L'immagine descrittiva, personale, soggettiva e semi-soggettiva

Abstract

This essay is the Italian translation of "La Caméra subjective" and "L'image semi-subjective" of Jean Mitry's Esthétique et psychologie du cinéma (1963-1965). These chapters offer a reflection on the issue of subjectivity in film on a theoretical-aesthetical level. Mitry elaborates a typology of shots including: 1) image descriptive, or "objective" shot, in which the camera's eye records the action from the outside and according to a neutral perspective; 2) image personelle, in which the events are filmed along with a perspective aiming at highlighting the symbolic meaning the filmmaker gives to such events; 3) image semi-subjective (or "associated" shot), when the camera shows a certain character from an external perspective but at the same time it shares his or her own point of view: the camera's eye accompanies the character along with his/her movements, makes what he/she makes, sees what he/she sees; 4) image subjective (or point-of-view shot), when the camera takes the place of one of the characters (making that character, as a consequence, invisible): the camera's eye watches the things he or she would watch and identifies with his/her gaze. Mitry underlines the conventionality of point-of-view shots and reflects on the flashback images, that he considers the only images that can translate on screen the inner selves of the cinematic characters.