In this dissertation I investigate the stylistic shift in the cinema of selected filmmakers whose work is rooted in Bertolt Brecht’s dramatic theory: Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, Peter Watkins, and Lars von Trier. Through the work of these filmmakers, I trace the ongoing change in the cinematic applications of the theory. By and large, the change consists of a lessening of the role of montage – a technique that occupies a paramount place in Brecht’s theatrical and filmic practice – in favour of the objects within the camera’s field of view and the sounds within the microphone’s range. Since the ultimate effect for which the Brechtian filmmaker aims is that of Verfremdung, theatrical stylisation – itself estranging within the context of cinema – appears as a natural corollary of the described shift in emphasis. I also suggest a causal connection between the aforementioned shift and the growing self-consciousness of the style employed by meainstream cinemas (of which Hollywood is the foremost representative), which often manifests itself in the use of unorthodox editing patterns. Accordingly, I propose that we can attribute the contemporary Brechtian filmmaker’s growing reliance on mise-en-scène elements as a source of Verfremdung largely to the major film industries’ adoption of montage and other specifically cinematic codes that make a film’s style overt. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the Brechtian filmmaker – whose political stance is inherently antagonistic to that exemplified by most mainstream cinema, reacts to the normalisation of foregrounded film style by employing the opposite strategy.

In this dissertation I investigate the stylistic shift in the cinema of selected filmmakers whose work is rooted in Bertolt Brecht’s dramatic theory: Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, Peter Watkins, and Lars von Trier. Through the work of these filmmakers, I trace the ongoing change in the cinematic applications of the theory. By and large, the change consists of a lessening of the role of montage – a technique that occupies a paramount place in Brecht’s theatrical and filmic practice – in favour of the objects within the camera’s field of view and the sounds within the microphone’s range. Since the ultimate effect for which the Brechtian filmmaker aims is that of Verfremdung, theatrical stylisation – itself estranging within the context of cinema – appears as a natural corollary of the described shift in emphasis. I also suggest a causal connection between the aforementioned shift and the growing self-consciousness of the style employed by meainstream cinemas (of which Hollywood is the foremost representative), which often manifests itself in the use of unorthodox editing patterns. Accordingly, I propose that we can attribute the contemporary Brechtian filmmaker’s growing reliance on mise-en-scène elements as a source of Verfremdung largely to the major film industries’ adoption of montage and other specifically cinematic codes that make a film’s style overt. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the Brechtian filmmaker – whose political stance is inherently antagonistic to that exemplified by most mainstream cinema, reacts to the normalisation of foregrounded film style by employing the opposite strategy.

Ce travail de recherche tente de redéfinir l’émancipation intellectuelle et sensible que permettent certaines expériences cinématographiques. « Le spectateur, pour l’auteur, n’est autre qu’un autre auteur » écrivait Pasolini. Danièle Huillet et Jean-Marie Straub, Harun Farocki et Pedro Costa (mais également Jean-Claude Rousseau,James Benning, Robert Kramer, ou parmi les jeunes cinéastes, Wang Bing, Albert Serra et Lisandro Alonso) inventent des dispositifs cinématographiques qui profanent le cinéma. En déconstruisant le langage cinématographique, en mettant au jour leur« armature artistique », les films profanes libèrent et transmettent des énergies, des capacités d’imagination et de production (ou création). Les cinéastes profanes ne se déclarent pas éducateurs ou enseignants. Leur fonction n’est pas de communiquer un message, de donner une leçon ou de transmettre un savoir au spectateur. Ils considèrent le spectateur comme un égal, « un collègue éventuel ». Ils disséminent les traces de leur travail dans leurs films. Le spectateur peut alors recueillir ces traces afin de reconstruire une méthode de production, de fabrication, d’un film. La transmission d’une méthode (ou d’une énergie créative) nécessite une rencontre entre un cinéaste qui a l’intention de transmettre – par la bande – un savoir faire, une manière de représenter, de mettre en image une expérience, et un spectateur qui reconnaît dans les traces la maîtrise de l’auteur et souhaite l’exproprier de ce savoir faire. / This research work tries to redefine sensitive and intellectual emancipation that allows some cinematographic experiments. "The Viewer, for the author, is other than another author" wrote Pasolini. Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub, Harun Farocki and Pedro Costa (but also Jean-Claude Rousseau, James Benning, Robert Kramer, or among young filmmakers, Wang Bing, Albert Serra and Lisandro Alonso) invented cinematographic devices that profane film. By deconstructing the film language, by updating their "artistic frame", profane films release and transmit energy, imagination and production (or creation) capabilities. Profane filmmakers do not declare themselves educators or teachers. Their function is not to communicate a message, give a lesson or to transmit knowledge to the Viewer. They consider the Viewer as an equal, "a potential colleague. They spread the traces of their work in their films. The spectator can then collect these traces in order to reconstruct a method of producing, manufacturing, a film.The transmission of a method (or a creative energy) requires an encounter between a filmmaker who intends to pass - band - know-how, a way to represent, implement image a viewer who recognizes in traces the mastery of the author and wishes to expropriate this know-how and experience.

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Writings in support of my visual thesis, including some background, and bibliographic information: Oregon/Death/Animation/Vocation and the artist as an agent of potential.