The Silent Partner: A Canadianization Dilemma
analytical Essay
2917 words
The Silent Partner: A Canadianization Dilemma.
Works Cited Missing As a student of Canadian film, I find great appreciation in films that work to culturally enrich Canada's movie screens. I feel that an honest portrayal of Canadian values and culture is beneficial not only by enhancing the credibility of Canada's film industry, but also by maintaining a voice for the customs held by the Canadian people. For these reasons, among others, it has become very easy for me to dislike Daryl Duke's 1978 film The Silent Partner. Based on the knowledge I had before sitting through numerous screenings of the film, I found a challenge in making any concretely positive statements about it, or the state of Canada's film industry at the time. I asked myself about the effect this film had on Canada's film industry, wondering primarily if the film's success in Canada - it won a total of 6 Canadian Film Awards including best feature and best director - came not from a poignant portrayal of Canadian culture, but rather from a "Canadianization" of the typical American thriller. I questioned the details of the film's formation, the choices made about talent, and the credibility of the script, and still I found myself forcing out any positive criticisms I might muster. As far as first impressions go, The Silent Partner was not promising. Perhaps now I must consider an alternate approach to understanding this film. Maybe my difficulty in pinpointing The Silent Partner's positive attributes demonstrates to some extent my current narrow-mindedness on Hollywood-style pictures. I think it's only fair to treat this film as an article of film criticism in order to accurately look at it within the context of national cinema. And so, let us begin by looking first at the particulars of the Canadian film industry around the time The Silent Partner was released. Maybe afterwards, we'll be able to understand the implications of what audiences saw on that illustrious Canadian screen I feel so emotionally bound to preserve. The code word for success in the late seventies was "international appeal." In a time referred to as "the tax-shelter boom," it was perceived by some that the Canadian film industry had given in. Demoralized by countless relatively unsuccessful attempts at profitability and independence, "Canada's feature film industry has finally succumbed to that old adage: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" (Magder 169).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how they disliked daryl duke's 1978 film the silent partner because of its poignant portrayal of canadian culture.
- Opines that it's fair to treat the silent partner as an article of film criticism to accurately look at it within the context of a national cinema.
- Analyzes how canada's film industry succumbed to the old adage of "if you can't beat them, join 'em." in 1975, secretary of state faulkner announced the federal film policy changes.
- Explains canada's new "internationalist" approach stemmed from a study of the film industry prepared by the bureau of management consulting.
- Explains that there is a world-wide shortage of 'good' feature films. a good feature film is one that has an audience appeal beyond the borders of any one country.
- Opines that the canadian feature film industry has to aim for a world-wide market and that any actions taken by the various governments in canada should lead to this end.
- Compares the silent partner to the likes of jaws, but it was released right in the middle of a flood of canadian output, each film looking "more like american films".
- Analyzes how the film excludes canadian talent from the writing process. the film's major acting role is given up to american muscle in the form of elliot gould.
- Opines that the silent partner fulfilled all the requirements asked of a canadian film during the tax-shelter period, but presented critics with new point of interest.
- Analyzes how the story presented in the silent partner is a classic example of one that would be told in hollywood thrillers.
- Concludes that the film's story focuses on thrilling the audience with strategically placed twists and turns, rather than using its 106 minutes of screen time to present a cultured view of canadian society.
- Analyzes how the film's "canadianization" is evident as the audience is hit over the head with toronto-esque landmarks at every corner.
- Opines that they cannot ignore miles cullen's resonating themes. the mild-mannered character represents the average canadian who tries to live his small, solitary life while constantly being harassed by a brash, money-grubbing intruder.
- Analyzes how the pawn-like nature of miles is a metaphor for the canadian film industry at the time.
- Analyzes the question of whether the silent partner reflects canadian culture or is simply a "canadianization" of the typical hollywood thriller.
- Opines that the film board has every right to produce, and under its act can produce feature films, but it is limited in respect of the fact that every film it produces has to be "in the national interest."
- Analyzes spencer's distinction between films that interpret canada to canadians and those that work to develop the canadian film industry.
- Argues that the tax-shelter period paved the way for a watershed of film production, and allowed canadian talent to find work in their own country's film industry.
- Agrees with peter harcourt's assessment of the silent partner as an internationally displayed vehicle for canadian talent and a proven financial booster for the canadian film industry.
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes demille's use of foreign characters as antagonists and villains in his film carmen, which focuses on a cohort of gypsy smugglers who attempt to overthrow the city.
- Analyzes how demille's choice of hayakawa to portray the enemy in the cheat was a provocative decision due to the fact that the us had engaged in war with the allies.
- Analyzes how demille's film the ten commandments was subject to critical acclaim for the gravity of religious content. he would later go on to produce the sign of the cross and the king of kings.
- Analyzes how demille's cleopatra gave the audience a genre of seduction and scandal — settlers from the middle east made their way to america even though the national origins formula law was in place.
- Analyzes how demille was a visionary and pioneer in the industry of film. his films exposed the ever-changing populace in america and challenged others to broaden their attitudes.
- Analyzes how cecil b. demille's blockbuster successes galvanized a cohort of filmmakers that would go on to create their own innovative productions for diverse audiences.
- Opines that "bullfight scene from carmen will be unique." los angeles times.
- Describes cecil b. demille's interview with film history vol. 3 no. 2 (1989).
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2052 wordsRead More