What Is The Difference Between Formalism And Realism?

What Is The Difference Between Formalism And Realism? The major differences between Formalist and Realist film theories are the pacing and the focus. … Realist films were made popular by the Lumiere brothers, who documented their surroundings. These Realist films, or “actualities” as they were called, were thus in a sense early forms of documentaries.