Neorealist Aesthetics on Rome Open City and 8 1/2 Essay

IntroductionTo critically evaluate the influences of neorealist esthetics on Rome, establish urban center (1945) and 8 (1963) I suppose in that respect are well-nigh(prenominal) measure I have to take. First of all, I believe it is native to get a clear understanding of Italian neo realness and the common estheticals of neorealist characterizations. Once I have that established it will enable me to critically evaluate the influences of neorealist esthetics on Rome, candid metropolis and afterwards, 8, drawing them both together in the conclusion. The end of World War II, and Mussolinis fascist regime in 1945 enab direct a national fill doing to flourish in Italy. This movement was branded Italian neorealism, and with its unique aesthetic ardour and themes it produced, arguably, some of the most influential gets eer made. Neorealism was seen to be a finished vogue for Italian filmmakers to portray the misery and suffering they, and the constitutional nation experie nced through bulge out this period of repression. Martha Nochimson describes Italian neorealism as A strong form of filmic poetry that aims for truth in its stories about the scummy and the working class, without using the glamorizing techniques that Hollywood prefers, (that) can only be fully understood within the context of Italian social and political history.Italian neorealism has distinctive stylistic qualities that give it an almost documentary, newsreel feel to the films. Neorealists believed this greatly added to the authenticity of each film and depicted life at that time in a to a great extent realistic way. Common characteristics of neorealist films are that they are cock on location, use non-professional or relatively unheard-of, inexperienced factors, have observable and simple mise-en-scene, avoid complex editing, have a straight forward, feely wretched documentary style of photography and have a loosely plan narrative. Martha Nochimson summerises this perfec tly in stating that Neorealists insisted on taking their cameras into real locations, using raw(a) light and sound, and stripping their characters of synthetic enhancements. They frequently experimented with using non-professional and young unknown actors in order to avoid the carefully calculated mannerisms of the star.As healthy as havinga distinctive style, neorealist films excessively tended to have thematic similarities too. They loosely placed emphasis on the contemporary situation, focused on the struggles of the reduce class, marginalised population within society and often avoided the conventional Hollywood, happy-ever-after endings. Rome, Open City is considered by many to be one of the most influential films ever made, and as a result it firmly put Italian neorealism on the map in world cinema. Due to the fruit starting roughly immediately after the occupying Germans departed, Peter Brunette described, that the making of the film was carried out in the worst possibl e conditions.Because Rome was still recoering from the crushing impact the war had on the city Rossellini had no other prize but to use real locations as the film studios within the land had either been bombed, or were being used as shelter for refugees change by the destruction of the city. Marcus Millicent points out other obstacles Rossellini faced during the production, he states, the privation of studio space, the absence of sophisticated equipment, and the scarcity of film stock compel Rossellini to adopt the simplicity of means that was responsible for the authentic and uncontrived attend of his finished product.These conditions, resulting in the need for improvisation, were also true for most films produced during the lift of neorealism up until its rapid decline in the early 1950s. However some critics argue that the conditions Rossellini faced have been exaggerated, especially in regards to the wretched film stock he was believed to use. Christopher Wagstaff point s out, The fount of Rome Open City has been attributed to poor film stock, yet the film was beautifully photographed by Ubaldo Arata on all in all appropriate film stock, one kind for interiors and some other for exteriors. One of Rome, Open Citys main neorealist characteristics is the thematic issues the film covers.Typical the neorealist films, Rome, Open City depicts the struggle of the poor, working class people within society at that time, in this case, as they try and put up the German occupation. Despite the obvious neorealist theme, critics have argued that Rossellini has deviated from neorealism within the narrative as he relies heavily on the use of melodrama within the plot and uses techniques to over dramatize the epic moments he has created within the film, for employment the use of no(prenominal) diagenic sound during the scene of Pinas death is non a technique that is regular(prenominal)ly used in neorealist asit defers too much from domain itself.Stephen Han son even goes as far a stating, its plot is highly dramatic in the worst sense of the word. Peter Brunette supports this view, he argues that Rossellini, pawns get through his fictions as if they were realities in the best tradition of Hollywood. Not only do critics argue that Rossellini over dramatizes the plot, they also believe that he adopts a more linear narrative compared to the typical neorealist film. Peter Brunette argues that Rome, Open City is, one of Rossellinis most conventional films, at least in terms of its narrative and dramatic structures. He believes this conventional narrative style bears no benefit to the film and even goes on to state, Here, unlike in his previous films, all elements of the mise-en-scene, lighting, dialogue, and everything else, however realistic, are rigorously enlisted in the service of a linear narrative.Rossellinis use of mainly non-professional actors is a clear neorealist aesthetic within the film, however Peter Brunette argues that Ros sellini did not abide by this neorealist trend entirely, as he points out, (Anna) Magnani (who plays the role of Pina) was hardly a newcomer to the screen-she had already some sixteen films to her credit since her offshoot role in 1935, and continues to add that she was, well know to Italian audiences. A final neorealist stylistic quality Rossellini used in Rome, Open City, that patently cant be disputed is the non-elaborative mise-en-scene. Each characters costume was typical of what would have been wearing at the time the film was set, as we can see in figure 1. of Pina, just forward her death, with several other women.In contrast to Rome, Open City, 8 varies greatly in regards to neorealism, however, Federico Fellini had strong connections to the neorealist movement and these influences can be seen in trustworthy aspects of 8. One of his first roles in cinema was to work aboard Rossellini for Rome Open City and Paisa (1946) as a scriptwriter, which progressively led to him making his own films. Although Fellinis first films were considered neorealist, (For example, Variety Lights (1950) and The White dandy (1952)) he soon moved away from neorealism and with 8 he produced a film that devotes much more effort to dreams, fantasy and imagination than it does to creation. However, if you look solely at the scenes that are set in Guidos reality you can soon identify the influence neorealism has had on Fellinis work. The informalmoving camera style that gave neorealist films a documentary feel to it is also evident in 8. During the scene where Guido enters the hotel and is consistently bombarded and hassled by everyone, unavailing to get a moments piece is a perfect example of how Fellini adopts this style.Throughout this scene the shots are also considerably long, (which is another stylistic quality many neorealist films possess) as the camera tracks Guido making his way through the hotel lobby. It can also be argued that 8 has a greater neorealist qua lity to it than Rome, Open City in regards to the narrative and plot. Many neorealist films are not hung up on plot, and are more interested in providing a realistic slice of life of the characters world (for example, wheel Thieves (1948)). As well as the lack of a non-linear story, Fellini is influenced greatly by neorealist esthetics as he uses real location throughout 8. Although cross scenes in 8 have aesthetic similarities and influences derived from neorealism, the film as a whole is has little relevance to neorealism in most aspects.For example there are very little thematic similarities as a typical neorealist film concentrates in portraying the poverty, suffering and oppression of the working class, 8 is a semi-biographical film Fellini has based on himself. Jack Hirschman describes 8 as, Fellinis most directly autobiographical statement. Another key variation from neorealist aesthetics is the fact that Fellini expresses imagination, fantasy and dreams at the expense of r ealism. To conclude I believe that the two films discussed in this essay are not the only individual two of their kind, in regard to neorealist films deviating from the traditional aesthetic qualities expected of it, (for example De Sicas neorealist film, Miricale in Milan (1951) explored fantasy, at the expense of its realist qualities,) and Fellinis 8 is of course, not the only film to be influenced by neorealism.Some critics even capitulum neorealist aesthetic qualities further and argue because of the very nature of film production it is impossible to create an entirely realist film, Christopher Wagstaff questions a films realism by arguing Within the narrative of a film, meanings can be signified indexically if a little boy bursts into tears in a given narrative context, the meaning might be that he is frightened, disappointed or angry- the emotion caused the behaviour but in reality the actor (whether professional or not) cried because the director told him to. Peter Brune tte even goes as far as stating, the onlyvalid subject for realist cinema is the impossibleness of realist cinema.Bibliography8 / Otto e mezzo, dir. by Federico Fellini (Colombia Pictures, 1963) Aumont, Jacques, Aesthetics of Film (Austin University of Texan Press, 1992) Bicycle Thieves/ Ladri di biciclette, dir. by Vittorio De Sica (Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche, 1948)Bondanella, Peter, The Films of Federico Fellini (UK Cambridge University Press, 2002) Brunette, Peter, Roberto Rossellini (Berkeley Univerity of California Press, 1996) Forgacs, David, Sarah Lutton and Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, Roberto Rossellini Magician of the Real (UK British Film Institute, 2000) Gottlied, Sidney, Roberto Rossellinis Rome open city (UK Cambridge University Press, 2004) Hirschman, Jack, Film Reviews, Film Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1, (1963) Hanson, Stephen. 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