The use of spacing as a theatrical technique in the cinema of the seventies and beyond - the practical title of the play "Blood of the Innocents"

Study Master's Thesis in Drama

Drama Literature Orientation

Abstract

The technique of "distancing" is basically a theatrical contract that was used in the ancient Greek theater through wives, and then in the early 20th century, it was revised and creatively applied by "Bertolt Brecht" who also borrowed from Oriental plays, according to the needs and social and political conditions of Germany at that time. which led to the formation of narrative theater and subsequently the use of "distancing" as a theatrical technique. By breaking the concept of the fourth wall, "Distancing" achieved Brecht's goal of using this technique, which was to cultivate a critical and analytical audience. "Distancing" can be defined and explained as an active and efficient element in dramatic arts. Many filmmakers in the world have used this technique to encourage their audience to look at themselves and the world with a different attitude. The researcher's effort in this dissertation is to investigate how the "distancing" technique of theater is used in cinema and compare the effect of these two mediums on the audience, with a selected view of the works from the world cinema of the seventies. In the chapters of this treatise, firstly, what is the technique of "distancing" in classical theater and the Middle East, then references are made to Brecht's theories, and then the contexts of the introduction of this technique to cinema and its attachment to films from the cinema of the 70s are stated, and finally, the process of perception of the artistic work of cinema is discussed. And with this conclusion that although the direct and two-way confrontation between the theater and the audience is strong and unworkable, the effects of cinema on its audience, especially when they benefit from defamiliarization, cannot and should not be denied. It is hoped that the artists will be able to use this technique in their works with a more detailed understanding of this topic.

Keywords

"Bertolt Brecht" "Distancing" "narrative theater" "modern cinema" "audience"

Introduction

Since the German "Bertolt Brecht"[1] has been known as a playwright, director, poet and theorist in Iran. He has always been one of the most controversial and widely read authors in the last few decades. In every decade, Brecht's works have been read, interpreted and performed with different motivations, sometimes as a political and committed writer, sometimes as a progressive theorist, and sometimes they have tried to find an oriental and even Iranian color in his works, but for many reasons, such as some contradictory aspects in his works and opinions, or due to misunderstandings and misunderstandings that have existed about his works, parts of his views have always been unclear. and they remain incomplete.

One of the most important theories that Brecht emphasized and developed during his career is the theory of "distancing"[2], which is also translated in Iran under titles such as "alienation", which is not equivalent to anywhere.

What is common in the understanding of this theory in Iran is that the actor emerges from the form of a role and dialogue or narrative face to face with the audience, like this. This means that Brecht's whole theory is reduced to the old technique of side talk, which is one of the old and dominant techniques in the theaters of Greece, Ancient Rome and Shakespeare's period, and we can find it abundantly in the works of "Aristophan" or "Plutus". But this does not mean that the actors of Brecht's theater do not accompany the audience with them and do not try to believe the character on the part of the audience, but it means that at the peak of this companionship and at the moment when the peak of the emotional upheaval of the actor and consequently the audience is supposed to occur, this situation is broken and thus the audience is made to think instead of drowning in emotions, and this is a part of the dialectic that Brecht emphasizes in the concept of distancing, as he himself explains the dialectic concepts. In distancing, it considers criticism and absorption (meaning immersion in the role) in an "it". From Brecht's point of view, this duality creates distance. This duality that Brecht considers negates immersion in the role, but at the same time emphasizes emotions. So, the important point in the distancing technique is not to tend to artificial play.In this technique, despite the fact that he uses gesture, the actor does not turn to artificiality, and despite the fact that his acting is external, he does not neglect characterisation.

An important and complex factor in Brecht's distancing is to show this duality and subtle dialectical contrast. "Spacing" is a system. A system that has a specific application and purpose. The purpose of distance is to show the issues in a different way, for more and better understanding, to change the audience's point of view in order to achieve a correct understanding of a phenomenon! Distancing alienates the audience from his knowledge of the world, takes it away from him and, as a result, defamiliarizes it. in order to reach a more precise view and a relatively correct understanding of the world around him.

Brecht, to avoid identification, works exactly opposite to Aristotle's ideas. His narrative plays mostly took place in the distant past. On the other hand, one of the main elements in Brecht's texts was the use of poetry. Brecht constantly used poetry. In places in his texts, his characters, instead of speaking dialogue (and maintaining the real atmosphere of the play), would go out of space and recite poetry. Reading their poetry caused distance. Separation of the text from the event.                       

This use of the element of poetry in Brecht's texts made the viewer know that he is watching a theater. But it should be noted that Brecht never had a deep and inner relationship with cinema and never took it as seriously as theater. In the appendix of this treatise, a comprehensive article has been included in order to expand this topic for dear readers, which is in line with the goal of this research.

In this treatise, the aim is to rely on the following questions and hypotheses to examine the theories that Bertolt Brecht advocated in the cinema of the seventies and beyond, and to address an executive solution to enumerate its features.

Some of the questions in this The following are discussed:

1- Can the technical element of "distancing" in cinema have the same application and purpose as in the theater?

2- Has the way of using this theatrical technique in contemporary times made significant differences compared to the past?

3- Can there be principles to explain how to implement this technique through the medium of cinema?

4- The technique of "distancing" How does it affect the audience of theater and cinema?

The hypotheses that this dissertation tries to prove are:

1- The techniques that are used to "distance" in the film have the ability to create the desired effect on the audience.

2- It is obvious that the way the technique of "distancing" affects the audience of the theater, which is a two-way medium, is different from the cinema, which is a one-way medium.

3- Cinema, as a late art, has been influenced by all the arts before it, of which theater is the most obvious. It can be said that just as the theater has influenced the cinema with the technique of "distancing", the cinema has also had reciprocal effects on the theater after using this technique.

4- While using the technique of "distancing" in the theater, the audience plays a decisive role in the performance process, which seems impossible to the audience of the cinema. A theater in the cinema of the seventies and beyond" has tried to present a piece of what he has learned in a practical form by writing a play entitled "Blood of the Innocents" in line with his research studies. It is hoped that in the representation of the theories of "Bertolet Brecht" following the category of "distancing" technique, the truth has been paid as much as possible. During the hospitalization of his psychotic wife Azar, Raham, a former judge, gets to know Nosh Afarin, who has been forced into prostitution since he was a teenager and leaves his baby in front of Raham's door due to poverty. Since Raham is deprived of having a child due to his wife's barrenness, he establishes a relationship with Nosh Afarin because of his love for Nosh Afarin's child and because of the lack of peace in his married life. Until the day when the drinker leaves his life without giving any reason. After one year, Azar was discharged from the psychiatric hospital and became pregnant after treatment.