In the movie Toy Story, the dialectic principle of dynamism is illustrated through the conflict between Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Andy’s old favorite toy, Woody, is being challenged by the new toy, Buzz Lightyear. This shows the conflict between the thesis (old authority) and the antithesis (newcomer).
This tension is shown through constant shot-reverse shots between Woody and Buzz Lightyear. When Buzz Lightyear first appears, the viewers get a close shot of Woody, and then the camera shifts to an upward tilting shot to show his towering figure, ending with a close shot of Buzz. This camera movement and angle help depict Buzz as a big and powerful figure. Buzz’s body is vertically positioned, which is in conflict with Woody’s smaller horizontal posture. Eisenstein refers to this as the conflict of planes and volumes. This clash between Woody and Buzz gives rise to the meaning of film art, according to Eisenstein, who views cinema as conflict.
While Toy Story lacks realism because it is an animated film, the toys act very realistically, having thoughts and emotions (like humans would). This goes against Bazin’s beliefs about total realism – “a recreation of the world in its own image, an image unburdened by the freedom of interpretation of the artist” (Bazin 236).
I wonder what kind of technological advancements in cinematography would come about in the next decade (beyond the 3D cinema experience we currently have) and whether they will move the film form closer to realism. Would it resemble the “myth of total cinema” that Bazin imagines?
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