“What Is Realism, Really?” Reading

Reading Summary

Smith describes realism as a set of techniques employed by mediamakers to encourage the belief that the given media is “truthful,” or authentic (14). According to Smith, there are many forms of realism which largely draw upon two general categories: the “documentary look” of realism, in which filmmakers capture real-life events with little focus on clarity, and the “dramatic look” of realism, in which filmmakers attempt to convey fictional events as being real and immersive, through clear shots and seamless editing (14-5). Realism often depends on an “apparent spontaneity,” or the perception that the events being depicted in the media—as assumed of most real-life events—are unplanned (15-6). This apparent spontaneity takes three forms. Visual spontaneity involves the use of loosely framed compositions, “available” or natural lighting, and jerky camera movement (17-8). Verbal spontaneity involves techniques such as improvisation, method acting, and sound mixing (19). Narrative spontaneity involves constructing a story that is not void of seemingly mundane and irrelevant events (20-1). The framing of depicted events can also contribute to a sense of realism and believability (22). For example, framing a film as being “based on a true story,” makes audiences interpret the film as being more realistic (23). Smith also describes that film as a medium lends itself to a higher sense of realism, as it is perceived to more faithfully capture reality in detail, with little room for subjectivity. (25-9). The extent to which realism is achieved in media also depends on how plausible audiences find the events in the story and the character actions (29-30). This, according to Smith, depends on how consistent a particular media is. Audiences expect realistic works to be “internally consistent,” rather than contradict itself (31).

Outside Example

Reading this chapter reminded me of a horror film that I really enjoy, Under the Skin (2013) by director Jonathan Glazer. It is about an alien who comes to Earth disguises itself as a woman (Scarlett Johansson). Throughout the film, the alien drives around Scotland, preying upon unsuspecting men and luring them into a trap where their bodies are “harvested” for some unknown purpose. Glazer wanted the film to seem realistic, and he employed a number of techniques to achieve a film that felt very real and visceral, despite the very fictitious premise.

Reading Connection

Under the Skin seems to achieve this sense of realism largely through its use of techniques that create the sort of “apparent spontaneity” that Smith describes. The film makers employ visual, verbal, and narrative spontaneity by filming shots with hidden cameras, using real people instead of big budget actors, disguising Scarlett Johannson so that she is not recognized, and avoiding heavily scripted dialogue between the characters. During filmmaking, Scarlett Johannson actually drove around the streets of Scotland in a van filled with hidden cameras, picking up ordinary people and conversing with them. These people were then told after the fact that they were being filmed. As a result, the interaction between Scarlett Johannson and the other characters seems very organic and real.