ABSTRACT
Through close readings of The Son (2002), The Kid with a Bike (2011), and Young Ahmed (2019), this chapter unpacks “transcendent realism,” the unique Dardennean style the brothers began with The Promise. Transcendent realism is characterized by five traits: (1) a handheld humanized “camera-body” featuring intimate close-ups of characters and situations; (2) an “apophatic” approach to cinematography and editing, using a rhythm of long takes and jump cuts to obscure visual and narrative details; (3) an impassive acting style emphasizing bodily gestures and postures rather than dialogue and facial expressions; (4) an emphasis on everyday objects, environments, and practices, imbuing the quotidian with psychological and spiritual significance; and (5) a concise narrative beginning in media res and ending abruptly with an ambiguous-yet-hopeful affecting conclusion.
