Representation of the working class in Dardenne Brothers cinema: The example of Rosetta and Two Days and a Night

This study examines the formation of social classes, the mechanisms of historical struggle, and how the emerging working class is represented in cinema, including how this representation appears in the films of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Through two films by the directors, Rosetta (1999) and Two Days One Night (2014), it thoroughly examines the cinematic narrative of the precariat, defined as the new form of the contemporary working class. These two films from the Dardenne Brothers' cinematography constitute a significant example of the representation of the precariat. While the directors' cinematography includes works crafted in the social realist narrative format, Rosetta and Two Days One Night directly bring the hardships faced by the precariat to the big screen. The newly theorized precariat class, along with the precarious, flexible, and temporary forms of work that emerged under neo-liberal economic policies, along with the lack of social assistance, is highlighted, explaining the current segments of the working class within modern capitalist society. While we see classic working-class representations in cinema, we fail to see the life, conditions, and encounters of this new class that has captured the attention of millions. Therefore, the Dardenne Brothers present cinema as an art form, revealing social realities and challenging the audience's existing mechanisms through the process of reflection. The study begins by examining the emergence of the working class, shaped by capitalist relations of production, and then examines the historical development of working-class cinema. In this context, social realism is considered a significant movement in cinema, reflecting the living conditions and struggles of the working class. The function of working-class cinema in exposing social injustices, raising political consciousness, and giving a voice to society is examined in detail. Furthermore, the power of cinema in making working-class experiences and identities visible is examined, and in this context, the Dardenne Brothers' cinema is examined through the lens of the precariat, the transforming structure of the working class. Finally, by examining the films Rosetta and Two Days One Night by the Dardenne Brothers, it was attempted to determine how the precariat class is represented in cinema and what meaning it gains.