Viewing Films Actively Written Responses to Film

According to Corrigan “Writing about films can serve one or several functions. It can help you: Understand your own response to a movie better Convince others why you like or dislike a film Explain or introduce something about a movie, filmmaker, or a group of movies that your readers may not know Make comparisons and contrasts between one movie and others, as a way of understanding them better Make connections between a movie and other areas of culture in order to illuminate both the culture and the movies it produces.”

Three ways of looking at a movie Analyzing Films Three ways of looking at a movie

Literary Aspects of Film Those aspects that films share with literature: plot characters setting themes point of view recurring images symbols

Questions to ask when viewing on a Literary Level: Who are the characters? What is the setting? What is the plot? From whose point of view is the story told? What is the film’s theme? Are there any symbols or recurring images?

Dramatic Aspects of Film Those elements film shares with live drama: actors portraying characters through dialogue, costumes, and makeup sets and/or locations directors who leave personal stamp on final product

Questions to ask when viewing on a dramatic level: How effective is the acting? Why? How does the set affect understanding and enjoyment of the story? How are the costumes and makeup effective in establishing a character?

Cinematic Aspects of Film Camera shots Camera angles Transitions between scenes Requires some knowledge of technical terms Sound effects and music

“…film is one medium which cuts across diversities of ability, student background and communication modes. When film is effectively integrated into the curriculum, it touches upon a wide variety of skill areas.” Resch and Schicker