An Approach to Analytical Minimalism in Cinema: Il Buco (2021)

Minimalism has been seen as a movement in cinema based on simplification in terms of aesthetics and narrative. Minimalism in cinema is generally defined by diluted narrative elements, limited dialogues, long-shot sequences, and natural setting elements. Indeed, Yasujiro Ozu's minimalist approach in Japanese cinema has developed an aesthetic based on Zen philosophy, unlike Western art. Robert Bresson, on the other hand, has deepened the narrative by using non-visual elements and off-screen areas with metonymic minimalism. This study analyzes the use of Kovács's “analytical minimalism” theory adapted to the relevant film level, based on Michelangelo Frammartino's film Il Buco (2021) as the research object. Il Buco is constructed with long shots, slow camera movements, and natural sound design, while addressing the existential images of an old peasant in Calabria who continues his life with the cycle of death and life. In this study, the images of Frammartino's minimalist geometric cinematography, which he applied together with his transcendental approach, were analyzed around Kovacs's “analytical minimalism” theory.