Neorealism is a trend in art that appeared in Italy after the end of World War II. It showed itself especially vividly in painting and in cinema, but it was also noticeable in literature.
The origin of neorealism
Neorealism is a movement that was founded in 1946. The first organization that brought together artists of anti-fascist views was the New Front of the Arts. Representatives of a wide variety of areas, from abstract art to realism, found themselves under one roof.
They were united by one goal - to defeat the pessimistic mood that everywhere swept the post-war world. They called for a return to art, which would express primarily human values. Neorealism is the direction that allowed this to be done.
Neorealism in Italy
It is immediately worth noting that one of the areas in which neorealism has manifested itself most is painting. The paintings of Italian neorealism differed from the rest in their dynamic composition, as well as in the rich color and expressive manner of writing.
Masters worked in similar styles in many European countries, as well as across the ocean, in particular in Mexico.
The main goal of their art, neo-realist artists made the statement of humanistic values. Justice and kindness, which are manifested in human relations, began to come to the fore. Moreover, regardless of the property status of the individual.
Literary examples
Widespread neorealism in literature. Moreover, in Russia it was developed in this area of art much earlier than in Italy.
The writer Yevgeny Zamyatin is considered the theorist of domestic literary neorealism. He managed to develop his own rules and laws, which obeyed the style and language in his works. This was especially pronounced in his groundbreaking science fiction novel "We".
The key feature of this work was symbolism. Moreover, individual artistic details carried increased semantic load. There was a large amount of expression in the novel, heightened emotionality, as well as fantastic grotesque and a large proportion of abstraction.
Besides himself, Zamyatin ranked among the neorealists Prishvin, Alexei Tolstoy, Sologub, Yesenin, Mandelstam, Akhmatov. The writer formulated his theory in articles "On Synthesis", "Contemporary Russian Literature."
In his view, 19th-century literature portrayed life as if from the window of a road carriage, so the traveler observed it in detail. Literature of the 20th century, neorealism - this is the same image, but seen by a man who rushes by car. The speed is high, so it is impossible to consider all the details, the surrounding reality merges.
Cinema
A major role was played by neorealism in the cinema. In this case, we are again talking about Italian post-war cinema. The directors had an impact on poets. This direction reached its maximum scope in 1945-1955.
Distinctive features of such films were shooting in nature, and not in the pavilion, natural lighting without the use of special devices. Showing the life of the poor without embellishment.
Roberto Rossellini’s military drama "Rome is an Open City", which was released in 1945, is considered the first neorealistic film. The picture unfolds a year earlier in the Italian capital. The German military police launched a hunt for one of the leaders of anti-fascist resistance, engineer Manfredi.
Masters of Italian Neorealism
Among the recognized masters of this trend in cinema, it is also worth highlighting Vittorio De Sica, who directed the drama "The Bicycle Thieves" in 1948 about the unemployed father of two children, who after numerous failures finds work as a poster maker in Rome. To begin to fulfill his duties, he needs a bicycle, which the main character put in a pawnshop.
They buy the bike for the last money, but on the very first day, unknown people abduct it right on the street. Father and his little son go on a hopeless quest.
In the same year, Lukino Visconti directed the drama "The Earth is Trembling." It is also referred to as neorealism. In it, the family of hereditary fishermen barely makes ends meet because of the policy of fish buyers who profit from other people's labor. The protagonist Antonio Valastro decides to open his own business bypassing intermediaries. But he does not find support among colleagues, and it is very difficult to cope alone.
In 1949, Rene Clement released the neorealistic drama "At the Walls of Malapaga". This is already a joint Franco-Italian production. The main character of the picture Pierre arrives in Genoa from France. On the first day, due to a fraudster, he loses all the money. But there are good people. The dentist helps him to cope with the pain for free, and with the waitress Marta, he starts an affair. But only at the most unexpected moment he makes a terrible confession that can destroy everything.
Differences from Realism
Realism and neorealism are compared in political science. It is worth noting that the school of political realism was finally formed in the second half of the 40s of the XX century. Her adherents were united by the idea of a man as a creature, which in its behavior is primarily guided by personal and even selfish interests. They are clearly manifested in a continuous struggle for existence.
Proponents of realism in political science believed that it was not necessary to idealize the surrounding reality. It is necessary to proceed only from the real state of affairs. Moreover, they recognized the fundamental motive only the desire of specific people for power.
Neorealism in political science took shape by the end of the 70s. Its founder is the American Kenneth Waltz. This direction has retained the key tenets of realism, such as the dominant role of national interests, the concept of a balance of power, but at the same time emphasized that politics is driven not only by power but also by economic resources.
Neorealism in international relations
In international relations, this trend is based on Waltz’s book "Theory of International Politics".
In it, the author, a famous American political scientist, most clearly formulates his main principles and ideas. This is the idea that only those states survive that behave within the range of actions expected by others. He is building a system resembling a microeconomic model. In it, it is the companies that set prices for the quantity of products on the market and their value.
Neorealism sees international relations as a holistic system that works strictly in accordance with certain laws. At the same time, he seeks to separate economic relations from political ones, inclines to methodological rigor. The main actors are states and interstate unions, which are primarily interested in protecting national interests.
Ultimately, the structural constraints of the international system become a driving force.