For my meme, I chose to compare the scene in which Christian dies to the painting, Lamentation, by Giotto di Bondone. Giotto is considered, “the most important painter of the 14th century” who inspired the Renaissance art style (Murray). He has been revered as the father of European painting and was both renowned in his own lifetime and beyond. I chose to compare these two images for a few reasons; firstly, when I first watched Piranhas this scene stuck out in my mind. The composition of the scene seems so intentional and reminds me of religious artwork. It’s easy to spot similarities between the two images; with individuals mourning the death of both Christian and Christ, respectively (I even wonder if the name, Christian, was intentional?). In both images the lamenters are bowing their heads, and caressing the body of the deceased.

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The other reason why I chose to create this meme is because of the naturalistic elements present in neorealism and noir films. As we had mentioned in class, Garrone was particularly commended for his incorporation of naturalism into his film. But I think that Giovannesi also portrays naturalism in Piranhas. This painting that I’ve chosen to compare the scene to has elements of naturalism as well, given that “elements of naturalism began to reappear during the Proto-Renaissance in the paintings of Giotto” (ArtyFactory). The similarities between the images goes beyond the composition; the emotional expression, lighting, and lack of mise en scene is effective in depicting the event with the least possible distortion which is the epitome of naturalism.

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