The Linguistic Culture-12 (American Science) (Старые лекции в ворде), страница 4

By the late 1970s and the 1980s science fiction had moved to a generally accepted form of literature. Popular writers here included Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clarke. The 1980s also saw the rise of popular horror fiction with Dean Koontz, V.C. Andews, Peter Straub, Clive Barker and Stephen King as the most prolific writers.

Recent literature included John Updike’s four novels ( “Rabbit at Rest”, “ Self-Consciousness” and others) and Tom Clancy. His books, such as “The Hunt for Red October”, “Red Storm Rising” and “Patriot Games” top both the hardback and overall bestseller books.

The Theater

The greatest flowering of American drama came between 1920 and 1970. In those years, startling, powerful, and illuminating works, both tragic and comic, flowed from the pens of Eugene O’Neill, Thornton Wilder, Maxwell Anderson, Robert Sherwood, Kaufman and Hart, Lillian Hellman, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and William Inge. These playwrights reflected the events of their times, beginning with World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. In his plays “Desire Under the Elms”(1924), “Mourning Becomes Electra”(1931),”Long Day’s journey into Night”, “The Iceman Cometh”(1946). The first important American playwright of serious drama Eugene O’Neil ( 1988-1953) made deep and sensitive analyses of human relationships. The plays of notable playwright Arthur Miller(1915) “All My Sons”(1947), “Death of a Salesman”(1949),”The Crucible”(1953) , “A View from the Bridge”(1955) and others were staged in many countries of the world and brought him a world prominence.

The playwrights who came after them were inspired by many events of their time: assassination of John F. Kennedy, the student rebellions of the 1960s, the war in Vietnam, etc. Each playwright, with an individual style and a message, has been mining the American society. Several of them A.R. Gurney, John Guare, David Rabe, Sam Shepard received both national and international popularity. There were also a number of women playwrights Tina Howe, Marsha Norman, and Wendy Wasserstein.

One notable development in recent years is the “theater of absurd” (Edward Albee). There are also experiments with electronic music and lighting, body movements instead of spoken words, and spontaneous audience participation in some performances.

Black theater presents plays about black people, written by black playwrights, and performed by black casts. Originally such plays used to carry messages of protest against racial prejudice. Today black theater is increasingly concerned with blacks as individual human beings and their life problems. Black theatrical performances usually use black music: spirituals, gospel singing and jazz.

Most important new plays are produced in the theaters located on or near Broadway in the midtown area of New York City. There are over 15000 professional actors in New York alone and another 20000 or so in the state of California. Over 16000 professional musicians and composers live in New York, and almost 23000 more in California. Every year outstanding Broadway playwrights, actors, musicians, directors, choreographers and technicians are nominated for Tony Awards. August Wilson, an Afro-American playwright, received both a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize for his play “Fences”, devoted to the fate of a baseball player who struggles with the difficulties of everyday life. Wendy Assertion, a female playwright won a Tony for her “The Heidi Chronicles”.

Off-Broadway theaters are shown around Manhattan in small theaters and off-off Broadway companies often play in former garages, offices and stores. Sometimes there is no raised stage and the actors perform in the center of the hall, surrounded by the audience (so-called (“theater-in-the-round”). In almost every major city there are professional companies, which follow repertory (rep) schedules. There are also traveling acting companies that tour throughout the country. Very many theater groups suffer from the lack of financing and must charge high prices for tickets in order to pay production costs and make profit.

The movies

Originally American cinema was born in the East, when in 1903 a cameraman Edwin S. Porter turned out a short film. The first “Patent Cinema Company” was formed in 1908 in Chicago. The first crew included 8 cinema-making firms. Those who did not go into it went to Los-Angeles, California. Soon the number of film companies, producers, actors, and technical staff grew up there and the first film studio was founded in 1911 in Hollywood. There were several reasons why Hollywood, the former provincial small town was to become the main center of American cinema industry. Besides the favorable natural conditions, bright sun all the year round and splendid landscape, the land was very cheap there. Besides there was enough manpower around for building and servicing of film studious. By 1915 60% of all American film production was accumulated in Hollywood. After the beginning of World War I film industry in many European countries was in crises. Hollywood filled the gap to create the supremacy at the world cinema market. American movies poured over the cinema screens of the world. By the middle of the 20s Hollywood had modern financial and technical basis of film production and the professional stuff. There were 5 large studios at that time: “Metro Golden Myer”, “Paramount”, “Fox”, “Universal” and “Warner”, headed by the producers Luise, Mayor, Sam Goldwine, Adolf Zuker, William Fox, Karl Lemale and Warner Brothers. One of the most popular and prolific producers of silent movies of that time was David York Griffit. He made 61 melodramas, comedies, historical films, thrillers, westerns, screen versions of the Bible and literature.

In the 20th the system of film stars appeared. Film stars were the most highly paid actors and actresses, whose names attracted crowds of filmgoers to movie-houses. The stars were necessary for the cash success of the film All over the world, from Berlin and London to Tokyo and Buenos Aires millions of people lined up every day to see their favorite Hollywood stars Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pikford, Douglas Ferbenks, Greta Garbo, Roman Navarro and others.. For most people the world of the movies remained a dream world, separate from real life. It helped to create the “American Dream” and to convince cinemagoers that the American way of life was the ideal one. At the same time the movies made people think of their own lives, which could be changed and improved.

One of the greatest American actors, directors and scriptwriters was Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). All Charlie Chaplin’s biographers agree that his miserable childhood in London slums made the decisive influence on his development as an artist. In his early “silent” comedies and satires Chaplin was never afraid to fight against tyranny and injustice. He released a parody on war “Shoulder Arms” (1918) only some time before the American troops came home from the trenches of the World War I. In the “Pilgrim” (1923) Chaplin attacked nonconformist religion. In “City Lights” he was mocking capitalism. In “Modern Times” (1936) Chaplin parodied the inhuman destruction of the machine age. His comedies “Gold Rush”(1925), “City Lights”(1931), “Modern Times»(1935), Limelight”(1952), “A King in New York”(1957) are filled with deep human feelings and dramatic undertones. the In 1940 he created his first “talking” film “The Great Dictator “- a satire on Hitler and his policy- and during World War II called for the opening of the second front and support of. the Russian people.

The theme of human dignity is very strong in Chaplin’s art. His constant image - the figure of a small, lonely man in a creased black suit, a derby hat, big clumsy shoes, black moustaches and a walking stick attracted millions of filmgoers not only due to his funny appearance but also to his openhearted character. “Oscar” – the best-known award for film actors was given to Charlie Chaplin in 1952, but when Chaplin emigrated to Europe, the US State Department banned his reentry. In 1972 in recognition of his lifetime contribution to film art Chaplin was at last given by the American film establishment a special Second Oscar. He was also commemorated with a statue at the historic corner of Hollywood and Vine. He also received special golden prize at the International Film Festival in Venice.

The first “talking” movies appeared in the 30s. Change over to sound cinema was not very simple. Many actors were not ready to speak. Attached to microphones they stopped to move and act. Besides in Hollywood there were many foreign actors with strong native accents. When Hollywood developed production of the films with sound track it quickly recovered its image. During the World War II American cinema created a number of films devoted to the war problems. One of the best films of that time “Lifeboat” (1944) by Alfred Hitchcock analyzed Nazi threat. “Bataan” (1943) by Tray Harriet showed the cruelties of the war. Many cinema celebrities went to the front. Some famous producers risked their lives, shooting war chronicles.

The years before the Second World War and after it became “the golden age” of Hollywood. During that period 7500 full-length films were shot there. Eight large firms specialized in different themes: family movies, musicals, topics of wealth, power and human passions, history, gangster or horror.

One of the most popular studious working in the USA became Disney Studio opened by its creator and the greatest cartoon maker Walt Disney (1901-1966). Walt Disney was the first producer to shoot colored animated films with synchronized soundtrack. In his numerous worldwide cartoons he created the wonderful animal world of optimism and success. All his animal characters in human-like situations are always kind, friendly and smart. His Mickey Mouse’s and Donald Duck’s phenomenal popularity put the animated characters into the ranks of the most popular screen personalities in the world. Among Disney’s most famous masterpieces there are also “The Silly Symphonies”, “Cinderella” and full-length animation “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The most spectacular interpretation of musical classics was his movie “Fantasia” (1940). Besides cartoons Disney studio produced a number of wonderful documentary films about animals, nature and different popular TV programs. His last film “The Book of Jungle” was finished after his death.

For his wonderful art Walt Disney received 29 Oscars. By 1996 more than 450 Disney clubs and stores had been created. Walt Disney’s fantasies and dreams came true in two amusement parks ”Disneyland” in California (1954) and “Disney World” (1971) in Florida. Millions of visitors enjoy a lot of sophisticated attractions in these “Magic Kingdoms”. Some years later, in 1992 the similar Disney parks were opened in Tokyo (1983), and Paris (1992).

The Disney Studio continued producing movies after the death of his founder. “The Little Mermaid”, “The Beauty and the Beast”, “Aladdin”, “The Lion King” became quite successful. They were followed by “Pocahontas” (1995) and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996). “Toy Story” pioneered computer-animated techniques. Disney also continued its strong presence in children’s animated programs for television, with Aladdin and Gargoyles receiving high ratings.

After the World War II many new Hollywood stars appeared, such as Ingrid Bergman, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Bert Lancaster. Such actors as Marlon Brando, James Din and Paul Newman began to use Stanislavskii system, reaching great intensity and realism. Some actors appeared in a great number of films. E.g., only one actor and director Paul Newman produced and starred in forty-five films, among them “ The Hustler”, “Butch Cassidy”, “The Sundance Kid”, “The Sting” and ”Towering Inferno” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” with the participation of Elizabeth Taylor. She also starred in “Cleopatra” in 1962. Film stars and Oscar Winners Audrey Heyburn and Gregory Peck also became especially popular in the 60-70s ”Roman Holiday”, “My Fair Lady”, “Wait Until Dark”, “The Omen» and others. In the 70s the most popular producers of new generation were Coppola, Lucas, Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Coppola’s film “Godfather” (1972) and Spielberg’s “Jams”(1975) began the new era of blockbusters. Lucas’s “Star Wars” and three Spielberg’s films about Indiana Jones were the most famous super hits. People could like or dislike them, but it is sure that the American films and Hollywood films in particular were produced at very high professional and technical standard.

At our time gradually Hollywood transformed beyond recognition. Step by step all its studios lost their independence and joined transnational companies. Commercial success became more important then creative work. Filmed television programs turned into an important American export. As many countries found it cheaper to buy American programs than to make their own, cinemagoers all over the world were mostly watching exported American blockbusters. Generations have grown up watching American films. A lot of copies are made for VCR and sold all over the world. Film companies spent hundreds million dollars on the film production and almost the same money on their advertisements. The films by famous directors and producers Steven Spielberg, Kevin Kostner, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Verkhoven, Lucas receive the most attention. The most highly paid actors Sylvestor Stallone, Jack Nicolson, Demy Moor, Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone and others receive a lot of prestigious prizes and awards at the leading international film festivals.

Music

Music in the USA is extremely varied. The ensuing generations of European immigrants brought with them the classical music and their German, Scottish and Irish folk ballads. Later America produced her own music. Railroad workers, cowboys and miners composed their songs about work, life and love. Black slaves’ songs, preserving the rhythms and intonations of African tribes, acquired new features under the influence of Puritan hymns, resulting in Black hymns “spirituals” which are considered by many musicians as the highest achievement of American folk art. Black spirituals such as “Nobody Knows the Trouble”, “When the Saints set off Machining” or “Go Down, Mosses” are remembered, sung and played even now. The list of folksong types in the USA includes Afro-American narrative songs or ballads, the Spanish narrative corride dance, Negro blues, spirituals, work songs, hymns, primitive Indian chants and prayers and the various European marches and ballads. In addition, there are superstitions, sayings, proverbs, and jokes that go with every national and racial group.