Rose Hobart Architectural Aspects

Spaces made within the space given set

It is known that films throughout the early 1900s were usually filmed "fixed" on sets. This creates a limited amount of space that a person can use during the shots. While focusing on the film Rose Hobart I found four main locations that were used.

The beginning of the film starts with these sight seers outside in an unknown location looking up at what I later assumed was the lunar eclipse. The scene changes and begins to zoom in on this woman sleeping outside in a shelter that is covered by a mosquito net and three walls, shown in the image below.

 

This area can be described as simple and connected to nature. The film then cuts to another location which is much more elegant and full of ornamentation. The elegant place still has a strong connection to nature. There are large windows and balconies that connect the interior to the exterior.

 

The images below start from the exterior of the room to the entry to the main space. This area appears in many different shots and is separated by a large sculptural piece. The piece makes the room seem as if it is many different spaces because you are never able to see the entire room in one shot.

 

The woman appears by this door multiple times throughout the film. The way the outside entrance frames the ornamented door creates an interest in the door.

 



 

The man hiding behind the door appears in multiple scenes, however, you are unable to see the expression of the man throughout the conversations the focus is always on the woman. During this scene you being to wonder more about where this door goes and the importance increases.

The depth of this room is expressed really well. The large column features on either side so you are able to infer that it is part of the gathering space that is seen throughout the following scenes.

 

This is another portion of the same room, since this large column obstructs the view of the rest of the space you are able to use it in multiple shots and have it appear to be a larger room because you are not seeing the entire area in the same shot.

In the shot above you can see this same pillar in the background, therefore knowing this is again the same room. The various shots within this room give you the idea that it is a public gathering space, mainly because there are numerous people in each shot. During this shot the woman, you assume to be Rose, is having one of her many conversations with this man. In this area of the room there is a strong connection to the exterior.

 

 

 

These three stills are occurring within the same bedroom, in the last shot you are briefly shown the man falling to the ground. It can be inferred that Rose shot him from the view of her with a gun in the earlier scene.

 

 

In the beginning of the movie there was a shot of Rose standing on a balcony and see this ripple effect in the water. This moment repeats its self again when after the eclipse, and Rose is seen in the last scene closing her eyes. This event could have represented renewal or death for Rose, it seems as if her closing her eyes represents sorrow or relief that the man has died. Lunar eclipses have been said to be the time of craziness and increased energy. Since this scene is repeated it leads me to believe that it is crucial to the meaning of the film and will guide me on further analysis.



Rose Hobart By Joseph Cornell

Life can have significance even if it appears to be a series of failures - Joseph Cornell

Joseph Cornell is an artist who is known for his shadow box designs, which display a dream like aura. These creations by Cornell allow us a brief view into his private and magical world. The film, Rose Hobart, is named after and starting an actress of the 1930's, Rose Hobart. After researching this actress I realized that the description of the film she stared in "East of Borneo" has similar aspects to the film, including the showing of lions, monkeys, and alligators. From these facts I have drawn the conclusion that Joseph Cornell created this film partly with clips from "East of Borneo". This clipping together of scenes is very powerful and important because it shows that the pieces Cornell chose are specifically important to the message he is conveying about Rose Hobart.

Each time I watched the film I picked up on different aspects of the film which lead to further analysis. My first observation was the replacement of sound, there are numerous conversations within the film but the words are unknown and not projected. Instead there is constant music playing throughout, the tempo changes between fast upbeat, to slow and soft. At times voices are accompanying the music. Another aspect I found important was the focus on the woman during these conversations. The man's expression is not shown however, the audience is always looking at the woman's reaction and constantly guessing the contents of the conversation through her emotions and reactions. This reinforces the importance of this specific woman in the film.

Another factor that stuck out to me was the lapse of time. There is not a specific and obvious lapse of time within this film because of the lighting. Many aspects and pieces of the film are dark and it appears to be night time. However, every so often Cornell adds in a quick showing of palm trees in the day time, displaying the environment in a daytime view. This may indicate that a new day is starting or that time is passing. However, a confusing factor is that the woman is wearing different clothing in the shots that he has clipped together. At first I thought there may be two woman in the film, but after researching and looking at photos of the woman taken in different light with different hair styles I realized there was only one woman in this film.

Cut/sequencing and montage editing were used a lot throughout this film. Cornell pieced together different clips and collaged them together without having a specific connection of space within the shots. As mentioned in montage editing, he takes two different areas and moments and pieces them together. Nature seems to be focused on a lot throughout the film and may be important in connection to symbolism. At the beginning foreshadowing is used when there is a splash into the water. The film ends with a lunar eclipse and a repetition of the splash into the water. This may be a connection to death or renewal. In the film there is a brief moment that Rose Hobart is holding a gun, which she quickly places into the purse. Since this is a short film every moment shown to you is important, otherwise it would not be shown. The man Rose Hobart is seen with for a majority of the film is shown falling to the grown for a split second. The viewers can draw a conclusion that she shot him from this brief moment. At the end of the film you see him on a bed and after the lunar eclipse she is shown being held in arms, as if being restrained, and closing her eyes. This may be a sign of relief or regret but it is clear that the man has died.