Summary
Summary Breaking the Glass Armor: Neoformalist Film Analysis
- Course
- Institution
summary of this chapter of the book Breaking the Glass Armor.
[Show more]
2 reviews
By: mediaencultuuremma • 7 year ago
By: basgroenewoud11 • 7 year ago
Seller
FollowRachelleL
Reviews received
Content preview
Goals of film analysisAesthetic approach – refers to a set of assumptions about traits shared by different artworks, about
procedures spectators go through in understanding all artwork, and about ways in which artworks relate
to society
Method – a set of procedures employed in the actual analytical process
Two ways analysts decide to work on a film
1. Centered on an approach
2. On the film itself
Troubles of applying a preexisting method -> doesn’t bring us any farther, just self-confirming
When the film piques our interest, we analyze it in order to explain
Neoformalism is an approach to aesthetic analysis based fairly closely on the work of the
Russian Formalist literary theoretician-critics.
Neoformalist analysis has the potential to raise theoretical issues.
Neoformalism builds itself this need for instant modification. It implies a two-way interchange
between theory and criticism. It is not a method as such. Neoformalism as an approach does offer a
series of broad assumptions about how artworks are constructed and how they operate in cueing
audience response. But Neoformalism does not prescribe how these assumptions are embodied in
individual films. Rather, the basic assumptions can be used to construct a method specific to the
problems raised by each film (method).
Neoformalism jettisons a communications model of art. Three components: sender, medium,
receiver. Main activity: passing on a message
Art is assumed not to communicate ideas, but to exist for the pleasure we experience in our
reactions to it.
For neoformalists, art is a realm separate from all other types of cultural artifacts because it
presents a unique set of perceptual requirements. Films and other artworks plunge us into a
nonpractical, playful type of interaction. They renew our perceptions and other mental processes
because they hold no immediate practical implications for us (someone is about to die -> you are not
going to rescue. It’s fake)
Artworks are of vital importance in our lives. The nature of practical perception means that our
facilities have become dulled by the repetitive and habitual activities inherent in much of daily life. ->
mental exercise. The renewed or expanded perceptions we gain from artworks can carry over to and
affect our perception of everyday objects/events/ideas.
Artworks engage us at every level and change our ways of perceiving, feeling and reasoning
Art defamiliarizes our habitual perceptions of the everyday world
Constant need to avoid automatization also explains why artworks change in relation to their
historical context and why defamiliarization can be achieved in an infinitive number of ways
Form-content split – formal components of the artwork
Four basic levels of meaning: (can tribute to the defamiliarizating effect of a film)
1. Denotation can involve REFERENTIAL meaning, in which the spectator simply recognizes the
identity of those aspects of the real word that the work includes.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller RachelleL. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.22. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
52510 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now