Regionalism (literature)

Under local color (of French couleur locale: ' local coloring ' ) refers to the character and atmosphere that characterize a place, an area or landscape. This can sights ( Cologne Cathedral, Battle of the Nations Monument ) celebrations (Oktoberfest, Kieler Woche, Hamburger Dom ) or dialects ( Swabian, Saxon, Bavarian ) be. - In English-speaking countries it is called in this context rather of regionalism ( regionalism ).

Term

The term color refers originally to the color of a painting. Because the sets were painted by the end of the 19th century, he could refer to the illusion technique of theater stage. In a broader sense, he was also on the costumes, the transfer music and other components of the stage performance. In the 18-19. Century formed the idea that a color can characterize regional peculiarities.

The local color on images in texts and in the performing arts often affects the perception of the original back: So Goethe told his Central European readers in the Italian Journey that a square in Naples to look like a market scene in the Italian opera buffa ( "people's life in Naples " ). Cliché often be used to characterize a scene in a literary work or film froze ideas. Special features are displayed so that they have a familiarity effect.

Local color can highlight either one's own, familiar or foreign, unfamiliar. Above all, it attenuates the potentially disturbing their visitors by giving it a tourist visibility and availability. Thus, for example, in many films playing in Paris, the Eiffel Tower shown, played rousing accordion music and shown baguettes buying Basque cap carrier. Has a long tradition oriental local color ( minarets, turbans and colorful rugs, etc.).

History

In the genre painting, there is local color at least since the 17th century. As a counter movement to classicism, who tried to break away from the local constraints, the local color experienced a boost in the 18th century, in the wake of the appreciation of the bourgeoisie, his language and his way of life. In contrast, the popular Turkish opera gathered everything on the stage, which was considered strange and exotic. The romance was trying to break away from classical models and to transfigure the premises, such as in the so called folk songs and folk tales.

In the Biedermeier period the local color experienced a climax. Now it was more committed a realism that claimed the true portrayal of social relations. In the theater about the local Posse or serious life image with dialects and allusions to local customs, local architecture and geography emerged. The realism in literature and theater exacerbated the truth claim of such depictions. When machining popular pieces, however, often showed that their local color could be freely exchanged. A late example is the Viennese operetta Servus, servus (1935 ) by Robert Stolz, the. Than in Italy Ciao, ciao and in Switzerland Welcome, given grüezi - The strangers or distance inaccurately defined as local color asserted itself in forms of theater such as the Feerie and the Extravaganza.

Local color as the power of an illusion machinery appeared about the middle of the 19th century: in panoramas and dioramas, later in Völkerschauen or theme parks such as Venice, Vienna.

Today, local flavor has a tourist importance in the form of cherished clichés by adapting Destinations guests' expectations. In film history, efforts are to reasonably accurate research of local circumstances, but mostly without considering linguistic peculiarities. The "Oriental " local color as a sign of the foreign and Adventurous shifts in the fantasy film often on a more neutral fantasy world in which an evaluative representation of skin color or clothing habits is avoided.