1. © copyright Myrna Monllor Jiménez 2007
The Language of Film
© copyright Myrna Monllor Jiménez 2007

2. The great thing about literature is that you can imagine, the great thing about film is that you can’t. James Monaco, How to Read a Film

3. The better a viewer reads an image the
more he/she understands:
Its physical reality
What it means based on cultural references
Its various sets of meanings

4. When you look at a frame, one of the first things to consider is distance.
How much do you see of the character(s)?
Is it a close up?
Is it a full shot?
Is it a medium shot?
Can you see the whole body or a part of the body?

5. American Beauty (1999)

6. In general the closer the camera gets to the characters, the closer the viewer feels towards the characters.
This is why close ups are often used for:
love scenes
scenes where the character is suffering or
fearful
any other scene where the viewer is supposed
to understand what the character is feeling.

7. As the camera moves further away from the character(s), the viewer is provided more information about them or about their situation.
From Rosemary’s Baby 1968
From Babel 2006

8. The further the camera is from the subject, the more
distant you will feel from what is happening in the scene
or to the character(s). lets the
audience have a look at the subject in relation to its
surrounding.

9. The Establishing Shot
The Illusionist 2006
It lets the audience have a look at the subject in relation to its
surroundings. It usually appears at the beginning of a film or
scene to establish the setting or to introduce a film.

10. The Two-Shot
Avatar 2009
Makes two characters the subject of the frame. It allows you to
understand how the characters interact and react to each other.

11. Another thing you should consider when observing
A frame is the angle or camera position.
Was the frame shot from high above?
(a high angle)
Was it shot at eye level?
Was it shot from a low angle?

12. A frame shot from a high angle is often referred to as God’s eye view because it suggests that ‘someone’ is observing the characters. It can suggest danger and helplessness.

13. Apocalypto 2007
The Fountain

14. A frame shot from a low angle makes the subject seem larger.
Citizen Kane 1941
The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946

15. The Dark Knight 2008

16. Inglorious Basterds 2009

17. A character that seems larger than another in a frame is usually the dominant character.
From Double Indemnity 1944
From Letter from an Unknown Woman 1948
From
Gone with the Wind
1939
From Rebecca
1940

18. The Departed 2006

19. A canted angle suggests that something is wrong either in the character or the story’s situation.

20. Artificial Intelligence 2001

21. Besides shots and angles, you should also watch for symbols.
Some common symbols are:
Images of entrapment are usually shown through characters framed by doors, gates, or confined spaces (like closets).
From The Kid 1921
From Carrie 1976

22. Pan’s Labyrinth 2006
Atonement 2007

23. The Hours 2002
The Ring 2002
The Painted Veil 2006

24. A Beautiful Mind 2001
The Departed 2006

25. Images of duality are usually represented by characters reflected in mirrors , water, glass.
Psycho 1960

26. The Matrix 2003
Taxi Driver 1976
The Lady from Shanghai,1947

27. Mulholland Drive 2001

28. Black Swan 2010

29. Stairs, dark alleys, canted angles, darkness enveloping a character, seeing only part of a character are some images of imminent danger.
From The French Connection
From Silence of the Lambs
From Halloween
From Kiss Me Deadly

30. From The Sixth Sense
From The Others

31. Light cutting through a character(s), lines
which divide the frame, usually mark images of characters that are in turmoil.
From Blade Runner
From The Usual Suspects
From The Awful Truth

32. Sweeney Todd 2007

33. Christ figures/Biblical References
Other Symbols
Christ figures/Biblical References
From Dead Man Walking
Crosses
From The Omen
Pan’s Labyrinth

34. From Hell 2001

35. Inception 2010
Shadows
The top

36. Rebirth
Color
From Schindler’s List

37. Eyes From The Blair Witch Project From Un Perro Andaluz From Psycho
From Spellbound

38. Destruction or desecration of symbols
Blood
Destruction or desecration of
symbols
From Planet of the Apes

39. Trains
Slumdog Millionaire 2008

40. The Moon Water Trees Roads …and many others From Jaws From E.T.
From North by Northwest
…and many others

41. From Collateral
From The Ring
From Alexander
From Superman
The Black Dahlia

42. Other definitions Cliché- overuse of situations, symbols
Voice over-a narrator whose voice is heard throughout a film
Restricted narration-limited to one character
Omniscient narration-changes from one character to another, the viewer receives information from many sources.

43. Auteurs/genre
An auteur is a director who manifests a consistency of style and theme across his/her films. Auteur films are inventive and creative. Auteur films emphasize their uniqueness.
Genre refers to a mass produced product of the Hollywood film industry.It studies the conventions of certain kinds of films. Genre categorizes films according to their thematic and visual similarities.Genres are not static, they evolve. They also create certain expectations in the viewer.

44. Bibliography
Buckland, Warren. Teach Yourself Film studies.
Hodder & Stoughton, 1998.
Monaco James, How to Read a Film.
Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 2000.
Copyright 2011©Myrna Monllor Jiménez