I think aesthetics refers to how a world or character is presented to the viewer and the story it tells through that. It refers to the overall style of the film and the feel of it and the themes it may present.

Realism

Verisimilitude in film is “similarity to the truth”- the appearance of something being true or real- and in film is how much the viewer can believe that something truly takes place in the film.

I put the Dead Poets Society (1989) because it is a good representation of being a student in a private school in the 60’s and just the timeframe of that period.

Social-Realism

This sub-genre of realism seeks to capture society in a specific and accurate way and aims to to draw attention to socio-political conditions of the working class to critique the power structures behind it.

I chose Billy Elliot (2000) as my example for social realism in a film because it includes a realist depiction of British people and society and it explores certain socio-political conditions such as the 1984’s miners strike, gender stereotypes and the problem of police violence.

Magic Realism

Magic-Realism is a genre that portrays fantastical events in a realistic tone. It works with tales such as fables, myths, and folk stories. However despite the fantasy elements, magic-realism maintains a realistic view of the world so well that in some cases it blurs the line of speculation and reality.

The Princess Bride (1987) is my example for magic realism because it has a wide variety of fantastical elements such as fairy tales, knights and magic, but it also maintains a heavily realistic tone throughout the whole movie and is not fully fantasy.

Hyper Realism

This is a genre in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between one ends and where another begins.

Visual Style

Iconography = This is the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of things. For example the lamb which represents Christ and the dove which represents the Holy Spirit.

Intertextual Referencing = This is the point where two works of art overlap- such as reusing its ideas and meanings and making it something of their own. Since art is so subjective it is very common for this to happen.

Visual/Sound Motifs = This is a recurring visual or sound that occurs in a film. This can help add story to the film or let the viewer be aware of a characters feelings.

Colour Grading = This involves adjusting and enhancing the colours and tones of a film to create a specific mood or atmosphere.

Auteur Trademarks = This is when a film-maker has a very distinctive and personal style that is reflected within their creative choices. This is also due to them having full authority over their films. There are many examples of this, such as Sofia Coppola’s focus on women with a pastel, elegant palette, Quentin Tarantino’s non-linear storytelling and sharp dialogue, and most distinctively Wes Anderson’s vibrant and quirky style:

Tone

Pathos = This is an appeal to an audience’s emotion- it purposely evoking strong emotions within them like anger or sadness. This can be in forms of inspirational music in the background or just dialogue.

Bathos = Bathos is a sudden, often humorous drop in tone during an anti-climax. It usually appears in satirical genres or used for intentional comedic effect.

Suspense = This is a common technique used in many films to evoke an audience’s excited anticipation about plot or conflict or to heighten an eerie, scary scene. It elevates tension and is a very good use of tone.

Comedy = Comedy in film is not only a genre but it is also used in other non-comedic films to elicit laughter from an audience and to lighten the mood in stressful moments. There can usually be a comedic-relief character that fills in this role. There are plenty examples of comedic films such as Step Brothers, 21 Jump Street, Zoolander and Airplane!

Dramatic Irony = Simply put, this is when the audience knows something that the characters in the film do not. An example would be a character in a horror going into a room where we know the killer awaits.

Distancing Effect (Verfremdung) = This is also known as “alienating an audience” and can also be shortened to the “v effect”. Invented by playwright Bertolt Brecht, he wanted to ‘distance’ the audience away from the action so that they could not feel emotionally invested in the characters but rather reach an intellectual understanding with them.

Postmodern Humour = Typically this refers to to humour that features jokes about serious topics like murder or war to make light of the topic. It is a fiction that deals with depressing complexities of modern life in a humorous tone. A film most known for this is Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott.