The personal films of the expressionists can be characterized by interest in the mysteries of the unconscious. Bunuel is no exception. All of his films contain a close look into the psyche of the characters portrayed. In his 1950 film “Los Olvidados”, Bunuel depicts a group of young boys living a life of crime in Mexico City. In many ways the film is a rebuttal to the Neorealists. The film depicts the slums of Mexico in a very stark and realistic manner, showing the pack of boys living in the streets and stealing to survive. Bunuel depicts the lives of the boys just as any Neorealist would have. However, he goes a step further, breaking the barrier between the physical and visceral by entering the dreams of the main character Pedro. During the dream sequence Bunuel is able to convey so much more about Pedro’s state of mind. After witnessing a murder Pedro is ridden with guilt, but cannot speak to anyone about it. It is a realist’s choice for Pedro not to speak his mind but an expressionist choice to express his thoughts through imagery. Shifting into slow motion, the images of the physical world become tools for Bunuel to depict the workings of Pedro’s mind. In his dream his mother’s voice questions him, probing his thoughts. Pedro sees a chicken; an image that evokes his respect for the life of animals, which is changed by the murder. And he is finally haunted by the image of the murderer Jaibo, emerging from beneath his bed like a demon clawing his way out of hell. The use of these images becomes a powerful and more effective means for expressing emotion.
Bunuel uses imagery to the extreme in the short film he made with Salvador Dali, “Un Chien Andalou”. He breaks the conventions of cinema by foregoing a conventional structure, time, and space. Instead the film pieces together a serious of jarring, abstract images, such a razor slicing open a woman’s eye or ants crawling from a hole in a man’s hand, and incites an emotional response from the audience. The film depends entirely upon the connotations each individual viewer attaches to the images.
Federico Fellini, also known for blurring the line between the physical and abstract, explores dilemmas of the soul in his film “La Strada”. While this film does not implore the techniques used by Bunuel, it cannot truly fit into the category of Neorealist. The storyline is natural and the events logical yet the characters and situations cannot be called normal. The film tells the tale of a childish young girl, Gelsomina, being sold into the servitude of a cruel circus strong man named Zampano. Fellini takes a close look at the complex emotions that fill their relationship. Zampano is a washed up strong man who makes his living doing the same thing over and over, using his muscles to break a metal chain. Gelsomina is a naïve and kind girl, with musical talents, whose sole purpose is to serve Zampano, who treats her like a piece of property rather than a companion. Zampano’s treatment of Gelsomina stems from his growing resentment towards her; she is the opposite of everything he is. She is young and unshaped by the world; she has multiple talents, and is well liked by all. The film follows their journey together, witnessing their conflict reenact itself over and over. Zampano eventually breaks the girl’s spirit by subjecting her to the horrors of violence and murder, scarring her mentally. Stranding her alongside the road he ultimately becomes the cause of her death. The film ends with Zampano weeping for what he has done.
Fellini makes it apparent that Zampano did not need Gelsomina for financial purposes but rather for love and companionship. Zampano felt that he didn’t need anyone, until his destructive behavior lead to the death of the kindest person he knew. Through a repetition of Zampano’s abuse and Gelsomina’s good-natured response Fellini explores the emotions that a man like Zampano could never put into words. Fellini’s juxtaposition of characters creates a visual display of unsaid emotion.
Perhaps the best example of the differences between Neorealism and Expressionistic filmmaking is a comparison between De Sica’s “Umberto D.” and Ingmar Bergman’s “Wild Strawberries”. Both films tell stories about old men dealing with the course their life has taken. De Sica portrays his main character through the realist’s lens, focusing on the present moment, while Bergman explores the past, present and future of his character. Both films capture truth about the characters but it is a different truth.
De Sica explores the seemingly simple and insignificant, transforming it into something else, which can hold the interest of its audience and insight reflection among viewers. In his essay “Poetry and Cinema” Bunuel sights a specific scene in the film. “We see the maid go into the kitchen, light the fire, put on a casserole, throw water several times on some ants that are advancing Indian file across the wall, take the temperature of an elderly man who feels feverish. Despite the trivial side of the situation, we follow her movements with interest and even with a certain suspense.” By experiencing the moment the audience is able to connect with the characters on screen in a different fashion than Bergman connects with his audience. However, this is ultimately an fractional connection.
In “Wild Strawberries” Bergman gives the most well rounded look at the life of his protagonist, Isak Borg, possible. As Isak makes his way to a ceremony in his honor, his trip becomes a journey through his past. The film makes the jump between time, showing Isak’s youth, the loss of his love, and the further chain of events that has left him unhappy. On top of this, Bergman also enters into Isak’s dreams, showing the audience Isak’s worst nightmares. Bergman uses the image of the coffin to fill Isak’s thoughts. Isak fears that his old age has rendered him useless and that no one will remember his life. After showing the audience the Isak’s inner contemplations, Bergman uses his actions in the present to show the change that Isak is desires to make. By doing this, the audience is more invested in Isak’s story.
Neorealism seeks to remain founded in authenticity and the waking reality, capturing time and place perfectly, finding drama in daily routine. However, Bunuel said that “Nonrealistic reality is incomplete, conventional, and above all, rational. The poetry, the mystery, all that completes and enlarges tangible reality, is utterly lacking.” What Bunuel and other expressionist filmmakers have tried to capture is the reality of the mind. Expressionists see no difference between the real world and the dream world; both are intricate parts of the human experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment