Real, Realism, Verisimilitude, We and Others ideas

The concept of realism, while ultimately rooted in the classical Greek conception of mimesis, gains programmatic significance only in the 19th centry, when it comes to denote a movement in the figurative and narrative arts dedicated to the observation and accurate representation of the contemporary world.1

In the 19th century, real and realism occur in a lot of art disciplines. Representation and how representation is close to real gain importance. Also in this era, issues like becoming free and democratising and, differences between realism and naturalism are discussed. Krakauer, Brecth, Lucas, Bazin, Ballard, Arnheim, Vertov and Metz are important thinkers of this era. They argue that Realism and Naturalism are concepts which are different from each other. In connection to what is described above; The film Zelig which is directed by Woody Allen is a mockumentary. It heads away from the verisimilitude documentary film. It makes fun of the movies which pretend to be real. The movie creates an illusion of reality and makes fun of the documentary type. The work of Siegfried Kracauer and Andr Bazin, meanwhile, argued for precisely the opposite teleology: a movement toward realism in the form of clear and believable stories told in transparent language.2 According to Lukcs, What is important is to take a photograph of society through typical characters and to show social totality. According to Arnheim, who is a psychologist and a film theoretician, Art must shape things with aesthetic concern. It should not copy. It must make the things in society visible so that people think and talk about them.
Filmlinguistics, whose origins Metz attributed to the convergence of linguistics and cinphilia, explored such questions as: Is cinema a language system (langue) or merely an artistic language (langage)? At the same time, Metz points out, the cinematic institution also enters into the multidimensionality of films themselves as bounded discourses concentrating an intense charge of social, cultural, and psychological meaning. (...) Metz concluded that the cinema was not a language system but that it was a language. Although film text cannot be conceived as generated by an underlying

1 2

R. Stam & T. Miller, Film and Theory: An Anthology, Part V: The Question of Realism, p:223. R. Stam & T. Miller, Film and Theory: An Anthology, Part V: The Question of Realism, p:225.

language system.3

Brecth, on the other hand, has an idea which is exact opposite from Lukcs. Brecth talks about creating alienation and moving away from diagesis and breaking identification. Brecht called for a fragmented, distantiated theater of interruptions which fostered critical distance.4 Zelig emphasizes the subject of identity which is more important from all the things in our day. The movie addresses the Jewish question, being Jewish in the USA and discusses the idea of human chameleon. In general, Woody Allen makes genre parody in his movies. He points out the process of plot with genre parody. Woody Allen is a self-reflexive director because he criticises with his own rules. As for Ballard Writer must reinvent reality. (Ballard, 1984)5 Considering this context; Kiss of the Spider Woman (original title is O Beijo da Mulher Aranha, which was directed by Hector Babenco, 1985) movie has film in the film narration in the narration. The movie creates this effect because one of the actors tells the narrative. The movie goes back and forth between imagination and reality. With 1980s, the modulation from the period of self-reflexivity to intertextuality began. A thing being cut out from its place to be used in another place and different things interacting with each other in this new place. In inter-textuality, we can use non-interrelating materials as if they interrelate with each other. If the materials are interrelating with each other, then they are already developing each other. In the late 19th century, technological developments and social changes occur which affect the processes of thought and of production. Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Foucault are some of the important thinkers who created these changes in the era. Within this context; I can say these ideas related to La Battaglia di Algeri (directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966), English Patient (directed by Anthony Minghella, 1996), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (directed by Stephen Frears, 1987) movies; La Battaglia di Algeri consists of the Italian Neorealism effects powerfully.
3

R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. The Question of Film Language, p: 108, 112. 4 Mutlu Parkan, Brecht Estetii ve Sinema, Brechtin Estetik Kuramna Toplu Bir Bak, p: 48. 5 Z. Tl Akbal Salp, Zaman Mekan Kuram ve Sinema, Giri, p: 23.

For example, using everyday life, using daily life places, images from life, using actors lifelike... The movie gives the documentary impression because of using blackwhite and qualified images, showing the historical era, but the movie is fiction. The movie shows independency struggle of Algeria continuing from 1950 to 1962 and it tells the story via not only a few people but all Algerians. Just like Marx struggles with religion, bourgeoisie and working class, we see the same struggle in the movie. Nietzsche says that the meaning of life revolves around power and desire of potency. Nietzsche reawakens ideas such as existense, I, goal of life. In the La Battaglia di Algeri, the goal of Algerians is being themselves and living the life which they deserve. English Patient was made in an era when aesthetics becomes widespread and banal. In the world, lot of things are happening. Hybridisms and identity politics take place in the movie. The English patient who is not English... There is a postmodern narration in the movie. Neither critic nor criticized person is clear. The movie includes Valentino, 1950s point of view about Cold War and reasons of World War II. English Patient has a very rich intertext. According to Bachtin, No text exists by itself. They comprise from each other. (Bachtin, 1981).6 Bakhtinian perspective, is not to represent real-life existents but rather to stage the conflicts inherent in heteroglossia the coincidences and competitions of languages and discourses.7 In 1980s, multi-culturalism, gender and English class issue are important ideas in England and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid movie also basically consists of these ideas. The multiculturalist project (as opposed to the multicultural fact) sees world history and contemporary social life from the perspective of the radical equality of peoples in status, intelligence, and rights.8 In the multicultural neighborhood of Sammy and Rossie Get Laid the inhabitants have lines out, as it were, to the formely colonized parts of the globe.9 We and others ideas, for Lacan, begin with separating from mother and meeting other. This processing brings socialization. This dramatic separation, for
6

Z. Tl Akbal Salp, Zaman Mekan Kuram ve Sinema, Babil Kulesi Tutsaklarna Bachtinden neriler, p: 57. 7 R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Textual Analysis, p:189. 8 R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Multiculturalism, Race, and Representation, p:270. 9 R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Film and the Postcolonial, p:296.

Bachtin, is a festival moment, a union. Self can only originate in the shadow of other (Stam, 1992: 5).10 The process of trying to find and to formalize self goes the same way. This process begins in immediate family and becomes a social and a universal process with the development of individual. Shortly, I and others are always in social formation.
Like Renaissance perspective in painting, it envision the world from a single privileged point. It bifurcates the world West and the Rest and organizes everyday language into binaristic hiararchies implicitly flattering to Europe: our nations, their tribes; our religions, their superstitions; our culture, their folklore.11

Notre Musique (directed by Jean-Luc Godard, 2004) movie is a mixture fiction and non-fiction. This mixture is formed by associating war images and autobiographical images with each other. The movie comprises three episodes that are the hell (images in relation to war), the Araf (Sarajevo in present day) and, the heaven (a coast which is protected by American soldiers). The movie questions disappearance and cycle of humanity getting better. The first episode is a proper documentary, the second one is the part where word is existentially more dominant than the image and, the third episode is, for Godard, our present time or our illusion.
Godard shocks audience; just like his generation shocks the world. (...) Godard does not impose, he tries to analyse. He does not just provoke and disturb; he questions and discusses contradictions, problems. He produces his movie with experiments and by seeking. (...) Godard, like Brecht suggests, uses narration elements, music, image, sound, writing, space, actor qua seperate and free elements in his movies. (...) Ever after, audience can set up his/her own narrations with these innovations.12

In the movie Waiting List (original title is Lista de Espera which was directed directed by Juan Carlos Tabio, 2000), passengers react to the situation because somehow the bus they are waiting for does not arrive. Later then, this situation causes fine things that they make up together. All these happenings are showed with allegorical narration. The movie narrates disruptions in the system and the values of communism in an entertaining way. It has a different narration from classical narration. It is narrated that people who do not know each other create collective
10

Z. Tl Akbal Salp, Zaman Mekan Kuram ve Sinema, Babil Kulesi Tutsaklarna Bachtinden neriler, p: 62. 11 R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Multiculturalism, Race, and Representation, p:269. 12 Z. Tl Akbal Salp, Rzgar Dnyordu Btn Corafyalarda, p:239, 240, 242, 243.

consciousness in the movie. But is it a dream? Even though it is a dream, it is such an impressive idea that gets the dreamer under its influence.

Kaynaklar: 1- R. Stam & T. Miller, Film and Theory: An Anthology, Oxfort: Blackwell, 2000. Part V: The Question of Realism. 2- R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. The Question of Film Language. 3- Mutlu Parkan, Donkiot Yaynlar, 2004, Brecht Estetii ve Sinema. 4- R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. Textual Analysis. 5- R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. Multiculturalism, Race, and Representation. 6- Z. Tl Akbal Salp, Balam yaynlar Theoria Dizisi 2004, Zaman Mekan Kuram ve Sinema. 7- R. Stam, Film Theory: An Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. Film and the postcolonial. 8- Z. Tl Akbal Salp, Rzgar dnyordu btn corafyalarda, Cogito, Sa: 14, Bahar 1998, slr:234-252.