Chantal Akerman reject classical conventions regarding space, time and place, preferring a narrative that is not stamped with a beginning or an end and using a rhythm created by long, fixed shots which denies edited cinematic language, to arrive at a cadence resembling real time, reflecting the real rhythm of the flow of things, of events and people
Like other avant-garde filmmakers of the period, Akerman foregrounds space and time to an unusual degree in her films of the ’70s. In La chambre, Akerman maps out a literal movement of encirclement completed once the pan reverses, as if the camera had demarcated the minimally essential space for the performance.
La Chambre 1 reveal structural filmmaking's influence through their usage of extended duration takes. These protracted shots serve to oscillate the films' images between abstraction and figuration.
The films eschew close-ups and shot/reverse-shot sequences in favor of long-shot framing and deep focus, in which most if not all of a person’s body is visible along with much of the surrounding environment; this forces the viewer to scan the space of the shot for relevant details of behavior and setting: fixed and extended shots combine with aleatory, unique events, setting structure against play, and bringing out a performance aspect that is basic to '70s aesthetics.
Symmetrical frame composition, with the camera placed at the same height perpendicular to the setting, creates a noticeable rectilinear patterning from shot to shot as well as a high degree of uniformity, sensitizing one to subtle changes over time.
Like other avant-garde filmmakers of the period, Akerman foregrounds space and time to an unusual degree in her films of the ’70s. In La chambre, Akerman maps out a literal movement of encirclement completed once the pan reverses, as if the camera had demarcated the minimally essential space for the performance.
La Chambre 1 reveal structural filmmaking's influence through their usage of extended duration takes. These protracted shots serve to oscillate the films' images between abstraction and figuration.
The films eschew close-ups and shot/reverse-shot sequences in favor of long-shot framing and deep focus, in which most if not all of a person’s body is visible along with much of the surrounding environment; this forces the viewer to scan the space of the shot for relevant details of behavior and setting: fixed and extended shots combine with aleatory, unique events, setting structure against play, and bringing out a performance aspect that is basic to '70s aesthetics.
Symmetrical frame composition, with the camera placed at the same height perpendicular to the setting, creates a noticeable rectilinear patterning from shot to shot as well as a high degree of uniformity, sensitizing one to subtle changes over time.
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