| Mumblecore | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Country | United States |
| Major figures | Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, Aaron Katz, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Joe Swanberg |
| Influences | DIY culture, Dogme 95, American independent film, digital filmmaking |
Mumblecore is an American independent film movement that arose at the turn of the 21st century.[1][2] Filmmakers associated with the movement include Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Aaron Katz, Joe Swanberg, and Barry Jenkins.[1][3][4]
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Andrew Bujalski has been described as the "Godfather of Mumblecore".[5] His 2002 directorial debut, Funny Ha Ha, is generally considered to be the first mumblecore film.[6]
The 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival screened a number of other films that came to be considered part of the mumblecore movement, including Bujalski's second film Mutual Appreciation, The Puffy Chair by Mark Duplass & Jay Duplass, and Kissing on The Mouth by Joe Swanberg.[5][7][2][8]
The term "mumblecore" was coined by Eric Masunaga, a sound editor who has worked with Bujalski. Masunaga coined the term one night at a bar during the 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival, when asked to describe the similarities between Mutual Appreciation, The Puffy Chair, and Kissing On The Mouth, which all screened at the festival.[5] The term was first used publicly by Bujalski in an interview with indieWIRE.[2][6]
The directors of the films are sometimes referred to collectively as "mumblecorps", as in press corps. Film journalists have also used the terms "bedhead cinema", and "Slackavetes", a portmanteau derived from the title of Richard Linklater's dialogue heavy, lo-fi 1990s film Slacker[2] and the name of independent film director John Cassavetes.
In 2007, the IFC Center in New York City exhibited a ten-film series of mumblecore films, titled "The New Talkies: Generation D.I.Y.".[2]
New York-based Benten Films, a boutique DVD label run by film critics, has championed such mumblecore titles as Swanberg's LOL, and Katz's first two films: Dance Party USA and Quiet City.
Mumblecore films are generally set in a post-college milieu, with characters that are typically heterosexual, white, middle class, and in their twenties.[1] These films are typically character-driven, focusing more on relationships than conventional plot points.[2][5] However, a number of films considered to be part of the movement do not conform to this mold. Medicine for Melancholy focuses on African American characters;[9] Bujalski's Beeswax features characters that are older;[10] and Mark & Jay Duplass' Baghead utilises a number of tropes from the horror film genre.
Naturalism - both in performance and dialogue - is a key feature of almost all mumblecore films.[2] Many mumblecore films feature non-professional actors;[1][2][5] however, Mark Duplass & Jay Duplass have worked with professional actors on their films Baghead and Cyrus.[8] Some mumblecore films feature a prominent use of improvisation,[2][5] with the cast sharing script credits.[1] However, not all mumblecore films feature significant improvisation. For example, the films of Andrew Bujalski are heavily scripted.[10]
Mumblecore films are general produced with a low or micro-budget and low production values.[5][6] Many of these films are shot digitally;[1][6] however, this is not a defining characteristic. As of July 2011, all of Andrew Bujalski's films have been shot on film.[10]