, the Virangana, during the first war of independence (which is sometimes called “Mutiny” or “Great Upheaval”). This virangana woman is a female who will perform by tradition and therefore, will be reserved towards men. However, when it comes to military fashion she will courageously take actions against any oppression. Moreover, she is always an optimistic figure in historical examples as well as, in literature. In addition to this and according to Theo Damsteegt, who also discusses the virangana in his article: Who Would Marry a Strong Woman? A Short Story by Bhagvaticharan Varma, Jhansi Ki Rani was one of these women who embodied this virangana spirit, and in many novels appears as an influential fighter for India’s Independence.
not bow down for the British Empire made her well known in other districts of India that also suffered from the British colonialization. She sought support of others, and formed a volunteer army when the British wanted the state Jhansi. This army did not consist of men only but also women were actively involved. They were also given military training to fight in battle.
Born in the year 1835 to a Maharashtrian family at Kashi, which is now named Varanasi, Jhansi Ki Rani was raised in an unconventional way. Her father’s name was Morapant and her mother’s name was Bhagirathi. Through her childhood, she was called by the name Manikarnika and her pet name was Manu. Unfortunately, Manikarnika lost her mother at a very young age and as a result of that, the responsibility of raising her fell upon her father. As a child she grew up in the company of Nana Sahib who was the son of the Peshwa Bajirao. Later he would also be legendary for his bravery and his denial to bow before the cruelty and cunning rule of the British Empire.
Her early life was spent in Benares, Bithur and Bundelkhand where she was brought up amongst boys. One of her childhood playmates and cousin was, Nana Sahib. Thus, she received training in fencing, wrestling, hand-to-hand fighting, firing guns and horse-riding. It was also at an early age that she got married in the year 1842, and became the second wife to Rai (king) Gangadhar Rao Niwalkar, a Maratha ruler of Jhansi and whose family were British loyalists. On her wedding day she was given the name Lakshmibai, and her wedding ceremony was held at a Ganesh temple, located in the old Jhansi.
In 1851, she gave birth to a son, but sadly the child did not survive and died
after four months. As Gangadhar became seriously ill, the couple adopted a boy Damodar. To ensure that the British did not raise an issue over this, the adoption got witnessed by the local British representatives. Soon, Gangadhar died and after his death. Lord Dalhousie who was then the Governor General and following the Doctrine of Lapse, refused to accept
Damodar as heir and successor (which was in accordance with Hindu tradition) to Gangadhar’s throne, and annexed the state of Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse.
Lakshmibai on the other hand, was too brave a woman to be persuaded or
intimidated at first and even hired a British lawyer to appeal her case in London. Despite the strong argumentation of these petitions her case was rejected. Still, she was firm on the decision not to give up the dominion of Jhansi to the British and to strengthen its defences. Thus, she assembled a volunteer army of men and women and joined the rebellion. In Inscribing the Rani of Jhansi in Colonial ‘Mutiny’ Fiction, which discusses nineteenth century “Mutiny” novels on how they cast the Rani and the Rebellion within the contemporary colonial stereotypes, Indrani Sen, fascinatingly attempts to illuminate the diverse politics and representations of Jhansi Ki Rani by means of operating on the opinions of these writers. In consequence, Sen also discusses that, “The role of the Rani has been the subject of great debate among modern historians, as perhaps has been the nature of the Rebellion itself” (1755).
Until this day it has not been clear why Lakshmibai joined the Rebellion. In the words of Sen, colonial discussion principally tended to focus on two aspects: the first was whether she had in fact been driven to rebellion by the unjust treatment meted out to her by the British Rule, which culminated in the annexation of Jhansi. The second aspect, as also argued by Sen, “evoked strong reactions among the British and was whether she had been responsible for the massacre of about 60 English men, women and children who had taken shelter in one of the forts at Jhansi” (1755). The Europeans were promised safe conduct but later were killed. Hence, this incident was considered as an act of perfidious cruelty.
In addition to this, Sen also argues that, “In the colonial imagination this event stood second in its perfidy only to the Satichaura ghat and Bibighar incidents at “Cawnpore” (Kanpur)” (1755). Nonetheless, the Rani was not perceived as entirely evil, since Nana
Sahib was called as the “butcher of Cawnpore” (Sen 1755) by the colonialists, and was identified in the colonial mind by the Satichaura Ghat incident. Here, European men, women and children had been fired at allegedly at his orders. Even though the colonizers saw the Rani as the enemy and believed she was responsible for the Jhansi massacre, their outlook on the Rani was more nuanced, because in their eyes she was also a tragic figure – a person, who had been the victim of the British colonial rule, as well as, their policies, annexation, and the Doctrine of Lapse.
Despite these allegations, the Rani maintained that she was innocent of these
killings, but her statement of innocence was never accepted by the British Rule. Sen, informs us that eyewitnesses testimonies of European survivors later confirmed her innocence, but “such testimonies were generally disregarded in the post-Mutiny revenge hysteria, and, generally speaking, the Rani entered colonial memory as a cruel “unwomanly” killer of innocent women and children” (1755).
Additionally, Sen continues and argues that, “Nationalist historians, who some- times term the Rebellion the “first war of independence” have traditionally tried to paint the Rani as fiercely anti-British and anti-colonial and tried to appropriate her as a symbol of “nationalism” and patriotic resistance” (1755). Sen then further continues that, “Other historians like R. C. Majumdar have rescued her from the “nationalist” paradigm and revealed her to be more of a “reluctant rebel,” who joined the mutineers because of English intransigence in coming to her assistance” (1755). According to Sen, Majumdar also noted that the Rani “had to carry on a fight against her own kinsmen and rival Indian chiefs, and to the very last, i.e., till at least March 1858 when the curtain was slowly falling over the great drama in north India, she was yet undecided whether she would fight against the British or make alliance with them” (1755).
“historians of all leanings are united in praising the heroism and courage with which she ultimately faced the English troops” (1755) In essence, whatever the details might have been in reality, the fact remains that the Rani attempt to resist relations who pledged their claims to the throne. Furthermore, Lakshmibai’s efforts to reinstate her adopted son and declare her right over Jhansi have all been admired. Furthermore, the will-power and determination that she demonstrated in defying the governor-general’s rejection of her appeals was also worthy of praise. In Sen’s words “a determination summed up in her famed, although possibly apocryphal declaration, ‘Mein Jhansi nahi doongi’ (I will not give up Jhansi)” (1755).
The Rani of Jhansi was certainly no match for the British power. After losing Jhansi, she fought from the fort of Gwalior. The British captured fort Gwalior three days later and in the report of the battle for Gwalior, General Sir Hugh Rose declared that the Rani was “remarkable for her beauty, cleverness and perseverance,” and had been “the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders.” It is also believed that, when she was lying unconscious in the battle field a Brahmin (priest) found her and brought her back to an ashram, where she died in June 1858.
Surely, she could not overpower the British forces but she fought till her last breath with such bravery, courage and wisdom and laid down her life for the sake of freedom, and independence of her state Jhansi and set an example for the rest of India. Her influence remains profound for her courageous attitude towards the East India Company’s rule, and due to her sacrifices she became an icon for the Indian Independence Movement.
Michael White’s historical novel, Lachmi Bai Rani of Jhansi, The Jeanne D’Arc of India also deals with Jhansi Ki Rani’s rebellion and frames her in the role of the Jeanne D’Arc of India. Moreover, White further depicts her as a women with “masterly skill the brains, unceasing energy and indomitable courage which enabled her to rouse the native princess to
strike a blow for freedom” (White 299). In addition to this, he continues that her “beauty, woman’s wit and earnestness of purpose, make her a fascinating heroine, both in romance and history” (White 299) descriptions which are worth paying attention too and should also be considered when contemplating about Jeanne D’Arc.
Reading and understanding White’s novel gave me a better impression
why the narrative of the Indian Jhansi Ki Rani is often compared to France’s Jeanne D’Arc. These young women raised patriotism in their nations and amongst the people. They became known as freedom fighters, and as women led an army of men and fought like warriors, which may sound extraordinary then and now but as result of this, they became the national symbols in their own countries, they inspired lots of women around the world, and featured in the myriad artistic forms years after they deceased.
Though, I am aware that the word “warrior” is used in gender-specific ways (that is, often applied to men), I would still like to differentiate Jeanne D’Arc and Jhansi Ki Rani from the male freedom fighters I have mentioned earlier. They bravely fought against the British, in a time where it was dubious for women to participate in war. Despite this fact, women warriors are not as exceptional in history as according, David E. Jones who wrote and dedicated a book on Women Warriors. This book tells the story of women in battle (from Cleopatra to Joan of Arc to Thusnelda the Teutonic warrior, and the twentieth century’s Ming Kai) and discusses and reveals a clear pattern of women as warriors by taking the reader back through history as well as around the world.
Throughout the book, Jones’s commenting on the nature of their gender, power of their warrior representation and on the image’s source of history and succeeds in revealing that the use of women in battle is not as extraordinary as generally believed. While comprehending Jones’s passages it seemed logical to refer to Jeanne D’Arc and Jhansi Ki
Rani as female freedom warriors since they have bravely struggled in the battle for the freedom of their countries, and their presence was indispensible during those days.
Thus, with the above mentioned matter in mind, how can one compose a parallel
examination of these two legendary female freedom warriors in the context of a filmic analysis? Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is, to examine the filmic representations of, Jhansi Ki Rani in The Tiger and The Flame: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) by Sohrab Modi and Jeanne D’Arc in The Messenger: The Story of Jeanne D’Arc (1999) by Luc Besson. I have selected these movies in particular, since they demonstrate the lives of these historical filmic depictions from childhood, to adolescent state and until their death. Hence, it is easier to compose an analysis and observe certain similarities and dissimilarities in their filmic representation. Furthermore, by means of focusing on two genres the biopic and the hagiopic, I attempt to further examine the filmic representations of my case studies.
In order to expand my research, in chapter two, I intend to dissect the term film genre first. Thus, in this chapter two, I shall propose to elucidate how the biopic and hagiopic ascended as film genres. Followed by this investigation, in the second and last paragraph of this chapter, I intend to study the definitions, conventions and answer the intricate questions regarding the biopic and hagiopic genre, before I will employ them in analyzing the filmic representation of my case studies.
Subsequently, in chapter three, I will then finally start with the filmic portrayal of Jeanne D’arc in The Messenger: The Story of Jeanne D’Arc (1999) by Luc Besson. After this examination, in chapter four, I will move forward to the filmic description of Jhansi Ki Rani in The Tiger and The Flame: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) by Sohrab Modi. By means of scrutinizing the characteristics of these genres when studying these filmic representations, I endeavor to demonstrate how and why these films can be classified as a biopic, or hagiopic, or embody elements of both these genres.
To finish, I intend to conclude my findings and hopefully provide an answer to the hypothesis of this thesis, and that is whether the filmic representation of Jhansi Ki Rani in The Tiger and The Flame: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) by Sohrab Modi can be compared to that of the filmic description of Jeanne D’Arc in The Messenger: The Story of Jeanne D’Arc (1999) by Luc Besson in the light of the biopic and hagiopic conventions.
2. Film Genre an Introduction
This chapter will first focus on film genre and what is generally understood by this term, since, viewers can also dismiss film genres based on being simply to readable. It is therefore important to understand that genres are best used to explain and analyze films instead of evaluating them. Consequently, in this chapter I will discuss certain questions regarding this concept such as, the etymology of the word genre; the complexity of this concept and its connotations, what defines a genre of a film; the significance of changes in genre; the essentiality of film genres for filmmakers; the importance of genre conventions, and iconography with reference to this concept.
When looking at the etymology of the word genre, it is interesting to observe
that the word itself is borrowed from the French in the early nineteenth century, and literally means “a kind” (oxforddictionaries.com). Furthermore, according to oxforddictionaries.com, genre is also defined as, “a style or category of art, music, or literature.” Hence, one may agree that art is subjective, and it means something else to every person out there contemplating on this subject matter and thus question now, “what makes film a category of art,” or “on what grounds can film be considered as art”? At its best film in my opinion is art, or an artistic/creative performance through a pictorial image.
I would like to pay attention to a quote by Thomas Merton from his book No Man Is an Island, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” As an Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic, for me Merton captures the essence of what art is, since this quote evokes exactly what film does to one and other. For instance: film can express certain feelings and as a result, call to mind varied emotions, it can capture moments and therefore take you back to instances that happened in the past, or will even take place in the future. Furthermore, films can also have a mirroring effect; it can confine or interpret the
world within our hearts or even outside. Also, nowadays one can easily decide on what film to view or what film to dismiss merely based on film genres. Still, what does one exactly mean when we speak of a film genre?
According to Bordwell and Thompson’s book Film Art An Introduction, “we can speak of film genres when we’re indicating certain types of movies” (329). Additionally, Altman discusses in his book Film/Genre that, “In many ways, the study of film genre is no more than an extension of literary genre study” (Altman 13). What Altman is trying to elucidate is, that genres of film are similar to literary genres. In addition to this, Richard T. Jameson confers in his book, They Went Thataway: Redefining Film Genres: A National Society of Film Critics Guide on film genre as a means to define families or ethnic group,
Genre isn’t a word that pops up in every conversation about films – or every
review – but the idea is second nature to the movies and our awareness of them. Movies belong to genres much as the way people belong to families or ethnic groups.
(Jameson p ix)
What is interesting to note, is that these authors are trying to inform us that film genres can be categorized like literary genres and that any moviegoer can come up with a mental image when discussing classics, westerns, musicals, comedies, war films, science-fiction, horror or a gangster picture, may it be conceptual or visual.
Going back to Bordwell and Thompson again, they too elucidate that the word genre is also related to the word genus, which according to them is used in the biological sciences to classify groups of plants and animals (329). Film genres as types of movies, such as, the western, the action film, the comedy or the science-fiction film are genres of fictional storytelling cinema. However, Bordwell and Thompson also state that, “Scientists can usually place plants or animals within a single genus with confidence, but film genres lack that sort of scientific precision” (329).
In addition to this, Altman, who approaches the classical tradition of film genre studies, and as well attempts to reveal problematic stands and strategies by sketching out recent approaches and articles towards film genres, claims the following,
According to most critics, genres provide formulas that drive production; genres constitute the structures that define individual texts; programming decisions are based primarily on generic criteria; the interpretation of generic films depends directly on the audience’s generic expectations.
(Altman 14)
What Altman is trying to clarify is that all these aspects are inherent in genre, also in the same way as when we are talking about film genres. It is interesting to note, that Altman’s view on genre is somewhat paralleled to that of Bordwell and Thompson’s, since he also argues that genre is not your typical term which is easily understood but it is an intricate concept with multiple meanings. Additionally, both authors agree that defining exact borders between genres can be complicated.
Despite the fact that this concept is complex and has many connotations, Bordwell and Thompson still argue that genre “develops informally.” Moreover, according to Bordwell and Thompson, “Filmmakers, industry decision makers, critics, and viewers all share the sense that certain films resemble one another in significant ways, and “Genres also change over time, as filmmakers invent new twists on old formulas” (329-330). Consequently, Bordwell and Thompson discuss that genres are defined by our intuition and that is what categorizes a film genre. Likewise Bordwell and Thompson’s arguments on defining film genre, Altman’s views on this concept are identical to the extent that according to him, “Genres are defined by the film industry and recognized by the mass audience” (15).
familiar with the genres of their cultures. For instance, Bordwell and Thompson use the following examples of genres that are known facts in these cultures, such as, devotionals which can be found in Hindi cinema, Heimatfilm in German cinema, and films centering on the lives of saints or religious figures, as well as the mythological, derived from legend and literary classics, and to finish Mexican filmmakers developed the cabaretera, a type of melodrama centering on prostitutes (330).
These genres or the typical Hollywood genres might even compose a certain structure in one’s life or even a way of seeing the world. As you grow up you might consider or even pretend you are Captain America, Superman, or even a princess from your favorite fairytale. On that note, according to Bordwell and Thompson, “most scholars agree that no genre can be defined in a single hard-and-fast way” (330), for the reason that, some film genres share subjects or themes. For instance, a western is not necessarily about the life or the frontier, or a science-fiction is not automatically about technology. Therefore, the subject matter or theme is not so central to defining other genres. Even though, one may believe that we have a firm sense of what in particular is understood by genre, we may also possibly find films that are also qualified to different genres or as quoted by Bordwell and Thompson, “a film seems to straddle two genres” (331). This “mixing of genres,” is however, something that Bordwell and Thompson mark as an important source of change in film history.
One may wonder now why this change is so significant for the film history. With reference to the above mentioned questions, one may notice that some genre labels are very broad, and in Bordwell and Thompson’s words, for instance, the comedy category can include slapstick comedies, romantic comedies, parodies Austin Powers or even male-oriented comedies such as The Hangover. As they continue, they also discuss that the melodrama of today covers, “stories of crisis in marriage, dysfunctional families like in Magnolia, or doomed love-affairs such as Romeo-and-Juliet model” (331). For this reason, Bordwell and
Thompson claim that, “it’s useful to have the idea of subgenres to refer to distinct and fairly long-lasting types within a genre” (331).
Additionally, what Bordwell and Thompson are trying to elucidate is that these
subgenres will have different principles of their own and possibly appeal to a different audience. For instance, subgenres examples of the romantic comedies that deal with female relationships or mis-matched lovers are for example tearjerkers, ‘chick-flick’ or ‘gal’ films, or the counterpart of these films are called the ‘guy’ films. Furthermore, detective –mystery films are usually considered as the subgenre of crime/gangster films, film noir or suspense/thriller etc.
Considering this information one may come to the realization that genre concepts are imperative for producers to decide on what film to make. Nowadays, the audience taste is a reflection of what films will be produced. Hence, one may observe that there is an immense popularity regarding fantasy films. One great example is the Harry Potter series. Therefore, one may also observe that the promotion is mostly inclined to pinpoint certain film genres. Bordwell and Thompson use “Vampires, Werewolves, Humans” as examples of the Twilight series. In addition to this, critics and entertainment reporters tend to play a part in this and fans will try to see everything that is there to find or view in their genre. Moreover, they will exchange their information via social media, websites, magazines or conventions and in essence preserve certain genres for some time.
However, when analyzing a genre, Bordwell and Thompson do elucidate that, “both filmmakers and film viewers, then, share some general notions about the types of films that compete for our attention” (331). In other words, one mostly consents on genre principles such as, returning aspects one for instance, picks out from a romantic comedy. Bordwell and Thompson further elaborate on these recurring facets that, “for the filmmaker, the conventions are materials they work with. For the viewer, conventions shape our expectations about what
we are likely to see and hear” (331). Therefore, the principles of a certain genre are the building blocks for a director, and for the spectator it forms our anticipation of what we will witness on screen.
In addition to this, these conventions in Bordwell and Thompson’s words, can deal with story and style and they can center on plot patterns e.g. one expects an investigation in a mystery film; other genre conventions are more thematic, involving broad definitions that are called upon again and again e.g. a gangster film often has a standard theme where the price is criminal success and further genre conventions can involve stylistic examples such as, “techniques that would be jarring in one genre may become common in another, (Bordwell and Thompson 332) e.g. low-key and high-contrast lightening is unusual in a musical, however, it’s common in a horror film.
Beside these genre conventions, Bordwell and Thompson also discuss that, “as a visual medium, cinema can also define genres through conventional iconography” (332). This concept, principally consists of “recurring symbolic images” (Bordwell and Thompson 332), that convey meaning from film to film for example, objects and settings often provide the iconography for a genre. Hence, a war film often takes place in a battlefield, a space film takes place in a starship or a distant planet and the musical film can take place in a nightclub or theatre. Also, Bordwell and Thompson further state that, “certain film stars can become iconographic as well – Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand for the musical, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood for the western, Arnold Schwarzenegger for the action picture, Steve Carrell and Seth Rogan for comedy, Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock for romantic drama and comedy (332).
Thus, by knowing these genre conventions and their iconography viewers may have a better conception into the film and its genre. However, as the audience, viewers do expect the genre of the film to endeavor something familiar, but also insist on something new.
Consequently, Bordwell and Thompson therefore claim that, “a film can revise or even reject the conventions associated with its genre. For example, Bugsy Malone is a gangster musical in which children play the traditional adult roles” (332). Accordingly, by combining or contrasting or even rejecting genre conventions, film viewers are forced by film makers to reset their expectations and therefore to connect with the film in fresh ways.
One of the most common ways to approach a film, as I earlier on attempted to
illuminate in this chapter is, by type or genre. I also discussed that genres are types that are generally shared across viewers, filmmakers, critics and by society. Hence, the majority of films are most commonly categorized into genres of parallel storylines, distinctive filmic techniques, thematic implications and familiar iconography. Therefore, when analyzing films and their filmic representations one needs to understand the genre and its conventions first.
Thus, with the above topics in mind, I do consider that dividing genres into
subcategories, while reflecting on genre conventions, as well as, the iconography of a film, will be beneficial for my thesis statement. Besides, we (filmmakers, viewers and critics) all share dissimilar perspectives when it comes to the significant ways certain films resemble. In addition to this, genres also change over time and are defined by our perception and that is what classifies a film. Hence, they are characterized by the film industry and are identified by the mass-audience. Thus, it can be challenging when classifying these films as either a biopic or hagiopic, since Bordwell and Thompson, as previously indicated, argue that genre “develops informally,” in view of the fact that, both my case studies are filmic representations with a different historical, cultural and religious back ground.
Consequently, in the following paragraph, I intend to go into further detail on the previously stated genres, the biopic and hagiopic. I will elaborate on their conventions, in order to broaden my vision when examining and contrasting the filmic representations of Jeanne D’Arc and Jhansi Ki Rani. Firstly, I will begin by elucidating the biopic genre and its
principles. By means of examining how this term came into existence, what the difficulties and approaches are one may stumble upon when categorizing a biopic, and lastly, I will also discuss the conventions of a female biopic, since my case studies deal with two historical female figures.
Followed by this investigation, in the last paragraph of this chapter, I will further move on to the hagiopic and its principles. Firstly, I will discuss what is implied by this term. Also, I attempt to elaborate on the questions that this genre is concerned with and why, and to finish I intend to elaborate on how one can contrast it with the concept of the biopic.
I endeavor to clarify both definitions of these genres and there conventions, as well as, their significance for my investigation, before I analyze and contrast the filmic representations of my case studies.
2.1 The Biopic
The biopic was a term which first came into existence in the 1950’s and according to oxforddictionaries.com it was a blend of a biographical and a picture. In addition to this, Stephan Neale, a Research Professor in Film, Media and Communication Studies at Sheffield Hallam University considered the biopic as a generic term that is broadly used to describe any film “that depicts the life of an historical person, past or present” (Neale 60). He further elaborates in his book, Genre and Hollywood on this concept and provides a significant and comprehensive introduction to the study of genre. Neale’s message in other words conveys that, the biopic intends to explore and reveal the real life stories of noteworthy individuals, the famous and the non-famous, the mysterious to the “well documented,” the deceased and the living. But is it truly easier to state that a film has a biopic genre just by looking at the depiction of a person; may it be in the past or present?
The problem with the “biopic” as a general definition is that it can be in
broad-spectrum assumed as useless and perhaps be recognized only as a sub-genre. For the reason that, if one believes that the purpose of a genre is to guide the expectations of an audience, then the concept of the biopic proposes practically no assistance at all. In essence, the genre depends completely on who the subject was or is e.g. a criminal, hero, musician, a royal figure, or even a warrior. Additionally, boxcleverfilms.nl shares this view in some way, and state that “the Biopic is an umbrella term” that basically covers all of the above scenarios. Consequently, what the biopic gives its audiences to understand is that they are observing accurate information about the real lives of these individuals. Also, there is a fair expectation that viewers will probably discover a formerly hidden truth about the subject in question. Therefore, in relation to the concept of genre, it is also significant to consider what is most constructive for audiences to acknowledge, the emotion or the iconography. For instance, the standard viewer comprehends the term ‘Western’ with imagery of horses, saloon bars, guns, and Stetson hats. The ‘Comedy’ genre for example, involves no such inherent imagery but instead recognizes that the aim of the film is to evoke an emotional response from the audience. This is of course also subjected to and dependant on cultural influences.
Rick Altman, on the other hand, argues that genre is essentially divided into just two sectors, the “semantic” (iconographic elements) and the “syntactic” (structural and symbolic elements). In accordance with Altman’s philosophy, the biopic therefore, composes its own genre and even though the biopic lacks in reliable syntactic qualities, it does however meet the terms with numerous semantic conventions of structure. Furthermore, Altman also claims that the biopic incorporates devices which assists the concentration of time e.g. montage, flashback, voiceover and the use many more of film aesthetics which convey a sense of ‘truth.’
for example when looking at the nature of the central character, period of release, aesthetics and narrative theme. However, I am not interested in elucidating the innumerable ways of classifying a biopic, but what I find significant to examine is how the female biopic is classified, since my filmic analysis concerns two female historical figures.
Accordingly, Robert A. Rosenstone and Constantine Parvulescu authors of A
Companion to The Historical Film, claim that there are not many great female biopics and they state that, “women get the short end of most Hollywood genres, from the western, to the film noir, from the action film and horror to science fiction and even melodrama” (237). They continue that this has to do with the fact that, “a genre that concerns the public achievements of individuals naturally won’t have much use for the half of the population that traditionally has been discouraged, when not outright barred, from playing significant roles in public lives” (237). Therefore, the storyline of the female biopics is mainly focused on, “the downward trajectory” (Robert A. Rosenstone and Constantine Parvulescu 237) with female subjects deceived by their own ambitions, or the restrictions placed on them. In view of Robert A. Rosenstone and Constantine Parvulescu’s observations, it is quite fascinating to perceive this “downward spiral” (Robert A. Rosenstone and Constantine Parvulescu 237), as the basic structure of the female biopic in my filmic analysis.
Thus, in both my case-studies, by means of, examining the approaches of categorizing a biopic; studying the nature of the central character, period of release, aesthetics and narrative theme, as well as, detecting the “downward spiral” (Robert A. Rosenstone and Constantine Parvulescu 237) I attempt to classify these films as a biopic.
2.2 The Hagiopic
The hagiopic, or the “holy or saint” picture in Grace’s words, is a film that represents “the life, or part of the life of a recognized religious hero” but, unlike a conventional biopic, is concerned mainly with its subject’s “relationship to the divine” (Grace 1). Not much has been written on the hagiopic genre, aside from the introduction in Grace’s book, The Religious Film. Here, Grace mentions that many issues which are significant to the hagiopic, have been discussed in earlier studies which films related or overlapped, for instance, “the biopic, spiritual and transcendental film, the Jesus film, and the biblical epic” (Grace 47). Additionally, Grace also confers that, “writings on these types of films have implications for the hagiopic when they address issues such as narrative patterns, questions about the existence of a cinematic religious style, and ideology” (47). In other words, whenever a film has subjects such as, a certain storyline, or discusses the subsistence of a cinematic spiritual approach and principles, it can be associated to the hagiopic. However, what does this term exactly suggest, and how can one contrast it with the biopic genre?
When looking at the word “hagiopic,” one instantly notices another word, namely, hagiography, or “the writing of the lives of saints” (oxforddictionaries.com). According to Grace, not only does this concept suggests hagiography it also makes it a significant feature of this genre. She continues and confers why certain hagiopics are concerned with the hagiography, “Conventional and alternative hagiopics are both concerned with hagiography: the former idealize the hero while the latter may critique this idealization or examine how the hero’s ideas have been distorted by followers or religious institution (2). In essence, even though both of the above mentioned hagiopics deal with hagiography, the usual hagiopic will put the hero on a pedestal, whereas, the unusual hagiopic may assess this filmic representation critically or even study how the idol’s thoughts have become faint throughout the film.
So, when making a film about any major hagiopic hero or idol such as, Jesus Christ the responsiveness of genre principles is inescapable for directors. What this means is that they either have to work with these genre conventions or against them. An example given by Grace is that of is that of the director, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and claims that he “exorcised himself of the Hollywood influence by making a politicized parody of a commercial Jesus movie, La Ricotta (1962), and then went on to create one of the greatest unconventional of all hagiopics, Il Vangelo second Matteo (The Gospel According to Mattew, 1964). Another significant point that Grace discusses in her book aside from eliminating the Hollywood influence, is that although she elaborates on hagiopics that are principally known in the Western world, as well as, influential in the United States, this genre can be about any heroes in any religious convention. Though, Grace restricts her attention to Christianity, she also points out that it may represent any religious tradition, therefore, making it more interesting when analyzing the filmic representation of Jhansi Ki Rani.
In the previous section, I elaborated on the traditions of the biopic. Accordingly, I shall further give a detailed description on principles of the hagiopic, and how this differs with conventions of the biopic. However, before I will do that it is necessary to comprehend first why viewers of a hagiopic take pleasure in these films. What is so pleasing when devoted people with certain revelations or even miraculous powers are being mocked, agonized, burned at stake or even crucified. In view of the fact that, it is significant to consider what these kind of films aspire, as well as, what sort of stylistic conventions they display and how they operate?
In her book Grace answers these questions regarding the hagiopic genre and informs us that, “the hagiopic deals with basic questions about suffering, injustice, a sense of meaninglessness, and a longing for something beyond the world we know” (3). She further states:
Rather than simply depicting good characters and evil ones and offering pat answers about faith and morality, most hagiopics take us through the harrowing emotional experiences of the protagonist, and sometimes of other characters as well, thus dramatizing inner conflicts that many people experience
(Grace 3)
In other words, Grace is basically enlightening us that these hagiopics, offer films with a familiar feel to it in the form of, “religious comfort and conventional answers to moral questions” (3). Furthermore, these films also take the viewer through a passage, a journey in which they are being transformed. Additionally, viewers are converted to “mirroring spectators,” since their questions are being answered, doubts and struggles are wiped away by means of “spiritual questioning.”
Consequently, Grace continues with the variety of conspicuous characteristics of the hagiography and discusses that aside from the above mentioned principles, hagiopics also play up their questions through storylines that are set up in a detailed “long-ago, faraway place” (Grace 3). These typical settings are principally derived from their iconography as she explains and come from several centuries back for example; paintings, sculptures, stained glass, the Bible and these stimulate certain expectations even before action takes place. In addition to this, Grace claims that for instance, “medieval hagiopics have settings and characters that parallel those of the biblical films in their suggestions of rich and poor” (4). For instance, small houses and churches, poor farm people, humble priest, virtuous peasant girl and devoted mother; contrasting characters that parallel those of the biblical films such as bejeweled kings and queens, corrupt priests but also sceptical and doubtful characters who make snide comments in the beginning of the film about the religion but are proved wrong at the end.
credible, these settings and characters can vary from to film. Additionally, Grace goes on with naming further characteristics and she argues that sound is also a significant element for the hagiopic. She exemplifies this by stating that, “one may encounter a Jesus who speaks slowly and possibly with an odd mix of biblical and modern language, and female visitors from the heavens who have soft, gentle voices” (4). Furthermore, she also stresses that one perhaps immediately is aware of a spirit because it is announced by the sound of the rustling wind. Moreover, she argues, one may also identify the “resurrection scene,” since most of the time it is accompanied by the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel’s Messiah.
She further on claims that the conventional hagiopic is a nostalgic genre,
hence, “its old-fashioned devices an long-ago settings suggest that in previous eras, at least for the fortunate, life was less complicated and therefore better than it is now” (5). Thus, compared to the hagiopics phenomenal sphere where God can speak to his messengers, the real world can appear like “a place of multiple losses, loss of certainty, loss of the divine order, and loss of meaning” (Grace 5). Accordingly, she also claims that, “the conventional hagiopic is also genre of wish-fulfillment” (5), which basically indicates that hagiopics have something reassuring, since they emphasize that we are never alone, that God is with us and sees and hears everything, therefore, the good will be rewarded; the evil will be eliminated; justice shall prevail, and furthermore, “they depict a world that is always pregnant with the possibility of heavenly visitations and divine interventions” (Grace 5).
As a final point to the characteristics of the hagiopic, Grace also claims that hagiopics also deal with suffering and sacrifice. She declares that, “Traditional hagiopics, like Jewish and Christian religious scripture, claim that this world, with its suffering and its injustice, is not all there is. More than that, they assert that the worst aspects of life – pain, loss, and death – can be the most valuable” (6).
turn the worldly wise upside down, and to some extent is a warning to those who misuse their powers. Consequently, Grace therefore claims that, “The narrative structure of most hagiopics centers on a hero who suffers greatly, works miracles that relieve the sufferings of others, dies a painful death, and then ascends to heaven” (6) In essence, in storyline the person in question, the hero endures to a great extent, however, he or she, is able to do miraculous work that alleviate the afflictions of others. Still, the hero has to depart this life in a painful way but then “ascends to heaven.” With the above in mind, how can one contrast these conventions with that of the biopic?
When looking at the history of the biopic, according to Grace, “George Custon’ Bio/Pics: Hollywood Constructed Public History (1992), was the first book to identify operations of the Hollywood biographical film, or biopic, a genre that is close, but not identical, to the hagiopic. Grace uses Custon’s definition of the biopic, “Custon defines the biopic as “minimally composed of the life, or the portion of a life, of a real person whose real name is used” (47). She stresses that using the real name of a person is of significance, simply because it insinuates that this film is an official account of the life story and will invite historical investigation regardless of fictional characters. Therefore, using someone’s real name implies that the film in question is an authorized description of someone’s life. Plus as a result of this, their life story will encourage verifiable research, despite the use of imaginary persons.
Also, Grace claims that, “Custon’s clear division between biopics and indirect forms of cinematic historical biography is an approach that is extremely valuable when considering films about religious heroes” (47-48). Therefore, one must first understand why several characteristics of the biopic also apply to that of the hagiopic. In accordance to what Grace argues that, Custon identified characteristics of the biopic that are also relevant for the hagiopic she declares that,
The hero is a person with a special vision, something that inspires awe in the viewer. At the same time, this person has ordinary characteristics that the average film-goer can identify with. The film subscribes to a “great man” view of history, and usually provides information about the hero’s fame or success at the beginning of the movie, so that the figure’s rise to fame is not a surprise. The narrative is structured with a tight sense of causality: early experiences lead to later achievements
(Grace 48)
In other words, she principally means that the protagonist inspires the spectator with his or her extraordinary outlook on subject matters, on the other hand. However, he or she also has regular traits that the viewer can discover in their character and therefore identify with. Furthermore, the movie endorses a “great man,” along with his or her outlook on the past, and at the beginning of the film, information regarding their notoriety is displayed and the ascending of their reputation is therefore no surprise. Hence, the storyline has an unyielding logic connection or as quoted by Grace, “The narrative is structured with a tight sense of causality: early experiences lead to later achievements”
Grace continues and confers that “biopic heroes must overcome the doubts of their own families; they must fight the world, which does not recognize their vision; and usually at some point they become estranged from the community” (48). In other words, heroes in the biopic film struggle with many issues which they ought to surmount, such as, suspicious family members, they sense that their revelation is not accepted and therefore the world is a battlefield, and as a result of this, they are alienated from their society. Therefore, by means of “taking on organized power and undergoing a trial-like event, which serves as platform for clear statements about their beliefs of the protagonist and antagonist” (47), as claimed by Grace, they demonstrate that social change is possible.
produces “a nearly monochromatic ‘Hollywood view of history’” (47). In other words, when illustrating the possibility of transformation a society, the standard biopic is consistent to Hollywood’s vision on history. With this is mind, Grace further argues that many of the above mentioned aspects apply to that of the hagiopic, but that Custon’s description overlooks many other principles that belong to this genre. Hence, Grace further discusses these conventions and states that,
The hagiopic hero, unlike the protagonist of the biopic, is selected by God, for reasons unknown to human beings; the hero sees visions and hears voices that other people cannot perceive, and usually works miracles. After death, the hero resides permanently in heaven and is available to hear prayers from the faithful and to work miracles from on high
(48)
Therefore, in terms of structure, the hagiopic engages in elements that are not included in the biopic. Furthermore, the action is mostly predetermined by god or predicted by an ancient prophecy, by means of speaking or taking dramatic actions, god intervenes in the hero’s life; non religious characters convert, as the result of witnessing miracles, and worldly injustice can be left unsettled because it will be resolved in the afterlife. Thus, the central concern of the hagiopic is generally, “a human being’s response to the sacred – is the topic of other” (Grace 49).
3. Analysis of The Filmic Representation of Jeanne D’Arc in Luc Besson’s: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
(1999) in The Light of The Biopic and Hagiopic
As indicated in chapter one, the introduction of this thesis, Jeanne D’Arc is one of the most well-documented figures in history, as well as, widely represented in film and literature. When looking at the historical facts one may indicate that we know much about Joan, maybe more than any other person, yet she remains a mystery in many ways. For this reason, fictional representations likewise historical ones have attempted to examine her in various ways via diverse agenda’s (political and social) and have adapted her as a hero of their conflicting causes.
Hence, Joan has inspired, confused and intrigued many people, regardless of her motives, or the way she may or may not have encouraged certain worldviews, one cannot help but be amazed at what she has accomplished. Seeing that, as an illiterate peasant girl, she approached the king of France, led an army of men, dressed herself as a male and called herself a maid. In addition to this, she also spoke against learned theologians, became a saint while first being condemned as heretic, and until this day she remains a noteworthy historical figure who through her narrative has attained mystical proportions.
Thus, in the next paragraph, I intend to go into further detail with reference to the filmic depiction of Jeanne D’Arc in Luc Besson’s: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). I propose to classify this film by means of operating on the conventions of the biopic and hagiopic genre, as discussed in the previous paragraphs. Therefore, when categorizing the filmic representation of Jeanne D’Arc in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, I will attempt to dissect this film and aim to locate the elements of the biopic genre first. So, by means of examining the biopic conventions, such as: the storyline and the nature of the historical character; the “semantic” (iconographic elements) and the “syntactic” (structural
and symbolic elements); looking for the “unyielding logic” and struggles, as well as, issues of the character; studying the devices which are incorporated in the biopic and assists the concentration of time e.g. montage, flashback, voiceover and the use many more of film aesthetics which convey a sense of “truth,” and lastly scrutinize “the downward trajectory.” With these results, I endeavor to find traces of this genre while examining the above conventions, by also commenting on and inserting the directors and scriptwriters view of the filmic representation of Jeanne D’Arc.
After this section, I will then investigate this film according to the hagiopic principles. I will give my own viewpoint by commenting on Grace’s examination of the hagiopic conventions in, The Messenger: The Story of Jeanne D’Arc. Like Grace, I will also focus on the principles addressed and as discussed by her. Therefore, I will also examine the conventions according to Grace’s book, whether this film can be classified as conventional or an alternative hagiopic; “deals with basic questions about suffering, injustice, a sense of meaninglessness, and a longing for something beyond the world we know”; has incorporated conspicuous characteristics such as, biblical settings and characters that parallel, and play up their questions through storylines that are set up in a detailed “long-ago, faraway place” I will also explore whether the action is mostly predetermined by god, predicted by an ancient prophecy and in what manner it is exemplified. Moreover, I attempt to clarify how god intervenes in the hero’s life and therefore focus on the central concern of the hagiopic which is, “a human being’s response to the sacred – is the topic of other” (Grace 49).
Next to Grace’s and my own observation, I will also include the director’s view in this analysis as a reply to Grace’s arguments. With these results, I hopefully intend to detect whether this film can be classified as a biopic, or according to Grace a hagiopic.
3.1 Filmic Analysis in The Light of The Biopic
One of the first biopic conventions I addressed in the previous chapter was the storyline and the nature of the historical character. The title of this film indicates that this movie will be about the story of Joan of Arc. The narrative theme also designates a historical female figure, which may instantly appear as a biopic convention, and in Neal’s message may suggest that it will explore and reveal the real life story of Jeanne D’Arc.
As indicated in the previous chapters, this genre is not a straightforward concept, thus, one cannot assume that the subject depends on this genre and therefore, will guide the beliefs of the audience. Therefore, when looking at the title one cannot instantly assume that this filmic representation of Jeanne D’Arc is an accurate one. Thus, it is noteworthy to consider what is practical for the audience to acknowledge one way to do that is by means of examining the “semantic” (iconographic elements) and the “syntactic” (structural and symbolic elements) The film integrates various iconographic elements, such as in the medieval settings: the picturesque village where Joan was raised, the small churches where she confesses everyday, the décor at the castle when Charles VI is crowned as king of France, and despite the fact that the battle appears as a gruesome parody this conflict does exemplify one of the key points in history of Jeanne D’Arc and that is the Victory of Orléans.
However, as for the structural and symbolic elements, in this film, the emergence of the sword, as well as, her voices are illustrated and connected in an unusual manner. According to the film, a mysterious male child is associated with Joan when she finds the sword in the field and brings it home the day her sister gets raped and is killed by an English soldier. The appearance of the sword is also discussed by Grace who states the following,
The appearance of the sword from nowhere, and its association with the mysterious male child, replace all well-known story recorded in the Joan of Arc transcripts. Joan stated that her voices told her there was a sword buried near the altar at the Church of
