MARXISM AND MARXIST APPROACHES ON CINEMA

Karl Marx's Theory, includes class differentiation, revolution, socialism, capitalism, has been influencing the film history for years.

Before mentioning about the marxist approaches on cinema, firstly it should be focused on the meaning of the term called 'Marxism'. Marxism, developed by Karl Marx in the 19th Century, is based on analyzing the dynamics in social change. In Marxist theory, it can be mentioned about materialism, labors, alienation. Marxism brings next the most known world related to this marxism system called capitalim. In capitalism, it can be mentioned about a social system again but in this system, production and exchange of wealth is maintained mainly by private individuals or corporations.

In Marxist Theory, there are two classes in the capitalist stage of production that one of them iis bourgeoisie, the capitalists who own the means of production, and the other one is proletariast who must sell their own labour power.

According to Marx's study; capitalism is based on dialectical and materialist philosophy. For the idealist, the mind is the origin of all material things. However, for the materialist, all of reality is based on matter. According to idealism from poverty is not a social phenomenon. Poverty is a personal choice. For Marx ' people make their own history without chosen by themselves. According to Marx, People cannot be liberated," wrote Marx and Engels, "as long as they are unable to obtain food and drink, housing and clothing in adequate quality and quantity. 'Liberation' is a historical and not a mental act and it is brought about by historical conditions."

Marxist approaches have been using over cinema analyses for many years that Marxist film theory is one of the oldest forms of film theory. Marxism affected film in terms of social, political, actually, still is affecting.

Sergei Eisenstein firstly applied ideas of Marxism to film theory, which concentrate in the Soviet Montage theory. His montage theories are based on the idea that montage originates in the "collision" between different shots in an illustration of the idea of thesis and antithesis. This basis allowed him to argue that montage is inherently dialectical, thus it should be considered a demonstration of Marxism.

In 1920s Soviet  Union, at the early years of revolution, when visual journalism started to be spread, Vertov's montage of images and Eisentein's work were some of the innovative works. A man with the movie camera and Battleship of Potemkin are well-known examples that can be analzed by Marxist approaches.

In ' a man with the movie camera' daily life of the people is seen from morning to evening. Labours working conditions and life are widely shown. It can be seen the ideal socialist city of the future by utilizing material from the present and dialectically transforming material from the past through the cine-eye.

At the same time , in Germany, When urban mass culture audience was rised, capitalim's enroachment on the field of culture was developed. The theorists who were identifying the liberating potential of new media were Kracauer(1995), Brecht (1964) and Benjamin (1936)  From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film can be suggested for understanding this period. Siegfried Kracauer's book. The Book examines German history from 1921 to 1933 in light of such movies as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, M, Metropolis, and The Blue Angel.

In the mids 1930s, In France, anti-fascist  sympathizers and liberals such  Jean Renior was producing films. In China, Soviet revolutionary theory spread to China and inspired Chinese left-wing (progressive) film movement, which applied again ideas of Marxism to film industry and film theory studies.

During the Post second World war era, A new wave Italian neo-realism was emerged. These movies took up cameras to focus on lower class characters and their concerns. Non professional actors were used. There was outdoor shooting, very small budget and realistic aesthetic. These are opposite to Hollywood's star system . marxists favoured an aesthetic of progressive realism that stood against the entertainment and allowed for social criticism. Vittorio de Sica's , Bicycle Thieves, Luchino Visconti's La Terra Trema, Roberto Rosselini's open city, are acclaimed examples for that wave.

After this period, directors have still being concentrate on this issues. Ken Loach, English director, is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style. He apply his ideas of socialism in his movie and focuses on social issues. Raining stone is one of his realist movie example. Ken Loach, makes a political point about Great Britain. Days were the early times of capitalism. Loach uses unpopuler actors, ordinary characters taken from daily life. Loach's neo-liberalist and marxist approaches can be seen at the movie. Loach himself has pointed to Bicycle Thieves as a kind of model for Raining Stones.

Around 1970 in contemporary film studies, we see the combination of Marxism, structuralism, psychoanalysis and semiotics and then was further elaborated in post-structuralist terms.

Marxism contributes to contemporary film studies in the form of historical, economic, and ideological analysis, as well as media activism.

Because of Marxism's interest in industrial and global economics, Marxism is the primary methodology of most economic analysis of film.

Today, marxism combines analysis of class with an analysis of gender, race, national, post-colonial, and other issues raised by progressive social-political movements.

                           

REFERENCES

November 5, 1999, issue of Socialist Worker. Paul D'amato

Matthew July 31st, 2015, Battleship Potemkin (1925)

J Hill & P C Gibson, Film Studies Critical Approaches, Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2000

Stavros Alifragkis, Man with the Movie Camera—Constructing Visions of Happiness in the Ideal Socialist City of the Future, Cambridge, 2009