Fun with Neoformalist Perspectives

After reading Kristen Thompson’s article on Neoformalism, I feel I have gained another lens with which to analyze films. I do not think I will always observe films through this precise lens, but I feel more confident already with an understanding of neoformalism added to my repertoire. I really enjoy the idea posed by Thompson of significance through variance. This variance exists in unique aspects of art that would otherwise hold a routine and uniform role in “efficient” society. By isolating factors, especially with aesthetic facets of a work, differences can be highlighted and thereby further the plot motives or development. Under a neoformalist approach, it seems that each film can be analyzed in different fashions, all dependent on the content and composition in a particular movie. I found truth in the phenomenon of “defamiliarization” when looking at various films in such a manner, but I also found that this only bogged me down in my analysis, creating an unorganized network of perceptions in my mind. Perhaps this is just the wiring of my own mind, but I enjoy referring to aesthetics in films with a uniform basis as opposed to case-by-case basis.