Guide to Critical Assessment of Film The following questions should help you in your critical evaluation of each film. Please keep in mind that sophisticated film, like literature, requires more than one viewing to begin to appreciate its purpose beyond merely the plot. You will need to view your film with this in mind. BACKGROUND Who is the writer of the film? Has the screenplay been adapted from another work? Who is the director? When was the film made? STRUCTURE / FORM What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole? How are the opening credits presented? Do they relate to meaning? Why does the film start in the way that it does? Are there any motifs (scenes, images) of dialogue which are repeated? What purpose do they serve? What three or four sequences are most important in the film? Why? Is sound used in any vivid ways either to enhance the film? (i.e. Enhance drama, heighten tension, disorient the viewer, etc.) How does the film use color or light/dark to suggest tone and mood in different scenes? Are there any striking uses of perspective (seeing through a character's eyes, camera angle, etc.) How does this relate to the meaning of the scene? How and when are scenes cut? Are there any patterns in the way the cuts function? What specific scene constitutes the film's climax? How does this scene resolve the central issue of the film? Does the film leave any disunities (loose ends) at the end? If so, what does it suggest? Why does the film conclude on this particular image? THEME How does this film relate to the issues and questions evoked by your topic? Does the film present a clear point-of-view on your topic? How? Are there any aspects of theme which are left ambiguous at the end? Why? How does this film relate to the other literary texts you have read on your topic (or in class this year or on your own)?
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The Art of Storytelling Stories contain plot, character, setting, action, transitions, dialogue, beginning, middle, end. The earliest forms of story were in the form of oral tradition dating back thousands of years ago. The earliest forms of modern drama began in Greece over 2000 years ago. Homer s epics date back to about 800 BC. The novel is generally said to have begun in the eighteenth century (1700 s). The short story began in the early nineteenth century (1800 s). Film is a narrated story. In the history of narrative, film is a latecomer. Elements of Film Discourse Lighting reveals the subtleties of character, plot, and setting. Lighting can also be symbolic. Color is used to develop character and mood. Framing determines the viewers interpretation of setting, character, and action. Motion is a language that speaks louder and more precisely than words. Sound (or the absence of) contributes to the story s plot, characterization, and symbolism. Transitions represent a kind of code; as viewers, we learn to read transitional devices as clues, even statements, about relationships within the film. Acting is the means by which actors, through the attention to details of personality, bring characters to life.
Film Terms General Terms Shots Shot: continuous, unedited piece of film of any length Scene: a series of shots that together form a complete episode or unit of the narrative Storyboard: Drawn up when designing a production. Plans AV text and shows how each shot relates to sound track. (Think comic strip with directions - like a rough draft or outline for a film.) Montage: The editing together of a large number of shots with no intention of creating a continuous reality. A montage is often used to compress time, and montage shots are linked through a unified sound - either a voiceover or a piece of music. Parallel action: narrative strategy that crosscuts between two or more separate actions to create the illusion that they are occurring simultaneously Long Shot: Overall view from a distance of whole scene often used as an establishing shot - to set scene. Person - will show whole body. Medium or Mid Shot: Middle distance shot - can give background information while still focusing on subject. Person - usually shows waist to head. Close Up: Focuses on detail / expression / reaction. Person - shows either head or head and shoulders. Tracking shot: single continuous shot made with a camera moving along the ground Reverse shot: shot taken at a 180 degree angle from the preceding shot (reverse-shot editing is commonly used during dialogue, angle is often 120 to 160 degrees) Subjective Shot (P.O.V. Shot): Framed from a particular character's point of view. Audience sees what character sees. Camera Movement Pan: Camera moves from side to side from a stationary position Tilt: Movement up or down from a stationary position Tracking: The camera moves to follow a moving object or person Camera Angles Low Angle Camera: shoots up at subject. Used to increase size, power, status of subject High Angle Camera: shoots down at subject. Used to increase vulnerability, powerlessness, decrease size Editing (the way shots are put together) Sound Cut: The ending of a shot. If the cut seems inconsistent with the next shot, it is called a jump cut. Fade in or out: The image appears or disappears gradually. Often used as a division between scenes. Dissolve: One image fades in while another fades out so that for a few seconds, the two are superimposed. Soundtrack: Consists of dialogue, sound effects and music. Should reveal something about the scene that visual images don't. Score: musical soundtrack Sound effects: all sounds that are neither dialogue nor music Voice-over: spoken words laid over the other tracks in sound mix to comment upon the narrative or to narrate
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IS THIS FILM ART? Criteria for Evaluating a Film RE-VIEWING Is the film worth seeing again? What factors determine whether you want to see a film more than once? Which of these factors does this film use effectively? Explain. ENDURING QUALITIES Can this film stand the test of time? Why or why not? Does it relate to universal ideas or situations? What are they? Does it deal only with contemporary situations and ideas? Explain. TRUTH Does the film deepen your understanding about some significant idea or cast new light on it? Does it present new ideas? Are the characters credible? Do they behave in ways you expect? Cite examples and explain. BEAUTY Is the film aesthetically pleasing? Do the quality of photography, color, sound, and performance and the use of special effects come together as a work of art should? Which aspects work especially well? Why? Describe how the quality of a particular scene from the film gives the viewer this sense of beauty. UNITY Are the shots and scenes organized logically? Describe one example of a particularly effective sequence. Describe one that seems weak. Tell why each of these sequences succeeds or fails. TREATMENT Are the ideas suggested or are they stated? Discuss one scene and the particular idea, feeling, or mood it creates. EMOTIONAL RESPONSE Were you moved by the film? Did it make you feel sorrow or joy or anger? What emotion(s) did you feel when the film ended?
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Questions for Reading a Film Watching a film carefully means watching it actively. You can't simply plunk yourself down in a theater, popcorn in hand, and let the images wash over you for a couple of hours. Rather, to watch a movie actively, you must learn to read the screen, to ask yourself questions as you watch, to notice the elements which make a film succeed or fail. There are many possibilities, but here's a few questions that will get you started: 1. Does the beginning of the film get your attention and interest? 2. Are you able to "suspend disbelief" -- able to forget that you are watching a film rather than witnessing reallife experiences? 3. Do the characters seem real? 4. When the actors talk, do they seem involved in real conversations or are they just reading lines? 5. Do the characters' actions make sense in the context of the film? 6. Does the story move along, keeping your attention all the way? 7. Is the story confusing? 8. Does the story build to an exciting climax? 9. Are any scenes unnecessary -- in particular, violent scenes just inserted for their own sake? 10. Do the sets, lighting, and camera shots add to or detract from the film? 11. Do the sound effects and music add to or detract from the film? 12. Does the film end in a logical place -- or stop too soon or go on too long? 13. Is it a good film -- and why or why not?
Reviewing the Reviewers Use the film critic s review of the film to complete the following. Part One: An absolutely perfect bibliography entry. Last, First. " Title of the Review. " Title of the Magazine 00 Month 19??: 0-0. Kroll, Jack. " Ick-Shtick: The Diceman Cometh. " Newsweek 16 July 1990, 61. Part Two: A paragraph clearly stating the critic's opinion of the film. Begin with a topic sentence which includes the critic's name and the film title. Your topic sentence may focus on a specific aspect of the criticism IF appropriate to the original source. Note the following possible topic sentences: Not only does Jack Kroll dislike The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Kroll also dislikes Andrew Dice Clay himself and the "male infantilism" that Dice represents. Because she was especially critical of the camera work in Death Song, Pauline Kael does not recommend the film. David Ansen, unlike almost everyone else in America, did not like Ghost. Then, of course, you would complete the paragraph by citing evidence, especially partial quotes from the review, to support your topic sentence -- is this beginning to sound familiar? Make sure you include at least three partial quotes, integrated with your own sentences. Highlight the quoted words on the original review when you turn in each critique. Part Three: A paragraph stating your opinion of the critic's opinion! Aha! Do you agree, or disagree? Why? Do you learn anything about the film itself from the review? Is the review witty? Even if you disagree, are there specific points that are well made. You may write informally (as in the use of "I"), but you still need to support your opinions, as always. Sample Answer with Partial Quotes in Bold Kroll, Jack. "Ick-Shtik: The Diceman Cometh." Newsweek 16 July 1990, 61.
Not only does Jack Kroll dislike The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Kroll apparently also dislikes Andrew Dice Clay himself and the "male infantilism" Clay represents. When Kroll says that "the fear and awe of women have driven men into extremes of eloquence and indecency," Kroll clearly places Clay at the "lowest cultural levels" of indecency, not eloquence. Recognition that the Diceman is a "parody of the insecure male" does not excuse the film for its "pretzel of a plot" or its stereotypical characters. Kroll blames Clay for the film's weaknesses since "this picture is a Dice-roll pure and simple." While it may appear on the surface that this reviewer takes the politically correct feminist view of Clay's verbal violence, deep down inside between the lines Kroll is having too much fun strutting his own literary stuff. Pop psychology, cute ethnic slang, alliterative wordplay, and witty allusions to "The Wasteland" aside, Kroll's review is less about the film and more about the prevalence of misogyny. Kroll is perhaps too kind to Clay in this regard. Clay's popularity reminds me of the racist jokes early Nazis told, while even the Jews in the audiences of Munich and Berlin laughed. At first. Yes, my gender influences how I see Andrew Dice Clay, but my sex does not keep me from seeing the film in spite of the comedian. Ford Fairlane can flop on its own without any additional damage from the Diceman.
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Writing a Film Review Firstly, you need to think of an imaginative title. For instance, if you were writing a review of a Star Wars film, perhaps a good title could be, Love and War amongst the Stars. This title gives a very brief idea of the nature of the film and provides a starting point for the reader to focus on. The title might also give an indication of whether the rest of your review will be positive or negative (suggesting if you liked it or not). The second stage (the opening paragraph) is to give a brief synopsis (summary) of the film. You can also state your early opinions here, but don t give too much away too soon. Your aim is to make the audience want to finish the article. After the synopsis, go into detail about what you thought of the film. Was it thought provoking? Did it have lasting images and ideas that particularly enthralled you? Did you think that it was a complete turkey? Whatever you view is, it is important to stress it in a comprehensible manner. Examine the film more closely, try to go into detail about the many ideas contained within the film. Don t forget what you enjoyed and remembered from the images and ideas in the film. These are what could be the deciding factor in whether or not the reader actually goes to see the film themselves. If you really enjoyed it or really hated it, make it clear. It is necessary to break the film down into its separate parts. You should spend time stating which parts of the film worked for you. Was the setting and atmosphere successful? Did the plot flow all the way through the film or did it become disjointed and messy part of the way through? You must also look carefully into the characterization. A close examination of the key roles in the feature will provide your audience with a better idea of how the film is going to be. Never simply say that you loved or hated a certain movie without giving your reasons. Always explain why you feel the way you do and back it up with descriptive examples. Even though your review should show from the start what your opinions are, at the end of the piece you should give a conclusion that states strongly what you thought. Structure in a Nutshell!! 1. Title catchy, can indicate if review will be positive or negative, you can play with words to make it funny or different 2. Paragraph 1 Opening paragraph can start to summarize film and give early suggestions about your general view of it (positive/negative). 3. Paragraph 2 Start or continue summary of film, don t give details about the ending or else no one will go and see the film!! 4. Paragraph 3 and 4 positive things you thought about the film, what did you like? Why? Use descriptive words, think about the story, setting, effects used, music used 5. Paragraph 5 and 6 negative things you thought about the film, what didn t you like? Why? Comment on the same type of things that you mentioned in paragraphs 3 and 4 6. Paragraph 7 and 8 Characterization talk about the characters, did you like them? Did the actors play them well? What was it about their portrayal that you liked or didn t like? Other impressions of the characters, will certain audience members be able to relate to certain characters? How? Will certain audience members not like certain characters? Why not? 7. Paragraph 9 Final comments general comments that summarize your view of the film, you may want to say something inspiring to get the reader to want to go out and see the film or you might say something that would turn them away from seeing it! After the paragraph you would give it a star rating out of 5 to indicate your rating for it.