Film Theory Realism and Film (Part 2)

Realism and Film (Part 2)

Historical Context

  • Historical cinematic movements often aim to reproduce their immediate social contexts.

  • The term ‘real’ in film implies a focus on conditions further down the social scale.

Key Realist Film Movements

  • Two key realist movements:

    • Italian Neorealism

      • Emerged from the aftermath of WWII.

      • Themes include post-war deprivation, morality, authority, economic struggles, and social mobility.

    • British Social Realism

      • Developed during the late 1950s and 1960s in the UK.

Italian Neorealism

  • Defined by filmmakers' intent:

    • David Overby quotes, “To confront audiences with their own reality and analyze that reality.”

  • Characteristics:

    • Loose narratives

    • Use of non-professional actors

    • Location shooting

    • Open-ended conclusions

  • Roberto Rossellini emphasized a moral perspective in filmmaking, evolving into an aesthetic viewpoint.

British Social Realism

  • Emerged from theatrical and literary roots.

  • In 1956, Lindsay Anderson emphasized the importance of depicting “the significance of the everyday.”

  • Focus on young male protagonists known as ‘Angry Young Men’ who articulated social disaffection against post-war Britain’s inequities.

  • Fewer representations of female experiences, though films like A Taste of Honey existed.

  • Influenced by the cultural shifts of the 1960s, with iconic bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones shaping societal contexts.

Visual Style and Techniques

  • Characterized by:

    • Location shooting, especially in Midlands or Northern settings.

    • Use of black and white photography to enhance authenticity.

  • Peter Hutchings remarks on realism intertwining with serious social issues, noting its commercial success in films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and A Taste of Honey.

Filmmaker's Perspective

  • Tension exists between expressive and objective styles:

    • Debates on the merits of montage versus mise-en-scène, focusing on the individual image versus the interplay of multiple images.

Historical Developments (1910s-1920s)

  • In the Soviet Union and Germany, filmmaking was recognized as both a medium for propaganda and artistic expression.

  • Rudolph Arnheim posited silent cinema's capacity for expressing creativity beyond mere reproduction of reality.

  • Emphasis on the filmmaker's role as a creative figure with a distinct vision.

Sergei Eisenstein's Contributions

  • Eisenstein viewed the essence of film as derived from the relationships between individual images, emphasizing editing as a transformative tool for reality.

  • Asks how viewers can resist imposed social or political realities through filmmakers' choices.

Alternative Perspectives

  • Post-WWII critic Andre Bazin offered a counterpoint to Eisenstein:

    • Emphasized the long take and minimal editing, asserting that montage limits ambiguity and complicates realism.

  • Bazin valued ‘spatial realism’ as seen in films by Jean Renoir, contrasting with the documentary-like approach of Italian neo-realism.

Theoretical Constructs in Realism

  • Colin McCabe connected popular cinema to 19th-century novels, arguing for a classic realist text that embraces accepted truths.

  • Peter Wollen examined orthodox and counter-cinema, elucidating how cinema can present narratives differently based on viewer experience.

The Nature of Illusion in Cinema

  • Bazin argued that cinema’s illusion stems from inherent realism rather than theatrical conventions.

  • Suggested perfection in trick work is essential for effective realism—a sentiment echoed by Andrew Tudor, who critiqued Bazin’s perspective on ‘true’ versus ‘pseudorealism’.

Conclusion

  • Realism encompasses a spectrum of cinematic styles, presenting nuanced social issues while balancing artistic expression with representation of reality.