The article begins, “Formalism is the usual, if somewhat misleading name of a critical tendency which has survived for over eighty years, despite misunderstanding and even persecution.” Even from reading these first few words I was already confused and found myself re-reading it. As I continued however I realized I was going to be just as confused with the rest of the text.. So far, I told myself, I got that formalism was a form of critique, I just couldn't tell what kind. I couldn't tell how exactly the author was defining formalism and what the author would suggest to be the opposite of the term. I couldn't even really define neo-formalism and what the difference between the two are. I wish I had more observations or even questions concerning formalism but I couldn't even apply the term to all of the sentences it was being used in and therefore really am just left with a puzzled face and next to no knowledge of formalism vs neo formalism.
Under the “neo-formalism” Colum, the author brings up David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson who both believe that formalism “crucially implies an active spectator.” (What does that even mean?? Someone constantly analyzing a work of art? What makes a spectator active?) The author then goes on to discuss Bordwells constructivist theory which links perception and cognition. As if I wasn't lost enough, I was confused when psychology came into play. I hardly feel as though I read the article because of the lack of ability I have in recalling anything from it. I am going to re-read it again, do some googling and hopefully have more to say
I like that you were left with a puzzled face. I was left with an inner rage that made me want to chuck my laptop across the room.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Christie text is not much of a help to understand Formalism or even be able to distinguish it from NEO-Formalism. From what I understood, though, I think that it is just one of the first CRITICAL approaches to analyzing films. She talks a lot about stripping the film bare of its metaphors etc. and I think that is what it really means. Formalists look behind the sugar coating of films and uncover the bare elements of a film and how they work within the system of the film. I think I like this approach, because it does not require us to read and research foot long theoretical papers in order to apply it to a film.
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