Body,Space,and Metaphor:A Study Of Vera Chytilova’s Films

Věra Chytilová is an established Czech director,a key member of the New Wave of Czech cinema and known as the ’First Lady of Czech Cinema’.Her work spans the period from the 1960 s to the first decade of the 21 st century,from socialism to capitalism in the Czech Republic.Vera Chytilová was awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters in 1992 and the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award at the Czech Film Festival in 2001.This paper examines Vera Chytilová’s cinematography(which is mainly feature films with some documentaries).Through an overview of Chytilová’s creative history,it examines the aesthetic style,feminist perspective,spatial constructions and metaphorical forms of Chitilova’s films from three perspectives: body space and metaphor.The first chapter outlines the main biographical experiences and stages of Chytilová’s creative career,providing a comprehensive and holistic analysis of the stages of Chytilová’s cinematography.The chapter divides her work into three phases: ’1962-1969’,’1976-1989’and ’1989 onwards’.This classification reflects the changing ideology of Czech society and Chytilová’s artistic pursuits at different stages.The second chapter begins with the ’body’.It is through the ’body’ that the director’s aesthetic pursuits and human reflections are revealed.This chapter focuses on the politics of gender in Chytilová’s films in the context of the body.The third chapter is about space.The spaces in Chytilova’s films all have their own unique significance.For example,Panel story takes place in a socialist housing estate that is only half completed.The recurring places of rooms,restaurants and stations in Daisies.The isolated "island" of snowy mountains in Wolf’s Cabin.The railway,which appears in several films,and so on.This chapter focuses on the spatial construction of Chytilová’s films,analysing the distinctive geographical,private,and stylised allegorical spaces in Chytilová’s films.The fourth chapter analyses the various symbolic metaphors in Chytilová’s films and their stylistic constructions.Chytilová’s films are always concerned with society.Chytilová’s moral integrity and concern for the degradation of society are always present in the film.Reflections on existence and truth,the quest for existence,the painful passage of time,the criticism of political hypocrisy and consumerism are all recurring themes in the film.