Film Once and Neorealism of André Bazin.

Neo-realism is characterized by a general atmosphere of authenticity. André Bazin, a French film theorist, and critic, argued that neo-realism portrays: truth, naturalness, authenticity, and is a cinema of duration. «Once» is a great example of a neo-realist artwork that leaves a feeling of presence for a viewer afterward.

Neo-realist film-making is characterized by non-professional acting. «Once» had no professional actors involved, both main roles are performed by real-life professional musicians, who played themselves in the movie. Ease atmosphere and repose dialogues are strong elements throughout the film-making viewer feel engaged in conversation.

The viewer can see how the protagonists are moving trough the maze of the plot. “The Dublin street scenes were recorded without permits so a long lens was used. Many passers-by didn't even realize that they were being filmed. The long lens also helped the non-professional actors relax and forget that they were on camera.” The actors play characters who are not unlike themselves (musicians, but professional in a real life).

Setting or form is a natural location, again, realist conventions. Money was saved by shooting with only natural light and at friends' houses. “During the filming of the opening scene, because the scene was shot with long lenses placing the crew far away, and without informing the public, who would be crossing through the scene, a bystander attempting to be a hero accidentally injured the thief as he was running away by kneeing him in the groin.” Many scenes had moving or shaking the camera when they zoom in, but it wasn’t distracting or disturbing, it made viewer closer to a reality of the picture.

Natural time framing. The movie was shot in 17 days and covered a week of their lives in a movie. “Once” gives a perspective of real-time filming, like we could see few hours of every day that they see each other.

The first scene of the movie, where the character is chasing a thief is very realistic. We can see how it starts right there, on a street. Their cloth, manner of speech and behavior open up their characters in the first few moments of the movie. They are running and change falling down on a floor, they breathe heavily, everything in this scene is a real life, a documentary style of cinematography.

My favorite scene was the only formalist scene of the movie. The girl walking on a street at night and singing a new song she just wrote. This scene is complete turn from the movie as a whole, but it adds a feeling to it. This is the only scene where camera operator used to poll and light, probably to highlight an affectation of the scene, its emotion and the girl’s remoteness from the outside world. The scene showed very well how she is isolated with her inner turmoil. I think that Bazin would admit that her strong feelings shown through formalist scene added to the neo-realistic perspective of the movie.