History of Danish Cinema

The danish pastry favourable Age of cinema is owed almost wholly to Nordisk Films Compagni and the strategic decisions it made in the early 1910s to differentiate its movies in order to ensure a strong exportation of its product. Likewise, the demise of Denmarks accept patience is owed in part to Nordisk and its inability to deviate from its profitable mandate for successful admit among an ever-evolving industry.This paper will examine Denmarks quick rise to cinematic influence during its Golden Age, detail the changes Nordisk and early(a) danish pastry look atmakers made and the subsequent impact on cinema internationally, as healthful as investigate possible reasons for the fall of both Nordisk and Denmark. Danish film had a relatively late startits first labor comp any, Nordisk Films Compagni, wasnt established until 1906 (Engberg 63). Ole Olsen, the founder of Nordisk, was a businessman who owned a cinema and saw both the extreme demand for film and deprivation of su pply internationally.He focuse his efforts on exporting films and by the end of 1906 had a branch in Berlin and representatives in several countries across Europe. By 1910 Nordisk utilised vertical integration to become one of the largest film production companies in Europe and usher in the Golden Age of Danish cinema, from 1911-1914. At this cartridge holder Nordisk was the second largest film firm in the world ass Pathe in France, producing several hundred films a year (Neergaard 218). 1910 was a verge year where Nordisk sought-after(a) to differentiate itself and increase exports.A new artistic forecastor, dread Blom, ushered in Denmarks golden era along with a entertain of new, strict rules about what kinds of films to produce. Nordisk dramatically reduced its production of period pieces ( trick out films) and instead focused on realistic films about the middle-class driven in the present. A new emphasis was placed on scriptwriters, who were instructed to pee stories tha t were simple and easily understood internationally, significance fewer intertitles and an increased immensity on clarity in the film (Engberg 65).In addition to attention to clarity, Nordisk sought realistic settings, reserved acting in contrast to the theatrical performances of actors in south Europe, and directors who, constantly employed as a result of the bluff volume of films Nordisk produced, could hone their craft (Neergaard 218). An different important event in 1910 was propagated by a minor Danish production company, Fotorama, that took a adventure and showed a film, The White Slave Traffic, which far exceeded the unofficial industry step of 15 minutes.The 30-minute film was was a huge success in Denmark and agonistic Nordisk and other production companies globally to gain all-night, multi-reel films to meet audience demand. This convert to longer films was revolutionary in terms of artistic possibilities, storytelling, and evolution of the film medium (Engberg 65 ). The first actress to seize the artistic possibilities of films longer running time was Asta Neilsen, whose performance in The Abyss (produced by Kosmorama in 1910) was slow and subdued, in contrast with most actors more rushed, frenetic performances promote by the need to convey the story quickly.Audiences were captivated by Neilsens performance, as was Nordisk, which incorporated this form of acting into its new direction. The Abyss was a hit in Denmark and abroad, ushering in a new era of prowess in acting and making Neilsen Europes first film star (Engberg 65). Nordisk understood the importance of exportation and catering to the markets they exported to. As Nordisk grew they catered to audiences in different markets for example, in the lead 1917 Nordisk exported many films to Russia.Russian audiences loved dramatic, sad endings, so Nordisk would create endings specifically for the Russian market with these elements (Engberg 67). Nordisk continued to export all over Europe a nd the United States, where it held a branch, The Great Northern Film Company, ensuring that film-hungry audiences in Ameri butt end were exposed to Denmarks films through renting and then direct sales (Mottram 80). While Danish cinema enjoyed great success before World War I, the countrys Golden Age began to bootleg rough the same time the war ended.The impact of WWI on Danish cinema was mixed, as exports to surrounding countries like Germany and Russia were helped by Denmarks commutation geographic location. However, as countries began banning imports to stimulate their own film industry, Denmark suffered (Bordwell 64). Furthermore, Nordisks films began to wear on audiences who did get to see them. The adherence to a formula that had previously worked well for Denmark but had been built upon and improved in other countries like Switzerland signaled the beginning of the end. Ebbe Neergaard, a pioneering Danish film critic, wrote in 1958 that dditional rules Nordisk enforced in 1915 began the downfall of Danish cinema. In Denmark there was no board for experiments, for seriousness, or for individuality in a director, as there was, for instance, in Germany. Yet the only way the film industry of a smallish country can compete with the products of the bigger industries is to make strikingly individual or strikingly documentary feature films. (222). Though Nordisk and other Danish films pioneered artistic advances in the form before the war, they could non evolve from this and were surpassed after World War I.Between 1918 and 1939 Denmarks output diminished as Nordisks films became less successful. Neergaard attributes this to the naivete of her producers (221), who upheld their snobbish standards and failed to evolve with the medium as elsewhere film art grew up to feel an independent responsibility. (221). Nordisk did try and regenerate itself in the early twenties by employing Carl Dreyer, now considered one of the dress hat film directors of all ti me. He made two films for Nordisk beginning in 1920 one inspired by D. W.Griffiths Intolerance titled Pages come on of the Book of Satan, that utilized exceptional acting and editing. However, Dreyer soon moved around Europe to produce more experimental films without the constraints of Nordisk, a move echoed by many of the talent in Denmark, furthering Nordisks and Denmarks fall (Neergaard 221). peradventure Denmarks cinematic output wouldnt have diminished during this time had Nordisk not been so dominant, but the vertically integrated company was the film industry in Denmark, and its failure was Denmarks failure.As far as industry is concerned, Denmarks Nordisk was very similar to Frances Pathe. Both companies dominated not only their respective countries but also international cinema in the early 1910s (Bordwell 62). Like Nordisk, Pathe made several missteps that caused it to lose dominance before WWI. Pathe, like Nordisk, became too focused on profits and cut be on production harming the quality (Bordwell 62). Nordisks inability to deviate from its turn out (and profitable) film rules was part of its demise as well.However, unlike Denmark, Frances film industry was comprised of many smaller film production companies as well as another dominant firm, Gaumont, so when Pathe faltered or as Hollywood films took hold, the industry was able to continue. With just one dominant company in Denmark, the national cinema failed with the company. Denmarks primary cinematic period (its Golden Age) was the only portion of early Danish cinematic history addicted to any significant research or commentary. I primarily used essays from film critics and scholars from Denmark written from more modern times.I couldnt find any primary or secondary documents detailing the specificities of distribution and exhibition it seemed that this melodic theme was so obviously dominated by Nordisk that little discussion call for to be devoted to it. Similarly, details to what Denmark imported film-wise were scarce I can only presume the industry to be similar to that of the rest of Europe, meaning imported films from the rest of the continent and America. Works Cited Bordwell, David, and Kirstin Thompson. Film History An Introduction. brisk York McGraw Hill, 2003.Print. Engberg, Margeurite. The Erotic Melodrama in Danish Silent Films 1910-1918. Film History5. 1 (1993) 63-67. JSTORE. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . Mottram, Ron. The Great Northern Film Company Nordisk Film in the American Motion Picture Market. Film History2. 1 (1988) 71-86. JSTOR. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. . Neergaard, Ebbe. The Rise, the Fall, and the Rise of Danish Film. Hollywood Quarterly4. 3 (1950) 217-232. Print.