Action, Space and Emotion in Film: Reality and Speech Acts in Bresson and Scorsese

Abstract

This paper refers to the issue of reality in film and includes some remarks on the emotions expressed by the character or the situation in the chosen filmic examples as well as on the emotions provoked in the spectator. The awareness of speech acts can pave the way to our critical work today, and renew the study of literature or art: it can offer unexpected interpretations, “mistreating” – as Barthes would have said – a text. The perspective of performativity can help me in refining my interpretation of some well-known films and filmmakers. I will concentrate on two examples: Bresson and Scorsese.