Aesthetic Analysis of the Representation of Memory Images in the Film The Pear Tree Based on Neo-formalist Approach

In the realm of cinema, the portrayal of memories has long been a captivating and challenging endeavor. In the present article, the researcher investigates the representation of memory images in The Pear Tree )Dariush Mehrjui, 1998(, using an aesthetic perspective. To explore how memories are depicted and the motivations behind the cinematic arrangements employed, the researcher first examines aesthetic features such as de-familiarization. Further, to gain a deeper understanding of the film's form in The Pear Tree, the article employs a neo-formalist approach, emphasizing human experiences and the process of memory recall. A look at the process of remembering memories shows that humans remember an interpretation of any past event, and often cannot remember all the details and define past events in a linear way. As a result, it is not possible to fully access the complete memory, or the original event. The researcher takes a look at the history of depicting memories in cinema and examines the classic flashback and the photograph, which are widely used in cinema to depict memories, then the article draws upon successful representations of memories in world cinema, which have sought to mimic human memory experiences and harmonize form and content through cinematic tools such as cinematography and editing. By analyzing the memory images in The Pear Tree , the article concludes that Dariush Mehrjoui, in this adaptation of one of Goli Targhee's short stories, has adopted a formal approach to portray Mahmoud's (Homayoun Ershadi) memories, which are brought to Mahmoud’s mind by cues such as M name, pear tree and spider webs. Similar to previous successful examples in cinema history, Mehrjoui has strived to make the film's memory sequences more realistic to human memory recall, by leveraging the way these images are formed in the human mind. This approach has resulted in an aesthetic form in portraying the memory images. The film utilizes prominent roles for cinematography and editing tools. The memory images in this film are crafted with the help of these two tools, elevating the representations of memories above those in most Iranian films, which typically rely on jump cuts, playing with focus, point of view and subjective shots, image color changes, discontinuous editing, camera movements, dissolve, lighting, changing the exposure during filming by changing diaphragm, blurring part of the view, close-ups, motif, and the appropriate use of archive and nostalgic aesthetics. In addition, Dariush Mehrjui has been able to create a more precise form of memory recall by combining these different techniques and methods together in some of the memories. Mehrjui even tries to create a visual distinction between memories by reflecting the emotions and experiences of the person who remembers them. The article concludes that Dariush Mehrjui's use of de-familiarization and his focus on human experiences and the process of memory recall have enabled him to create a more aesthetically pleasing and realistic representation of memory images in The Pear Tree.