Andre Bazin, one of the critics of "cahiers du cinema" discussed the transition of cinema from putting faith in images to putting faith in reality. According to him, the realist aesthetic makes art profound and realism is an ideal expression of cinema.
Andre Bazin was a firm believer of the fact that understanding and interpretation of a movie should be left to the imagination of the viewers. He believed that instead of manipulating the audience by providing them a false look of the world, it is better that a movie should add to the reality.
Ideology
Andre Bazin argued that movies that put their faith in reality are far better than movies which manipulate the audience, because the former shows the rawness and dark reality of the world and makes the audience think. This ideology of Andre Bazin paved the way for many neo realism based movies and started a revolution in many countries. There are directors and filmmakers across the globe who believe in his philosophy and are deeply inspired by him.
Criticized Expressionism
Filmmakers who used over the top expressionism and montages to alter the thinking ability of humans were heavily criticized by Andre Bazin in his essays. He also argued that sound in the movies was a major breakthrough from the silent era and therefore one should use it delicately. It was a fascist regime than in the country when Andre wrote that sound has reduced the importance of montages and actions and therefore things should be said clearly to make people aware of the reality of their Times.
Before WWII
The films at that time were not close to reality at all and everyone was busy showing the lives of cultured elites on the big screen. It was because Hollywood had a big impact on the world cinema and people were more interested in seeing the heroics of Robin Hood. Movies in Germany, France, Italy, etc. were made to please high ranking officers and ministers. Bazin was disappointed with this and he wanted the language of cinema to change with the use of technology, especially sound.
Use of technology
He advocated the use of deep focus in the films as he believed that it makes the image more close to the reality. He simply believed that filmmakers try to rely on non linear editing and montages because they want to give their own meaning to the film and there is nothing left for the viewers to interpret. For Andre Bazin realism was an ideal expression of the cinema, majorly because he was a communist ans wanted to make people aware of the fascism. Whatever the answer is, Andre Bazin has a huge impact on people related to the world of cinema.
