Citation, Tribute, Remake, Plagiarism. Overlaps and Borders in Movies

Mimesis is the basic principle of all arts. Visual arts, in particular, alternate between imitation of reality and attempt to represent in a symbolic or allusive way. In both cases, the theme of mimesis remains central, and the concepts of inspiration, model, copy, and plagiarism evolve in parallel with the history of art. In cinematography, the theme of imitation is one of the most debated. The chances of copy are innumerable in movies industry, both in sincere admiration of a young author for the works of a great master and in desire to exploit commercially an intuition of others; but we must also admit that the nuances between inspiration and plunder are numerous. This essay analyses overlaps and boundaries between four variations on the theme of copying in the cinematography: citation, tribute, remake, plagiarism. These four key concepts are analysed by relating them and at the same time trying to highlight differences and common elements. The analysis is carried out from a conceptual point of view and through the comparison of films in which the theme of imitation is particularly evident.