FACTFILE: GCE AS LEVEL MOVING IMAGE ARTS ANDRÉ BAZIN AND REALIST TECHNIQUES André Bazin and Realist Techniques Learning outcomes • identify the following key realist techniques and explain their purpose: Students should be able to: – the long take; • explain André Bazin’s concept of realism as it – deep focus cinematography; applies to the use of deep focus cinematography – hand-held camera technique; and the long take; – continuity of time and space; – use of CCTV cameras or television news footage to create a feeling of realism; – location shooting; – naturalistic acting; and – the use of diegetic sound only and music on the soundtrack. André Bazin André Bazin (1918-1958) was a French film critic He identifieddeep focus photography and the and film theorist, who, along with others, founded long take as essential in maintaining the unity the influential film magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma of both time and space in a scene. This is because in 1951. Its contributors, including Bazin, set out to both of these techniques allow events to unfold in find criteria by which to evaluate films. an uninterrupted way. He saw editing, on the other hand, as detracting from reality, separating a scene Bazin believed that the interpretation of a film or into shots and therefore increasing the degree of scene should be left to the spectator. He argued that intervention by the director. film perfectly imitates our normal visual experience of reality and that because it imitates reality, it is Bazin divided filmmakers into three types: therefore an art form. Cinema is able to record an • montagists – who use editing to create meaning event in real time and so, according to Bazin, this and manipulate time and space; places it above both painting and photography in • expressionists – who use mise-en-scène to terms of its ability to tell us the truth. create meaning and portray a character’s emotions; and • realists – who do not distort time or space but attempt to depict reality. 1 FACTFILE: GCE AS LEVEL MOVING IMAGE ARTS / ANDRÉ BAZIN AND REALIST TECHNIQUES Bazin admired the films of the Italian Neorealist greater freedom to interpret what they saw on cinema, which focused on working class screen, much as they would in real life. environments and were frequently shot on location. He also admired the work of Jean Renoir and Orson For Bazin, editing detracted from reality as the Welles for their use of wide shots and deep focus images themselves have meaning. He saw the photography, which he felt would allow audiences editing as imposing a different meaning on reality. Realist Techniques Long Take Deep focus is often combined with deep space, which involves placing characters or significant A long take is a continuous shot, which may last for objects in different planes within the scene, in the several minutes without a cut. It can bring fluency front, middle and background. Deep space enables to a sequence and raise tension, as it is often used the cinematographer to manipulate the size of to build towards a climax. It also shows events in objects or characters to convey meaning. If an real time and creates the illusion of reality. This is object is large in the frame it is automatically given ironic, as the long take requires greater planning more emphasis. and rehearsal than most other shot types. The audience is more active in viewing the long take as Examples for study: they are constantly aware of what might enter into Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock, 1951) the frame at any moment or of what the character Time code: 00:05:50 – 00:06:50 In this example, a might discover by the end of it and this builds up cigarette lighter is placed in the foreground. The their expectations. lighter will prove significant later in the film, when the character of Bruno Anthony attempts to leave Examples for study: it at the scene of a murder in order to frame his Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958) Time code: “friend” Guy Haines. 00:00:00 – 00:03:01 Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) Time code: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) Time code 01:18:46 – 01:19:00. Here deep focus and deep 00:18:00 – 00:22:00 space are used to make Kane loom large in the foreground as he fires the colleague and former Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013) Time code friend standing behind him. 00:00:00 – 00:12:36 Hand-held Camera Technique Deep Focus Cinematography When the camera is held by the camera operator Deep focus cinematography brings everything rather than mounted on a tripod or other device, the that can be seen in the foreground, mid-ground footage appears shaky. This is a technique, which is and background of a frame into focus at the same difficult to master but allows the filmmaker to create time. To achieve this, the cinematographer must an intimate feeling and can enable the spectator to manipulate lighting, composition, camera lens engage more closely with the action. Depending on and depth of field. The depth of field refers to the the genre and purpose of this technique it can also distance from the object or character at the front be disorientating and visceral in its effect, as well as of the image to the object or character at the back. giving a documentary feel, and can therefore add to To achieve deep focus there is usually a large depth the verisimilitude of the scene. of field, which refers to a large distance between the foreground and the background. The use of Early cameras were heavy and made them more deep focus means that the mise-en-scène is more difficult to use in this way. Hand-held camera only significant and meaningful, as everything can be really developed as a technique for the first time seen very clearly. during World War II, when lighter cameras were available and were used to record actual documentary footage. The technique was then later adopted by both mainstream and independent cinema. 2 FACTFILE: GCE AS LEVEL MOVING IMAGE ARTS / ANDRÉ BAZIN AND REALIST TECHNIQUES Examples for study: reports of disasters, or larger more apocalyptic The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo events, for example. Sanchez, 1999) made extensive use of hand-held camera technique as the film was intended to Examples for study: look like recovered documentary footage. The Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrmann, 1996) uses promotional material for the film built on the idea both CCTV footage and news footage in a montage that the whole film was a real event. This was borne at the opening of the film to give a sense of the out by the use of hand-held camera which gives the violence and long-standing feud between the film an air of authenticity. Capulets and Montagues. The Bourne Supremacy (Paul Greengrass, 2004) Surveillance footage is used throughout Enemy of the uses mobile handheld camera throughout to add State (Tony Scott, 1998) and is central to its narrative. a sense of restless motion and immediacy to the film’s many exciting set pieces. Location Shooting Wuthering Heights (Andrea Arnold, 2011) is an unconventional adaptation of the classic novel. This is the practice of filming in the actual setting Director, Andrea Arnold, uses handheld camera to in which a story takes place rather than on a add a sense of realism and to amplify the emotional constructed set. Most films use both sets and intensity of the fatal romantic bond between Cathy location shooting. and Heathcliff. Location shooting offers a greater illusion of reality to the audience. It enables the filmmaker to place things in their real-life context and provides Continuity of Time and Space opportunities for both realism and spectacle. Both time and space are constructed artificially in cinema, though they appear to be continuous, But it can also mean that the filmmaker has less and linear. They are represented as a unified whole control over the environment. For that reason to reflect how we perceive real world events. The film-makers sometimes adapt practical locations purpose here is to ensure that the audience is able as stand-ins for real places where filming would be to place things in context and understand how impractical. characters, locations and events are connected. Space and time is necessarily condensed through Other films use real locations, which are not the use of continuity editing. adapted in any way. Examples for study: Use of CCTV Cameras or The film Escape From New York (John Carpenter, Television News Footage 1981) is set in an abandoned near-future Manhattan, but its scenes of decaying, empty CCTV footage, in theory, reduces the element of streets were filmed in the extensively fire-damaged mediation in its creation, as no one is strictly remains of a part of East St Louis. operating the camera. This can help to give an impression of reality. CCTV is often used in thrillers John Cassavetes, famous for his improvisational to enhance suspense and show events from a directorial style, shot a number of films completely detached birds-eye view, where a threatening figure on location in and around New York. In Shadows, can be seen approaching an unsuspecting victim, (1958 / reworked 1959) no filming permits were for example. Other films which use CCTV and TV obtained so cast and crew had to be ready to move footage often have surveillance as a theme and this quickly as shooting progressed. This was intended type of footage can be integral to their narratives. to add to the documentary feel and verisimilitude of the film.