Cinema and realism: Frederick Wiseman

Author(s)

Paulo Cesar Almeida Scarpa

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD)
• Defense date: 2012-09-13

Examining board members

Paulo Roberto Arruda de Menezes; Maria Helena Oliva Augusto; Marcos Francisco Napolitano de Eugênio; Cezar Avila Migliorin; Miguel Serpa Pereira

• Advisor: Paulo Roberto Arruda de Menezes

Abstract

In this thesis I investigate, by means of a sociology of cinema, a selection of films by the American filmmaker Frederick Wiseman (1930-). Being a documentary filmmaker of great importance for what became known as direct cinema or cinema vérité, a cinematographic trend that, by means of certain formal devices the absence of voice-overs, interviews of inter-titles leads to a strong impression of realism. Thereby, I intended to not only better comprehend Wisemans production as well as some considerations on the narrative constructions in his films, but also to consider some of the relations between cinema and realism. While I aim to bring forth a debate regarding this rarely discussed director within the Brazilian literature, I here analyze eight of his films, divided in three different themed topics: hospitals, military and leisure. The analysis was done by means of a sociology of cinema, which understands that the investigation must begin with the film itself, understanding it as a piece of work and as the main source of information. In this thesis, the manner by which Wiseman crafted images and narrative over the course of his filmography is seen as an answer to one of the questions that permeates documentary cinema, namely, on how to depict and detail reality. With this in mind, we can say that the observational camera does not merely observe. It narrates, it speaks and it argues. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 07/08363-4 - Realism and Cinema: Frederick Wiseman.
• Grantee: Paulo Cesar Almeida Scarpa
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate