rn A SHORT GUIDE Per Cee rO WRITING ABOUT Errore nen ete reer aetna P SBN 0-324-08R14-5 crea | | Sea | ! TIMOTHY CORRIGANA SHORT GUIDE TO WRITING ABOUT FILM Fourth Edition TiMoTHY CorRIGAN Temple Universityte Chie ough Ty ‘eqn Er Su orchid ‘Soseingbanage Mie Coule Seer son Sage Eee Fe han, be eT Mae. U5 Matin opens Ear: Toy Peay Ga ve eee ng Calon, {ler tn © Te kb Clee tai, ote scene Manan He Friar sr RE Deol Senet ‘oe tr en CoCo, experi 1 coped mar pl laced 8 mae 19 So en to yl ob oh oe ert Conress Casement Daa eng tty CE a cing shu vty Comin hed post Shr ne ‘edad opened ce od ne, thn Lie ong © 2001 Tea | Corian Alig ere. No po oh pb ay erp se 2 ‘eel po ane, yr ry ony es dei ‘calc png e cherie wet te rie [misono pbs me be Used Sos Poze ator bite hap om ‘Son Gade Seta te hapewmalea hon iT is -cORRAE 4 mosses ‘erfaunt sxtnown scttanreowy on? B350%02 Prerace ie [i] ware nour re Mowe 1 iy WaresoorMone? 1 ‘You AUDIENCE Ano "He Aas OF Fe Cems 7 ‘heMogeinien 9 The Theral Bay 1 ‘ecatalEsay 12 Cnteon aN Evawanon 15 Bienes 19 [2] Bcc 0 Tan, Prepanne 10 Wate, sno Starve ro Ware 20 simacr Maron no Meno 25 Sten Dacoitnno Become Mons 25 ‘anc Nemes 20 eon Menor ano Recron 9 peecets 10‘| | ce | cnt | : ‘coma [B] Fun Temus avo Topics rox Fit ANALYSIS [B] Steno Servcrunew Warne 122 sano Warring a THe Rictet WorDs 125 woes 42 Cheeni 125, FumomeOneram 6 | Sianeli 126 Nome 46 cows 128 Canes 50 omen 32 | Broce Semences 129 DMise-e-Scene AND REAUsM 95 i Se ese fat 55 | Elmo ofMecen sane 58 CConere amacrine 192 Courosron aKOME Munce 66 Inereooveroes ParsoRaras 136 ‘woh ee mee comune Prone 138 somo 8 Crtoueron Wem av Brome ss 40 suwittsn 88 ations 18 eres 92 [5] Reseaoune me Moss a How Bon senor 148 [i] Sw areroncnes o Ware sour Fut 93 Tee Minemisortesescn 150 a man Seay 13 Pus “ Vide 151 Wevomcrenas 97 Siow 13h 1 ‘Secondary Sources: Books, bndees, Journals and Electronic Geness 98 ‘Sowres 153 evs it Bunkesecnov nelreter 161 Koos orFonss 103 Tame Noms on Seccanr Sunes 168 lnsvocr 105 . | Wamc mie Pen 166 SmesEssne 108 smiue Boxe 169 Beexoss 121 Bxexoses 178 [pe[7] Mewuscur Foo 179 Manuscerr Cony 179 Last Mnure Contscrons 181 : Qvoranons 182 | PREFACE ‘AcwrowcenaIe SOURCES 186 ae Connor tie 189 aa Docuerse Sources 189 asf oxmeuten 190 ‘ok Cra" 192 is book demonsrates—aiquely I beleve—how thinking Nos Seping Aon Commonarg 197 eee Fee es and writing about fl ae iniatly Bou togetet Equally im Cowon Comverions oF Uskce 198 portant, ic caws on and develops the fae that tuents wre eter Kan 198 outa subject they know and ike and that few sujet ody ae is” 199 ‘enjoyed and understood more universally has the movies, On the ign Wer ond Gatti Marts 200 ‘one handy Shore Gude Weng abou Fin walks tents through Set Langaye 200 ‘Sealing 201 Lisr Wows 201 ‘he proces of convering the fan and pleasure of watching» move ln the sts of arcing Sess about hat movie, With ni ‘merous student and profesional erampes along the way, t moves fom note taking and fst def to polished essays and teenth projets, demonstating how an anajsis of a Alm becomes more subtle and rigorous as pat of compesional proces. the sie ‘Aprepix: SymB0ts Commonty USED eel el Ed time, the Book asumes that we wate beter and more willingly bout subjects we engage In conidently an comfotaiy.For ast (Gossany oF Fium Tees 205 | stadents today, the movies aretha subje, and Shrt Guide © | Wing about i draws o halve and knowledge of Ein —rang sng from movies that studeres easy recognize tones the tay ony Works Cire 20 I ‘ave read or heard sbout—as a way of encouraging and developing | ting sl ‘crepirs 215 ‘Those of us who teach fn rarely have time to dsc wring out film. Most of us are busy presenting fms and various books bout those fms, and che usual presumption they are forced 1 Iwoex 27 rake that students know how to pu what they see and tink a eprintx aur «comprehensible writen form. As common and friable a that resumption may be, is less reliable today than ever befor, Ine rac: mustneeaingly pure over ad bet those entre ste studers who ser to know so much snd ae brimming with things o Sy abou the movies, bot who we confused and dsap- onting papers. (One way to void this problem storey om extn tha lc show ansmes Yeas useful and a necessary a thismethod i, specially in age lecture courses on fm history. steseps several beneficial demands ofthe ental ess demands tht male ral ie ferences inthe quay of Suen thinking An est fore @ tue ent tous special sls to generate and foe orginal es, oot fgmize, susan, and suppor those Weas until they ate fully Abeveloped: to fine-tune perepions by sing he language etd describe them; 1 employ proper gemma and syne a par ofthe ‘otvincng presentatlon ofan argument and to make se ofthe ‘opinions of thers through ntllgene reset, ‘Wiking essays about Fis, im shor, one ofthe most sophie tiewed ways to respond 1 them. To els scope, rigs, and rigor na sdent thinking, x instructor, I beleve, neds to ude {hat student through the mechanic of the essay form. Ths Book hhpesto be dat guide ‘The am ofthis bok is threo to sve defor instructors of film who, i pesenng the complies ofthe at and industry of fim, are hard put to deal withthe wring probleme of stds: lessen sudent ansey shout wring by cain pnts that many tnsarutos mistakenly presume student already know, and, in do- ‘ngths to encourage more enjoyable and atl comacatin Detween the wo UppaTES AND ENHANCEMENTS —, ke previous edtons ths new oe tempts to fle gap between wrting handbooks nd fl sudies wae by diiling wing denn a ee ee Pete oa lessons they apply specticaly o li ecm coining this afr. the fant eden hs made the allowing changes 1 tid aes rte i dete dant ‘honors inte ease fue cent wanna nce nr ee [fem a weg ohn nd Capone insane bat care es alvtolek hone quay deena eat 1 Chapter 7 continues his anention to the prolferstion of n- teret research by expanding its desenpion of documents. non of tote sources Iie eile that tants wl rm, to the Incemer,detaed documentation becomes tore and ‘more import 1 Fach chaper now conelides with short generic exercises that alow studens ro engage i beef witing dil gested to the chaperdscussons. Wing about fl is 2 developing sil gr these exercises, Uke the entire book, sit iene ‘ses snc ofthe esa t devoted to sumumaraing the plot oF placing the ln insnober contest (tbe decors other work, fs (Sf the sme gene, etc) tat might help the reader understand it se, Vincent Carbys review induces the readers of The New York Tine to Terence Mahl Badlands (1974: ln Toang Malis ol sometines rin ate felusy Amer- (a fm” which ma ake eto dex ta Folate a tamer oie sos heuper Mile Wes the fol ich ete tan ale dae poop ae been shat oth 4 sulle po Bank range “Ban” the it este br Mi Mle opel former Bods Saar and pfesphy sent ‘howe elo cat a he autor the een fr ie ealy ioe ochet None” -Bdands was iste ty the on logy son of Chars Sete wo, ge 19 Top th ne ppt cacpeton of Mero ii Cal Fase wert fon a muri spe ht ered 10 iti. Sa (hr ue lit exc Inthe deci chai Ms Fup gen Ie imprtonner "Bande neta nes ompatsns with te tering tan Asean infra ne Ce ah Lg “Fug andYou Oy Lie Oneetat thas vor tee iene (evs ond death Me Sa spans no go sunt tne von ‘redial ever titend oly ote oy Depressi {ote dinate espana Sct ania ee bg10 Chuan mL Watnraht ene Midile West and in he stax fa sony in Te Romarees “Lite did ‘lan ah tls wlth begining oe, at ha began the Seana ug rand wh te haba pe it and Holy share wh Sone pd Chea fasion wth es bat acl f paso dress he om the gave ee ercthethter Tear the endothe ris te Sore ly ‘leur pose the time a net nthe fon utes ful ecpe for ene sone wich Kt an Holden ae owe a elberate s arthing the MGM af deprtent eer de red ran a fae Mr Shae nd Mi Spee ae pend ‘he stab, cea poesty poco tena ot neo sty aber ‘he a lenaaly dbs the vay of Me ake ‘We can deny more than one faneon in tis esay Canby sims to convince his reader tha Badlands a pecan vt hat Is wor seeing, and he does this by insedveing Naik and his cr lene by desing the plot and the Mtoe background ofthat lo, byevalbaing the acing, and by placing Males move tn the ones of oer Sls ke tGpeatially Some and Cd (1967) snd the nwo Fitz Lang movies). Equally mporan, however, i bis ‘ler sense of is audience: readers whe probably know the popular Brae and Clyde but lle about Nalick and the background of allands These ate readers who have not yesen the lm and woul ike to know the outine ofthe sony and litle abou the ‘aracses and acces Figure | | | | } our hudie ade ise faCeoe 4 Figure vim ontogenetic aiaiae ORE The Theoretical Essay “The more theortcal essay—for instance, an esny onthe lao of Sim and realy, on the pois or idelogal fousations ofthe ‘movie indus, aan Bow fn narrative ie nl eary nats Snes atthe cher end ofthe spectrum. Such an esa’ often sp ests thatthe eader possesses gest desl of knowledge abou pe ie fms, fm history, and other watngs abou film. ts tre sudince, often sdvance students of people who teach fil, us iy very kncwedgeble about the mies ai st explain some ofthe Inger and more complet strtures ofthe nema and how She understand them, Note the changes in se, choles of words, Ro12 Quen mw abt en and assumpsions about the readers Fnowledge that point 0 his titers 1953 coneption of her audience Hors new a. For af decode tema he eng ore tse ron echnical Sv the sper Sa, 2 a een ‘hd eing nna poorest oy te devote "eed bled is astute The soe nat sae ah wha se Bd inthe creapon a ealeaton of fn ire lay Ks 20 ‘yt strate ay they fh ew en ne ent sie sate eat te ej any dows koa al fe echige bat ane poet ede. (an) ‘Wheres Canby could we expression suituble to a review, sch as “gad desperados" ‘all American joe," and “imporant and ex- ing lithe phrases might sem ot of pace in an essay by the ‘hllosopher Susanne Langer Is not hac oe styles mare comest ‘han the the: samp 2 question of aden. A novice lm studies might fel somewhat losin Lange comparatively accss- ‘be esa on fl theory: The reson that noses ae notte i= ence that his writer supposes: she imagines an audience with expe- iene inthe study of history, asthe, and philesopiy and some understanding ofthe debts about sage drama versus moves. The purpose ofher essay i not fico ee (1 convince her reades of ‘he sigacane of fm as an a, but how she argues her pote is understandable when we ralze she addessing an academic and ‘melectal community that, the ime, was suspicious of the tras ofthe moves aan at ‘The Critical Essay ‘The evel essy usually expected in ily courses falls beeen the ‘heoretcal essay and the move review The wate ofthis ind of ‘sy presumes that his or her eader as seem ox atleast familar ‘wih the fm under discussion, although hat reader may not have Thought extensively abou This weer might therefore rend te reader of ley themes and elements of dhe plot, but lengthy ura de inf econ 19 reeling ofthe sory of the fl is nether nosed nor acceptable “The focus ofthe essay sa are specie than that of ee nce the we hopes to reveal subtleties or completes tha may have ‘ccped viewers onthe Sst or even the scond viewing, Thus the nay cfecngartnm the begining ofthe ln, lorena chmera angle tat becomes associated with speci ha tex Tn Be following excep, Bran Hendeon also disses ‘Badlands, bur whale Cnbys audience was he rader of lrg news paper, Hendersn$ audience e more academy, ial to te te 4 student might address ina lm couse: wate ter wes es et Trence Mae add (107 hive teen dam ino plea dpe Wie vrai the i ave Cede agaist tae wo called tare shen Re apps ‘2 oat hse who ba reed sce then The ee ee bash fuer amples, ana ols fnew, by De ozs 78 Maes one Tis shot a vorebcaround fx th seus ism ny wot less forthatoper-ande tlration aha new and uti ‘es ort ter I hee Sallis othe ot ore mean din fh ts Bat eno res en aesing (hese pasties stay tet th fin wl bee soe ra lontine econ, ‘hat isaterptdheres a begnng rasse Sf ore tens srl eninge akan vn poof dopa th i's ‘ele of nation Hl-ndend oy Et pr, ponte then shame mites Ts ep, tae peck letielimand at apevingedone coset Hol aration “pan the aie an eds eter nde Et ay pooch eerie “oust Malls nation a | wg 0 6 messy to ay ematingn ae. oa te ls demas ating Sead ise Tongue, Tose fnprant tps desu, melee le ‘stmet than my ree Fas poise lt appsch fo caracerandenshly mes, Xt and Holy ate both lana not Hak enter an le wh ro ‘Sonos otha aes and caught up in hem came oe tal bat avargancingy—e th scant The emp. nee ens ll aradves up th wales ob caer olCurran) mg at etn ‘magne gon they pose tes or theres and ty erent atop, dts tues ols Tea ete Wer cae tara udousely lad to contac by canara! a ide Tha ta aly ae ino, ning or moa y ‘Spe tage Et ey ly caret oreo in he nay en od et tog HOH Ss Wh er bere aes) woes ‘Shen es bas ae th er fev Ros ste. rey ede of ona ast motel tama rte ot ced a conspenng ditt acing of perlomance spe. ali. ‘whch mar epee seaman nando sk eae 996° Clee olactng to te talc thin bata pee 9 ey ste alae of mie sacs ute were mune et Wet be ‘ble tock atten Hallo took tough the sometimes ae ‘tty srtinessmutarcoaly Ti egdes ah acting se a once {at an ambojnt rel nd ana. reese othe chars even a5 eae pang tention to te hinge. Ou ae ‘oni continual down tows te charts, ahd Sette Sy ‘om them Sheen ap pac ea tee enuements spe lt Ingthe tn wh erst sounds a mats bat ee Ingo anne. ne sbsatlogdetengor becoming cae ter Perape more sorely thas pee nen) the acing se of the petomes fem the nae of te chars any Cay and Henderson essay re both poe response alanis, sd they share srr interns, Tey dif signeanly. however in aim and audience. A kata Henderson declares it the purpose ofhis esse snot so euch to convince his readers otk ot Ae the fm but oad to thelr understanding of He assumes that hi readers wll contin to eee ands the move and per haps ado the academic debate about i. He als takes for ranted that his audience knows the sory, knows the characters, and is a= rmllar with ens lke mie-e-scone accordingly, e can choose very specie prt ofthe fim-—Holiy nation ag the acting sje—20 demonstte his point tat these ate imponant Innovations Bata. Finally even in his section ofthe exe one eee an OBt- zation typical of a good eal angument dhe wer begins by Opin anton 1 placing fl in the cones of eter eral aed scholaty views, rmounces ssi, and then tows from an analyse of character snd acting se 1o some general conchasons about how to under stand dhs syle Forthe student write, he question of sudlene, highlighted in these fine ess, is equally eeaual w wing about Sh. Sometines, an osrucior my give you an assignment almed a 2 specific audience and esting your abity to adress tht audience “White review of Rabeno Roselli Rome, Open iy (1945) for ‘he eaders of Tine magarine" More ofen, your srctr wl si- plyesk you ro witea etal esay Keep in mind ha your audience In these cases nether your nsuctor alone (who you might mag ‘ne cn eam nothing from you no some lrg and uskow pub lictn dhe stets (owhom you might be pone t tell the most obi ‘ous fats about movie}. Raber, envision your audience in most siustons as your fellow student, indus who have sen the ‘move andy know something about it bt who are not stud it closely This audience wil probably not need to be told that “The Wiad of Ox an old American fm hit has become a childrens clas’ the may, however, be intrested Af you note that “The Ward of Oz was dred by Vitor Fleming, who the sane yeat (1932) made Gone wih the Wind” Likewise few of your flow view es need tobe tld that "Opbls The Sorrow and he Py (197) ia ‘ery long French morie about Word Wr I they may though, be Saxcinated bya detaled desepion ofthe oping hs. OPINION AND EVALUATION ‘When you wite shou film, personal plain and tate wll neces samly become part of your agument. Some criss, for example, Ihave a conscious or unconsious prejudice agut foreign fle, (ters fvor the work of single decor, sue a Jb Huson or ‘Alain esas. allots, annoyed by Weta adaptations, unless they ate fail co the orginal, like fins suchas the recent16 Quran} way sheets Wiliam Shaepeor’ Romeo + Jake (1996) but defend the SIakespare fms of Keneth Branagh. Even those esas that 2p- paar be cel descrpuve or naltical—biographical or histor fal wring o essa that aim at an objective analysis ofa sequence fof shot-—invoe a cersn rut of personal choie and eralua- ton, Tn some essays, facral desripton may be more prominent than evs judgments, but the elresces ae of degree, nat nd, Most wing about fl invlves some personal opinion and alton. ‘No eader, of couse, wil be satis with awrite who ws his eronal opinions to avoid or disguise a sali ese postion After teh Lauence Olsers adaptation of Sblespeses Hew V (1948, one student wot ‘ieboush 1 nave not read that many shakespeaxe Dlaye, this Jo the fese one ? over likes. the pening, 2 think, ie the mort Snteresting pert set ‘hat T feel is a dry play into an exciting Elm end, Shane to ne thar Clavier acanovteages the crigioel ovis can transcend dramatic Limite, fe wakes the Here the excess of and personal qualifiers weakens he point ‘he water wshes oak and is douefal hat iiesycracc prob lems, sich as de writers Iited experience with te Shakespeste lay, ae of te faintest interest to any reader. However, removing fl eerences to the writers personal expenence ofthe fl ess nly msiferbuequaly unsure proses ‘he opening Se the most Soteresting pect of Henry Opie anEntain 19 nqgee! olivier scksouteayen te original stave Somewbesen besveen, the weer nds the proper balance of personal experience and obecive observation, judilouly tg tng thee persona experiences and fecings about the ln that ate proba also valid for ether viewers: sven for Uhe viewer uneasy with a Shakespssr® play. Olivier's dante (1941 t+ an sosaging experience Feluctant viewee, because Se Literally eranaforme ne, for tone, mighe be a dry play Sato en hese pening inagea, Olivier acknowledges the Griginel stege world of the deans sod shins how the ‘Hevce ike want, Ehhaepence stely Stee ‘The usell rule of thumb here io ty tobe aware of when and hw your personal perspective and fsings ener your ten and to what degree they ae valuable or note in shor, thos judg ‘ments seem co say something true not only for yourself but for th tssas well A pesoral disuse fr actin fl of yor slowpaced romantie stones could become a rch part of an essay when the writer carefly thinks though and ofr reasons for that de ‘Or my expectations 8 someone who mainly ses sek Hollywood fms, could be eral in naling my sight onfision yt fecns- tion with a fllm by the German flmmaler Rainer Werner Fassbinder, ince oter viewers have often share that confusion. Im the exmmples used ear, both Canby and Henderson ‘openly nteduce thei om opinions and personalities int thee a sgument, Netter balls at wing {to underine the presence of beHe Giron) wrt bates perpetve: “One may legtimstely debate the vaidiy of tr Macks movi, bat ot, Idink, hs immense ent" (Canby): take an obvious point af departure: the ls oueover aration by Holly... The emphatically jst one approech to the fk and rota privileged one” Henderson), Canby is pthaps a more opin fonated i: Henderson move detached and cautions Ye, bth Canby snd Fendeson use their personal potions wo help form en ener (pas their ferent eespnses to Mick’ fl. One might ay that thew ues off are ony the mos fonght and direct indication of the many oer eslutons and judgments that enter the sys (Cen ete of the oman, jungle sezing where the two tuts hide and Henderson intrest in naratve and theoretical ‘qetons aboot performance” ‘When you wie about the movies, personal lings, expecta tos, and reactions ray be the beginning ofan neigentcriqn, bat they mart be balanced wit rigorous refletion on where those Jeelings and expectations and rections ome fom and how they fe late to more cbjestivefactonsconerng the owe i question: is place i Elan history, seul baciquound, ts formal states. Francis Tua, och an ineigent Simmer and a perceptive ile, bas observe that “ita! of indulging passions in exis, ‘one mus at leat ry to be etal with some purpose... What i Inezesing i nt pronouncing Hl good ot bad, but explaining why G70) ing ebout ln, hen, tantly complex can albo be cecng and renarding In 1908 Leo Tosty remarked about the ‘movies "ow can see that hi ie dicing entrapton with there ‘oving handle wil makes revoatonn our Mean thee of wrt- ‘es 10), Ty to approach fils with the same interest and shrewd Des. Ty 10 conceive of yours as a vrser with an eqully ‘Purposeful snd eynamicvlztonship wath the movies you watch nd enjoy, Or in the word offlumaler Sally Pour, director of Tiler (1979) and Orland (2992), remember tha there a "ple ste analyse in waving, (nen (Pam Cook 27) pian ant aon 1. Take opposte sides in debate about single flo, White one or _wo paragrap cing the film and then one a1 part ‘gph defending 2, Wetea shor revew of thee or four pararaps on single lm “Then fewer tos an aalycal essay Explain bith difer- ences and wha s gamed and lo. ech, aBEGINNING TO THINK, PREPARING TO WATCH, AND STARTING TO WRITE (Of the several dificuses in wring sbou fm, one of the most prominent is geting a handle onan expeience that has so many i ‘erent layers. Fat simply: Whar should you chooee o aly an to ‘we about? The stor? The acing? The eng? Watching lt volves evehing fom the place where we sei nd the price we ay tothe Sze ofthe screen, the pace af the story, andthe hind of music used as the background for that sory. In Jean Coxteat's ‘words, “The cinema muse 00 rich” A the rt stp oan intel gt viewing speciators nee to break the habit of watching fms “out of the corners ofthat eyes” ae Coteau puts it 217). Tiss ‘where ana begins CCenainly cur prmary experience of « morle i the singular ane perhaps private one of ching to he fist time—evelved tnd enjoying, one hopes, but posbly annoyed yet till omewhat tnvolved. A the director in Jen-Lne Godard’ 1984 im Ft Name Carmen played by Godard tse) wits, “Ealy sen, badly sa seekga move with all your atention the ony way to ben wit Ing about a film—evenone you do ie. Eder a preperation be- ote the sereenng or shortly aera, however, ys, a8 the writer, need to sort out that personal and primary experience long oan. gable ines, and dis sorting out should become the groundwork for your nays of te move. Should you tlk abou the characters? Ping Think Pare Wah al Sgt 24 About icchncogialinnovaions? About the fils ict on an aud ‘nce? Where should you start to dict your anion and your nasi, o tar you do not give yoursel the imposible tsk of wat ‘ng abo the whole movie? Since the avis you see on the sereen area product of many diferent forester, prodvtion de ‘mands, he costo technology, and hundred of oxbes—vhich in sense plecede the images yu are watching, i near t ap reach those movies with sentry 1o some ofthese base ques- ‘ons, influences, and problems. In the moves, much energy and te gos ino "preproduction" activ when directors an prodac- fers oui and prepare septs and flming seateies, and your szulyis wil be Bete if yo smialy spend atleast sme time on some general preliminary questions. As far as posible, prepare yousellfora movi; even before starts, sk gestions sbout end shout your own potest in it: 1. Asan artform, the moves involve Herat, the pictorial, sd plastic ars, misc, dance, theater, and even arciec- ture, The seen iereted in chtectre right this re sporid keenly to an Bernstein or Antonioni movie, f he or shecan erect that neres to how thse Bamakers use at ‘theta space toad to te drama tht heya present- ing A msi orterrureseadent might be dawn io certain aor experimen Sis such a Berl: Symphony of @ Cty (1927) orto the musical or htay features of moe (ig ‘ure 2. Ask yours which ar foes most interes you and which you know the most about. Could you vse your Inowledge of erature o pining asa gide oa porular ‘ia? What might be behind the lage eumber of recent dapuaons of neteenth-centery novel ike the movie ‘eson of Pont of «Lay (1996) or the many een is sade fom Jane Austen novels? Might your interes n op. lar or cassie music sugges that you Teo fo a topic movies like Halday Im (1042), Wt Sie Story (1961), Amaies (1984, of Truth or Dare 1992)?22 Cum? mg Tn Faaeng and an Stn We vei Th Pap Wath oi re 28 hind The Matrix (1999) maybe the mest intresting topic ‘concerning tht move If you ae interested in technology, prepare 10 now features ofthe mowe ands sory that | might depend on technology. Does the director make spe | ol use of bac andowhe Bl stacks? Why? Does sound technology seem to ply large pat in the move? Ts the | movement (rlck of movement of the caters elated to te kindof camera used ike the hand held cameras ofthe French New Wave, which conveyed a sense of the-spot reais? Usually, these real questions wl reine some later researc and thinking to be answered adel an to become related oan analss of the movie, Bu the t= dene with some nil interest the industrial an ecin ogi side ofthe moves wil ten nd good material fora strong esa i he o she approaches mavies on the lockout forthe role ecology ply in ther, wm Figure? 2. Film technology, production, and distibusion ae commer cial and economic enterprises. le geri o ep this rind, whea approaching any mone. I fr isance, ‘evr is going to seea low-budget, dependent fm sich ‘sph Fras Degas tn (98) elton fh he 2. The fm inducry depends on and responds quickly to hangs in technology. Having grow used 10 contepo rary Hollywood movies, mos of ws find that we rect ifer- tnily to alent move or to one a black and whiten wus example of hw the ety technology that proce these movies deternines how we view thers, Many oer tools of the tde—sriows sound technologies, color secs, o spel effcis—can lkewis become the staring, ont fora revealing nays, Whether a movie e made for Slane eeeen or fora eesson ste ea saya great del About ce sory (ote how epic movies ke The Ten Com rmondments 1956] just dont seem the same on television. As some ementators have suggested, the techalogy be 4s Michel Saow/s Wavelength (1966-67) atthe loc att house the expecitions about chat movie wl and shoul be dilent fom those abou» poey milli dolar blockbuster (such as The Sah Sense 1999) aa showease cinema, No fl ie necearyy good of bad boss of commercial or ecotomic constants and feds, bit he ability 2 aust one's expectations does ll viewer to more accurately assess the achievements of fallores of & novi. Thus, for Third World fms fom South Ameri of Alia, the often rough and unpolished look no only in ‘unavoidable by-product of nancial constraints Bit in some cae, ln conscious pol ign wed to ds ‘guts them ftom the glosy products of Hallwocd. At the ‘tbr end ofthe economic le ate the sive Holywood producions whose gargantuan budgets mean they ms24 Cure? Bing The. pt and Sg re ‘apure te langest posse audience and so must ake very few risks that might alenae part of tht audience Al. though this sort of angle on movie wil reguite some fe search if 5 vo develop into an essay, an awareness of oF senstiy to the économie and comer determinants behind any movie an prepare you for a more intelipent ‘and complex response tothe images onthe sceen, Be epenminded and suspicious Wt loks ike a move that was made inexpensively, does this reed cost allow co o and say things that big-budget movie might not be abl to? Conversely, how do some Hollywood movies take serantage ofa big budget or make creative we oft sell budge? Whereis much of ze money dlected? The sts) ‘he special eles? The promotion? And why? Doss the fim sem expecily ean or commetcll or does ty t0 ‘each compromise between the two? Why? Who isthe ls tended audience forthe fm: tenagets? The middle dass) Tnellectal? Men? Worten? Having these and ober preparatory questions in mind a you sit down to wach a movie wil sharpen and dite yout anya bles, These questions canbe aera guide through ait ie ‘ng, that difcul cine when you ae tying to determine what is ‘wor wring aboot and what suo, Aferseing D. W. Gafh's ‘The Br of «Nation (1915) fr the fire te, one student dmised ‘tasa ‘poimive ad rca story wih tf old-fashioned mages smother student simply acceped ita “almest a documensaty abou, ‘he Ct War and the Reconstr,” David Cooks any, home ‘rer, tllvnced by a sense af the Historia compiesions ard lmitations ofthe mori, a well as sense ofthe presumptions ofa ‘modem audience Watching tat yeas Inter Ins ere sale. nts nsnatin vpn el momen ‘Ameran hn, nis rire ahr inetd htt "constant narate noren etsen he spec! te ona Si Maan aay 2 dos ncn ot chlo scat ion on Amercan ‘zit pedestedon Th Bf Nain 2 roundly ean, (pie We an fuk rth for ba toring te fod aso consructon fr unconsconably Sain the Micon etn ‘eter ol er be ad for ery ten cramnione e feo, bat we cane guar with ba secon tht Are ecu si aan ast tene edenee ston ate than codes it oper repel fo conte, Foray allen 25 Kwa to many pron in 91a He to slow ou sates to absctau own eget he ne ‘nile same mleate a Cath he ae Aer ne ma eee elo the pouty hat he mgs frou eat ase eens "Gren acs iessomethee within ar net deeply Sere Hsien abo oer (0) ‘SuBject MATTER AND MEANING ‘These preliminary question could rind you thatthe images you see ae the product of enain sence and conditions not ust che word see lyough a fame, The moves are noua bout asabjet ‘but the rendition of tha subject for patel reasons and to crete certain meanings. Fins are not just about a stery, a chante, « place, of away of le the ae also what on Berger has led way of seeing’ these elements nour lives Ay i a ty pin ‘istry might describe a fay war, o the confit betwee ates, ‘bt the ways these are shown and the reasons they ae shown in 9 parca way can vary grealy. These varies, through which a subject sven a spetie meaning or meanings ate 2 age part of ‘what analysis is concerned with, Why does the stent who dle ‘mises The Birth of e Nation ler bal The Der Harte (1978), at ter fm about a war ivobang races, a one ofthe best moves ver made? The subject i qate sta, but is meaning has ‘changed signicanly for tat tden, To wie an inteligent, perceptive ana of he stores and ‘characters inthe movies, you muse prepared ose them as con- structed sccording ocean forms and tyes that es rem many26 Cueren2 puny Tk, pein Wael Sg We fren itr inflaences. This e what analysis ofthe movies is fundamentally abot: examining how subject fas been formed rmean something specie trough the power ofa, technology, snd ‘exter, Be prepared to respond to those lence that oat ine teres you, Be prepared with quesionng mind fom te begining. ‘SILENT DiaLoGuE: TALKING BACK TO THE Movies: ‘Once the morte stars, your preliminary questions should become ‘more and more spec regarding the movie you are watching, what itisabout, and how iis construc ‘One ofthe mst hep techniques in preparing owe ana- ‘ysl bout terrae tour soning of marge commenss next to a ex, the undeinng we do or simply the question mats we pune to dificult posnges. No one approaches a Boek: oF work af ft wth all he answers o even all he questions. Par ofthe exie> tent in vewing of reading # chilling work comes fom the ‘questions i provokes. Thomas De Quincy's On the Knocking at the Gite x Mache)” ongnates én 4 specie question that De Quincey aed vel ale tenga production ofthe ply: "From ry boyish days 1 had aways fla grea perplex on ane pone in Macbeth, iwas this Th lxocking a the gate which sucoeed tothe ‘murder of Duncan produced to my feling an efect for which T ‘ever cul account” (386). What, he asked himself, produced that effet? From that very specific quesion and personal uncertainty ‘care one ofthe best esays ever Witen on Shakespeare. This kind of questioning snd snnotting sane of the surest ‘ways to star an analysis of 2 move In coast iterate, how ‘eve, he special problem with lm thatthe images are constardy moving, $0 a analytic specatr must develop the habit of looking, forkey moments, paters, or images within the fim—even dung ‘second or third ew, : Sint Die Tiny Bake Mowe 27 As you watch more lms and grow more aware of deren and silanes, the right questions come more realy. At fst, thovgh, wo gldlines may belp inate this dialogue with a move Noe which elements ofthe movie ske you as unfamiiar om ote which elements ae repeated to emphasize «pointer @ pereption. Every movie wes patterns of repetition that are contrasted. with sunking singular moments. Recognising these pattems and dec pherng why they are important is 2st step toward analyzing the tnesning ofa movie. Way, for insance, do so many scenes in Rabel ‘Wider « Cause (1956) ae pace inthe family homes ofthe charac- ters) Why, in George Cakors The Women (1998), is blickeand- white used fr all he scenes excep he fishin show? Even if ou do not determine the anovers 10 these questions while you ate srntehing the move, aking thems the yt good nas. These ‘qusions cafe a elementary: 1 What des the tie mean in eatin tothe stony? 1+ Why does the move sar the way it does? f= When adhe im made? f= Why ae the opening credits presented in such « manner against tis particular background? f= Why deste fm conciade on thi age? 1 How is his movie simular oor difleren from the Holywood. movies {have seen recently or fom thos ofan older geer- Does hii resemble any foreiga ls Ton?28 CUR? Men Tin Paty Wat nS We ws there a pattem of striking camera: movement, perhaps long shots or dissolves or cbrupt uanstions (ee pp. 66-839 ‘= Which three or four sequences ae the mest imporant? ‘When Andiew Saris, a ele forthe Vilage Vote, saw Mart Scorsese's After Hows (1983), be found the opening sequence not nly bleae bur parly iexpabe, to some extent, his review evolved from dat experience. On scing Howard Hewis's Hs Git Friday (1940) for the fist te, most contemporary audiences ‘would probably remark, and pebaps have ificuly with, the api iy ofthe dialogue, and flowing up tis sempe observation with more cael thinking could bring some of the brlince of this rove to focus. Spe Jonze's Sa Beg Jobs Matick (1998) 15 ‘onsoced through a series of strange images, chareter, and st alons, provolng questions about what happening and why. Sooner ot later viewers must deal with thee mpist questions if Tey ate to make sense of the fa: Wast does mean that ator John Malkovich pins hinsell? What does t mean that puppeteer Clg charts works onthe Tos of bulding where the ci ings ae only for fet hight How would one desribe the relation ship between Crsg and hie seductive co-worker Mantne) Ie this ‘movie meant to be serious comment ot deny or ply a gol poof of cbesson with stars) The number and nate of our ques Yins-both about what you see and how iis shown—cold vary ‘infinitely depending on the move or movies being discussed. Pten- tally, any ad every aspect of the film is import. Talking aboot Yu Only Lie Once (1937), Fritz Lang note, for instance, 2 Ser ingly minor dca ha, estado a allowed it emai, would have ocd ona central theme i he fl: "Twanted to have a itd of tonle touch when Fanda and Sidney fle tops the law and she goes and buys him some cigs, which ukimately provide the ‘means of his bevayal [wanted her to buy Lucky Ske cigarettes to stress the irony ofthe bad luck the bring him.” Leam o jot down, Sle ip Tin ake oe 29 Informiton about props, costumes, camera postions, an 0 an, ‘een ding «fist Srening and then chan the mos telling evi ence. These are the fist steps n developing a song std peep tive argument Note how one staden sed his questions aut wv surkng fears of The Women to focus a or nays of tha fl \ 1 shin sin toeoce Ja coor. Why thee fre pot, thaush, “liberates” in any aacern tee, for hen ere constatiy being discussed and Bhystcad abworce of wit the nen ton che aeveen how powerfully pressor those mit ate in the Lives Chores wat tan concen with hw ny and for the ovte than 8 fs Smpertance oF this naan in the fiw then by waking fe the only color sequence in the aris? ‘ha-taten wos made in 1999 by the sane st aio shat produced fhe isan af ax the sane year Za Th tinss, however, che Might into color does Bot30 ClurTen2 Bag 9 Tk Ppt» Watk nS We net ae Joog a4 Corothy'a, and for these wonon, che yellow prick foad iz faenion steele. Thrown sez a seit = aoe ‘Taxina Notes Good fi esas quite more than one wewhng, ether ofthe lin tealf or ofthe usually more aalabe videotape version (ee pp. 151-152), With one viewing, i 8 neatly Impossible tose all he sles and compleies na movie ana the sme tne, otk ‘ots on this information daly, fet, «Best vewing en be a rmore-ordessnete-fee viewing in which you enjoy the film om ts ‘mot ime eve. With the second sereesing, you ean begin to take more cael and detaled notes. ‘Often, cough, tht needed second o hed screening may not ‘be panble especially ifthe im s ld, foreign, or notin wide dis- tbo, In sch ess, despite the diet a aking your eves off the een momenta, ts important to take notes of ome sot ‘using the st and ony viewing if more han one screenings pos sible notes can be increasingly detaled and complete ‘Preliminary noes can be simply a shorthand version ofthe qeeions and dialogue «movie grerts in your iad. No one ‘an oe wants to mot everythingthat appears, especialy since i totes tales your eyes ava from oter information on the scree. “The tek i 0 lear o make economia use of your te and to reognize ey sequences, shots, or arate fics. One uefa exr- ‘dee to limit youre to noting, wi a5 auch deal as posible, ‘shat you consider the thee o® four mos: important scenes, shots, tr sequences ina fn) Depending on our interes, we all espond to aileret points or figures in a movie (at easton one eve, but ‘most tes offer recogetsable dramatic momens or major themes that signal an audience to tend to what happen: the opening sequence im Geen Kane (1041) when “Rosebud” is fist pro- Thing 31 ‘outed the climate death ofthe father in Douglas Sik’ Writen ‘nthe Wind (1857); the us of sound in Lang’ M (1931); the dae Ina impact of toated scenes between Boga: an Baal in pat cally any ofthe movies; othe explosive moment when Moose Drs the window of the pis pavior im Spike Lee's Do he Right “hing (1999) Even when fim denies or paroes these dramatic omens or themes in Chanel Akerman Janne Dilmann (1977 and many Antonin! films—those variations fom the norm ray be the cen otnt ha a viewer should note an tert to sake sense of Te notg this ind of information, be as spec and concrete 1 possible record not only the figures and objects he fame he ‘contend cals how dhe ame ise and is photographie qualies (Ge fom) are eed to define that content thragh camera ange, lighng, the use of depth and surface, and eang techniques. A person preparing to wnt about Mert Men St Loui (2984) might note the father’s role in ths fly of women or the ed, scare scenes with the youngest daughter, Toot. With practice, however, that water woud also be able vo jr down information about the theatrical use“ space in specific soenes or the spectacular use of Tight clo, Stanly, even a student new to RW. Fusbinders ims would prebabiy exch ome ofthe major motifs or len mo" ment nthe sow of The Mariage of Maria Bran (1979) the ms. ‘mero rom tm in seal reltions that seem so bound up with financial ners or the confusion about wheter, he contusion, the heroine does or doesnot comm sie, it more advanced ‘ewer, howeser, might ao remark onthe careful overlapping snd Ajunctons between the sound track andthe sme: perhaps the srudent wl desarbe che sable but power same i which Osea ‘asualy pays a concerto measure on piano that alteraes with he ‘sume phias ln the sound uack’sbacground musi, or perhaps he or she will note how, during that melodramatic closing sequence, the radio inthe bacgeound blaes @ Weld Cup championship roach ‘Most waters develop shorthand syste for techni nfot= maton: po for point of view shoo Is for “longshot a shot that22 Curren? Spay ik, peg Wan Say We shows, for sample, the whole ofa figure from a distance, 35 op posed toa closeup office ora hand) Some ofthese are standard ed abbeviaton tat are eay to lar and se when taking nes (Gheabbrevstons do not, of course, appear in this foes in your al es) st close-up (showing on ‘exarple) ey extreme coeeup (owing peshaps a detal ofthat Tread such asthe ye) ms medium shot (somewhere between a dlose-up and a fal hot, showing ent but nal of gue) { fllorlong hot (revealing the characer’ esr body tn the eae) Mis three-quarter shot hoveng only about thee ‘quaners af the characters bodies) pan hot he pont of ew pros from eto gh, orice versa, but without changing ts veal as) shevere shot pater the pont of iw S00, for example person looking at someone and then home the inal being looked a) cut (hen the fn changes rom one image to smother) i Tong:ake (he fim doesnot cut oancter image for ‘umusualy long te) cs crane shot (the point of view films an outdoor scene from high above es tackang shot (he ent pint of view mores on racks or dolly, following, for stance, a walking ‘igure. You ean indict the direction thatthe camera acs by using arrows: f—- $ cer’ bet for a low ange he pont of es ow ied upwar high angle he point of view t above, ses downward); he exact angle can be made clear by the use of arom, Ubimaey ach individual develope «personal shorthand and cher albreviaions to record accutely the deta ofa eoene oF a quence. (These and other ems ate more fly defined in Chapter 3) Often, for annetatons om sound or dialogue «key phrase ot ‘word may be what allows you o give a more predie description of the scene or sequence Inter, Sometimes these annotations may een take the form of e quick sketch, ae with this sudent’s stem to note host, with these five shots (Figures 3-7) fromm the "Odesst Steps sequence in Pete (1025), Ezenstcin'sedting of the sl- Figure2 Cure? Barn ws yes 4 Cooke fp des attack on other and ld works to create conics fn the ‘movement within each sho, ‘None wil exhaustively annotate an ene il, Anticipating ic argument and esa, everyone wl focus on diferent Kinds emai, ftom themes and characters to technical elements nd eng structures 3 water wishes to anaijze te famous shower sequence in Aled Hichcol’sPycho (1960), some prelins fon and Nota, Ms po, (5) M that needs toFigure sinming with these notes, a writer could develop fay sophie fated and gorous ending ofthe hy scene, VisuAL MEMony AND REFLECTION Preliminary noes and sheches wl form the bas for a god age nent, however, only ifthe writer elaborates on them shortly fer seeing the movie by fling i the shorthand with inoe cteully ‘mezsued descipdons, jean Mir, he renowned French lm iso- rian once sai his most important eet war an unseully precise vi sual memory, The bes were about fl ether come equipped with or are able to develop sharp auctor and visual memory, ‘which allows them to remember des abou a movie (emer inl Mead ee 37 _Aroemory ca be waned and developed no ane shoul sek os tify catlese viewing and annotation by caking 2 "bad memory) “The sooner one can go back to those preliminary notes, the bt, for then the memcry can be wiggered to add tore specifics and lice mages in he conten of the large tory ad other nara i ses Retuningo his ote on Psycho, that writer might recall other mages ha emphasize ees in the move and make connection be tween the hole in ce wal andthe close-up ofthe shower dean or Tetwen the cramped space of Norman's den and tha ofthe shower He or she might resize thatthe sequence i ematkably balanced and fgheningly logical m being exended a til dhe Binal ‘ose upeof the dare dan and the dead Maron open ee. On ft ‘her vefecon, tht wre might decid tha, based on the opening, hoe ofthe fm, Fach i abowt “ooking” and the sal or ge ‘ered impleons of ooking ‘When youve reviewed your notes, dhe shape and dition of your argument ay begin wo appear in anes of what yo wish to fy about his movie, Whether or not you are prepared before rst ‘eing, posible agumenis and tops should begin to present ‘themselves a"you begin to ad to and develop thse preliminary ‘notes, While going over nots on The Marriage of Mara Braun, one srudent discovered that her intl perception ofthe move as 2 owy melodrama wa complicated by those strange technical mae ‘ewes with he soundtrack hat she bd recorded in er notes; her essay then discussed the waysin which the sound wack gale the splits and divisions betwean the main characters private xiosonal fe and her public, soci le Figure 8) Using te shoand notes fon Eenstin' Poti shown ere, that siden started a soe Uyshot analysis which moved from those nows to ace verbal de- spin of thse images. Note hows presse description of hist can funtion lone a the foundation for cneal anal tp Bieentein's Eatenkda38 Coren? Maeno Peng at Sui We Figures The Mig ara ra Alona made emperors JRL sete ome 2 toe ee ally, the wre on Psyc begins to focus a esay o ooking ae erway With the central shower sequence ache becomes lm out the vilene impli nthe sexs and gendered dynamic of ren and women ooking st each other, and Marin’ mutder be- ems the most dramatic example of people wapped inthe vilenoe ‘nud oor of tee sexuality. Oras Donald Spot refines he note ‘he paca shoo of te eqn, owe, ees om the fact UUstthe hrc eth hom he eri has ben etal li ‘oie brine tes thn sed hr eae eo tte doisinn to mse aens a exper th fe tha lense shower oa tough Htcheoe art deter we bate fer isos pend er nat tor he eee abe 2 ene. Now. sing er sth hah tr oer, nh ba et societal Serie agai be wl wi her est de uy it ‘eth Se stares wh acu sig, an eases ctor, ut we pl bck wo te ge the howe ol apr(Claeten2 my Thnk Py Wi, on Sage love ocd we spntng downed ean exo decree oboe tom the dns ft dan at fn end ot ‘rope rte eh The ana inthe ste there ‘tal pce hase In taped. The ene fos hat bn ‘heed hr a ou per Ath dow ofthe je Oy ‘tection with Norma's ye dog the pope sere ey, ed ‘sthouroon le tought seeing Tos Ath arate NS Mim are ned oe chant antoath thee stern le ‘he camera techie tat carte the edie 8) Few of sare incined 1 work back through notes immediately afer sing move, Yeta prompt review of one's notes Is excel we fuland coud make the eifrenc between a dll and hay esponse toa flmand compeling and sob one. Method nots allow a ‘ewer to map accurately what happens na movi, o record deals sbout the subject and its meaning tha wosld otherwise scon fade ftom memory. Unless one has continual acess (othe fl of @ scrip, is dificul retain these ats, and without cern, anything, you bave to say will probably appear much too Smpresonite ‘When you go over theft ae the ky sequences in your notes, ‘dess begin to take shape, When you ean support those ides wit, ‘concrete descrptons fom the movie an argument becomes dt rmatally more convincing ere 1. Bere you have sen parila, wee on two pags Pinpoining your expats abot What do you already row shout? The county and hina prod of ts orig? Abr the deez? What wl probably bethe mos: impor eres of the ‘ln? Specie churacters The sound? o these expectation lad yout look for cenain thames or types of tore? (Choose a iil hort sequence fom a Bim and annotate its precisely as you can Desrbe thse annotation n clear, ree ‘rot. Are there ny conclusions you can draw or itrpetatons you would make about the sequence? FILM TERMS AND TOPICS FOR FIM ANALYSIS AND WRITING Developing a sense of how to question move images and alin notes on thetn goes hand in and with an ability to direct chose questions toward spec topes for anlis,Quentions and notes should lead 10 mote questions and partal or fll answers, This path leads to an essay focused on particular themes and tech- Iigues in a movte. A major pat ofthis proces ie developing & voesbulary with which to ask those questions property, to Aescibe what you see and think, and o help you focus and orga ‘ize your ani. Being able o notice and then cornment on 8 siguilean "Shovreverse shot patter im Amecan Beauty (1999) ‘orto desrbe the "irrtve srt” in Eyes WhdeSht (1999) ot jus good for elasroom conversation llowe a good water ‘to make finer, more accurate discriminations a evaluations and, to siuate fil within the lager tradition of film history snd analysis The kinds of discriminations should Begin 10 point you twat paper tpi, Every dipline ass wn special augue o se of words, which allows co discuss is subject with precision and suber. A IMerary eric, for example, needs 10 distinguish between ‘eaphor anda simul, since these terms dsc diferent hetr- teal figures, hich, in tor, refer to diferent sot of perceptions. To write "My love ls Uke a ved, red rose” simile) diferent fem Py Tove isthe red ras of fe" (metzphor), and the person who an appreciate tha: diference wil rad and interpret those lines2 Curent Tp el Aes nd Wg better. Sinilanty, a knowledgeable basketball fan wil be able to summarize quicky and eraluate the action ofa game ihe or she knows a specialized vocabulary that includes ers ike np sh, ik, snd at rea, With to, artical vocabulary allo you to view a movie ‘more accurately and to formulate your perceptions more casi Conse the tem frame tn wetng about lt, rae refers to the rectangle that contin the image: te Kane ofthe movtesecem sel, which does not change ding a move, and, more impor. ‘any the camera rare, which realty changing ts eltonship tw the objets being Med. Bang aware ofthis term and its uses ‘means you wil be mote Sensitive to how the camera ame conels ‘what you see and how you see i. You wil Be able to note, for fesanc, that the camera fame may include cenin ations and cexchde thers, and tha the angle at wich es pce or ts dir {anee fom a person adds considerably to what the Sms is try Ingto say As one student observed af recent movi, Although the seane seems co be a typcl larly gathering the vewer becomes wore that something is wrong or unseled because the exmera frame is lly led and unusually crowded with characters ane fume” What may sometimes gp unnosced i Brought to light throug the sceurate ue of term THEMES Going over your notes, your fs step may be trying to deny the ‘major themes Of the movie, which an cones down to stepping Jmick and ssking what this file is “abou the irlmph of good cover en in Star Wars (1977), for example, or reactant hese before untoagiable brutaiy im Sehinder® Lit (1993), These ‘hemes, in many cases, become the foundation for an analyse since they pin othe main Sdeasin a move. Tey ae not, ately speaking, the “moral” or message of the movie they are the large and th smal des that help explain the ations and evens ini Ask, for example: 1 Who are the con characters? 1» Wat do they represen in dhemselves and in elation teach The imporance of individuality or society? Human Seng or human compassion? 1 How do thei ations create a story with some meanings oF contelition of meanings? 1s Does the story emphasize the benefits of change of ‘endurance? “© What kindof life or what acons does the film wih you to value ortiiee and why? there not coherent message o try, wy not? 1 How does the movie make you fel atthe end? Happy? Depsesged? Cone? And wy? Having skeched some major and mince dees in fl, the wer needs to refine these in terms of the specie sation end sms of the movie The more sensive a wer’ vocabulaty, the ‘mote refined the perepion and angursent wil be, Ths, lieation ‘may very wel describe the broadest thematic nes of Chale Chap- lin Guy Ups 1931, Frank Capra You Cant Tahe le wth You (0938), Bernardo Benluce's The Conjomist (2970), and Bazry Levinson’ Liberty Hels (2000). Although thi maybe good sat Fhowever a sharp analjis demande thatthe writer make fret ds ‘ineons shout the hci, syst, and sctral preston ofthat theme in esch movie. Does the abnation sem inevitable, ot perhaps een desirable? Doesit lad to new knowedge, or isitadi aster that could have been aolded? Ist presented aa rage ora Comme problem inthe move? Wrting about The Conforms, s+dent might refine ce theme of aienation by observing thst here it retest the prosagens'ssnsality andthe fascist pevod in aly and that, unlike the fast ewo movies (and to some exten, the fount, the movie never rilyresolws this lenation. She or he night farther specify an clay tha argument by decbng how the main character regulaly seems enspped and isolated by the rigorous fining ofthe camera (Figure 9 and by the many frames wih the image asa whole (door fumes, window fames, et). "Note, however, that tis kind of refinement of lation in The Co Jamis doesnot ems o sion sn versed ane iapplcn. ‘Be moral. One eannot sy, “In The Confort, aleation san ev whch doom the charter o misery” = Aureos Teme wn ig a he Cn ‘Whale denying theres provides an important foundation for your analysis, witng about the movies involves a wide ange of special ens thr wl help you organize and clan your topic. The rensiner ofthis chapter discusses the most imps these tems at they ate used to deus four dimensions 1 The connections bean the movies and othe dons, such asters and pining 2. The theatacal dens of the fling 3. The composion ofthe movie, achieved through ears poskions and edng 4. The us of sou in the Sie of te mise Depending.on yur topic, ny o al of these dimensions and de vocabularyinay be cena your essay. FILM AND THE OTHER ARTS Ahough the movies are one of the youngest ofthe an, they ave sbsorbed the strctures and forms of any elder ats Not supre= ingly, therefore, writing about Sm equ: some ofthe ea an. page ofthese other herary and sal ars: we epek of plot and Character i both fms and novels, and tems such a point of view sre pat ofthe cial voebulany of painting, Metre, and the tmovis. Borowed temizalogy allows a cic ro make important onnecton wth cher Sls alio demands tb swe he ene veto ow tems and structures change when they ae apple (© $m. Here we wl ok at thee rested term tha im ses share ‘wih the erary and visual as: nara, characters, and poe ofNarrative ‘When mot of us refer 6 the movies we are refering to arratve rmories alone, not documentaries or experimental fms. A naratve canbe divided into diferen components 1 The sy all he events hat ae prevented os or that we sn infer ave happened, 1 The pt ithe arangement or consructon of those events snacenai onder or suc Thus, al films the shar thee of Napoleon would tl the see stor hibit, hire to power, the French Revoltion, alter ‘math and his ext Eb, Te plots n these diferent movies may. however, be smsctred and arranged in various ways one could bey Widh Nepoleon's Is days at Ha and well his sory through eres of fashhacks (Showing evens tha ocurred ee than the ones just shown), another could sar wih his birth and move ‘hronoogaly through hs i, “Always ask youtelf how the maratve of dhe film you are sein is consrte. si fst ol, movi witha tony ine? rot, why not? Is the story tld chronology, or does the plot arrange evens in sn unvsualtemporal ret I there a reason for ‘hat pamcoar plo stoctne? What im the stony i eft out in the acl plot construction? Are thee reasons for inchading some mate fl and omiting other material?’ Does the way the story is tld become a prominent fstre of he lm, ane this @ cnt fst in sm analysis oft How do you recog the arate szoctr: 1s here a vace-ove, im which a character woe se heard describing ‘vents and thie rakes clea tht he ose organising the pot? Ae thezetechleal elements that give drama indications about how dhe sory is structured, sch athe change from Backend se a calr im The Ward of Os o Abel Gace’ se ofthe ci ferent serensin bis Napoleon (1927? Is the movie especially con cemed With question of tne an istoy whic may in ar nif fence ov the pot i consiruced, a in Bak othe Fate (1985)? ‘What propels the story A mystery a in The By Sep (1946) A dese to reach a gol, sin The Wigad of Os? Ori dificult to say, 5 some medera movies in which the plot sem have no deine drection? Thelarous elatonships baween a story, ts plot a nar tive sear numerous, When most of think ofa narative fl, however, we probably have i mind what eon called a aia ara (Figure 10), To discos any kind of ln nara. use Figure 10 Thera Cass 9) employs any fhe ler eda(48 Chuan 3m Rv teed oer Rn a dg ful wo have some sense ofthis important narrative form. Usually asc raat has 1A plot development in which there isa logialretion Dateen one event and anoher 2, Asenseof closure athe end (a happy ora tag ending for example) 3, Storie hat ate foese on charters 4 Arnamative sje that stempts to be more-or-less objective No ll lisa narratives are the sme, of course and many ine ‘esuys ae about the vatlatons and inevatons wala this model ‘One student, or example, began his paper on Howard Hawks The ig Sep by observing fonge. Te seons as iC cho compiteated plot fas Tost toy. Wonethelees, Sie Big Sleep teosins » model of fe ection an the main concacters, Bogert and nthe towing paragraps, Gea Nast ook the narative structure as apples wo many Paws fms (such as To Have and Haye Ne (1948) and His Gl Friday), Nowe how Mas fs paces his ‘analysis in he lterary tation fsarmtve and then moves to adis- ‘eusson of plo constructed around the navn of "suring tneniabye™ hati en on ft hve eh onstrton a an connor st enamemaog sting vents ut coping those eet 2 cot and pol sige. the const of # nate ation Fee ona ey resing proof whch Haws war el ava On ‘hacia te evra nati st eof spon, rly supsings nethng mt epg retin forte. {ete a th venta rare mut be prepared ot Iestadove mating fs urepeted, eyeing Frseen On one and evething hat hippest ng at a supe On fer einen the py oes os Ken corms inthe ring tS beter, Les" sen that Ena Won lores tht alte whom she alm ay hy tng ra pnts th nyt ta eae an nsapb i “oer The pare of arate oncom that tees the ects of natue—ate seer andthe pate tai ‘Tle th otc of eee smn estab yt Supingto the acer rev! whe tenet sei Th a te thts nce spartaneaus ad suing ami con Armed af cents ehetlted natura nd tte, ares Sateen pater aincndeeso ow dows Has ory contin rate to this prado of sreing neal? nove ary ya of rating oabrtng With nr een mor er Hew Hove bal ee yn ah ldecabbur pot secure The et pit pclae ta er) aces the cafe i pastor pee ove stip the Ilr caracers ths the ud ptem af Ben Hecke snes Faison te catty the leon eo sparen poe ‘ie chaacets upon Ui al meting hi he ul Fut ate: pate. The cod ard hid parte dere the cna ‘texas eth fe iter y ling on ete cnicng harcore ses dinate a he scr pr then he ten ‘heh yen oe of th bracers nor alone athe sed Darth ot fhe ogee ne hie Ae he uh secon rece the cel cont een ya tnt the gi! ys ‘tinge plein, bt in which ating the ring hart oe Se themes and oo anaie ¢now lp Ocal es {bse beget toa he arate all eto eine Whar le oe can ny abo te are sue ther Hels tony the impes shpe the eigen cna, Serco cote eter (2031)50 Cum ma tomeant pil ad ng Noval moves are casa nanaives or even nares. Some movies ave nonnanative; at i, they do not tel sores. For instenc, there are experimental Sms tht avoid wre and ove ‘ue questions unrelated wo narative (uch a the abst patter of light tnd shadow on fm. There ae documentary Gis that ay present relevent, such aarp day at factory othe reigns ty ofa Native American tke, witht organizing tose events ‘story, In addon, many movies cree naraives tha are ouside {he casa ration o that may intentionally conéone that rah ‘don in onde el thelr stones catnctively, ‘When you watch a movi that sees 10 avoid a tadional storyline or that seems el sry in an ununsalo pechapecon- fastng Way, ak yoursell how the moe i organising splot and ‘naman and what it tying‘. achive Does the ory sem illogi- Galas in some sural Sims in which evens follow te lose of & dream Does the narive seem to be tling two oF more sores that ae dificult wo coat, an Horta Mn Amour (1959), which he story ofa woman and her Net lovers tol longi the sory ofthe bembing af Hicehima? Bos the movi have a confue ing begining o an unreslved conchuson? Why? How do thee ot ther naratve suaeples relate 16 the sores being tld? About Firsksa Mo Amour a writer tight, afer sme tough, begin by sbsersng that both sons concern World Wr I and ae to two new met lovers: the dificalty n the mative strate ight then be elated tthe woman's pain organising nd commuiet- ing her memories to someone from «completly dilleent eure but wih asim histoncal esis. Once you have lsmed 1 eco ice clas ari forms, you shoal be more wat ofthe va cy of ways in which sts can be tld Characters Chance are another comiton top for amas interac, drama, and film. They ste the individuals who popalite namaive and nonarratve lms. Whether they ze the main character oF minor characters, they normally fous the action and often the themes ofa move (Figure 11) Ofen, a disnsson of fm concen trues exclusively on what happens fo the chatacters or how they change. My Diner wih Ane (1981, which Elms the diane come vesston erveen two men, could more acutely be deseribed 2s being abut owe characters telling stories than as being sory about 2s. Bth uadional movie, ike The Hurricane (2000), spd nradonal ones ike Cramb (1994), focus ther naraies| nos exclusively on the biography oftheir sin character, boner ariane Caner (i the fst east) and underground cartoonist Reber. Crumb (inthe second). Keepin mind tht an analysis of wm Figur 11 "Te Werf (935) Days ty cn chances, co cn52 Cournen3Mhe Toms nT fl Anan Wt characters im move can be boring o seem simpleinded if you fpproch therm af they are merely cefetons ofl people orf blur the difference between the wal historia person, the ator ‘lying the rol, and the character. Yt you rea attuned tothe ‘ney in character pes and constuction, you can begin to see ‘betes nd somplictions in how characters function and what they men in diferent files. AS an excise, choose thre diferent ‘hariiers—thase porsayed by Lillian Gish in Bren Blosoms (4919), Laren Baal n The By Sep, and Holy Hunter in The ano (1993), for exnaple—end ty to describe how and why those characers aes diferent You eam begin an analysis of characters by asking yours those characters seer of ae meant to seem realistic, What makes thera elie? Ar they defied y thee clothes, thee conversation, for something ese? If dey are not realistic, why not, and why ate they meant to soem sange or fast? Do the characters seers to fit the setting ofthe story? Dees the movie feces mainy on one or two characters (as i The Big Sleep o om many asin Nash, in ‘which there doen se tobe a cen character)? Do the chase tes change and so in what ways? What aes do the characters seem to represest: What do they sy sbout such matters x ndepen= ence, cel, and political bee? Nomally, we uke characters for granted, and these area sampling ofthe Kinds of questions you can begin to rect at characters to make mare sense of ther and 10 Aleterine why they ae mperart Point of View ‘ie ata point of ew en ln sare wih de erary and ‘esl aI the broads sense it fers othe pesto fom which sonnahng i seen and, by implenion, the way that pont of view ‘determines what you se nthe suplest sense, the pint of view is tly lyse. My point of view rguiing a hous across dhe sees, ‘wl for example, be very diferent 1am looking from the tootop tty house o from the bacement wind. Ina more sophisticated see, pt ol ewan be pycolgea oc er ample, Childs pon view esng a den’ ce wl probs note the angen el Ini sue Way, ween all sbot the pot of ew sat he comes eaonship peso aon een te Pt fre fat naa diets as be, Uni reid we fe eee pin of iw, 0 tht ont of whats not enn io my one pro's perspective. In Cone whe Wied (2939) of Gand CORD the wien ses scenes even ie Sotle of Adan, ele cee Ind) tha ave supposedly objet nthe cope and acer, beyond he know ot Dperpeciv of any ome pron In specie nen howe tat fence may be svar ta they ae Sving sneer Sly though hts or Gandhis ces and nthe ce the mea eereaing tht idl tore suber poe of ‘ew Some mois experinent with he pesbies of pelt of view in Age Now LOS), me set ose he wl sy ‘rom Cain Wil Marin See’) point few eine. duces tke story a sombing tat has sleds happened a, bot dea i nceton of hora sect, many ofthe sees create his pool, nighnash epee on fhe a in Vem Fe 1) Pol of ow ace ens t ing abs ls ees Sims webs abu seg he ordinates sono po of ewby ang thse eel gins 1. Observe how and when the camera crests the point of view of chatter. 2. Note if the stony is tld mos rom am objet pl of ‘ewe frm ie subjective perspective of one person ‘Ask youself what ways the point of view deterining what you see? Does i init or conto your vision in any way? What en you tell about the charsces whose eyes you ae trough? Are they 2ggessie? Suspicious? Cleves? In love?‘Wine pee No, Because the movies incorporate the dons of backs, plays and even seulpere and pining, ems ke narrative, character, and Di of ew ate not ony wef but necesary in aalying fl ‘fen, these terms provide the bas for a compartve essay the ‘examines a ok and is adaptation a afl. Other nds of com aretv eskays may compar diferent versions ofthe same move oF group of ln by the same ectr, When you wie comperave ‘any ofthis ind, be seni to and cael not only abowt how these tems connect diferent art forms, but seo abou how dey ‘high erence, Be aware ow the fm medism may change the message ofthe engl bok or ply: ok at how a eriy vse rope is tana successflly ito a movie a well 6 at ‘what may be lst. To compare Apocalypse Now and Joseph Comads Heart of Darkness (1898), 2 writer may choose discus the sbjec- tive point of ew tht desires one Marlow*—Captin Willard’ — joumey chrough Vein and the other Matiows Joutney imo ‘Africa Tha comparison wll be mich sharper and tare revealing, however, if the weer ean show hovw cera Ierzy techniques ong sentences ful of repestions, or example) create one point of ‘ew ahd how eta ils techniques (the use of light and shadow or exagerned mi-en-scees, for nsance) eet he other. Thise film techniques ae she subj of thereof ths caper, ‘Mise-EN-ScéNne AND REALISM The mise-en-setne Trench ter roughly tasted as “what spat tint the sone” (put bear the camera, refers ol thse properties of a cinemas image that ext independently of camera positon, camera movement, and edn although viewer val ee these di: ferent dipensons united in one imag). Mieen-ine inches ging cosymes, sts, dhe quality ofthe acing, and other shapes and chara in the seme. Many wets mistakenly blew tha these theatical fetes ae a somewhat insophiicated ple for anal, since they appear to be apart moe ofa dramatic tradition than of cinematic tradition. Evaluating the prionance of stot :may, for some, seem much es important tan atalyzing the nar tive or the camera work Yer, fr many other peoepive crs, the tools and wes of mibe-enscne ae the key to some ofthe most Inportne ess of ny avi. Realism ‘The mor reason tha we tend to evel of underiaue mien scene nthe moves ete power Utison of relies tate athe Tear ofthe fils medium. In many movies, we often presume that “what is pus imo the scene simply what l ther; consequently 65 we woul anlyae the construction of pot56 Curren mht aT fl aan Way We cept the Philadelphia seting of Jonathan Demme's 1993, movie Papa as merely the backgroud that was chosen forthe bre Berween a prestigious bw frm and a young asocate discov. ‘ed tobe HIV-postiv. But comparing the affluent sein ofthat Fir wath, ey, the mise enact of Philp nthe 1975 Roly Get inthe etc neighborhoods of South Pidephi) or sn the 1095 Twelve Monkeys (et in s Philadelphia of aban equaor 2nd decay) should make it clea that he reais of place very mal Teale. The ston of rele, in sho, ind of mise-en sone that makes us beleve thatthe mages a ofan evesyday word ha is simply “there'—one we know and ate familar with Or as Allardye Nol described the problem: Inthe cinema we demand something fer. rbsbiy we cy nt Ihe plcure ese prede eelynpine ner bags he at ret Bt tho caer anc eh been pene by ens of Ratesngparatsanaby cons spas ets which Dupo. toe lies Su wien erty nat ob ny ene ie tue of bale-dnacs or rena pres haere a gh Tb Yt ur ar ohn cr he th oth tae Petre lee of scab a agate we how wr costed by ma, wehavewacedthe sane bingcared in Dac age and Tow we stalls te aco tured a thers gah Bowie et {heconcaton tthe peomance nee ay he Wye es {i poate bomen pon an so ht we re prepare fo dead ‘at aon Seal pers. ste are endeared 0 es Inthe saci oe monn ire natant oe spe net per et fe aucoe the acl metodsemgloyed the craton laren rf ci rele, “he stmnge psn then rete ht athough the chert Insediss morbsiles an hegs beyond nr at heh aye seal drecer wal an and murmur ek eine othe athe ink ssl testes te usenet pester pect ne ‘elton toile than the een be stage Ou cero tie Seago genartedoen ain itt chin el clr ty Hin me hmeseen What wetine wnesedon he sare tere her ie.....f ; MucerSawanitin 39 1B. In moment say. yew consti of ose We do ace Tete his or tha tt unter the eel again the th of thee pcares evn ab fra or peed aipeey we at te et ef sespepsataphs 95-8) ‘You must eam, however, to suspect realise in the moves, since ian ditrat you frm the many interesting posses that Hectne analysis offers. Watching # documentary from another country or an eld movie once consiered very rel, you recogaze how tlaive your seneof elem sand, how, even when ‘he flmmaker may ne acme, thereat of mone scone structed fr s purpose. ipl puting a cater n font of a scene, ‘one writer has note, changes che most reali sation nf kind of heat seting, Asked to look more closely athe reli. of Pildepia, one student thus cored her erga perception and observed how the miseen-sctne of Philadelphia ws not just whet the central character ved and worked: Ine cinice of the clty of moliadelghia as the teccing for the fin of the same name loarly evokes 4 gay man whose physical love of "brother neste Gnly fear and Josehiog ron the "brothers in his Philadelphia becumes strangely ononmoue Sa thie before the sunptuoue modern skyacrapess in 8 ‘nov a ghittering backdrop of cniy lights ard otha Suildinge. thie Philadelphia is, Sealiy, 9 piece weienoue mach identity, depth, of individ ty, and ‘hae Iargeny sanicisve the euetering and contusion58 Cyne mn Tomsand psf Fn st Mg indea rootety ‘Whether the movie is a documentary or 2 relic Hallywood flim, a pracced eye might begin an analy by asking bse ques tions about the theatres of elem and how it ised. Why does the ‘movie ty to seem realsic? How does uy 10 cree a veastc scene? Whats neluded, and what i tout? What realistic deals Inthe misuen acters o the actos ofthe characters or themes fof the morte: the clothing, the homes the pops, ofthe ostdoor ‘work? Treat the mise-e-scene of vdisic fms ih the sme an yc sense you might ect ata stage py in which costumes ae sei ae neve selected casual. Elements of Mise-en-Scone ‘many im, fom the most els othe mos thease there are specie properizs of the missen-scine a which t0 direct your ‘Merion and Eom Which good paper toples wil come ‘Seng and st ele tothe lest or the consveton of & location where 2 seen 6 fined. in some moves, you wil notice srameditly how important the seting and sets at. In The Cabinet (of Dr. Calgert (1919), for example, che expressions set design snay be far more interesting to some viewers bmn the characters oF structure ofthe try: the sts are obviously pained buildings and sees whose distorted angles and shapes are meat to suggest the ‘mental ilance and socal chaos ofthe characters, One might make the sume case fora movie ke Ale (1979, in which the ela- ‘rately wisted pesagewaye of the spaceship othe mysterious cone ftmucton where the characters discover the slen eggs reverberte witha symbolic siniicane asocated wih women and moter- hood, Hitcheock wed his setings more irony as commenties on the plot and characers. in the chmacic closing of Noh by Northwest (1959), fr instance, the hero and the heroine clin evo the gga aes ofthe presidenss on ML Rushmore; i & ; MeoweSacan tae 59 movieS0 much about US. scurty and goverment, this use fe ‘ings not ony spectacular bu ental to the themes ofthe movie ‘The stings in these and other cases are mach more than back. round, and a wter interested inthe use of sets and seins Uke thee sould sat wih these quests bo te ebjers ad pos in the sting, wither nate oes ie rer andres) ral ose pangs td ing) have ped stems ht les oe Chances oan? f= Doss the arrangement of objects, props, and characters ‘wsthin that sein hive some sgrcance? (For example. ze they rome together? Do inanimate cbjects sem to have a eas they do a Chaplin movie) Atthugh most good fis give the setting and its objec realy as much meaning asthe characte ls ier reat in how ey use their eins in relation wo characters nd stoves, Sts and setings may"sagges documentary ram, as in Gimme Sheer (0971) (Figue 12), provide images ofa charac mind, asin The Cabinet of Dr. Caligar: esrbe te ental deme of the fi, the Fowsefhome in Meet Me in St Lous does (Figute 14), ot become ‘more complex and imporant thm the sary or chwacers them selves perhaps does the Gohleeycape in Baan (1985). In ‘wring about sting, however, one mst do tore than js: describe 1 ene must sek to dicover is igaeace in elatien othe major ‘hemes ofthe fn orto the aspets f te fn (is syste of pro- duction or its historical period, for nstace), Such foes lhl ‘pli why the sting and the way tis consrcted ae important ‘Use the same rule of thumb dssussng ober lent ofthe iiseen-setne: whether your inert is acing spe, costumes, ot lighang. prea desenpion must be coupled with a sense of why ‘hey are important an bow they ad to the meaning ofthe move, ‘hati, how they can become prt ofa topic for analysts. We all(68 Cuareh 3 teint of Fn oa tng Figure 13 1 doce so th Rig Ses our aes Arca. Gime Shaler ‘now that an ator the individual who plays the pr of chare terin a movie, But acting sye—how an actor play a pat—lers Considerably fom into fm and fom one dade to the nex. ‘When looked a thought, acting syle 8a challenging topic to svres or target fr Iocusing an analysis ofa specific move, A ‘waver might, frnstance, compre the ating sei an llan neo ‘eal mote such as The Aeyle Tf (148), m which some ofthe fetoe were people chosen precisely because they had no ating perience, withthe mannered ale of» Brteh or American 20%, lie tage Smith, whose noon ofa alse performance includes a get ea of sued arc, Can Daye eid, “There sn geter experience ina eudio than to wins the expesion ofa sensitive face under the myers power of nepmon” and its precsely Bowe 14 in er eins tg ft olen gps ae aon that hind of performance which he sls fom René Falzonet ‘he fimous close-ups of his Jenne Ae (1928. ln the flowing anngaph, James Narermore desebes, with evemplay sense of ets tb remarkable acing style of Sandra Berar a Marsha in The Kg of Comedy (1983 0% he Fond Steep, so she pues her tires io goes furenes—polig ot erliporesng Ye ws hong oe, tengo ening heros haga When he tes shea ane,62 avr mv totand Ts Fie ind Wang ‘hove otha, Neves she nsec er emg behor ‘a nye te cers om oon anise Fry Bie of Matha Rae Hens ea ced of ers, minging tary ed Ibogterancebe baker sel he sale wegen Sl oars Costumes, ns we all know, ze the clothes the characters wea. Like ther aspects ofthe mise-enscene, they vary slong a pecan fiom relic dress to extravagant costumes; often, they provide & rte withthe ke to a character's deny. James Bond oe weats s taredo, bot Sylvester Sllane’s Rody prefer to ea a ile as posible; in bot cases, we lpn somthing about the character fom the costume. Some fils, like Toate (1982) and Adventures of Priscila, Queen ofthe Desert (1994) are ngely about cose 2 hanging appearances through dies and makeup, and both fis ae about how men dress ike women to confront ox del with con. ‘ventional attitudes about sera ois Whit hts no longer neces sarly indicate a good character, bo you should conn to ques tion why characters look and dees the way they do, Do thelr costumes suggest how they view thersles or how they wish to be ‘viewed by others? Does a character change clothing, an Saturday Nigh Fever 2977), when Jon Tava cons dileent person by donning his dancing ces at righ? Do tore change ll you nything about the personaly or che society? le there a pec fea- tare of costume, such asthe hastall glove that identies Steve McQueen in The Great Eszap (1963), which helps you wo analyze that character? Again, donot take the cosumes ofthe mise se for gated pking describes the various ways character eran cet or 8 ‘scene cane illminated, ether by natal sng or fom aril sources (ach as lamps), I allows a fmmaker to diet & ise attention ina eerain way of 1 erat ein tape. Weal recognize lage disinsions, sich asthe dileence between the [igh ghting of an outdoor scene ins western and che shadowy . Moose n 63 ovkoess used in the alleyways of gangster film. We probably ‘otc than the frst case, the lighing cents a feeling of cary ‘x optimism and, nthe second, eling of oppression and gloom ‘A moe demanding task would be to note and comment on the ‘more subtle gradation and pattems of Wghtng that donot dramate cally off atemtion themselves in Bernd Tavemit’s Sunday ‘hy Coby (1985, for insiance, se soy ht merits and exes re meant to recreate the lighting found in inpresinitpaatag, 4 vison of the world thatthe plser grander in that move rows is fing In Staley Kubrick's Bary Lyndon (1978, some seenes use very Tow light (Cendeligh, in fied to exiphasize the groesquelyisclaed faces of characters who ate cutoff fom each othe and fom the werd that exis in the dickesatound them, ‘Whether you notice de lghing immediately oF not, be prepared to Jook for patterns of ight and shadows. Are there porn graphic prtems (uch as sharp shadows), crated to highlight a sene ota soup of;seenes i 2 move? Doss the lighting or coloring seem ‘oly nur or wnsualy areal? Some expesiental flns make ‘he enire subject ofthe fm te ait manipelation of igh, bat my inteliget naraive movie ues ighing wth e mach a sense of 4 possibilities and purpose asa painting does (Figure 13) Miseensoine, the, Is about the tates of space as that spece is constricted for the camera. This wie of spact—how iis acrnged sn how the ators and objects relate within tern genet- ‘ae exciting topics and commentary en in The balance o bal ance that reies figures or varous planes in the miseen-sctne somtimes says more about that acich than doe the dialogue: ts for instance, one character always postioned above another! Is one always in shadows? Likewise, in comping to sets or eng na fim, you may discover import themes that would eterwase net ‘be neice: Do catstophs, for instance, secur ony inthe ey, of ‘only on land? A cinematic mise-en-acine is difeest fom but as complex as a thentrial miseen-sine, and a writer about flim ‘Should aim forthe same aeutenesh and subety demanstated inthe(66 ren Fe oman Tp Fl and Wag wm Fiowe 15 in he are of te Tid Hd 0977, solar hg nos folowing analysts ofthe mise-enscene (spetcaly the sting) in Buster Keatn's Our Howpality (1923) ‘Sa emédy, we shal fn tht the mise-n-acbne also ees ons. Our tty, ton eels what ves no ey ef ‘Consider example, how he stuns function weno nara ‘between the Mekaye ond the Cals vests in the deaths of the exaye eng n asic andre it a supe about he fief the ‘ed ie Wile mother Fes wth ba sn fom th sue Home tthe Nor (sion nat ou malay bya tl) te ‘Ram aien begets wt he poets ile Teg in Ne ein the metopoi, cortrasting sap wth the prologue sce. We ‘leds wonder thoes nl mete the nthe snes ad ‘Spe le recaine or thar hat hee hare ome ae ‘odin backto his binholace. Here Kesion uses weal nceabes, but by lig te aod cls I afew he cpt the nerspes tions That nit he sas nthe Carel house sel since the eof Tospraty tas made # te nisl lace for hn El fsande cas oc the bento. mevng ecu ho cour nds bry on shits of seting that establish Wile’ two journeys, ‘bay ands an ad teri wandergesruno esap en eshte Sout, mong betwee hi ad nents te ced far usually ow more tout whee the ae thn Wile de, {the arate greats sispese by shlong thm cig tnt te which ile ensons aa mansen tur cittobe + onble own sac The May pace pled tocar wth he a fells plat pnts Rome arn ome the Carel hore ‘ins cen moe fencoral importance when the anal ahs shoot him wile he guest n our house” (Once Wile overheats hi etemines norte) Thr renal th one es ne Se thie ow sere he nuptrs hn he pester(66 Coren 3 ln toms an ps fe tnd Wty ous tht bess up Wile’ home, othe a sone nthe Cael ous wth Wile becoming par of ef. n such ays ee Secor Ny rotted rath ae an Tompson 12-8). COMPOSITION AND THE IMAGE In any move, isthe comers that eventually ins a isn scene when you wach a move, ou se nt only the sting tors, lighting but al ofthese elements a they are reenrded athe pro= Jected. The compostion ofa stne through the Him iage i hat ‘isinguithes fm from drama, and itis another importa dimen- ‘son ofthe movies that good writer should be ble to dice, ‘When you watch a home vdeo, you might st recognize a party wid you and your fiend. However, with 3 close look, you mht ko comment on how the images, because of the angles, of clorng, rake some of those fend ok aller or davker than they relly ae Inthe sameway, a ln image mayinfuence the way you sea Sone ‘of a claracser In tha scene, The student who bepine by ring, “The scene had thre characters.” wil cena es tenia per cptivethan de student who begins, “The vista angle on the stene rade the three characters appear." This section considers some of ‘he tenainelogy you can use to dscuss these componona ete. ‘The Shot ‘The shots the sige image you see on the screen before the fla cnt toa different sage. Unie a phtegaph, 2 single shot an include a vanety of acon or moveren, an the fae hat contains the image may even move. Oneshot may show a cowboy ata bar and then guy he igure by moving the camera lose. When the Image switches to another posiion and point of Wew on the cow boys, om the epost side ofthe bathe lm has ct = Comin nine 6 secon shot n wring about Bln, you should be sense the {wo primary dimension ofthe shot is photograph prope and ‘smerny eae The phonic ropes ofa sot thse ques of the fim mage tat ate found im any photograph, lus the speed ‘which he scenes fied. These proper inde one, ln see, nd the Yaron perspeties rested by the age Toe ee oe ‘ange and tere ofthe cols a fim mage A move such as The ‘Wistrdof Ox ats tecicolr shee il of primary rede ad ye toms to siege fray wold very flr rom he Baka ite Kaas Many ofthe ns by Wi Wenders sch as Wigs of Desire {1957) se sare blceandovhte tones bees he els those ones provide more earth olor. Woody Aen Zk (G89) tele ory wh enol gy lack and nes tome pars of hs modem move look ikea old documentary nd in Shiner Lit Seven Sptergczaoaly saps he fle story a Bckcand-whe wih the Ding emoce of = chids beh cnt. Ak i the oes ae reais na, wy Bo Ts theses pte athe way fl espace calor gop of ‘alors? Does he Sm we colts spol 5 Bergman ses ed ts Cres and Whispers (1973) 2 suget boh lence nd pao f theme isn Backadoite,how does the ac-an white add te the movi, especial fhe Ewer cold fave wed clr? ow do the sor and ones reat othe themes he le? lm sed ie he te whic the lm hos mos bt ‘usin insane slow or fst motion. Action inl’ of st mon sully nasa charge inthe ear of whats appeing of how theantiene opposed o pre wat happening Seta, Slow mocon wad to nee thn the acon pra charters dream; sometimes, mtn ay onsen comialiy on { some—oben or fstane, action ona sembly ne suey teoves at sperma spends ey ont when the speed of be fim 6 no anger nomul; be pepe! © exmine wi dese tomers re sgh out by te Blake. In Nagin Oshinas Nery Crs, Mr. Laren (983), Dad Bowe conto his68 charrens mT on Tp Fl nd tg Jnponese adversary wih ewo Mises, which are filmed in slow ‘motion sla that his is Osha’ way of unerining this shat- tering climax im thei relationship. Keepin rind, however, that ‘many elder sent moves were fled and printed tthe rte of =~ teen fames per recond, and thelr acon nay look fst when shown at he modem sandard of tweny-ou frames per cond. “The perspective ofthe image eles to the kind of spatial ela- ‘onsyp an nage establishes between te lesen object and fg- tures iff photographing, These diferent elaonshipe ate the products of diferent kinds of lenses and the way those lenses are ‘xed, Thus, one movie may censanly presen scenes with a great deal of depth or dep foes, 20 tat the aence can see characters 1 the background as sharply as it sees characters in the fore- (ground. Another movie (often a older one) may wish oioat ot ighlgh only cern characes or events nthe age, an oo8- sequrily uses shal fs that wl eal show ony oe pane te the image, such atthe man with «gun who stands inthe free round par from the bury crowd in the background, Vinh ess ‘commonly sen ithe od moment of rack focus, when the focus § ‘quick changed, or pulled, from one figure or object to another ‘within the same shot, a when the image swtches focus fom the face of «man talking to piano falling out the window in the ackground, ‘ill other kinds of perspective velationships cn be wed fn creating an image, but even while yo ae lenring these ober ech- ri ems, you can begin to analyze perspective relationships by skingthe basic questions: Whoo what i oc aan image and ‘vy? Do the images create a world with depth o does that word ser unusually fa? How would you describe the space ma parsca- Jnr mage? Is it cromded? Open? Wide? Discorted? When a specie ‘wide-screen image drowns the characters in space, what does his ‘xy about them ad their world? Male the power ofthe image in islfcome ale in your wating Make the subject of your essays not ust wat you see, but how the image makes you see people and things in certain Way and ie enti relationship to one smother, ; Compson aeelnage 68 ‘ere igan example in which the student brelly looks t clo, tone, sd spa celatons in Nichols Rog Dot Lack Now (1973) | dabphear alee tropicaily By arousing. tavee, hey ‘Surca thar ie siowty sining. They both mane © forgot the horrible death of their daugitor, tt 0 puroved by « color” the bright rea glow of the Feinoet the Saugntsr waa vesting when she Se. ‘bven before ber death she color leape cat of the fin, While the father te etusying slider of the futside to fad his ehild face doen in's pond, er Venice te e rather gray sity in thie norte, fed sears to catch his aye, ae i€ it bas a life of second or longer, ctained-gesswintoue, places of (se zed whton ve and ne ave coma to Seentify with Uypaotic and frightening. ie seane to concert with space 4s made sa claustrophobie hy the narrow, nay otcecee of the oity, the gliapasa ve and the father eaten of e Seesng ved Sure sn the background becons sonant of true terz=rems Fi ind Wing The frame of he movie Image forms ts border and contains the mise er-ctne. Many movies, such as Jean Rents Grand sion (1937) and Alted Hitchcock Rear Wadow (1954), fl hit Imiseensne withthe intemal fates of windows or doorways of stages to call atenon tothe imporance of Fames and point of view inthe sor. Almost every fl, hough, mast mean a et ‘ain consciousness about the frame ofthe movie screen and the frame ofthe camera (Figure 16) A widesreen frame i pecialy sulted to catching the open spaces of a western or the vat sek Fue 16 Tere (970 dog? spaces of scifi fms. The smaller standard frame Is peshaps best sted to more peronal interior datas or genes like the mel drama, to which # smal fame can consbut sence of anything From domestic comfor and cloeenese to causrophabia. Though the course of lin, there wil be a numberof ther rorepatclar ‘qustop to a about he freming \ = Whar isthe angles whic the camer frame epresess the sevion? Does create 3 igh ange, viewing subject from shove, oralow angle, ewtng the acon fom below? When ‘conversation berwéen to people ts shot thtough a group cf lemating high anges and fw angles, cold mean tht ‘one characteris tal andthe eerie shor could alo say ‘hat one af the to the more deena personality. Dos the height of the fame correspond to 2 normal re tigship tothe people and bjes before he camera that are they at eye vel, ere ress! Or does the camera seer toe pled at an odd eight, oo high or too law? At the Degiting of Rebel Wao Cause, fr istance, the camera 's postion at round level to capture james Dean's desper sue and pathetic embrace of smal toy ah cumbles tthe pound. Does the camer frame ever stem unbalance in reltion to the space and actin called canted frame’? If 30, way does this oar when it doe? ft recreating the perspective of & characte looking atte ston from an od ange, 0 that the buildings pear diagonal rather than veil? Is ‘meant to recreate the perspective ofa drank, o tight it be 4 more sublle way of commenting, or tae, on econ ‘un that lacks harmony and balance? ‘What kindof disance dos the fame main fom ts ub- Jet Does the lm use many clos-upe (Far stance, show ing jus she character faces, medium shot (chong most72 Quvren 3 Pe Temsant psn sant Wang ofa characters boy), oF long shots (showing fll bodes froma distance? Perhaps ascene uses a seis of these sets, ‘begining witha lng shot of a man on the set, then showing 4 medinm shot of him looking ina store window, fed conchding with close-up of his aurpied face a be sees something in the window Does the movie develop a ‘mote elaborst combination of dese that might be inte preted according ro some meaningful pate: lose-ps for love seenes and long sot fo at scene, or instance? 1 Besides describing and conaining heaton, does the frame suggest oer action or space ouside ts borders? Do impor tant evens of sunde oseut cutede the borders of the ffame—in offscren space) What the sgicance of this offsreen space or is relation to what is seen within the frame? Is offscreen space used for comic effet, asin a ‘user Keston move in which we discover thatthe wheel he 'ssiting ons part ofa usin awed outside the Fame ands Ahoat to move? Or dos it havea serious meming, a8 in Rober: Bresson’ fl, in whlch ofkacreen apace auggets a typeof sprtual ality hs characters are unable to grasp or Uundetstnd because i erly beyond the Kane of thee wot ‘within one ssene, any of these compostions may change as ‘he camera crets a moving ame by aero Hs postion in elaton to the object being Sled. A romantic closeup af two loves whe peng, for example, may suddenly change as meaning be camera frame moves backard and makes them par. ofa longshot al of spectators what wast fist romantic has become, through the movement ofthe fame, com, This kindof feming nen, called reframing, canbe dane in way that ely eniely onthe movers of the fame, not on teeing of images troughs cus Ge pp. 74-81). ‘When the frame moves to high, overhead crane shots, which look down on the ation, weal aie thee has been dramatic : Comps nieinge 73 change perspective: the fm may be emphasizing the sales of the character in ration othe esta his or her space, or maybe revealing other action, sucha the appreac ofthe cavalry on the her ide of the mountain range. Whan the ftame moves up and dw ing rom one postion, i may simpy befllowang the potnt ‘ofa character who is locking up and down, but tray lo of making asatementaboat high and low abject (about. for insane. the wurst who fels overated by the skyscrapers of New York Ci). Another kind of mobile fate the pan, in ‘which the fame moves fom sie to side without «change inthe postion ofthe camera or the point from which the cen viewed surveying te steet before him, a character may lok slowly fom Tet co right, andthe camera may panto recente the conus ‘movement cf his gce th cons, 2 ack o dally sho sn si tionary but follows er nrues on the ston by maving the postion of the camera fen on small track) and dusting the fame fore ward, backward, of around the subject, During @ cock patty scene th fl say recreate the roving inmy othe gathering by ‘using’ dally sae that ellows a characte though the cord ths ‘action sathieved by hanild shen whlch the camer iced by the mera operator, the shoc may be Jerkier and may im some ‘was seem more reais) Since frames imply perspective om the wold o on cenan caraces, thir mobility or lack ft ean psn othe very Funda tion ofthe word you sein those frames. ee an active wold you tre seeing or one thit seems rigid and static! The complenie of ‘hat word soften reveled a the frames move and change, and the more exactly you can note these frames, the mote incsive your alysis wil be, Try. a some pain, o base your analyse of a cat= ‘ce o tation exusively on de framing acon that desis ‘hem, Whac patterns can ou see? Does this chracte aways loc at the world throughs eove-upe tha ack though crowds aed site ns, wothout ever geting a larger perspective on them? Does tht ‘consent way of faing the ation suggest hat he papas but never realy ee the whole pice?2 CpTER SMe Tors Fm Ans on ng Remember that frames and thelr actors have no univers roeaning, Just a2 color do not hive unchanging symbolic vale, ‘mera anges and movements do ot have 1 mean the same ching tn difleent movies. Loweange shots do not alway sly domi rince, nor do highangle shots always suggest oppression (as I Someries thought. Abough in one movie alow-ange shot may remind che ewer that a weak character beg loked at by & stronger, more dangerous person, in another movie that ow-ange hot may be used to describe the wader f «cloaking ape son se oes I you begin by noting vs deta cael, you can rele on how patil fsming scans wet in spec films and cn how they provoke cermin questions abou thos fis and eit themes. An endless sees of esesps means one thing in a mame rade for Amen television, where it may underline the impor: tance ofthe individual characte, and anotber thing n a European stl, where t may suggest the unknowable quality ofthe human fac. Inan Ozu fl, che low height ofthe directors frame maybe resnt so suggest the more rested, mediatve peepetve of Japmeseloplang at dhe word from te oor of atta zoom, bur ‘the Belge tomer Chantel Aleman claims thatthe low elt of er Frames ocous because she i shot! The Sesson should be clear: Dont simply desribe technical deal and expect them tobe selfexplnsor. Rather, pu them 19 work to convey an ides about the various way tes and ther pois of ew operate and what hey mean specie fms in specie cultures, and at specie ‘The Edited image Inthe simplest sense, etn isthe inking of two deren pieces of ‘lm (we diferens shots): Usually the editing fellows some loi of evelopment (an image ofa woman sr then the jet shel ol nga, for example) ors meant to make asatement of some sort (an fmge of an egotstalcar and then one af a pescek) Recall the cowboy at the bar: when ong shot shows him atte rand then ' pind eer 18 sloty nicks cise o capt him ce up, ss reaming ‘whining shot ut iar tat it ioge te eamer psd ‘bores ace potion Cape low ange on he be de of the br hat etme Tog she hr no ben eed foo ‘Bos Te beak beeen he wo taps wc ‘ot be Held onthe sen fray leagh of tine, the res bing scan ling peo yt Since the pce ef the ag rate, we shoul ty tone why ad howl o a. Oa fms deed acrdngto a erat ten We expe «case Seen 0 be ply eed (wth ee quck cand bit shot), bot mike coma awae of ux expectant ing that chase sre ood be eed wh ey slow Myke and fe cut. Avan exe, cbr enacly how long sage, mage ‘esis ont seca sy mv, td hen ec why Simms exe oaths age og tht pn, Doe te mnt wm Flgue 8 tougher anche 1 What role does sence ply in his movie? Are there sound mots tha idenfy the characters or ‘erin? Does the thm of the sound supporto serve se ‘counterpoint the rhythm ofthe citing? 1 IF you had co plck dee ey sound sequences fom tis movie, which would they be and hy? ‘These questions ae only 2 sample ofthe many inguiies that movie sud and pare moves igh inspire. Listen oa Gln ound, and write sbout with the ame custy and suepcon ‘eubied by dhe character ts Godan’ Everyman for Himself 1980), ‘who coniually hear background music and wonder where its coming liom and why. Here renowned French Smaker (nd carly innovator with sound), René Chit, wating i 1929, detailed fone ofthe Rr sicceses ith sud in the enema: te tins oy ne, Sa eg Stitome ti cyterae sete conten te secon The actors move walk rn tlt, shou nd whisper anther ata have mary oe mcs mse os th i, thing to Siew einmtanaioe natant ‘urpacs the sien esse Love whom we so lord in the past. The sound re re ae he tis coney cea be ek8 uvrak 3 Ri tecand pe fn nd Ag In observing and wen about sound or any formal features, your fs: gal should be as auch preion a possble, Developing 2 vocabullry of technical terms can be exten lp, but most ‘mporane is developing the ast to wrte concrete descriptions of ‘mages and sours nthe way that bes allows your rade to see tnd hearth images and sounds you ae deserbing, Sometines, of ourse, that detailed precision ie more dificult o achieve than st oer tines. When you mast work with only sketchy notes, eas much ou of those notes possible. Tere nothing wong ‘with ering abouta general syle afl Ca predominance of og sho" amplified sound tack" or“eoggeradly afi ses, ‘slong a: your pape has a focus tbat does not rel soley on gener alts. Ciervie lvays ty to iterate as mach accurate concrete ‘exped types of movies. An awareness ofthese methods implies & ‘more advanced inligence in your writing thn many competent ‘waters about have (or even wish to hav) Yet even when you amalyze a single lm, seaport and weal understand the approach you are using and the lrgerquestons behind that 3p- proach, since this awareness wil help you to iene hits, the sudience, and the gol ofthe es. ‘As You conse atopic for an esy—such asa eng tech- nique-and as you begin to give that tple shape, consider also the sssumprions tha consciously or unconsciously tne your ap Doch: Are you itresed ina parculrechnie, such paral ‘eting, because one dsetr uses regulary? Ae you interested94 Over Siew wit el cramininga eles of mages because they relate the fl 0 sciolog- ‘el and eultarl ese a Lote Eser does when se sugges ha ‘the many stateases in German las of the wentes rite hero ‘manic ambions ofthe sacetyof Welnar Germany? Do you watt to focus on how dhe use ofa technique, suck as senstin's men tage, challenged the way edn had eadionaly been wsed, and ths suggests an port change in Sm form? No ater what 9 prosch you find appropriate, i wl always elarify your alms and "ns o get a sna of che lngerieees that undedi i Comparing to fins or pans of fn, wich sa common wetng assgument, sed deciding on the ers ofthat comparison stoi, ot ‘other—can bea firs sep in organizing that comparison, The follwing ieradacton to the major approaches or meth ‘os wed in wring about film doesnt atemptto review the com- plete ofan singe appro or the ways 0 oF more approaches ray overlap in one study. These skeches and examples should ‘homerer, help you to identify approaches that an dec your wi ing about Sm and give you a sense of how a paticuar method right organize and use information Fim History ‘Astoria approach & one of she most widely wed methods in fim etic can be employed with varying degrees of emphasis ‘or conssiousress, but genera, che wre using this approach oF faizes and investigates filme according other plac within a his tone context aa in light of hissoeal developments, Such an ap- proach might explore thefllowing: 1 The hstorcal lationship ofthe ng shemselves, as wher iter compares and commas the us of setsin af from ‘he swt hat nl rom the sevens. ‘The relaonship of lin to the contons of production, pethape allowing 2 writer to make connections between insboy 9 ‘American lms of the egies and the tend during those 1 yeas tovard the ownership of suds by large corportons ike Gul} Westem or TansAmericn. 1 The reltionship of moves other reeepon, demented ip aresay that explores how eleviton nthe ies changed Seapetatn of moe nance tht ine ‘While there are ways to write about fim without emphasing bistorcal issues, some historical aeness informs most wing about fm. An essay that examines Mided Perce (1043) nthe come ter of post-World Wer Il America and he changing ecologic postion of wemen would be based ona historel method, eve, ‘though the direction and pont ofthe argument may be a fein ccque. Sosy, an essay tha present a stsghtorward reading of he shemes and sje af The Wild Bunch (1969) could develop that reading by eling thos subjects to the Vitae War, the ity of the western in America moves, er inovaton in tae technl- ogy during the ities. Many excing and informative sori says have mai opis that have Ite or nothing to do with the smal of specie fis and instead concentrate sot excisiely ‘on historia as and complerties—anecononi cis, sty, oF he pealtel pressures behind an instance of censorship—vhich only indirectly gue in what an audience ses onthe eee ‘When ving ahistorical method ob explain lm, bewane of assuming that any parila movie, even a documentty, gies an ‘unmediated picture fa soir and histriealperod Tobe sue, ‘Our Daly Bread (1834) ls us rest deal abou the ety thiies in “America during the Great Depression, bu what tls is boa up wit historical quesions concering for ample ts syle an intended audence sory isa delicate strom 0 ee with as uch discriminate as posible. In Film History: They an Prac ‘te, Robert Alen and Douglas Gomez noe tha “Doing istry re ies judgment, not merely the anes of fact") I hs cacept fom tit reading of FW. Maras Sunrise (1927) hey demonstrate at many pots how Nsorial restarch can be used ©98 Cues Se Ayes Mig fe ‘uel an il eulsty abou the lavish and ars techniques ofthe iF conf te Fama aoa ely ‘ite nce nthe poston of Since mach wae te So of one mete ue ast pire 1 the 127192 Fox ‘hele Fo ses Moma’ condtble toppled pa. ‘scaly otesrated pan eles theta fs st oat {of preemiarce nthe tn tees the 95, Fo. ‘cap ong ith ie Nal rd are re, de cen ‘ez etn ety beth tems of coms powe an prod Press (Prestige canbe defer een to ite ns of ‘di te pried to be quay” thecal Acute per nthe se Fx ns ton 9 8 procul spree ows, Yo plows. ox Mey ude yes but Fre mos. Dar popular witht ausence Samii tho"Pest irish Fin Ey art ad Ply frearie. we fe that “ft pcre sod ty 84 ern tic ony 9 were Foe Wes oh the nef Parent on MGM predate. Is 1915, howe alan Feared one ofthe gees exnson pan ne ison thon str sty. Te pl ‘rua clipe te tack mae rosa 12, bt sf Netcom or contol the roduc of Fo a MOR slo, Leos Testes, ors pe bester chan an gone tees int National Tester, ich Gamat an aster Pld Ing The lo ve or conc pve the te 0s Ws pale ty atempt to erae he peti of ox rods ade nti ‘Sto tht Moras Ming abd posucion of Suse mus be ‘eves Foe stopted hat ana’ poduin of the Rg ate ‘ie we a essa ecto ‘este could tec pester eal tenon For wuld pve nae the preige to match opedsorsrnone sau. 9) ‘When you desde that yours willbe a historia approach as. youtaf specific questions about the ole story sl ave in your rgument Is the stor Information you se background oF i tredctony nformatin for yours? Are you concemed wth bow ‘and why cena storia evens are represented as they aren the ‘movie? Dees bisorcl backround help expla nareatve or techn Cal maneuvers in the li? Does the marie standout a history. oF ‘prt ofa historical tren? Is your argument intended to lat that plc in sory? Waste more important your argument, the his ‘ore fs behind the fn, of how i scessiveaaclences 1e- sponded to, or both? No mater what your specie subject. as yore ha pat story ight pln i NATIONAL CINEMAS hitorkal sues usually pay some pat in exsys on the ovis, ane cher important (and eas) way to discus them fn terms of tt uur ornasonlcharacer. The presumption being th approach Ss thal culares evolve witha etn snout of indivi and fiat (© undersand, for imsance, the complete of Albander Dorcheno’s Arsenal (1929), one rust lcae Sen the polical tne ashe climate of posuevluionay Rss Silty, oa Jyze an Inn lm of Sujit ay, such as Digant Thener (1973) 2 ‘eter shoul now someting abou the society and cla of lia. According to ths approach, ways of seeing the world and ways of praying theWword inthe mae fer foreach coun and el- tur, and cs necessary to understand thecal condtions that suround a movie if we reo understand what it esos. A Ae ‘om spectator might have litle touble comprehending 4 Kurosta fn, ba wthou guidance and some clara bsckroand on Jaat> ese society, the sof Kenji Mizoguchi or Mio Nase might tem, ‘00 foreigs and confusing forthe serge Armecan aden. ‘Observe ow the ator ofthe following passage denis the specie cll heritage of the African fms of Ousrane Sembene tnd Med Hondo. While adiing the influences of other national ‘cinemas ike the French New Wave of Jean-Luc Godard), he snes ‘ut an oral uation that dstingises and marks a ange of diler- ‘et fsa uniquely Aftian: _Atough Aen ims watn a3 primar issn, ‘they hae pepe a opped inves wes ep ‘Sons frase the bone rang fl a. cated