Realism In Film Analysis

In the film world it is widely regarded that there are two kinds of filmmaking : Realism and Formalism. Realism subscribes to a more narrative, social based ideology while Formalism believes that the art of cinema comes from the mastery of technical aspects. Within these two kinds of filmmaking, many theorists have emerged including Bazin, who had a humanist approach to film. Formalism on the other hand, is the theory that the technical aspects of film are meant to create the world the audience is seeing, thus making it more impactful and more artful than the narrative attached to it. I align myself more closely with the realism theory because I agree that narrative is what draws audiences to the movies, and because it is what moves or inspires …show more content…
He believed that the technical aspects of film are purely coincidental, and that the idea or narrative behind the film is really what upholds it. I think the story is the strongest part and that the rest of it, although it is an art, is not the main part of the film. I agree with realism because I believe that the narrative is more important than the formal techniques. Realism uses inexperienced actors and natural lighting to emphasize the importance of the story, the audience is not distracted by CGI or fancy editing, they are focused on the narrative in front of them, and what they might learn from it. The CGI is an example of technical beauties of film taking a back seat against the narrative. The emphasis on everyday people and social issues is important in my mind because without it, we run the risk of having a very white/straight/male dominant movie industry. For example, “Blue is The Warmest Color” (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013) shows two young women who fall in love, and struggle to come to terms with their newfound sexuality in tandem with a new relationship. These are problems that everyone can relate to, and because realism is meant to be a mirror into real life, it leaves room to include the diversity that real life has. Although a movie might not be able to change the world, it can open someone's mind to issues that they are not affected by, and they might gain a new sense of understanding about themselves and the world. Bringing about social awareness, and exemplifies sympathy that every human should show towards their fellow man. This is the end of the extent to which I agree with Bazin, Bazin and Kracauer agree on the fundamentals of realism, and the importance of subject matter bringing about some sort of consciousness, but they begin to split when it comes to the purpose of film. Kracauer believes that the purpose of film is to redeem humanity. If every movie were an attempt to redeem humanity, we