Distancing effect (alienation effect)

Distancing effect, sometimes referred to as alienation effect, is also known by the German term verfremdungseffekt, which is often shortened to the v-effect. The terms all refer to a theatrical technique of keeping the audience from becoming so invested in and empathetic toward the characters that they forget they are watching a play or movie. It is most commonly associated with the classification of drama known as epic theater. The distancing effect is most often used in plays and movies with social, political, or moral implications. The technique is intended to help keep the audience aware of the fact that they are watching a drama and not real life; this allows the audience to see the work more objectively and helps to convey a message that the writer wants to share with the audience.

Background

While many plays and dramas have utilized concepts associated with the distancing effect, the technique is most commonly associated with German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht. Brecht, whose full name is Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht, was part of the German generation that became disillusioned with life in the aftermath of World War I (1914–1918). The war had left many people struggling and in deep financial loss, especially in Brecht's native Germany. He became a Marxist, believing that social structures that included classes where some were rich and others were poor were both wrong and unsustainable and that people experiencing poverty needed to rise up against this and form a classless society. He began to share his political views through his poetry and plays.

When the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) came to power in Germany in the 1930s, Brecht was one of the many artists and intellectuals stripped of their citizenship because of their views and social commentary. He stayed in the United States for a time but also faced official opposition to his work in America and returned to Europe.

Throughout this time, Brecht was writing a number of works that fit a classification known as epic theater. Epic theater keeps the audience outside of the action so that each member of the audience can observe and make decisions about what is unfolding in the play or movie. It emphasizes reason and the ability of people to change what is happening. This differs from a purely dramatic play, in which the action unfolds, and the audience members are made to feel as if they are the participants being carried along in the action, unable to change it.

Brecht called the techniques used to accomplish this verfremdungseffekt. This has been translated as "alienation effect" or "distancing effect." However, some experts note that a more literal translation from the German would be "estrangement effect" or "making strange effect." This refers to the technique's tendency to make the audience unable to relate to the actions and emotions of the characters, making them seem strange enough that the audience questions them and can, therefore, more readily see a political, moral, or social position the writer wants to convey.

Overview

Brecht wanted to force the audience to think about the action on the stage, rather than be absorbed in it and carried away by it. To do this, he used a number of specific theatrical techniques to keep the audience aware of the fact that they were watching a play and to make what they were seeing strange enough to cause thoughtful reflection. These included aspects of the way the play was scripted, how it was staged, and how the actors interacted with both the script and stage.

For example, a play might be staged so that the lighting was very harsh and bright when the action would indicate something that might occur in a darkened room. The contrast would serve to make the audience more aware of the action because of the unexpected setting. Brecht also used unexpected bursts of song to keep the audience from being caught up in the action or had an actor suddenly turn and address the audience directly, forcing the audience to realize the difference between the actor and the character they were portraying.

For a subtler reminder, Brecht's plays sometimes called for the actor to say the stage directions out loud; for example, "John Smith moves to stage right." This would also serve as a direct reminder that what was happening on stage was not real but a portrayal. Actors might also hold up placards that revealed something about the character beyond what was being portrayed by the dialogue and acting. For instance, in a scene where two actors are having an argument over their child's behavior, the female character might hold up a sign that says, "He's not really yours.…I had a one-night stand." This is jarring to the audience and forces them to consider the situation and their thoughts on the matter in a new way.

Another way the distancing effect was employed was by keeping the actors from identifying too closely with their characters. In many circumstances, actors go out of their way to "become" their characters, sometimes taking lessons to learn to speak and walk like the people they are portraying. In Brecht's verfremdungseffekt style of acting, the actors were encouraged to do the minimum necessary to convey information about the character to the audience. For instance, a character who was supposedly in an accident might limp but would not use the type of vocal characteristics that would convey pain or give long, dramatic explanations of the accident. Another technique might be to have the same actor play more than one character without any changes of costume or makeup, using only the dialogue and the way they interact with the other characters to alert the audience to the change.

The distancing effect promoted by Brecht in his works has been adopted by many others. It has also been used in television and motion pictures. The technique is frequently used by playwrights and screenwriters who want to encourage the audience to think about an issue, examine a theme or viewpoint on a controversial subject, or be exposed to a moral lesson.

Bibliography

Billington, Michael. "Bertolt Brecht: Irresistible Force or Forgotten Chapter in Theatrical History?" Guardian, 18 Sept. 2013, www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/18/bertolt-brecht-arturo-ui-revival. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Bowen, Kate. "'Bertolt Brecht's Influence Cannot Be Overestimated.'" Deutsche Welle, 8 Nov. 2006, www.dw.com/en/bertolt-brechts-influence-cannot-be-overestimated/a-2127719. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Brand, Gerhard. “Bertolt Brecht.” Critical Survey of World Literature, Dec. 2017, pp. 384–94. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=132190561&site=ehost-live. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

"Brecht's 'Epic Theatre' and 'Verfremdungseffekt' Techniques." Actor Hub, www.actorhub.co.uk/259/brechts-epic-theatre-and-verfremdungseffekt-techniques. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

"Epic Theatre and Brecht." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zwmvd2p/revision. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kushner, Tony. "Tony Kushner: Mother Courage Is Not Just an Anti-War Play." Guardian, 8 Sept. 2009, www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/sep/08/tony-kushner-mother-courage. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Oyarzun, Hector. "The 15 Best Movies Influenced by Bertolt Brecht's Theater Techniques." Taste of Cinema, 15 Oct. 2015, www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/the-15-best-movies-influenced-by-bertolt-brechts-theater-techniques/2. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Walker, John. “The Impact of Brechtian Epic Theatre on Modern Drama.” Lit Masterpiece, www.litmasterpiece.com/the-impact-of-brechtian-epic-theatre-on-modern-drama. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Whitaker, Joel. “Seven Films Influenced by Bertolt Brecht.” Flip Screen, 5 Mar. 2020, flipscreened.com/2020/03/05/world-book-day-seven-things-we-love-about-brecht. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.