9780073386171

With an emphasis on the narrative film, The Art of Watching Filmschallenges students to take their film experience further by sharpening their powers of observation, developing the skills and habits of perceptive watching, and discovering complex aspects of Film art that they might otherwise overlook.The first chapter offers a rationale for film analysis while providing suggestions for deepening film appreciation from day one of the course. Following Chapter One, the text presents a foundation for understanding theme and story, key aspects of understanding narrative films (Chapters 2 and 3), before moving on to discussions of dramatic and cinematic elements (Chapters 4 to 11). A framework for integration and application of these elements into an analysis of the whole film is set forth in Chapter 12. Subsequent chapters explore special topics including adaptations, genre films, re-makes, and sequels. The Art of Watching Filmsintroduces the formal elements and production process of films, and helps students analytically view and understand films within their historical, cultural and social contexts. The text presents an analytical framework that can be applied to all movies, as distinctly different as Avatar, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vertigo, Iron-Man, Man on Wire, and The Hurt Locker.

PREFACE
1. The Art of Watching Films
THE UNIQUENESS OF FILM
Increasing Realism as Technology Evolves
THE CHALLENGES OF FILM ANALYSIS
THE VALUE OF FILM ANALYSIS
Either/Or Positions About Film Analysis
The Two Sides Can Coexist: This Book’s Position
Analysis Enhances Our Love of Films
BECOMING A RECEPTIVE VIEWER
Be Aware of Personal Biases
Watch the Film
Consider Your Expectations
THE FILM-VIEWING ENVIRONMENT
PREPARING TO SEE A FILM
DEEPENING OUR RESPONSES TO FILMS
Analyzing Your Responses to a Film
2. Thematic Elements
THEME AND FOCUS
Focus on Plot
Focus on Emotional Effect or Mood
Focus on Character
Focus on Style or Texture or Structure
Focus on Ideas
IDENTIFYING THE THEME
EVALUATING THE THEME
Analyzing Theme
Watching for Theme
Films for Study
3. Fictional and Dramatic Elements
FILM ANALYSIS AND LITERARY ANALYSIS
THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY
A Good Story Is Unified in Plot
A Good Story Is Credible
A Good Story Is Interesting
A Good Story Is Both Simple and Complex
A Good Story Handles Emotional Material with Restraint
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE
DRAMATIC STRUCTURE
Linear, or Chronological, Structure
Nonlinear Structures
Endings: Fine-Tuning the Dénouement
CONFLICT
CHARACTERIZATION
Characterization Through Appearance
Characterization Through Dialogue
Characterization Through External Action
Characterization Through Internal Action
Characterization Through Reactions of Other Characters
Characterization Through Contrast: Dramatic Foils
Characterization Through Caricature and Leitmotif
Characterization Through Choice of Name
Varieties of Characters
ALLEGORY
SYMBOLISM
Universal and Natural Symbols
Creating Symbolic Meanings
Symbolic Patterns and Progressions
Symbolic Values in Conflict
Metaphors
Overreading Symbolism
IRONY
Dramatic Irony
Irony of Situation
Irony of Character
Irony of Setting
Irony of Tone
Cosmic Irony
Analyzing Fictional and Dramatic Elements
Watching for Fictional and Dramatic Elements
Mini-Movie Exercise: The Graduate
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
4. Visual Design
COLOR VERSUS BLACK AND WHITE
SCREEN FORMAT (ASPECT RATIO)
FILM STOCK
PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION
The Script: The Starting Point
Setting and Its Effects
Studio Versus Location Shooting
Period Pieces
Living Spaces and Offices
Fantasy Worlds
COSTUME AND MAKEUP DESIGN
LIGHTING
THE BUDGET’S EFFECT ON THE FILM’S LOOK
Analyzing Visual Design
Watching for Visual Design: Dressed to Kill
Mini-Movie Exercise: Dressed to Kill
Mini-Movie Exercise: Fantastic Mr. Fox
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
5. Cinematography and Special Visual Effects
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VISUAL IMAGE
THE CINEMATIC FILM
CINEMATIC POINTS OF VIEW
Objective Point of View
Subjective Point of View
Indirect-Subjective Point of View
Director’s Interpretive Point of View
ELEMENTS OF CINEMATIC COMPOSITION
Focusing Attention on the Most Significant Object
Keeping the Image in Motion
Creating an Illusion of Depth
SPECIALIZED CINEMATIC TECHNIQUES
Handheld Camera
Camera Angles
Color, Diffusion, and Soft Focus
Special Lenses
Fast Motion
Special Lighting Effects
MOVIE MAGIC: VISUAL EFFECTS IN THE MODERN FILM
THE F/X OF ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS . . . ESPECIALLY FOR ADULTS
FLASHBACK: ANIMATION: ONCE AN OPENING ACT, NOW A MAIN EVENT
Analyzing Cinematography and Special Visual Effects
Watching for Cinematography and Special Visual Effects
Mini-Movie Exercise: Cinematography
Mini-Movie Exercise: Animated FX
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
6. Editing
SELECTIVITY
FLASHBACK: FILM EDITORS: A HISTORY BEHIND THE SCENES
COHERENCE, CONTINUITY, AND RHYTHM
TRANSITIONS
RHYTHMS, TEMPO, AND TIME CONTROL
EXPANSION AND COMPRESSION OF TIME
SLOW MOTION
THE FREEZE FRAME, THE THAWED FRAME, AND STILLS
The Freeze Frame
The Thawed Frame
Stills
CREATIVE JUXTAPOSITION: MONTAGE
Analyzing Editing
Watching for Editing
Mini-Movie Exercise: The New York Stories
Mini-Movie Exercise: Lord of War
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
7. Color
COLOR IN THE MODERN FILM
Effects of Color on the Viewer
FLASHBACK: DISCOVERING COLOR AT THE MOVIIES
Color as a Transitional Device
Expressionistic Use of Color
Color as Symbol
Surrealistic Use of Color
Leitmotifs in Color
Color to Enhance Mood
Comic Book Color
Comic Strip Color
Painterly Effects in Color
Ironic Use of Color
Special Color Effects
COLOR VERSUS BLACK AND WHITE
Analyzing Color
Watching for Color
Mini-Movie Exercise: Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
8. Sound Effects and Dialogue
SOUND AND THE MODERN FILM
DIALOGUE
THREE-DIMENSIONALITY IN SOUND
VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE SOUND
POINTS OF VIEW IN SOUND
SPECIAL USES OF SOUND EFFECTS AND DIALOGUE
Sound Effects to Tell an Inner Story
Distortion of Sound to Suggest Subjective States
The “Personality” of Mechanical Sounds
Slow-Motion Sound
Ironic Juxtaposition of Sound and Image
Placing Unusual Emphasis on Sound
Using Sound for Texture, Time, and Temperature
SOUND AS A PLOT DEVICE
SOUND AS A TRANSITIONAL ELEMENT
VOICE-OVER NARRATION
SILENCE AS A SOUND EFFECT
RHYTHMIC QUALITIES OF DIALOGUE AND SOUND EFFECTS
THE “SOUNDS” OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR INTERNATIONAL FILMS
Voice Dubbing
Subtitles
Analyzing Sound Effects and Dialogue
Watching for Sound Effects and Dialogue
Mini-Movie Exercise: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
9. The Musical Score
THE REMARKABLE AFFINITY OF MUSIC AND FILM
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MUSICAL SCORE
GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF THE MUSICAL SCORE
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE MUSICAL SCORE
Heightening the Dramatic Effect of Dialogue
Telling an Inner Story
Providing a Sense of Time and Place
Foreshadowing Events or Building Dramatic Tension
Adding Levels of Meaning to the Visual Image
Characterization Through Music
Triggering Conditioned Responses
Traveling Music
Providing Important Transitions
Setting an Initial Tone
Musical Sounds as Part of the Score
Music as Interior Monologue
Music as a Base for Choreographed Action
Covering Possible Weaknesses in the Film
SYNTHESIZER SCORING
BALANCING THE SCORE
Analyzing the Musical Score
Watching for the Musical Score
Mini-Movie Exercise: Diva
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
10. Acting
THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTING
THE GOAL OF THE ACTOR
BECOMING THE CHARACTER
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FILM ACTING AND STAGE ACTING
FLASHBACK: SILENT ACTING EVOLVES: THE SUBTLTIES OF EXAGGERATION
TYPES OF ACTORS
Impersonators
Interpreters and Commentators
Personality Actors
THE STAR SYSTEM
CASTING
Casting Problems
The Typecasting Trap
Supporting Players
Special Casting Challenges
Extras and Small Parts
ACTORS AS CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS
SUBJECTIVE RESPONSES TO ACTORS
Analyzing Acting
Watching for Acting
Mini-Movie Exercise: Being There
Mini-Movie Exercise: Coffee and Cigarettes
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
11. The Director’s Style
THE CONCEPT OF STYLE
SUBJECT MATTER
CINEMATOGRAPHY
EDITING
SETTING AND SET DESIGN
SOUND AND SCORE
CASTING AND ACTING PERFORMANCES
SCREENPLAYS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
EVOLVING STYLES AND FLEXIBILITY
SPECIAL EDITION: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT
A PORTFOLIO OF FOUR DIRECTORS
Analyzing a Director’s Style
Mini-Movie Exercise: It Happened One Night
Mini-Movie Exercise: Paris, Je T’aime
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
12. Analysis of the Whole Film
THE BASIC APPROACH: WATCHING, ANALYZING, AND EVALUATING THE FILM
Theme
The Relationship of the Parts to the Whole
The Film’s Level of Ambition
Objective Evaluation of the Film
Subjective Evaluation of the Film
OTHER APPROACHES TO ANALYSIS, EVALUATION, AND DISCUSSION
The Film as Technical Achievement
The Film as Showcase for the Actor: The Personality Cult
The Film as Product of a Single Creative Mind: The Auteur Approach
The Film as Moral, Philosophical, or Social Statement
The Film as Emotional or Sensual Experience
The Film as Repeated Form: The Genre Approach
The Film as Political Statement
The Film as Gender Statement
The Film as Insight to the Mind: The Psychoanalytical
Approach
The Eclectic Approach
REREADING THE REVIEWS
EVALUATING THE REVIEWER
DEVELOPING PERSONAL CRITERIA
Analyzing the Whole Film
Mini-Movie Exercise I: La Jetée
Mini-Movie Exercise II: Nine Lives
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
13. Adaptations
THE PROBLEMS OF ADAPTATION
Change in Medium
Change in Creative Artists
Cinematic Potential of the Original Work
ADAPTATIONS OF PROSE FICTION
Literary Versus Cinematic Points of View
FLASHBACK: THE WRITER’S PLACE IN HOLLYWOOD
Third-Person Point of View: Challenges
First-Person Point of View: Challenges
The Problem of Length and Depth
Philosophical Reflections
Summarizing a Character’s Past
The Challenge of Summarizing Events
Literary Past Tense Versus Cinematic Present Tense
Other Factors Influencing Adaptations of Fiction
ADAPTATIONS OF PLAYS
Structural Divisions
Sense of Space
Film Language Versus Stage Language
Stage Conventions Versus Cinema Conventions
Other Changes
FROM FACT TO FILM: REALITY TO MYTH
Analyzing Adaptations
Mini-Movie Exercise: “Hills Like White Elephants”
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
14. Genre Films, Remakes, and Sequels
GENRE FILMS
Values
The Strengths of Genre Films
Basic Genre Conventions—and Their Variations
REMAKES AND SEQUELS
Remakes
Sequels
Analyzing Genre Films, Remakes, and Sequels
Mini-Movie Exercise: Frankenweenie
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
15. Film and Society
FILM FOREIGNNESS
“Strange Silents”
DOES AMERICAN FILM SHAPE OR REFLECT SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VALUES?
THE MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION CODE, 1930–1960
Excerpts from the Motion Picture Production Code
CENSORSHIP IN TRANSITION, 1948–1968
THE MPAA RATING SYSTEM
Motion Picture Association of American Voluntary Movie Rating System
CENSORSHIP AND FILMS ON TELEVISION
BEYOND THE CODE AND RATING SYSTEM
CHANGING FORMULAS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SEX, VIOLENCE, AND LANGUAGE
SOCIAL PROBLEM FILMS AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
FLASHBACK: FILMING LIFE: A HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENTARY
Analyzing Films in Society
Mini-Movie Exercise: Me La Debes
DVD Filmmaking Extras
Films for Study
NOTES
GLOSSARY
INDEX
CREDITS

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The Art of Watching Films

The Art of Watching Films

0073386170

Summary

Table of Contents

1. The Art of Watching Films

THE UNIQUENESS OF FILM

Increasing Realism as Technology Evolves

THE CHALLENGES OF FILM ANALYSIS

THE VALUE OF FILM ANALYSIS

Either/Or Positions About Film Analysis

The Two Sides Can Coexist: This Book’s Position

Analysis Enhances Our Love of Films

BECOMING A RECEPTIVE VIEWER

Be Aware of Personal Biases

Watch the Film

Consider Your Expectations

THE FILM-VIEWING ENVIRONMENT

PREPARING TO SEE A FILM

DEEPENING OUR RESPONSES TO FILMS

Analyzing Your Responses to a Film

2. Thematic Elements

THEME AND FOCUS

Focus on Plot

Focus on Emotional Effect or Mood

Focus on Character

Focus on Style or Texture or Structure

Focus on Ideas

IDENTIFYING THE THEME

EVALUATING THE THEME

Analyzing Theme

Watching for Theme

Films for Study

3. Fictional and Dramatic Elements

FILM ANALYSIS AND LITERARY ANALYSIS

THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD STORY

A Good Story Is Unified in Plot

A Good Story Is Credible

A Good Story Is Interesting

A Good Story Is Both Simple and Complex

A Good Story Handles Emotional Material with Restraint

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE

Linear, or Chronological, Structure

Nonlinear Structures

Endings: Fine-Tuning the Dénouement

CONFLICT

CHARACTERIZATION

Characterization Through Appearance

Characterization Through Dialogue

Characterization Through External Action

Characterization Through Internal Action

Characterization Through Reactions of Other Characters

Characterization Through Contrast: Dramatic Foils

Characterization Through Caricature and Leitmotif

Characterization Through Choice of Name

Varieties of Characters

ALLEGORY

SYMBOLISM

Universal and Natural Symbols

Creating Symbolic Meanings

Symbolic Patterns and Progressions

Symbolic Values in Conflict

Metaphors

Overreading Symbolism

IRONY

Dramatic Irony

Irony of Situation

Irony of Character

Irony of Setting

Irony of Tone

Cosmic Irony

Analyzing Fictional and Dramatic Elements

Watching for Fictional and Dramatic Elements

Mini-Movie Exercise: The Graduate

DVD Filmmaking Extras

Films for Study

4. Visual Design