Iluminace 2017, 29(2):85-97 | DOI: 10.58193/ilu.1517
THE ARRIVAL FROM THE DARKNESS. Possibilities and Functions of the Flashback in the Narrative Construction
- Masarykova univerzita
This analytical study describes possibilities and functions in the use of flashbacks in Jan Stanislav Kolar's films and situates them in the context of film production in the Czech lands until 1922. It argues that during this period, the flashback was a standard procedure, but Kolár represented a very unique tendency when experimenting with its use in the Czech environment. The analysis primarily focuses on the massive flashback of the The Arrival from the Darkness as an example of a sophisticated work with the distribution of information, through building of a complex network of relationships, parallels between the characters and through breaking of a linear narration. At the same time, it deals with the inner construction of this flashback in the context of recognizing its developmental phases and providing important guides to the story development. It also explains the use of flashbacks in other Kolár's films: Fulfilling several different functions beyond the primarily illustrative nature in The Lady with the Small Foot; as a means of transformation of the substance being taken over and the construction of the exhibition in the case of The Cross at the Stream and The Dead are Living; work with the perspective of a narrated event in the The Poisoned Light.
Keywords: flashback, flashback approaches, the beginnings of film-making, Jan Stanislav Kolár
Published: June 1, 2017 Show citation
References
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