When Did Magical Realism in Film Begin?
Various elements of storytelling have the power to remind us of things we know, but may have forgotten for some reason. Like looking through an entirely different lens, the use of various storytelling techniques have the power to deliver a more clearly refined world that reflects a mix of both the familiar world and a world of magic. Through a technique known as magical realism in film, which has been present for quite some time, the world we know and are familiar with becomes a bit more refined with magic that helps us to understand it that much more. But, exactly when did magical realism in film begin?
What is Magical Realism?
Magical realism is a storytelling device used in filmmaking that has roots in Latin American literature. Moreover, the use of magical realism in film has been common for several years. And continues to play out across various films. A tradition to Latin American literature.
This aesthetic style, sometimes represented as a genre of fiction, uses magical elements that are blended with realistic atmosphere. To create a deeper understanding of reality among the audience.
Fanz Roh
Magical realism dates back as far as 1925 in literature, when German art critic Fanz Roh first used the term in an essay that discusses a particular post-expressionist painting style.
Roh used the term, “magical realism,” to reference a particular style. Which depicted a mundane and realistic subject matter that had been accentuated with dreamlike qualities that effectively re-evaluated reality.
Magical realism in film explores the very nature of visual representation of natural objects that we know and understand, with a hint of “magic” that makes the real world, everyday stories of people, places and objects easier to understand.
Magical Realism Characteristics
Characteristics of magical realism generally include the use of magical elements or “magic” in a realistic setting.
Common characteristics of this genre include:
- Plentitude
- Fantastical Elements
- Hybridity
- Authorial Reticence
When Did Magical Realism in Film Begin?
Magical realism in film became most prominent in the late 1980s and the 1990s. But it continues to be seen in films throughout the 2000s as well.
Furthermore, early uses of magical realism and the fantastic elements that we’ve seen serving as a parallel to the reality. That we all know became most significant in the 1980s and the early 1990s.
The following films have incorporated magical realism in various capacities. To produce the connection between the fantastical world and the realistic world that we all know:
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- The Cobbler
- Christopher Robin
- The Green Mile
- Like Water for Chocolate
- Pinocchio
- Repentance
- Stranger than Fiction
- Ted
So, when did magical realism in film begin? Magical realism dates back to the 1980s and the early 1990s. But continues to be seen in films produced through 2021.