Choose a five minute scene and discuss the cinematic characteristics of that scene that show neorealism. If you were to analyze this scene for a TA, which 1-2 cultural contexts would you use? Why?
The scene that I have chosen is the scene in which Bruno and his father, Antonio Ricci, go into the restaurant for lunch. In this scene, they feel out of place and are once again yearning for a better life that could be provided by a job (and subsequently, a bicycle). The cinematic characteristics of neorealism in this scene are shown through cinematography and editing. The cinematography offers a more life-like depiction of the scene. There aren’t any fancy cuts or complex editing sequences. This adds to the documentary-style of filming in Italian neorealist films. There is no deep focus, allowing what the viewer sees to be very similar to what the human eye sees. The editing in this scene is used to show Bruno’s jealousy and the wealthier little boy’s snobbery. As Bruno glances over at what the other child is doing, perhaps for the guidance of how to act, he is met with mocking glances and further feels out of place. This is a pattern that is repeated until his father comments on it, assuring Bruno that it is okay to eat, despite the fact that they can’t really afford to eat at such an establishment. This is another characteristic of neo-realism, the separation of rich and poor and a lack of hope of ever crossing the line between the two. Representative of its time period, films such as these clearly reflect a post-WWII attitude. After cities had been bombed and families torn apart, there wasn’t much hope left for the people as they were left with discombobulated governments and a lack of jobs due to a poor economy. For these reasons, I would choose to analyze this scene through the cultural contexts of Social and Economic. These two cultural contexts relate heavily to the aftermath of WWII and therefore played a big role in the minds of the Italian neorealist filmmakers.
The scene that I have chosen is when Antonio is contemplating stealing a bike after trying everything to find his original one. This scene clearly depicts neorealism by drawing out Antonio’s thinking path. By cutting back and forth three times between the bikes and Antonio’s clear and flustered face. Other scenes that depict neo-realism include the work day of most italians and when they leave to retrieve their bikes. This is followed by bikes passing by bruno and Antonio while they sit and plan their next move. The sequence of real life street scenes in Italy is as real as the director could possibly get but the contrast between the emotions of bruno and antonio’s face highlight their internal struggle enforcing realism beyond the streets. The cultural context I would’ve chosen was social. The final scene represents the tension between the people as they struggle to survive without money. People become concerned with their own lives and the cutting between Antonio’s clear despair and the people's indifference is a clear embodiment of a self-sustaining mentality among the people in Italy.
The scene I have chose is the final scene in the film when Antonio steals the bike to be crowded and stopped by a mob of agitated citizens.this scene follows Antonio from the point where he steals the bike to the point where he has to walk home in shame with his son Bruno.This is a characteristic of Neo realist films , no breaks in time are made for very long periods of time and the camera doesn't cut through match cuts until the Bike reaches the corner it is supposed to turn around.This scene moves into a crowded street which is full of non actors.The setting exhibits two characteristics of Italian neorealism and that is that it is filmed on set and it contains not actors.The composition in several frames depicts real life when the crowd of people fill it and predominate the frame.In this moment they have begun harass a criminal and over shadow him, the camera shows this dynamic as it would occur naturally.The first cultural context I’d like to examine if I wrote a textual analysis on this film is a historical analysis.The reason I would chose this context first is because it would make simple to analyze how this film uses film devices to display the historical time period seeing as it a neorealist film.The second context I would use is a Marxist film.Due to the subject matter of a struggling lower class man , the film uses its techniques to bring out these themes.
The scene I have chose is the final scene in the film when Antonio steals the bike to be crowded and stopped by a mob of agitated citizens.this scene follows Antonio from the point where he steals the bike to the point where he has to walk home in shame with his son Bruno.This is a characteristic of Neo realist films , no breaks in time are made for very long periods of time and the camera doesn't cut through match cuts until the Bike reaches the corner it is supposed to turn around.This scene moves into a crowded street which is full of non actors.The setting exhibits two characteristics of Italian neorealism and that is that it is filmed on set and it contains not actors.The composition in several frames depicts real life when the crowd of people fill it and predominate the frame.In this moment they have begun harass a criminal and over shadow him, the camera shows this dynamic as it would occur naturally.The first cultural context I’d like to examine if I wrote a textual analysis on this film is a historical analysis.The reason I would chose this context first is because it would make simple to analyze how this film uses film devices to display the historical time period seeing as it a neorealist film.The second context I would use is a Marxist film.Due to the subject matter of a struggling lower class man , the film uses its techniques to bring out these themes.
The scene I have chosen is the final scene in which Antonio steals the bike and subsequently gets caught. This scene depicts some of the most significant aspects of Italian Neo-Realism, such as filming on location, an emphasis on the real lives of the Italian people, and a clear focus on the lower and working classes rather than the upper classes. The majority of the film, including the final scene, was filmed on location in the streets of Italy, contributing to the realist aspect of the film-- the setting of the film immerses the viewer in it. De Sica and other neo-realist filmmakers aimed to illustrate the real lives of the people in post-war Italy, unlike the “white telephone” films that Mussolini funded and solely depicted the lavish and luxurious lives of the rich. Their overall goal was to bring cinema back to the people and away from the government. This is prevalent in the final scene as it depicts a man so desperate to provide for his son and wife that he’s willing to steal a bicycle, just as his was stolen. Throughout the film, De Sica places an emphasis on the struggles of the lower classes trying to find jobs at a time in which unemployment was 25%. I would use historical context for a TA because this film belongs to the Italian Neo-Realist movement and I could talk about its effects on cinema during the time period. I would also use geographical context and talk about the filming on location on the streets of post-war Italy.
A key component in Italian neorealist films is the lack of cuts and extended scenes, as to make the film feel more realistic, similar to a documentary. I chose the last scene of the film in which Antonio steals a bike, then is chased down and eventually caught. Throughout the chase, the camera follows Antonio on the bike as he rides down the street and turns corners, only occasionally cutting away to show Bruno’s reaction. Right before Antonio is caught, he rides into the distance, and the camera remains far away to capture the full action, before cutting from a long shot to a closer one, in which Antonio is knocked off of the bike and grabbed by mob of citizens chasing him. In the entirety of the scene, the frame is constantly filled with a crowd of people, either chasing him or bystanders. Due to the crowded city streets of Italy and the use of non-professional actors, the film is immersive and feels genuine, without being glorified with multiple cuts and effects, as if the situation could have actually taken place. If I were to use this for a TA, I would view it through a Social and Economic standpoint, since these two aspects greatly influence the actions of Antonio, and had he been more privileged in these areas, he would not have gone down the path he did, and could have avoided situations such as stealing a bike and eventually getting caught. -Taggart
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ReplyDeleteThe scene that I have chosen is the scene in which Bruno and his father, Antonio Ricci, go into the restaurant for lunch. In this scene, they feel out of place and are once again yearning for a better life that could be provided by a job (and subsequently, a bicycle). The cinematic characteristics of neorealism in this scene are shown through cinematography and editing. The cinematography offers a more life-like depiction of the scene. There aren’t any fancy cuts or complex editing sequences. This adds to the documentary-style of filming in Italian neorealist films. There is no deep focus, allowing what the viewer sees to be very similar to what the human eye sees. The editing in this scene is used to show Bruno’s jealousy and the wealthier little boy’s snobbery. As Bruno glances over at what the other child is doing, perhaps for the guidance of how to act, he is met with mocking glances and further feels out of place. This is a pattern that is repeated until his father comments on it, assuring Bruno that it is okay to eat, despite the fact that they can’t really afford to eat at such an establishment. This is another characteristic of neo-realism, the separation of rich and poor and a lack of hope of ever crossing the line between the two. Representative of its time period, films such as these clearly reflect a post-WWII attitude. After cities had been bombed and families torn apart, there wasn’t much hope left for the people as they were left with discombobulated governments and a lack of jobs due to a poor economy. For these reasons, I would choose to analyze this scene through the cultural contexts of Social and Economic. These two cultural contexts relate heavily to the aftermath of WWII and therefore played a big role in the minds of the Italian neorealist filmmakers.
The scene that I have chosen is when Antonio is contemplating stealing a bike after trying everything to find his original one. This scene clearly depicts neorealism by drawing out Antonio’s thinking path. By cutting back and forth three times between the bikes and Antonio’s clear and flustered face. Other scenes that depict neo-realism include the work day of most italians and when they leave to retrieve their bikes. This is followed by bikes passing by bruno and Antonio while they sit and plan their next move. The sequence of real life street scenes in Italy is as real as the director could possibly get but the contrast between the emotions of bruno and antonio’s face highlight their internal struggle enforcing realism beyond the streets. The cultural context I would’ve chosen was social. The final scene represents the tension between the people as they struggle to survive without money. People become concerned with their own lives and the cutting between Antonio’s clear despair and the people's indifference is a clear embodiment of a self-sustaining mentality among the people in Italy.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I have chose is the final scene in the film when Antonio steals the bike to be crowded and stopped by a mob of agitated citizens.this scene follows Antonio from the point where he steals the bike to the point where he has to walk home in shame with his son Bruno.This is a characteristic of Neo realist films , no breaks in time are made for very long periods of time and the camera doesn't cut through match cuts until the Bike reaches the corner it is supposed to turn around.This scene moves into a crowded street which is full of non actors.The setting exhibits two characteristics of Italian neorealism and that is that it is filmed on set and it contains not actors.The composition in several frames depicts real life when the crowd of people fill it and predominate the frame.In this moment they have begun harass a criminal and over shadow him, the camera shows this dynamic as it would occur naturally.The first cultural context I’d like to examine if I wrote a textual analysis on this film is a historical analysis.The reason I would chose this context first is because it would make simple to analyze how this film uses film devices to display the historical time period seeing as it a neorealist film.The second context I would use is a Marxist film.Due to the subject matter of a struggling lower class man , the film uses its techniques to bring out these themes.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I have chose is the final scene in the film when Antonio steals the bike to be crowded and stopped by a mob of agitated citizens.this scene follows Antonio from the point where he steals the bike to the point where he has to walk home in shame with his son Bruno.This is a characteristic of Neo realist films , no breaks in time are made for very long periods of time and the camera doesn't cut through match cuts until the Bike reaches the corner it is supposed to turn around.This scene moves into a crowded street which is full of non actors.The setting exhibits two characteristics of Italian neorealism and that is that it is filmed on set and it contains not actors.The composition in several frames depicts real life when the crowd of people fill it and predominate the frame.In this moment they have begun harass a criminal and over shadow him, the camera shows this dynamic as it would occur naturally.The first cultural context I’d like to examine if I wrote a textual analysis on this film is a historical analysis.The reason I would chose this context first is because it would make simple to analyze how this film uses film devices to display the historical time period seeing as it a neorealist film.The second context I would use is a Marxist film.Due to the subject matter of a struggling lower class man , the film uses its techniques to bring out these themes.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I have chosen is the final scene in which Antonio steals the bike and subsequently gets caught. This scene depicts some of the most significant aspects of Italian Neo-Realism, such as filming on location, an emphasis on the real lives of the Italian people, and a clear focus on the lower and working classes rather than the upper classes. The majority of the film, including the final scene, was filmed on location in the streets of Italy, contributing to the realist aspect of the film-- the setting of the film immerses the viewer in it. De Sica and other neo-realist filmmakers aimed to illustrate the real lives of the people in post-war Italy, unlike the “white telephone” films that Mussolini funded and solely depicted the lavish and luxurious lives of the rich. Their overall goal was to bring cinema back to the people and away from the government. This is prevalent in the final scene as it depicts a man so desperate to provide for his son and wife that he’s willing to steal a bicycle, just as his was stolen. Throughout the film, De Sica places an emphasis on the struggles of the lower classes trying to find jobs at a time in which unemployment was 25%. I would use historical context for a TA because this film belongs to the Italian Neo-Realist movement and I could talk about its effects on cinema during the time period. I would also use geographical context and talk about the filming on location on the streets of post-war Italy.
ReplyDeleteA key component in Italian neorealist films is the lack of cuts and extended scenes, as to make the film feel more realistic, similar to a documentary. I chose the last scene of the film in which Antonio steals a bike, then is chased down and eventually caught. Throughout the chase, the camera follows Antonio on the bike as he rides down the street and turns corners, only occasionally cutting away to show Bruno’s reaction. Right before Antonio is caught, he rides into the distance, and the camera remains far away to capture the full action, before cutting from a long shot to a closer one, in which Antonio is knocked off of the bike and grabbed by mob of citizens chasing him. In the entirety of the scene, the frame is constantly filled with a crowd of people, either chasing him or bystanders. Due to the crowded city streets of Italy and the use of non-professional actors, the film is immersive and feels genuine, without being glorified with multiple cuts and effects, as if the situation could have actually taken place. If I were to use this for a TA, I would view it through a Social and Economic standpoint, since these two aspects greatly influence the actions of Antonio, and had he been more privileged in these areas, he would not have gone down the path he did, and could have avoided situations such as stealing a bike and eventually getting caught. -Taggart
ReplyDelete