Realism/Classicism/Formalism

Realism/Classicism/Formalism

I. "Arrival of the Train" vs. "Damsel and Distress"

1) The creation of these two films vary tremendously in the composition of the pieces. "Arrival of the Train" is an obvious example of ultimate realism. There is no panning, not tilting or other fancy angles. The movie displays a train pulling into a station in a continuous long take. On the other hand, "Damsel in Distress" has interesting camera placement to display the mood and emotion of the scene effectively. The train shots are all done from a higher angle, as well as the shots of the damsel. The villain is shown in a state of power, understood by the lower camera placement.

2) An important contrast can be seen between these two films in the amount of editing. "Arrival of the Train" required no edits whatsoever, while "Damsel in Distress" relies on its edits to display the emotion of the scene and build suspense to a set climax. "Damsel..." also offers several adjoined plot lines that are combined and intertwine at the climax.

3) Comparisons of these two movies demonstrate the polar opposites of filmmaking. While "Arrival of the Train" is monotonous, has no plot development, or climax; "Damsel in Distress" has an intense plot of action that ultimately lead to a climax supported by strong emotions of suspense. "Damsel..." has much more narrative structure incorporated in the creation of the movie. The jumps between plot lines and perspectives become more often and intense as suspense grows and the damsel becomes more distressed. This form of build to the climax is a defining characteristic of the movie, and has been used differently in several other movies to achieve the same goal; incite the audience to believe a plot that is unrealistic. This is obviously unnecessary in a movie such as "Arrival of the Train," in which the audience members know beforehand of the beginning, middle, and end of the film; no suspense!

II. Identification of the Three Styles of Filmmaking in a Short Film

Short movie: Payload

This short by Stu Willis is a sic-fi thriller that has been recently nominated "Best Short of the Week." The movie is set in the near future, where all the citizens who prosper are brought to a space station. The main character, a young boy,  longs to go into space and meet his mother and sister. This is never explicitly shown, but is conveyed by the filmmaker's use of all three styles; Realism, Classicism, and Formalism.

Realism

The concept of realism is used quite often in this movie, both to promote the message and the main character's goals, as well to attract the attention of the audience to the characters' details of personality. Sympathy is an emotion that emerges often during this movie, as result of this use of realism. The mood is also well established through calmer and smoother long takes,  allowing the audience to formulate an emotional response. By panning in the first few seconds of the film, Willis is able to allow for external audience members to reach a basic understanding of the financial and social status of the main character and his family, and provide an effective establishing shot.

Classicism

In addition, Willis takes the concept of classicism seriously and includes it often in the short "Payload." This method of filmmaking is most evident in the scene that portrays the main character separating from his older brother to join his mother. The audience never physically sees the monetary transaction to bribe the official into allowing the main character to meet his family in the space station. It is implied that, and by not showing all the action, considerable time is saved, as well as little distraction from the plot. The transaction itself is irrelevant to the plot, but the amount of negotiations necessary to reach an agreement, mainly the plot of the movie, is vital to the understanding of the film.

Formalism

Action shots are often an opportunity for filmmakers to misstep and cut the shots wrong, allowing for too much or too little time in each shot. Willis takes this into consideration for this film, notably for the scene in which the main character's father is attacked by a police officer for attempting to salvage metal and supplies from a shipment from the space station. As this act of salvaging allows the father to help his family live, strong emotional responses of sympathy are expressed for the father and the main character. Willis allows for this emotion to emerge, as he is able to correctly alter time and space to make the father feeble and innocent. The cutting of scenes during the action is not overdone, and complements the concept of formalism.

PAYLOAD can be seen at: http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2012/10/01/payload/ .

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