Magical realism, meanwhile, introduces elaborate and or minute supernatural elements to a realistic world. The following are fantasy genre films that may be confused for magical realism: This consequently allows protagonists the freedom to escape from the real world to the magical place. Moreover, characters within the story likely reference the elements of magic.įantasy films often create a divide between the natural and magical worlds. Fantasy creates an acknowledged, magical ‘other’ world.Ultimately, their key differentiation is in the acknowledgement or denial of the supernatural.Therefore, it is important to distinguish the difference between the two. It is common to mix up fantasy and magical realism due to their similar characteristics. These writers also began drawing on their cultural histories, folktales and mythologies as inspiration. Consequently, they emboldened magical realism as a genre capable of saying something powerful about the changing, tumultuous world around them.ĭonnie Darko Fantasy Versus Magical Realism While Latin America was where the genre gained much of its popularity, writers worldwide began applying magical realism to their work. These writers’ works have, in turn, inspired adaptations for cinema. This was shown through the subtle fantastical elements present in the ordinary worlds of the characters.įamous Latin American writers of the genre include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabelle Allende, and Laura Esquivel, to name a few.This historical factor affected the genre, which continued to evolve as writers used symbolism to explore broader themes such as race, colonialism, politics, family, and class.And the cultural context deployed as a powerful reference was often Latin America’s political turmoil in the 1960s and 1970s. The genre flourished there particularly as many writers integrated their cultural context with the already established European term. Magical realism continued to grow as a sub-genre, spreading prominently to South America. Similarly to the painters who employed it, his writing portrayed the mystical within the real world. Italian writer Massimo Bontempelli was one of the first writers to take up magical realism as a genre in his literature. Pan’s Labyrinth Magical Realism in Literature Though many other post-war art movements were growing in popularity throughout Europe, magical realism began influencing artists and writers across Europe over time. And it was particularly its ability to comment on political and social issues that gained it currency and success. Whereas magical realism transposed fantastical elements onto a more identifiable, solid reality. Surrealism was typically more focused on abstract, psychological realities. Moreover, Roh identified magic realism’s focus on material objects as distinguishing it from a similar genre, surrealism. At the time, the term “magic” did not explicitly mean fantasy but the amazement and bewilderment towards everyday objects and the real world. It concerned the post-expressionist art movement in Germany “ Neue Sachlichkeit” (“New Objectivity” in English).įranz Roh utilized the phrase to describe artists’ depictions of the magical within the ordinary. Magical realism, or as German art critic Franz Roh called it, “magischer realismus”, was first referenced in 1925. So let’s take a look at its origins… The History of Magical Realism Origins Magical realism’s history is crucial to understanding its power, resonance and practicality. Creators have used their respective mediums – painting, writing and filmmaking – to aid in magical realism’s ever-evolving growth as a sub-genre. The characteristics of the magical realism genre have developed over time through different art forms. Instead, by not acknowledging the mystical aspects of their worlds as supernatural, these components become part of their realities. It tells a fictional story, portraying the real world with elements of magic and fantasy.Ĭharacters within the realistic worlds of these stories do not question the fantastical attributes of their worlds. Magical realism is a sub-genre in film, literature and art. But though contradictory, it describes what the genre truly is a merging of fantasy and realism. The phrase magical realism is really an oxymoron. The Six Key Steps to Writing the Magical Realism Genre.How Does the Underlying Social and Political Commentary Impact Films?.Underlying Social or Political Commentary How Do Myths and Folktales Inform Magical Realism?.
Mythology, Folklore and or Historical Influence How Does the Setting Reflect the Story and its Themes?.Three Key Elements of a Magical Realism Film.
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