Three essays on cinema, by Yuri Tyniánov

Abstract

Written by Yuri Tynianov in the 1920s, the following essays (“Cinema – Word – Music,” “On Plot and Fabula in Cinema,” and “On the Screenplay”) form a key body of work for understanding the origins of Soviet film theory. A recognized member of the Society for the Study of Poetic Language (OPOIAZ), Tynianov applies the principles of formalist criticism to cinema, proposing a vision of cinema as an autonomous art form characterized by abstraction, fragmentation, and recomposition of expressive elements. In “Cinema – Word – Music,” he analyzes the specificity of cinematic discourse and argues for music as a structuring element of narrative rhythm. In “On Plot and Fabula in Cinema,” he applies the formalist distinction between fabula and plot to film, emphasizing stylistic procedures over predictable narrative content. In “On the Screenplay,” he critiques the conceptual confusion surrounding the role of the screenwriter, defending the screenplay as a distinct artistic form based on cinema’s visual language. These translations aim to make these reflections accessible to the Portuguese-speaking audience, highlighting their pioneering nature and continuing relevance to film studies, especially regarding narrative construction, aesthetic autonomy, and the relationship between literature, image, and sound in cinematic discourse.