A Filmmaker's Guide: "Variete" (1925)

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we’re actually going to be learning about literature and film together. I understand that many of you are sitting in university during difficult times and finding it increasingly hard to study and I understand that many of you who are not at university or not planning on it are possibly stuck of what to do, need a break or even need to catch up on learning film before you get to the next level. This guide will be brief but will also contain: new vocabulary, concepts and theories, films to watch and we will be exploring something taboo until now in the ‘filmmaker’s guide’ - academia (abyss opens). Each article will explore a different concept of film, philosophy, literature or bibliography/filmography etc. in order to give you something new to learn each time we see each other. You can use some of the words amongst family and friends to sound clever or you can get back to me (email in bio) and tell me how you’re doing. So, strap in and prepare for the filmmaker’s guide to film studies because it is going to be one wild ride.

"Variete" (1925)

One of the greatest films of the 1920s, in my personal opinion is the great production by E.A Dupont called "Variete" or, respectfully in English "Variety". A film about a a former trapeze artist who is injured, goes into managing the circus and finds a bright young woman to lead to way in performance. This is the classic tragedy of losing interest in one for another.

EA Dupont made this film in the most amazing way. He shows us the very acts that the circus are doing through these incredible craning techniques and tracking techniques. This means that the camera follows the performance whilst it is happening. These new heights had never been seen before and allowed the audience to see what the performer saw as they were swinging from the trapeze.

The film's use of character focus is intensely amazing though. The way in which the cinematography style seeks to accentuate the interactions between characters rather than just seeking to tell the story means that you can tell what is going on without intertitles.

The reason that this happens is because the other scenes in which familiar characters are include scenes of the circus and so, it would be impossible to not have a character-focused filmmaking style if you wanted your story to revolve around these characters that the trapeze and performances are based on and thus, the camera tracks and follows.

Let us therefore take a look at some of these stills in which characters are seen in focus and as the main focus, looking at what the expressions and levels etc. can teach us about the way in which the characters are portrayed in the film.

Still #1

Take a look at this still and you will notice something incredible. First of all, we notice the way in which the acrobatics is set up - which looks really cool. But in terms of a shot, we see that it is entirely character focused. There is nothing else in the scene and the background is completely muted out of the frame. The shot makes you focus on the character because there is literally nothing else to focus on in the frame.

Still #2

How is it that we can have so much going on in the background and yet still have a character-focused scene? Well, that is simple. Have absolutely nothing going on near the character and centre the character in the middle of the frame. Another thing we obviously have is the character in focus performing a stunt that would be considered dangerous to the normal and regular person. So yes, this scene is still character focused and yet, there is far more going on than the last scene.

Conclusion

Whether you have a lot going on in the scene, make sure it is in the background in comparison to the character that you are focusing on. If you have a muted scene, then it is better to put hardly anything or anyone in it apart from your character of focus. I would definitely watch this film a few times to get more ideas on the topic and honestly, it really is a great film.