Mimodiegetic and Volodiegetic Levels of Diegesis, Together with Variable Frame Rates, as Tools to Define a Tentative Early Film Language

This thesis focuses on the era of early film, with the aim to address an almost forgotten film language. Three aspects have been taken into account—variable frame rates, suppressed sound and hearing, and projection speeds—to analyze several examples of film to ascertain the techniques used by early filmmakers. I have also applied my findings of the techniques of yesteryear to contemporary films that have tried to imitate the early era production methods, in order to present the possibilities and difficulties in reproducing and utilizing the “old” language. The thesis also examines what separated the early era from the modern era, thus identifying future avenues of research. In so doing, I have introduced two novel diegetic terms, namely mimodiegetic and volodiegetic, with the former referring to sound imitating the visuals and the latter relating to a volatile sound rising from the image. Neither of the terms represents a technique, or, for that matter, are restricted to the early era—both rather provide a means to define a specific technique. Finally, based on my findings, I argue that the early film language is problematic to utilize fully today but that it is, at the same time, not confined to the early era