Formalism and Realism in Film

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Formalism v. Realism

There is much controversy with regard to the contrast between formalism and realism in the world of cinema, with film enthusiasts promoting either concept as a means for film makers to interact with viewers and to put across the exact messages they want to. While both schools of thought are intriguing and are responsible for having contributed to some of the most beautiful films history has to offer, it is really difficult for someone not to express more appreciation toward one of them in particular circumstances.

Films such as Vittorio De Sica's 1948 "Bicycle Thieves" played an important role in shaping the world of cinema and made it possible for people to comprehend the degree to which realism can influence their perspective while watching a motion picture. The director was unhesitant about employing what many would consider improvised techniques with the purpose to connect with his viewers and in order to influence them to believe that they are actually seeing a real-life event. Both the father and his son seem to react perfectly normal in the circumstances they come across, this further contributing to making viewers feel that they are actually seeing a real-life event.

De Sica's ability to get viewers to identify with his characters and to acknowledge the fact that their reactions are realistic is certainly impressive. Here is a man who transcends the typical boundaries associated with film-making and manages to connect with viewers in an intriguing manner. Viewers are encouraged to get actively involved in the events occurring throughout the film and to contribute (in spite of the unilateral type of involvement they take on) in the motion picture.

Formalism is certainly one of the most important filming techniques ever invented, taking into account the passion that both actors and producers have to invest in making the finished product possible. Even with the fact that this is a subjective topic, it is likely that film is heading toward perfection from a formalist point-of-view. "The technical development of the motion picture will soon carry the mechanical imitation of nature to an extreme." (Arnheim 154)

In formalism viewers are well-acquainted with the fact that what they are seeing is not real and could not possibly occur in real-life. Even with this, they are entertained and this type of cinematography can be extremely successful in triggering intense thoughts in individuals seeing such movies. It would be absurd to deny the significance of formalist film-making or to claim that it cannot be as successful as other cinematographic genres in connecting with audiences.

In spite of the obvious beauty of formalism in cinematography, I would employ an attitude related to realism if I were provided with the chance to create a film. To a certain degree (and this is a personal opinion), I consider that attempting to put across the feelings I am interested in would not be possible if I were to use a formalist approach. Certainly, I would be able to do something very similar to what I have in mind, but I consider that my viewers would not feel as passionate about the ideas I want to put across. This been said, I believe that by adopting a realist attitude, I would be able to make viewers feel that they are present alongside of characters every step of the way. This is likely to be frustrating for some, as they might consider that the characters are behaving irrationally. In a formalist setting, viewers would simply be inclined to believe that it is all part of the script and their frustration would probably be less concerning for them.

Taking into account the way that De Sica was able to exploit a subject that was contemporary to him, it would be safe to say that by addressing a topic that the masses are used to coming across plays an important role in getting people's attention. Many Italians in post-war Europe were accustomed to coming across situations where individuals were in critical conditions as a consequence of the fact that resources were scarce across Italy and because they were thus left with no alternative but to do everything in their power in order to survive. I would thus be inclined to believe that by adopting a realist attitude when directing a film, one would be more likely to connect with his or her viewers to a degree where they actually identify with characters in the film and feel that (even though in some cases this is wrong) they would be probable to put across similar behaviors to these respective characters.

When taking into account a Platonic realist type of thinking, it would appear that humanity as a whole is intrigued with the idea of having several scenarios occurring at the same time (Desmond 26). As a consequence, by creating a film based on realist principles, producers would be provided with the chance to put across ideas that would captivate the masses' attention to a higher degree.

As trivial as some ideas might seem, it they are introduced in the right setting they can be much more captivating than some of history's best fabricated stories. As previously said, even though I acknowledge the significance of the formalist approach in cinematography, I identify my style of story-telling with realism more than I do with formalism.