formalism

Formalism is a cinematic style where the aesthetic vision of the film is more important than the narrative and characters. Realism aims to create a realistic experience, while classicism prioritizes the narrative. In contrast, formalism focuses on the aesthetic aspects to convey abstract ideas. Formalism is essentially style as context, where the style and aesthetic vision for the film become more important or paramount to the narrative and the characters within. There are three main cinematic styles – realism, classicism and formalism. Realism is focused on achieving as close to real as one can get through a fictional lens – the narrative, the characters, the setting. It's against all types of hyperbole and dramatisation. It's hyper-aware of its technical aspects, stripping away all elements that might bring the audience out of the immersive but real experience. Classicism is the classical Hollywood mode, where the narrative and story are of the highest importance and the technical aspects are made in such a way that the audience should not notice them. Everything technical works together to help the story – the audience should be oblivious to everything except the narrative. Formalism, however, is on the other end of the spectrum. It relies entirely on the aesthetic aspects of the film. The narrative and the characters become second-hand. It focuses on using technical aspects to explain abstract ideas.