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| A memorable image from Vigo's 'L'Atalante' (1934). The realism of the barge was accompanied by the dream-like grace of the newly-wed couple. Would such an unlikely combination be ready for the disenchantment that followed? |
Introduction
The term ‘Poetic Realism’ at first sight represents a term
of contradictions. While ‘realism’ signifies a perceptible reality that is
accessible to most of us, ‘poetry’ opts for a more imaginary, even dream-like
frontier which is often beyond the preceptor’s reach. Poetic Realism is defined
as a cinematic movement that took place in France during the 1930s. The style
and content of these films often reflected the prevailing sentiment in that
particular epoch, especially the perception of impendent dangers that Europe would soon be torn apart by the World War II. If, as Schrader has suggested, the Film Noirs
of the 1940s and the 1950s represented the post-war disillusionments of USA
after WWII, then Poetic Realist films could be rightfully considered as a reflection
of the pre-WWII sentiment. The key directors were Carné, Vigo ,
Duvivier, Grémillion, and the most famed in the club, Renoir. Poetic Realism
serves as a link to connect the realist French art from the late 19th
century, and the future cinematic movements including Film Noirs, Neo-realism
and the French New Wave. In this series, I aim to illustrate that not only
there are no inherent contradictions in Poetic Realism, but also a solid
mélange of the Real and the Imaginary has led to some of the most memorable
work ever committed to cinema. Style and substance can co-exist in complete
harmony.
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| Zola |
Origin of Poetic Realism
1. Naturalism
It is widely accepted that Poetic Realism originated from
the French literature of the late 19th century, for which a realist
tendency has been struck in order to provide a more authentic portrayal of the
current affairs. Émile Zola and Guy de Maupassant were prime examples of this
realist style. A closely-related movement was known as literature Naturalism, in
which Zola’s name would be forever associated with. Through careful
observations reminiscent of the scientific method, Zola aimed to expose some of
the naked truths about human nature and sentiments. A number of Zola’s works have been adapted
into films, most notably Renoir’s ‘Nana’ (1926), ‘The Human Beast’ (1938), and
some from other directors.
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| Erich von Stroheim |
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| Greed (1924) |
2. Erich von Stroheim
It would be of injustice if a discussion on Poetic Realism
did not address the name of one cinematic artist – that of Erich von Stroheim.
As one of the masters of silent cinema, von Stroheim was known as the first
auteur – a director who instilled original ideas into his work. He was also
known for his focus on realism in many of his silent work. Von Stroheim’s most
famed work, ‘Greed’ (1924), has long been considered as a classic example of
cinematic naturalism. By adopting an approach close to Zola and enriching the
story with a tragic dimension, von Stroheim’s ‘Greed’ managed to expose some of
the darkest secrets humans have always been acquainted with. While he did not
have any opportunities to direct upon the arrival of sound cinema, von Stroheim
has since inspired many major directors, among them Jean Renoir and Orson
Welles.
Other contemporary styles, including Impressionism, Expressionism,
or even Surrealism, were also seen as possible influences of Poetic Realisms,
as different artists in Poetic Realism had their unique backgrounds in their
artistic stints, and this enriched and diversified the breadth of Poetic
Realist style.
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| An image from the Port of Shadows (1938), a prime example of Poetic Realism. The cargo ship and the port signified a working-class background. A high contrast style rendered the image almost expressionistic, and the dialectics between light and dark in the same image contributed to the underlying tension. But then, we were still confronted by the solitude of being. |
The themes of Poetic Realism
The ‘substance’ of a Poetic Realist film is the ‘reality’ it
attempts to portray. The ‘style’ of the film is the unique ‘poetic’ signature
the director provides to his own work.
1. Social
A common plot of many Poetic Realist films involved some
sort of tragic figures who were situated in a doomed love adventure or were
struggling against an inaccessible aim. This general observation very much
summarized the theme of many Poetic Realist films. Poetic Realism aimed to
provide a more realistic portrayal of contemporary lives of common people.
Hence the protagonists were often working-class people, the marginalized or
‘underdogs’, who did not share any cinematic glamour with those characters in
the more traditional motion pictures. The aim was to provide a cinematic
naturalism that the viewers could be easily identified with. As mentioned
above, this sentiment could be related to the increasing awareness of the
threat of a major war (WWII) marching towards them, and also the more
deep-rooted economic and social problems that have become quite commonplace
during the 1930s.
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| Trouble brewing in Renoir's 'The Rules of the Game' (1939). It was the perceived common interest that drove all the characters to the chateau, it was their disillusionment that drove them all apart. |
2. Worldview
If one could appreciate the almost ritualistic plot of many
Poetic Realist films, one should easily conclude the worldview of Poetic
Realism was that of a pessimistic, at best reserved outlook. The characters of
Poetic Realist films were often fatalistic – they believed in a fate that
governed their existence and perish – and the free will they attempted to
exercise could often not alter the tragic outcome that awaited them. The
motivations of the characters in these films were often driven by an almost
animalistic desire and their self-preservation in a harsh universe. Indeed, a
number of the greater works were seen as precursors of the genre ‘Film Noir’,
the most famous being Pépé le Moko (1937) by Duvivier.
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| Jean Gabin in Pepe le Moko (1937). |
3. Style
The mise-en-scène in Poetic Realism
was used to create a unique atmosphere relevant to the content portrayed in the
film. Realism was of prime importance
here, yet different artists would also provide more stylized interpretations to
their original work. Smoky chimneys and fog lights were the norm, as they
designated an industrial, working-class environment which was more than common
for the proletariats. Certain artists,
Renoir as an example, strived to provide a naturalistic viewpoint in most of
this works in the 1930s. By employing an extremely dynamic camera movement, he
created a fluidity that enhanced the realism of his pre WWII-films. The various
artistic signatures of Poetic Realism went on to influence the gritty realism
of Film Noirs in the 1940s, although this genre took one step further and also
instilled expressionistic style (that of German Expressionism) in terms of the
lighting and composition in the work, in order to reflect the more distorted
worldview and anxious mental states of the characters.
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| Beyond easy labels: nationality was not what brought people together in 'The Grand Illusion' (1937). |
In addition to the above, I also observe 2 more themes that
are highly emblematic of the Poetic Realist lexicon.
1. Transcendence
Our world requires us to categorize the masses of ideas to
achieve a better understanding of our places in the universe. To define what
is, is really to define what is not. Many of the Poetic Realist films unveil
the dialectical relationships of the various concepts, and to show that they
are not essential. If we judge what is around us merely by their face values,
we can easily fall into the trap of crude binary opposition. Even opposite
concepts can co-exist without problems, providing that a right balance exists.
Freedom and responsibility came hand-in-hand in L’Atalante (1934), there were
no absolute criteria to rule out one from another in ‘The Grand Illusion’
(1937), theatricality and fact were mingled so thoroughly in ‘The Children of
Paradise’ (1945). To understand the futility of categorization is to transcend
oneself, and that will lead to an appreciation why distinct terms like ‘Poetry’
and ‘Realism’ can stand peacefully under the same roof.
2. Illusion vs. Reality
One of the most relevant dialectic for everyone to face is
the confrontation between illusion and reality. In Poetic Realism, this notion
is often addressed and in some cases the boundary is blurred. The prime example
was Renoir’s ‘The Lower Depths’ (1938), which was adapted from Maxim Gorky’s
famous play. Tortured by the harsh reality they were facing, the characters
succumbed to dreaming and illusions to console their ever-weakening will, under
the assumption that they had no way to divert their future trajectories.
Illusion and reality could also come hand-in-hand in a Poetic Realist film.
While the often less than satisfactory reality was presented, it was the
director’s vision that provided a window to expose the more ‘poetic’ side of
the human condition, sparkling with vivid illusions, dreams and ultimately hope
and inspirations.
Final words
To give a final statement about Poetic Realism, the quote by
Jean Renoir about how his filmmaking hero, Erich von Stroheim, has inspired
him, is highly illustrative:
‘Reality has no value except where it is transposed. An
artist only exists if he creates his own little world.’
Such is the spirit of Poetic Realism, or to put it more
simply, what cinema should always be.
In the coming articles, I will discuss 4 films which are
exemplary of the style of Poetic Realism – Vigo’s ‘L’Atalante’ (1934), Renoir’s
‘The Grand Illusion’ (1937) and ‘The Rules of The Game’ (1939), Carné’s
‘Children of Paradise’ (1945). ‘L’Atalante’ and ‘The Rules of The Game’ will be
discussed in separate articles. ‘The Grand Illusion’ and ‘Children of Paradise’
will be our focus in the next article.
(1/3)
by Ed Law
1/3/2015
以戲服人 Film Analysis - 35
