The realists vs. formalists approach to filming Essay

The realists vs. formalists approach to filming - Essay Example Supporters of the realist film theory such as Kracauer, S have been very detrimental to the thrilling form of entertainment utterly diluting its aesthetic qualities as far as its artistic composition is concerned. Those supporting the earlier film theories over the contemporary ones argue that the early theorists were very much concerned with proving cinemas artistic potentialities while the later theorists, who are less defensive and less elitist, take film status for granted. This paper will present a comparison between the modern and the ancient films with a favour on the modern films over the earlier ones. Kracauer argues that the contemporary films do not have the same taste as the former ones. To him this has been brought about by the conditions in which the contemporary films are shot, that is, the use of the cameras in shooting films and the variations in the film stock that have actually affected the way films look . In turn, these animations associated with new films eventu ally affect the film viewers’ ability to come into proper terms with the reality displayed in the film â€Å"edifying pieces of art should insist on the value of illusion as a more or less necessary pathway to truth. The Romantics sought to overcome the dichotomy between appearance and reality with a symbol whose appearance takes on a mysterious depth, a schoner Schein or ‘beautiful semblance’† (Kracauer 97). The reality that is supposed to form the major display in films therefore is being eroded over time due to the introduction of the modern changes that to him are a deviation from the original intention of the film industry. Kracauer further blames all this on the use of the digital technology when he argues that â€Å"technological applications such as computer enhancement, imaging, and editing that has actually diminished the reality in the real film plays† (Kracauer 103). On the other hand, other emerging scholars have argued in support of th e contemporary filming for instance, it is true when Andrew insists that early films are not uniform as ideological variations and national characterization formed the major themes in these films with the attention being focused on the spectator. In support for the modern times films, it is very important to note the two salient features that are common in the modern films and which were lacking in the earlier ones. These are the sound system and the technological advances that have enabled performers to camouflage easily into reality. The first movies that were made by the Edison Company actually had no sounds as well as very poor quality pictures. For this, most of the early films focused on the basic things such as crowds making noise, babies crying among others. It is very true that the sound accompaniment in a movie helps in keeping the viewer glued in the actions being performed in the movie. Thus, the sound combination associated with modern filming in a way gives the movie a third dimension such that the viewer is able to relate easily the events taking place in the film with the wordings. Sometimes, the music played in the movie helps in revealing the occurrences in the following scene hence keeping the viewer informed in prior. This always motivates the viewer by capturing his or her attention and therefore enhancing their concentration. Films are meant to function in such a way that they keep the audience completely engrossed in the performance that is certainly achieved by the modern films. Besides the above song enhancements, songs played in a film acts as a parallel form of entertainment for the viewer. At some point, the viewers are swallowed up in the film that they find themselves