“Psycho”, Hitchcock’s Films Revisited, F&F, 1989. It is the study of a text without taking into account any outside influence. Formalism, also called Russian Formalism, Russian Russky Formalism, innovative 20th-century Russian school of literary criticism. For this reason it is the preferred approach for propaganda. Change ), Formalist Film Theory and Psycho-Analysis. Yet, for some it is still the medium to dream in. Formalism began in Russia during the 20th century by a group of linguists who desired a … The formalist theory is one that is very often used as a topic of study. pub. And hence the dark glasses of the policeman: he is the only character whose eyes we never see, because it is he who is watching Marion, and hence ourselves. Thomson Jones describes formalist film as an appreciation of aesthetic objects and one that needs structural analysis. If these terms are new to you, don’t worry—they’ll be explained in the next section. The eyes are a common theme throughout Psycho, highlighted in such scenes as when psycho Norman Bates peeps through a hole in the wall to watch Marion undress, as well as in the conclusion to the famous shower scene in which the camera spirals, zooming out from Marion’s dead eye. I believe the Formalist Approach to be the more effective method of studying film because it is important to consider the moment or scene of a film not just in relation to the outside world, but within the context of the film in which it resides. Formalist film makers shape and mold the images we see on the screen the way a sculptor shapes and molds clay. The idea originates in ancient Greek metaphysics. Both stories have internal battles of good and evil. ( Log Out / The formalist approach as exercised by Wood helps to decipher these recurring themes, thus maximizing film appreciation. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The assessment of a piece of artwork is based purely on the artist’s skilland not on the choice of subject matter, with the value based primarily on the use o… Change ). In monographs about world filmmakers, aesthetic or formalist film theory is the most represented in the English language. Different Views under Formalism . It is the study of a text without taking into account any outside influence. When the officer comes to the window to speak with Marion, who is quite nervous as she has just stolen $40,000, it is noticeable that the neither the spectator, nor Marion, can see into the police officer’s eyes. Current essay provides a comparative analysis of formalist and realist film theories, based on theoretical approaches, innovations, critical findings and film-making practice of such renowned representatives of both currents of the film theory as Eisenstein, Arnheim and Bazin. PLOT: A narrator begins the story by explaining that he's sane. I really like that these filmmakers really focused on the content of their film and analysed the best ways they could present the story and its background. For example, formalists are aware that mise-en-scene, sound, camera, framing, editing and optical effects can be used to create a great work of art. Although I find both Perkins’ and Mulvey’s approaches to film worthwhile and significant, Wood’s method of studying film as it pertains to the spectator appeals to me most, for it focuses on the spectator’s perception. It would certainly be impractical in many situations… but I enjoy it anyway! When you look into these theories closely, you can start to understand how and why formalist filmmakers crafted their films, and what theories we can take onto our filmmaking. As formalist theory in film progressed in the 1980s concepts of Russian formalist films were taken to create Neo-formalism. Another pioneer of Formalist film theory is Robin Wood, widely known for his famous review article, simply titled “Psycho”. Formalists disagreed about what specific elements make a literary work "good" or "bad"; but generally, Formalism maintains that a literary work contains certain intrinsic features, and the theory "...defined and addressed the specifically literary qualities in the text" (Richter 699). Perkins, the British film critic, professor, and notable formalist film theorist picks apart films by looking at how the shot fits into a sequence, sequence into film, and film into cinema as a whole. Perkins then asks how the scene relates to the rest of the film, connecting common themes found within. This modern film theory is used to evoke certain emotions or mental states with the help of technical cinematic facets such as lighting, scoring, sound and set design. The exposure of the eyes leaves the character vulnerable, open to the viewer’s scrutiny, allowing access to their soul. The ideological approach as a whole has its place in film theory and critique, answering questions posed about cinema, utilizing psychoanalysis to conclude how we, the audience, should see film. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The formalistic approach directs that art be analyzed by reviewing form and style. Formalism The subject of films is a matter of dreams for many persons though the attraction has come down after the new medium of video has come in. Recognition, Alignment, Allegiance in Taxi Driver, Use the camera to emphasise the subject’s mood e.g. moving the camera to create high energy. In the field of literary criticism, a formalist approach is one that studies a text as a text and nothing more. What are Some Values of this Theory? Writing about edition or use of color in a film. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In an article titled “Film as Film” by V.F. Formalist film theory is an approach to film theory that is focused on the formal, or technical, elements of a film: i.e., the lighting, scoring, sound and set design, use of color, shot composition, and editing. Wood is another British film critic and professor, known for a slightly more spectator based, formalist approach. The formalist approach analyzes films from a detail-oriented and spectator-based stance, whereas the Ideological approach is much more broad, focusing more on how the world is, and how it should be seen as a result of film. Perkin, V.F.. “Film as Film”, Ch./Art: Excerpts p. 1-6 as reprinted. Seeing as how I have yet to conduct a film review on my blog, this analysis will fill that void. This is a great way to tell a specific story as you can use certain devices to emphasis important information in the best way possible, instead of going through and using all the technical features you can, but not highlighting anything particular in your film. Film. Formalism is a school of literary criticism and literary theory having mainly to do with structural purposes of a particular text. Psycho. Structuralism is based on the assumption that every text has a universal, underlying structure. Most directors who are great stylists are formalists to some degree. In Film Studies, the formalist tradition covers everything from the Russian formalists (see Eagle, 1981) to Rudolf Arnheim's pioneering Film as Art (1957), Christian Metz's film semiotics (1974a; 1974b; Buckland, 1999); Noël Burch's study of film's formal principles (1981); Edward Branigan's description of point of view in narrative cinema (1984); Raymond Bellour's shot-by-shot analyses of film segments (2000); … Formalism is a method of criticism which “examines a literary text or artwork through its aesthetic composition such as form, language, technique and style” (Formalism, 2018). parts of a … I find this to be too broad, generalizing films into politically and societally driven machines. However, I find this to be a much more intense and specific approach to film study. To get into the concept of formalist film theory, one has to talk about the film in terms of the formal or technical elements within the film. For this reason it is the preferred approach for propaganda. The formalist theory is one that is very often used as a topic of study. His final consideration is asking how the film demonstrates what film can be, interpreting the film as a whole and finding its place in cinema. The Formalist Theory. In monographs about world filmmakers, aesthetic or formalist film theory is the most represented in the English language. But I agree that it has a very specific function and audience. To get into the concept of formalist film theory, one has to talk about the film in terms of the formal or technical elements within the film. BASIC THEORY According to The Routledge Encyclopedia of Film Theory, Film Theory is “…a set of scholarly approaches within the academic discipline of cinema studies that question the essentialism of cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large." Formalism attempts to treat each work as its own distinct piece, free from its environment, era, and even author. What are Some Shortcomings of This Theory? Formalist film first came about in the 1920s, this is when formalist filmmakers were trying to legitimate themselves as artists. From there, he determines how the film fits into our world through Freudian psychoanalysis, which, in short, is a formulated study of the human subconscious. Formalist film theory is an approach to film theory that is focused on the formal, or technical, elements of a film: i.e., the lighting, scoring, sound and set design, use of color, shot composition, and editing. NEO-REALISM: Andre Bazin. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. My rather formalist approach to Hindi film dances provides a foundation for investigating these dances in way that will allow me to expand on this research in the future. Realism as expression of mythic, not the scientific. Formalism, in other words, allows us to explain how writers achieve certain effects. This directorial choice to have the eyes visible for all except the policeman creates a parallel with the spectator of the film. The distinction between form and content is that content is the works subject matter whereas form is what we use and how we present the subject matter. The Formalist approach to literature, or Formalism, is a broad branch of literary criticism that seeks to examine a text on its own terms, independent of the text's societal or authorial context. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In the beginning Russian formalist were trying to convert their theories from literary art to film. Formalism and Film A Look Behind Formalism What is Film Formalism? Formalism is a very appealing method of literary analysis. Alfred Hitchcock. Through Wood’s formalist theory, we can begin to draw conclusions as to what the eyes represent in Psycho. After viewing the film and evaluating its effect on the spectator, such as the effect of focusing on the eyes, we can ask ourselves, “what makes Psycho great?” What makes the film great is that we as the viewer are put in position by Hitchcock to empathize with Marion and Norman, sequentially (transitioning with the shower murder). In a time of revolution a new form of literary theory also emerged. Formalism analyses the structure of a text without focusing on the external factors such as authorship, social and cultural influence. Wood’s theory also considers cultural reflections and assumptions exhibited in the film. Neo and Russian formalists believed the work of art as a set of devices, they then use these devices to craft a film. Plato (c. 430--347 B … But as I have stated before, that answer lies within the spectator. 1969. According to this method, representation is based on formal structure and not content. This point of view developed in reaction to "...forms of 'extrinsic' criticism that viewed the text as either the product of social and historical forces or a document making an ethical statement" (699). Film analysis is the process in which film is analyzed in terms of semiotics, narrative structure, cultural context, and mise-en-scene, among other approaches. Formalism accomplishes this examination by evaluating the formal aspects of a text. 4. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, Screen 16.3, 1975. This will then give the viewer a more authentic feel of the character and their story. Perkins article and detailed scene analysis from film I personally believe the viewer determines the true value of the film, and this area of focus results in a greater gratification in recognizing what makes film great. 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