“READING” FILMS Taken from: Silverman, J, and D. Rader. The World is a Text

FILM TECHNIQUE

Camera Angles and Positioning How is the camera placed? Is it high, low, to the side? How does it move? Is it a handheld camera or is it stationary? How does it determine how you see the movie? Blair Witch Project, Citizen Kane

Lighting Light and shading are very important. Are there shadows? Is the film shot during the day or mostly at night? How do shadows and light affect the movie and your experience of it? Kalifornia, Forrest Gump

Color and Framing Often, directors try to give certain scenes an artistic feel Is the shot framed similar to a painting or photograph? Does the movie use color to elicit emotions? How does the movie frame or represent nature? Sin City, Kill Bill, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Pleasantville

CONTENT

Theme and Ideology What are the themes in the movie? What point is the director or writer trying to get across? What ideas or political leanings does the movie convey? Are there particular philosophies or concepts that influence the message the movie sends? Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Norma Rae, Terminator, Avatar

THE WHOLE PACKAGE

Celebrities What movie stars appear or don’t appear in the movie? How do certain stars determine the kind of movie a film is? Do the actors ever look ugly or dirty or tired or sloppy? Jennifer Aniston, Ashton Kutcher, Humphrey Bogart, Al Pacino, John Wayne

Technology What kind of technology is at work in the film? How do special effects or stunts or pyrotechnics affect the film viewing experience? Avatar, Aliens, Terminator, Mission Impossible

Genre What genre does a particular movie fit into? Why? What are the expectations of that genre?

Culture As a cultural document, a cultural text, what does this movie say about its culture? How does it transmit values? What kinds of ideas and values does it hold up to or condemn? Lord of the Rings, James Bond, Milk, Kramer vs. Kramer, Born on the 4th of July,