Film as Film: The Collected Writings of Gregory J. Markopoulos

by Gregory J. Markopoulos, Mark Webber (editor), P. Adams Sitney (foreword)

Film as Film: The Collected Writings of Gregory J. Markopoulos contains some ninety out-of-print or previously unavailable articles by the Greek-American filmmaker who, as a contemporary of Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage and Andy Warhol, was at the forefront of a movement that established a truly independent form of cinema. Beginning with his early writings on the American avant-garde and auteurs such as Dreyer, Bresson and Mizoguchi, it also features numerous essays on Markopoulos' own practice, and on films by Robert Beavers, that were circulated only in journals, self-published editions or programme notes. The texts become increasingly metaphysical and poetic as the filmmaker pursued his ideal of Temenos, an archive and screening space to be located at a remote site in the Peloponnese where his epic final work could be viewed in harmony with the Greek landscape. Gregory J. Markopoulos (1928-1992) is a unique figure in film history, whose life's work stands in testament to his strength of vision and commitment to the medium.

"This collection of writings by a key figure of the New American Cinema complements, illuminates and extends an incomparable body of work. Equal parts theory, criticism and mythical prose, the texts reflect the charisma and originality of its author - and his enduring romanticism. Brandished by the same absolutes and passion that fuel his films, Film as Film is a seminal addition to film scholarship and film history." (Andréa Picard, Toronto International Film Festival)

Film as Film: The Collected Writings of Gregory J. Markopoulos is edited by Mark Webber and has a foreword by P. Adams Sitney.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Film as Film: An Introduction, Mark Webber

Foreword
Markopoulos Writings, P. Adams Sitney

I: Cinema, The Ideal (An Exposition)
The Responsibility of the Cinema in Our Age, c.1955
Cinema The Ideal, 1960
Sto Palikari, 1968
Towards a Constructive Complex in Projection, 1968
A Supreme Art in a Dark Age, 1971
Dante Present, 1971
Inherent Limitations, 1966
The Pyramid of Sight, 1986
The Intuition Space, 1973

II: Avant-Garde Chronicle (On Films & Filmmakers)
A Part of the Alphabet, 1961
Overtime, 1961
Avant-Garde Chronicle, 1963
Projection of Thoughts, 1964
Judgement Through Bad Conscience, 1965
What Are You Ready For?, 1965
Institutions Customs Landscapes, 1966
The Golden Poet, 1962
Scorpio Rising, 1963
Innocent Revels, 1964
Three Filmmakers, 1964
Stille Nacht, 1961
Jean Genet’s Only Film: Un chant d’amour, 1961
Film of the Absurd, 1962
Negatives, 1968
Robert Bresson: A Brief Survey, 1962
The Marvels and Lamentations of Mizoguchi, 1968

III: Disclosed Knowledge (On Markopoulos)
L’Arbre aux champignons, 1950
Psyche’s Search for the Herb of Invulnerability, 1955
A Note for Hans Van Manen, 1971
Bruised by the Critics, 1966
Whither Motion Pictures, 1985
From Fanshawe to Swain, 1966
Statement Concerning Cinema, 1963
Towards a New Narrative Film Form, 1963
Twice a Man Statement, 1965
The Driving Rhythm, 1966
Twice a Man, Three Time Prize Winner, 1966
Galaxie, 1966
The Filmmaker as Physician of the Future. 1967
A Note (for Jean-Paul Vroom), 1971
The Divine Attributes, 1970
Correspondences of Smell and Visuals, 1967
Towards a New Sound Complement for Motion Pictures, 1967
Adventures with Bliss in Roma, 1967
The Adamantine Bridge, 1968
Disclosed Knowledge, 1970
Rebus, 1970
The Redeeming of the Contrary, 1971
The Celestial Inheritance, 1971

IV: The Threshold of the Frame (On Robert Beavers)
10th of July, 1967
The Siege of Bruxelles, 1968
Circumbendibus Notes, 1968
“And I Shall Pull Things From the Stars”, 1972
From First Creative Steps Forward, 1971
The Language of Diamonds, 1970
Love’s Task, 1971
In Other Words It Is His Tongue, 1971
Art Is Not Knowledge, 1973
The Threshold of the Frame, 1974
Clarity Upon Clarity Through Reflection, 1974
The Gathering of Perception and Judgement, 1974
Erb and Tree, 1975
Πνοιη (Pnoee), 1976

V: Towards a Temenos (On Temenos)
Formal Account, 1970
Towards a Temenos, 1970
A Solemn Pause, 1971
The Filmmaker’s Perception in Contemplation, 1972
The Complex Illusion, 1972
Element of the Void, 1972
Towards a Complete Order, 1974
The Usury of the Creative Soul, 1976
Ηρακλής (Heracles), 1978
Εικόνες Αυτών (Ikones Auton), 1979
Προνώπιον (Pronopion), 1980
Ένθεος (Entheos), 1980
Aei!, 1981
Mosholibano, 1981
The Silk Road, 1982
The Ancient Future, 1983
Proposal to the Architect of the Temenos, 1984
The High Tableland, 1984
Ανάλαμψις (Analampsis), 1985
Message for D. W. Griffith, 1985
Hues Point, 1985
Αεί Καλόν (Aei Kalon A), 1985
Αεί Καλόν (Aei Kalon B), 1985
The Amygdaline Grove, 1986
The Bread of Angels, 1987
Unification of the Frame, 1990
The Future of the Temenos and its Boundaries, 1992
Ακρόπολης γης (Acropolis Gis), 1992

Images
16 pages of colo...

Genres: Film

560 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Gregory J. Markopoulos (March 12, 1928 – November 12, 1992) was an American experimental filmmaker and poet.

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1928 to Greek immigrant parents, Markopoulos began making 8 mm films at an early age. He attended USC Film School in the late 1940s, and went on to become a co-founder — with Jonas Mekas, Shirley Clarke, Stan Brakhage and others — of the New American Cinema movement. He was as well a contributor to Film Culture magazine, and an instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 1967, he and his partner Robert Beavers left the United States for permanent residence in Europe. Once ensconced in self-imposed exile, Markopoulos withdrew his films from circulation, refused any interviews, and insisted that a chapter about him be removed from the second edition of Visionary Film, P. Adams Sitney's seminal study of American avant-garde cinema. While he continued to make films, his work went largely unseen for almost 30 years.

He died in 1992 in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As of this time and moment, I have seen only two films by the Greek American filmmaker Gregory J. Markopoulos. "Galaxie" and "Gammelion." If I was a cine-purist, I would have seen these films at the perfect location for his work, which is Temenos in Greece. His life-time work is to have all his films to be presented in this location, which is outdoors, and some miles away from Athens. Remote, and probably not that easy to get to - yet the journey itself I'm sure is magnificent, and if the two films I saw are example of his other works, probably more likely worth the trouble. It is refreshing to come here upon an artist/filmmaker who doesn't compromise their work for....anyone! This marvelous collection of essays/poetry/rants/thoughts by Markopoulos is an essential to anyone who is interested in American underground film world. Specifically in the heights of the 1960s through the 80s. The source of these writings are from self-published works or Jonas Mekas' excellent publication of the 60s FILM CULTURE. And some are lectures or introductions to his work throughout the world. Markopoulos is on the same league as Stan Brakhage and Kenneth Anger. An important artist, that the few only know or have seen his works. As an anthology this book reads well - I think not only due to Markopoulos' writings, but also the editorship of Mark Webber, and the additional overall great design of the book. Webber has put together tight chapters or sections that focus on his work as a commentator on other filmmakers, as well as focusing on his films and of course, the projection of his complete works in Greece, which is sort of an installation piece. The two films I saw were pretty hypnotic, not only due to its editing, but also how one is drawn to his subject matter. "Galaxie" is a compilation of film portraits of various (mostly well-known filmmakers/artists) in the New York world of the early 60s. It is all an amazing snapshot of a time, but also you can tell how Markopoulos feels about his subject matters as well. The film is silent, except what sounds like bells in the background, is 92 minutes and not one boring moment was had. "Gammelion" is a study on a castle in Italy, and one is almost peeking around the corner. It's a beautiful film and almost meditative in its approach at 'looking' at a structure. Markopoulos has an eye for beautiful buildings and great looking people ("Galaxie"). The book is a must have if you make a film library, and anyone who is interested in film aesthetics must-have this as well. Hopefully this will not the last word on Markopoulos, but it is clearly the first - and that this book, is an exceptional book.