CATA 171
Intro to Theatre and Cinema
Film, Chapter 1
Introduction
A. Watching movie takes most viewers out of their everyday lives
C. Even at home on a DVD, the same feeling of transport occurs
D. Film provides both emotional release and intellectual stimulation
E. Moviegoers who learn to analyze films and to build sound, thoughtful interpretations will enhance their experience
II. Film Analysis
A. Films are analyzed differently by students, scholars, reviewers and critics
B. Films are analyzed differently over time
1. Example: Dr. Strangelove as a determining moment in independent cinema
C. Ability to analyze film is based on viewer's knowledge, cultural experiences, preferences, formal training and expectations
D. The significance a viewer derives from a film depends upon the choices the filmmaker has made
1. Director may rely on genre conventions
2. May revise them to create new ways of looking at genre
3. The more a viewer knows about the conventions of a genre, the better he can analyze the film and appreciate innovations.
4. Expectations influence both the filmmaker's choices and the viewer's experience
a. Influence formal mode of presentation
b. Influence choice of genre
c. Influence choice of stars
d. Influence choice of director
5. Filmmakers orchestrate details in a systematic way to
a. present information
b. elicit emotions
c. suggest ideas
III. Expectations of An Audience
A. All filmgoers bring expectations to a film
1. Expectations between different genres can be vast
2. Most viewers form expectations about the kind of film they plan to see
a. Will it be a narrative fiction film with stories about human characters in the form of comedy, tragedy or both?
b. Will it be a documentary about real world events full of factual information and history?
c. Will it be an avant-garde film with no story at all?
3. Some viewers may be disappointed or confused by an avant-garde film because they were indelibly imprinted with traditional film formats from
television and conventional cinema
IV. Modes of Organization
A.. Narrative Films
1. Cause and Effect Logic of Storytelling
a. Present Characters
b. Characters Face Obstacles Trying to Achieve Goals
2. Audience identifies with characters and understands the choices made, even if they disagree with them
3. Audience expects to encounter characters with clear motivations
a. Example: Austin Powers
I. 60s British Spy
II. Motivated by his image as successful, swinging James Bond type
III. Obstacles and comedy caused by his 60s dress and behavior
4. Sometimes director uses character with unclear motivations
a. Withholds crucial information until end (example: Psycho or other Who-Done-Its)
b. Can enhance audience's enjoyment by creating intrigue
c. Can detract from audience's enjoyment by straying from expectations
5. Viewers generally expect narrative film to offer conclusion that resolves conflicts
a. Hollywood sometimes insists on happy, neatly tied endings to ensure profit margins
b. Even independent filmmakers are sometimes forced to conform to the norm
c. A few successful directors like Kubric leave audiences hanging and questioning rather than achieving closure
B. Documentaries
1. Some documentaries use a narrative format but are based on real life situations
a. Hoop Dreams
b. Rudy
2. Some documentaries present explicit or implicit statements about the real world events they depict, and it is up to the audience to make
conclusions rather than being handed them in a neatly tied package
a. Bowling for Columbine
b. Fahrenheit 9/11
3. Other documentaries explore subject matter indirectly, but imply a message
a. Winged Migration
b. March of the Penguins
C. Avant-Garde Films
1. Often move far away from conventions of narrative film
2. Explore aesthetic capabilities of the medium of film
a. Using it in a similar way to painting, sculpture or dance
3. Rarely tell stories or present arguments, but make meaning through symbols and metaphors
a. Characters often less important than composition, sound and editing
Whether a filmmaker creates a narrative, documentary or avant-garde film, he or she is aware of audience expectations and probably has chosen that
mode of organization to enhance the message. The audience also brings expectations about the type of film they are seeing and may be delighted or
disturbed by the filmmaker's choices
V. Expectations about Genres, Stars and Directors
A. Viewers of a narrative fiction film have specific expectations about the type of story the film will tell.
1. Based on knowledge of
a. Film Genres
b. Movie Stars
c. Directors
B. Filmmakers anticipate that filmgoers have expectations and may work to satisfy that expectation or to challenge it
1. Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven 1990
a. Traditional Western format
2. Robert Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller 1971
a. Goes against audience's expectations
C. Most films satisfy some, but not all genre expectations
1. Giving an audience all they expect may please them but may risk boring them
2. James Bond films rely on a set formula, but change with new inventions, exotic scenery, and new villains
3. Moulin Rouge 2001, reinvigorated the movie musical by breaking rules of the genre
D. Star System Influences Expectations
1. Fans enjoy seeing their favorite actors in the same kind of role over and over
a. Arnold Schwarznegger (Terminator)
b. John Wayne (Cowboy)
c. Judy Garland (Musicals)
d. Humphrey Bogart (Detective)
e. Tom Cruise (Action)
f. Julia Robert (Romance)
g. Will Smith (Action and Comedy)
E. Choice of Directors Influences Expectations
1. Alfred Hitchcock (Master of Suspense)
2. Woody Allen (New York City and neurotic characters)
3. James Cameron and John Woo (Action Oriented)
In order to analyze a film, one must consider viewer expectations and take note of which expectations are met and which are modified or rejected.
In analyzing a film, a viewer should take note of seemingly minor details that are critical for conveying meaning. If you pay close attention to patterns of
repetition, you can identify the most crucial details which relate to a film's themes and structures.
Just as in classical music, which are organized by the repetition of musical phrases, films use visual and sound details to organize the flow of information.
VI. Orchestration of Detail
Certain details capture the viewers' attention. These details may relate to a storyline or characters, or they may arise from the visual or sound aspects of the
film. One way for a filmmaker to assure that audience attention will be focused on a detail is to repeat it.
A. Motifs
1. A detail which takes on significance through repetition
a. Lines of dialogue
b. Gestures
c. Costumes
d. Locations
e. Props
f. Music
g. Color
h. Composition
2. Variety of functions
a. Provide information about characters
b. Reinforce significance of an idea (monolith in 2001; Rosebud in Citizen Kane)
B. Parallels
1. Arises when 2 characters, events or locations are compared through use of narrative element or visual sound device
a. Luke Skywalker getting prosthetic hand and Darth Vader's prosthetic body hint they are father and son
b. 2001 full of parallels such as bone being compared to spaceship as evidence of human intelligence
C. Details and Structure
1. One way to create a framework for meaning is to see how a film begins and ends and the way it is broken into sections
a. Parallels in Openings and Closings
I. Space Odyssey shows lining up of planets and same musical theme
II. Rear Window ends the same way as it begins but with a knowledge of a different state of affairs
D. Structure and Turning Points
1. Just as popular songs conform to familiar pattern--alternation between verse and chorus, narrative feature films use common structure
a. Beginning, Middle, End and Turning Points
2. Directors emphasize turning points through camerawork, editing, sound, dialogue and action
a. Titles (2001)
b. Fadeouts
c. Cresendos
E. Repetition and Non-Chronological Structure
1. Documentary
a. Change from one topic to another
b. Change from one point of view to another (pro-war; anti-war)
2. Avant-Garde Films
a. Sometimes subtly divided sections
b. Changes in photographic properties of images
c. Changes in sound
The goal of examining the relationship between details and structure is to arrive at a comprehensive analysis that takes into account the way seemingly minor elements combine to produce the overall design of the film.
VII. Creating Meaning Through the World Beyond the Film
A. Films can convey meaning by making reference to people and events that exist outside the world of the film.
1. Historical Events
2. Elements of other films
3. Works of Art
4. Sometimes crucial, Sometimes inside jokes
B. Historical Events and Cultural Attitudes
1. Narratives are often fictional but center on actual events (Civil War: Gone With The Wind; Cold Mountain)
2. Can cause controversy such as Oliver Stone's JFK
C. Stars as References
1. Sometimes comedy comes from stars parodying themselves from other films
D. Public Figures and Celebrities as References
1. Charleston Heston in Columbine
2. Edward R. Murrow in Goodnight and Good Luck
E. Intertextual References
1. References to other films or works of art
F. Avant-garde and Documentary References
1. Compilation Films
a. Using parts of one film or films to make another film
2. Documentary films make use of actual events and news footage to fill out film
G. Meaningful References with Objects
1. Films using Real-World Objects (Product Placement)
a. Reeses Pieces in ET
b. Wonka Bars