Author
Melenchuk Olha
a Ph.D. in Philology, an assistant of the Department of Ukrainian Literature at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University
Traditional Culture as the Basis of Ivan Mykolaichuk Creative Phenomenon
Abstract
The problem of the existence of folk traditional culture in the filmmaking of director, actor and script-writer I. Mykolaichuk is emphasized in the article. The peculiarities of usage of folklore and ethnographic materials, their content and sense on the basis of biographical data and analyzed cinematographic works of I. Mykolaychuk are considered and generalized in detail. Especially a thorough review of films directed by him – Babylon XX (1979), Such Late, Such Warm Autumn (1981) – and scripted by the artist, in particular The White Bird Marked with Black (1971) is submitted.
There is an interlacement of oral poetical works, visual art, music, choreographic elements of folk art with the rich ethnographic heritage of the Ukrainian people in the films Babylon XX, Such Late, Such Warm Autumn, The White Bird Marked with Black. Important components of spiritual and practical activity and customary culture of Ukrainians are followed in these films. And this is the richness and diversity of Hutsulian clothing, breast women’s jewelry, woven carpets, carved plates, embroidered towels, icons painted on wood, folk art paintings, household items, weapons, architectural structures, life of folk housing architecture, customs, rituals, everything, which now constitutes an intangible cultural heritage and indicates the rich spiritual and practical activities of Ukrainians and their special world perception.
Artistic imagery and symbols are of a great importance in the films with the participation of I. Mykolaichuk, which reveal the artistic idea of the filmmaker. Ornithological images-symbols in the form of storks, cranes, swans; zoomorphic (goat, horse, foal, ox, cat, dog, etc.) explain not only the name of the film, but also create an original amplifying effect. Also the ritual and customary tradition (elements of Holy Evening, Epiphany, wedding, funeral, Malanka) are represented widely.
From the today’s point of view, every creative work of I. Mykolaichuk as a film director and script-writer is a real masterpiece of filmmaking, which immerses the audience into the world of Ukrainian folk culture, represented by rich folklore and ethnographic material.
Keywords
artist, film, authentic, folklore, ethnography, life, traditions.
References
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