Vox Populi
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Video: What is Neorealism in Film? (a five minute answer)
In this fascinating experiment, a film by Vittorio de Sica and a contemporary recut by David O. Selznick are examined side-by-side in order to understand the difference between Sica’s neorealistic style and Hollywood’s more conventional editing. We can learn a great deal about film editing — and story-telling — through this succinct comparison and contrast.
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Vox Populi 
The video demonstrates a possibility…
” are humans really seeing what is going on OUT THERE,, which “out there” means, what we are seeing or perceiving as the environment around us… or is something else going on…But in my opinion just as for the scientist, it is also important for the artist to be aware of how humans, take in information through their senses and then process the information in a very specific human way.”
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The demonstration is fascinating! As to the question, what is neorealism? I believe that part of the answer is related to the many modern scientific discoveries, which have revealed the way in which the human brain perceives reality, and how the human mind selectively assembles and interprets many bits of information. Science has also discovered that many animal species perceive reality differently than humans. So in order to understand how much we see, and how well we interpret reality or whether we are actually seeing what is going on ” out there”, outside of us, we can also ask the question, which animal species, including ourselves, is more closely seeing what is actually going on “out there”, outside of us, in our external reality? I believe that the film genre, neorealism, or new realism, as it has been explained above, possibly uses some knowledge of what modern science has discovered is the human way of seeing.
I remember well how in a college lecture in an astronomy class, the professor reviewed the philosophy of science, and in one lecture he asked the class, ” are humans really seeing what is going on OUT THERE,, which “out there” means, what we are seeing or perceiving as the environment around us. Then he asked,” or is something else going on?” I distinctly remember the professor making the statement that a scientist ( first being very aware of how humans perceive reality) MUST FIRST ASSUME THAT THEIR IS A REALITY, before embarking on any research. As an artist that information, so impressed me, it has never left me. I think it was the philosopher Kant who said that in terms of humans understanding what is reality, or what is actually going on “out there” he said that our seeing and perceiving our reality, is similar, to a blind men making out what is “out there” with a stick.” But in my opinion just as for the scientist, it is also important for the artist to be aware of how humans, take in information through their senses and then process the information in a very specific human way.
It seems to me, that in the above demonstration, and explanation of certain aspects of how neo-realistic films are assembled, the awareness of this knowledge seems to become even more necessary for the creation of this film genre; and as I am able to see, neorealism film creation manipulates the facts of how humans see, hear and interpret, in order to arrange it’s colors ( in this case black and white) its lighting and the movements placed within a frame/square or rectangle, in order to elicit a certain general response from the audience, IT’S BRILLANT.
But this is what a visual artist, in this case the film-artist, toys with. The fascinating thing is that unlike the classical visual arts which just presents still images on a flat surface, film introduces moving images, which are also fused with sound. So that sound enhances and exerts a great influence on directing the viewers interpretation of the visual.
Understanding, and remembering this great modern accomplishment, should give modern man greater appreciation for what he is seeing and hearing, when he watches a film. THIS MATTER OF TAKING TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED WHEN IT OCMES TO MODERM ART OF FILM, AND NOT BEING EXCITED ENOUGH ABOUT THE INVENTION OF FILM ARTS, MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE! SOMETHING IS JUST NOT RIGHT!
We take our film art too much for granted, possibly because almost every individual in America and in the world has a box at home emitting moving images. But when we consider that the visual arts have been present since the first sign of human civilization, which is about 5500 years ago, starting with the Samarians, our film art is only been in existence for 125 years, since 1890. So that when we watch a film, especially a film as the one above, which in my estimation is fine art/high art, we just must be aware of something more, before we truly treasure what has been created. Otherwise it just becomes another film to watch while eating popcorn; and then we throw it away.
In my estimation any genre in the art of film, must be taken in as one of the latest visual art expressions of the last 5500 years of art history. There is a particular excitement of film arts, which we all are living through but sleeping through, which is that film-art is one of the signs of having arrived to a future which humans in the French revolution and the American revolution envisioned their descendants would be journeying towards, and arriving to, in the future.
I believe that film-art, serves as one of the signs. that we as a civilization, have stepped into, just recently into the world of the future. The art of film is a sign of what past societies envisioned as a modern future, which conjures images of Star Trek or The Jetson’s, Film is right up there with Space travel, anesthesia, air conditioning, organ transplant and computer technology. However I really understand how difficult it is for many people to just sit down and peacefully enjoy, reminisce and express great pride, satisfaction and appreciation for this new futuristic art form called film and it’s may genres, and say ” LOOK AT ALL WE HAVE DONE” when it seems that the appreciation, excitement and pride ” for all we have done” is possibly cancelled out, when we face our modern societies inability to stop all the Wars, and to put an end to, the classical greed which seems to even threaten our own existence.
But if we take a pause and look back at the long corridors of history, the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians, the Aztecs, the Roman and the Greeks, Raphael, Da Vinci and Michelangelo were all attempting to give the impression in their art work, of people or animals which were alive, breathing and moving. They were all trying to solve the problem of showing movement, which is a sign of life, and they were doing so on a still flat surface. But this intent is more clearly demonstrated in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The figures are realistic however very idealized and verging on our concept of the surreal. He was accomplishing an optical illusion. He wanted his figures to fly, to cry, to battle, to ascend in ecstasy. So that if Michelangelo were ever to resurrect, he would be ecstatic. He would not be able to contain himself, but most certainly he would probably become involved in the new version of painting on film, in this world of the future. The moving painting above is a masterpiece, especially considering the explanation of how it was assembled and edited, but for me it is even more exciting when I consider it’s art form in context with all I have said.
http://www.google.com/imgres…
LikeLike
The demonstration is fascinating! As to the question, what is neorealism? I believe that part of the answer is related to the many modern scientific discoveries, which have revealed the way in which the human brain perceives reality, and how the human mind selectively assembles and interprets many bits of information. Science has also discovered that many animal species perceive reality differently than humans. So in order to understand how much we see, and how well we interpret reality or whether we are actually seeing what is going on ” out there”, outside of us, we can also ask the question, which animal species, including ourselves, is more closely seeing what is actually going on “out there”, outside of us, in our external reality? I believe that the film genre, neorealism, or new realism, as it has been explained above, possibly uses some knowledge of what modern science has discovered is the human way of seeing.
I remember well how in a college lecture in an astronomy class, the professor reviewed the philosophy of science, and in one lecture he asked the class, ” are humans really seeing what is going on OUT THERE,, which “out there” means, what we are seeing or perceiving as the environment around us. Then he asked,” or is something else going on?” I distinctly remember the professor making the statement that a scientist ( first being very aware of how humans perceive reality) MUST FIRST ASSUME THAT THEIR IS A REALITY, before embarking on any research. As an artist that information, so impressed me, it has never left me. I think it was the philosopher Kant who said that in terms of humans understanding what is reality, or what is actually going on “out there” he said that our seeing and perceiving our reality, is similar, to a blind men making out what is “out there” with a stick.” But in my opinion just as for the scientist, it is also important for the artist to be aware of how humans, take in information through their senses and then process the information in a very specific human way.
It seems to me, that in the above demonstration, and explanation of certain aspects of how neo-realistic films are assembled, the awareness of this knowledge seems to become even more necessary for the creation of this film genre; and as I am able to see, neorealism film creation manipulates the facts of how humans see, hear and interpret, in order to arrange it’s colors ( in this case black and white) its lighting and the movements placed within a frame/square or rectangle, in order to elicit a certain general response from the audience, IT’S BRILLANT.
But this is what a visual artist, in this case the film-artist, toys with. The fascinating thing is that unlike the classical visual arts which just presents still images on a flat surface, film introduces moving images, which are also fused with sound. So that sound enhances and exerts a great influence on directing the viewers interpretation of the visual.
Understanding, and remembering this great modern accomplishment, should give modern man greater appreciation for what he is seeing and hearing, when he watches a film. THIS MATTER OF TAKING TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED WHEN IT OCMES TO MODERM ART OF FILM, AND NOT BEING EXCITED ENOUGH ABOUT THE INVENTION OF FILM ARTS, MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE! SOMETHING IS JUST NOT RIGHT!
We take our film art too much for granted, possibly because almost every individual in America and in the world has a box at home emitting moving images. But when we consider that the visual arts have been present since the first sign of human civilization, which is about 5500 years ago, starting with the Samarians, our film art is only been in existence for 125 years, since 1890. So that when we watch a film, especially a film as the one above, which in my estimation is fine art/high art, we just must be aware of something more, before we truly treasure what has been created. Otherwise it just becomes another film to watch while eating popcorn; and then we throw it away.
In my estimation any genre in the art of film, must be taken in as one of the latest visual art expressions of the last 5500 years of art history. There is a particular excitement of film arts, which we all are living through but sleeping through, which is that film-art is one of the signs of having arrived to a future which humans in the French revolution and the American revolution envisioned their descendants would be journeying towards, and arriving to, in the future.
I believe that film-art, serves as one of the signs. that we as a civilization, have stepped into, just recently into the world of the future. The art of film is a sign of what past societies envisioned as a modern future, which conjures images of Star Trek or The Jetson’s, Film is right up there with Space travel, anesthesia, air conditioning, organ transplant and computer technology. However I really understand how difficult it is for many people to just sit down and peacefully enjoy, reminisce and express great pride, satisfaction and appreciation for this new futuristic art form called film and it’s may genres, and say ” LOOK AT ALL WE HAVE DONE” when it seems that the appreciation, excitement and pride ” for all we have done” is possibly cancelled out, when we face our modern societies inability to stop all the Wars, and to put an end to, the classical greed which seems to even threaten our own existence.
But if we take a pause and look back at the long corridors of history, the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians, the Aztecs, the Roman and the Greeks, Raphael, Da Vinci and Michelangelo were all attempting to give the impression in their art work, of people or animals which were alive, breathing and moving. They were all trying to solve the problem of showing movement, which is a sign of life, and they were doing so on a still flat surface. But this intent is more clearly demonstrated in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The figures are realistic however very idealized and verging on our concept of the surreal. He was accomplishing an optical illusion. He wanted his figures to fly, to cry, to battle, to ascend in ecstasy. So that if Michelangelo were ever to resurrect, he would be ecstatic. He would not be able to contain himself, but most certainly he would probably become involved in the new version of painting on film, in this world of the future. The moving painting above is a masterpiece, especially considering the explanation of how it was assembled and edited, but for me it is even more exciting when I consider it’s art form in context with all I have said.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Rome_Sistine_Chapel_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel&h=1417&w=1078&tbnid=l4r54kpHxtvj9M:&zoom=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=122&usg=__NNgg5K9v5j3RUctDqDZ42DjtlWo=&docid=a50YXTuui_DCnM&itg=1
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