Gypo is the first UK Dogme95 -film, placed on position 37 in the official Dogme-film list. Being produced with a low budget of 250.000 pounds in thirteen days, every scene filmed only once and some improvised dialogues without a script for the actors, its international success was a surprise not only for the writer and director Jan Dunn and producer Elaine Whickham. Being invited to numerous film festivals in Europe and the United States it has gained a lot of attention.
The following work will concentrate on the Dogme aspects of Gypo. After the introduction, a short overview about Gypo will be given in the second chapter. To make it easier to follow the upcoming main analysis in chapter four, this will include a brief summarise of the story. Chapter three concentrate on Dogme itself and its history: how the idea came up, how it developed and which role it has in today’s film business. Furthermore it will clarify the religious influences and point out the coherences between Gypo and the term Dogme. Chapter four will have the main part. Containing the explanation of the ten Dogme rules – also called the “Vow of Chastity” - it will analyse how they are implemented in Jan Dunn’s Gypo. These analyses will be added with explanations and comments taken from two different interviews, one by the “Father of Dogme” Lars von Trier to clarify the intentions to make up such rules, and one by Jan Dunn to point up her intention to follow them. In chapter five conclusions will be made concerning the question how Dunn managed to obey the Vow of Chastity. Due to the limited space of this term paper only a few scenes of Gypo will be taken out to be analysed more detailed; many scenes that are almost calling for interpretation have to be left aside.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Gypo
3. Dogme95
3.1 History of Dogme95
3.2. The religious aspect in Dogme95
3.3 Gypo and Dogme95
4. The “Vow of Chastity” in Gypo
4.1 Dogme-rule #1
4.2 Dogme-rule #2
4.3 Dogme-rule #3
4.4 Dogme-rule #4
4.5 Dogme-rule #5
4.6 Dogme-rule #6
4.7 Dogme-rule #7
4.8 Dogme-rule #8
4.9 Dogme-rule #9
4.10 Dogme-rule #10
4.11 Final declaration
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this academic paper is to examine how Jan Dunn implemented the strict "Vow of Chastity" guidelines within the production of her 2005 film "Gypo". By analyzing the film's adherence to or deviations from these specific rules, the study evaluates the practical challenges and artistic consequences of Dogme95 principles in contemporary British cinema.
- Historical development and core manifesto of Dogme95.
- Religious allegories and symbolic structure of the Dogme rules.
- Practical implementation and challenges of the ten Dogme rules in "Gypo".
- Analysis of specific production decisions, including camerawork, sound, and lighting.
- Evaluation of the film's status as a "Dogme-certified" project.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Dogme-rule #1: “Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).”
Dunn chooses Margate as location; the portrayal of this city is exactly like it looks in reality. The chosen locations like the house of Helen’s family, the trailer park, the harbour, the streets, the bar and the hotel really do exist in the form they are shown in the film. The fact that all the locations are not far away from each other does not only give the impression that the inhabitants live in their own narrow world, but is also a hint that some of them are narrow-minded, too - especially Paul, even though he is in the end the only one who managed to escape from this scenery.
That props must not be brought in makes it for a Christmas scenery necessary to shoot around Christmas time. This has been done in Gypo - there is Christmas decoration in the streets, a Christmas tree is in the living room, the Margate Christmas procession takes place at that time, the bar is adorned and even Paul’s car is decorated with Christmas stuff. Even though the decoration of the car was not originally in there before, Dunn did not break up the rules. She uses a “trick” to make it fit: the crew did the decoration with props from the hotel where they stayed – and therefore it was available at the location and does not hurt the rule. But she hurts the rule in the scene with the blow job. She brought in a prosthetic penis, because she did not want to ask Paul McGann if he would offer his real one for this scene (Dunn, 2005) and therefore took an artificial one, which is definitely a prop. Maybe she could have shoot it from a slightly different perspective, that one could not see it and therefore it would not have been necessary to bring it in and to hurt the rule.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, detailing the background of "Gypo" as the first UK Dogme95 film and defining the analytical approach used to evaluate the Vow of Chastity.
2. Gypo: Provides a synopsis of the film, its multi-perspective narrative structure, and an introduction to the primary characters living in Margate.
3. Dogme95: Explores the history of the manifesto, the religious connotations inherent in the rules, and the reasons behind the collaboration between Jan Dunn and the Dogme movement.
4. The “Vow of Chastity” in Gypo: Serves as the analytical core, testing each of the ten rules against specific scenes in the film and citing directorial intentions.
5. Conclusion: Assesses the overall success of Dunn's adherence to the rules and reflects on the exhausting yet meaningful nature of the Dogme style.
6. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources, interviews, and primary texts used for the analysis.
Keywords
Dogme95, Gypo, Jan Dunn, Vow of Chastity, Film Production, Realism, British Cinema, Lars von Trier, Location Shooting, Narrative Perspective, Cinematic Rules, Film Manifesto, Documentary Style, Independent Film, Media Studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this study?
This study analyzes the film "Gypo" by Jan Dunn, specifically investigating how it adheres to the restrictive "Vow of Chastity" guidelines established by the Dogme95 manifesto.
What are the core thematic fields of the paper?
The paper covers the historical roots of Dogme95, the philosophical and religious links to the "Vow of Chastity", and the practical application of these rules in modern independent filmmaking.
What is the central research objective?
The goal is to determine how successfully Jan Dunn integrated the ten Dogme rules into her production and to analyze the artistic tradeoffs required to follow these strict mandates.
Which scientific method is used?
The author employs a film analysis methodology, systematically evaluating specific scenes from "Gypo" against each of the ten Dogme rules, supported by reference to interviews with the directors.
What is treated in the main body of the work?
The main body consists of a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the ten Dogme rules, providing practical examples from the film for each rule and discussing potential violations or creative workarounds.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The most relevant terms include Dogme95, Vow of Chastity, Gypo, Jan Dunn, and film realism.
Why did Jan Dunn choose the Dogme style for this film?
Dunn believed the Dogme rules suited the gritty, social-based drama of "Gypo", as it allowed for a raw, realistic portrayal of local asylum-seeking issues without technical artifice.
How does the film handle the rule regarding artificial lighting?
The author notes that while Dunn generally adhered to the rule by using natural or on-location light, she encountered difficulties during a night scene (the blow job scene) and had to employ a camera-attached lamp, which was later dimmed, creating a potential rule conflict.
Does the author consider the film a successful Dogme production?
Yes, the author concludes that Dunn managed the production very well and that the few instances where rules were bent or violated are acceptable, considering the difficulties acknowledged even by the founders of the movement.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Krause (Author), 2006, The implementing of the 'Vow of Chastity' in Jan Dunn's "Gypo", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/66826
