VOTD: How Important Is Realism In Cinema?
By Ethan Anderton/June 19, 2017 5:30 am EST
A new video essay attempts to explain the importance of realism in movies, why people seem to look for even the most fantastical of movies to have some semblance of realism, and why realism isn’t really what those viewers should be looking for. Watch the movie realism video essay after the jump.
The video above illustrates the difference between formalism and realism, and explains how pretty much all movies fall somewhere in between, but usually lean a little more towards one or the other. Some go for a more realistic style, presentation and narrative while others go for the more fantastical and unbelievable in those arenas. When a movie tries to strike a balance between those two, it doesn’t always work out, as in the case of Ang Lee’s Hulk, a movie that tries to be serious but doesn’t jibe well with the exaggerated comic book visual style.
What do you think about realism in film? Is it hard to swallow a film like Speed Racer even knowing that the verisimilitude of the movie is harmonious with the universe in which it exists? Is it easier to get lost in a movie that feels closer to the real world like The Dark Knight even if the concept of a superhero like Batman is still fairly unrealistic? Feel free to discuss in the comments below.
Thanks to The AV Club for bringing this to our attention.
