Sunday 6 November 2011

Fantasy Subgenre - Magical Realism

Magical Realism
Example Films: Groundhog Day, Like Water For Chocolate



In films with magical realism, magical elements are combined within the real world and they are described as being real occurrences; in effect the "real" and the "fantasy" are shown in the same stream of thought. The content of the genre can vary widely as long as it maintains some verisimilitude: for example, a time-travelling character could be living and travelling through their ordinary life. 


It is "...what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe." Prof. Matthew Strecher. 


Magical realism as we now know it to be has been around since 1955. It is seen to be related to surrealism, however it differs because the magic in surrealism is inferred whereas in magical realism it does exist within the plot. Also, magical realism tends to look at the mundane aspects of everyday life but through a "hyper-realistic" lens. 


'Dreamlike' states are common in magical realism and the genre often introduces different realities experienced by one character. A sense of mystery is always present in the genre as a prominent theme. 

No comments:

Post a Comment