The Art of Watching Films, 8th Edition

Cover Page......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Copyright Page......Page 3
Dedication......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Preface......Page 11
Half Title Page......Page 18
1 The Art of Watching Films......Page 19
What Makes Film Unique......Page 20
Increasing Realism as Technology Evolves......Page 21
THE CHALLENGES OF FILM ANALYSIS......Page 22
The Two Sides Can Coexist: This Book’s Position......Page 23
BECOMING A RECEPTIVE VIEWER......Page 25
Be Aware of Personal Biases......Page 26
THE FILM-VIEWING ENVIRONMENT......Page 27
PREPARING TO SEE A FILM......Page 31
Analyzing Your Responses to a Film......Page 33
2 Thematic Elements......Page 34
Focus on Emotional Effect or Mood......Page 35
Focus on Style or Texture or Structure......Page 37
Focus on Ideas......Page 39
IDENTIFYING THE THEME......Page 45
EVALUATING THE THEME......Page 46
Analyzing Theme......Page 47
Films for Study......Page 48
3 Fictional and Dramatic Elements......Page 50
A Good Story Is Unified in Plot......Page 51
A Good Story Is Credible......Page 52
A Good Story Is Interesting......Page 54
A Good Story Is Both Simple and Complex......Page 57
A Good Story Handles Emotional Material With Restraint......Page 58
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE......Page 60
Nonlinear Structures......Page 61
Endings: Fine-Tuning the Dénouement......Page 62
CONFLICT......Page 64
CHARACTERIZATION......Page 66
Characterization Through Dialogue......Page 67
Characterization Through External Action......Page 68
Characterization Through Reactions of Other Characters......Page 69
Characterization Through Contrast: Dramatic Foils......Page 70
Characterization Through Choice of Name......Page 71
Varieties of Characters......Page 72
ALLEGORY......Page 75
Universal and Natural Symbols......Page 76
Creating Symbolic Meanings......Page 77
Symbolic Patterns and Progressions......Page 80
Metaphors......Page 81
Overreading Symbolism......Page 82
Irony of Situation......Page 83
Irony of Character......Page 84
Irony of Tone......Page 85
Analyzing Fictional and Dramatic Elements......Page 86
Watching for Fictional and Dramatic Elements......Page 88
Mini-Movie Exercise: The Graduate......Page 89
Films for Study......Page 90
4 Visual Design......Page 91
COLOR VERSUS BLACK AND WHITE......Page 92
SCREEN FORMAT (ASPECT RATIO)......Page 93
FILM STOCK AND HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEOGRAPHY......Page 96
PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION......Page 97
The Script: The Starting Point......Page 98
Setting and Its Effects......Page 99
Studio Versus Location Shooting......Page 104
Living Spaces and Offices......Page 106
Fantasy Worlds......Page 107
COSTUME AND MAKEUP DESIGN......Page 108
LIGHTING......Page 111
Analyzing Visual Design......Page 115
Mini-Movie Exercise II: Fantastic Mr. Fox......Page 117
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 118
Films for Study......Page 119
5 Cinematography and Special Visual Effects......Page 120
THE CINEMATIC FILM......Page 121
CINEMATIC POINTS OF VIEW......Page 122
Objective Point of View......Page 123
Subjective Point of View......Page 124
Indirect-Subjective Point of View......Page 125
Director’s Interpretive Point of View......Page 127
ELEMENTS OF CINEMATIC COMPOSITION......Page 128
Focusing Attention on the Most Significant Object......Page 129
Keeping the Image in Motion......Page 133
Creating an Illusion of Depth......Page 137
Handheld Camera......Page 144
Camera Angles......Page 145
Color, Diffusion, and Soft Focus......Page 146
Special Lenses......Page 148
Fast Motion......Page 149
MOVIE MAGIC: SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN THE MODERN FILM......Page 150
THE F/X OF ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS . . . ESPECIALLY FOR ADULTS......Page 158
FLASHBACK: ANIMATION: ONCE AN OPENING ACT, NOW A MAIN EVENT......Page 159
Analyzing Cinematography and Special Visual Effects......Page 166
Mini-Movie Exercise: Cinematography......Page 167
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 168
Films for Study......Page 170
6 Editing......Page 172
SELECTIVITY......Page 174
FLASHBACK: FILM EDITORS: A HISTORY BEHIND THE SCENES......Page 175
TRANSITIONS......Page 177
RHYTHMS, TEMPO, AND TIME CONTROL......Page 187
EXPANSION AND COMPRESSION OF TIME......Page 188
SLOW MOTION......Page 189
The Freeze Frame......Page 198
The Thawed Frame......Page 199
CREATIVE JUXTAPOSITION: MONTAGE......Page 200
Analyzing Editing......Page 201
Mini-Movie Exercise I: New York Stories......Page 204
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 205
Films for Study......Page 206
7 Color......Page 207
FLASHBACK: DISCOVERING COLOR AT THE MOVIES......Page 211
Effects of Color on the Viewer......Page 213
Color as a Transitional Device......Page 216
Expressionistic Use of Color......Page 219
Color as Symbol......Page 220
Surrealistic Use of Color......Page 221
Color to Enhance Mood......Page 222
Comic Book Color......Page 223
Painterly Effects in Color......Page 224
Ironic Use of Color......Page 226
COLOR VERSUS BLACK AND WHITE......Page 227
Analyzing Color......Page 232
Mini-Movie Exercise: Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams......Page 233
Films for Study......Page 234
8 Sound Effects and Dialogue......Page 236
SOUND AND THE MODERN FILM......Page 237
DIALOGUE......Page 238
THREE-DIMENSIONALITY IN SOUND......Page 239
VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE SOUND......Page 241
POINTS OF VIEW IN SOUND......Page 243
Sound Effects to Tell an Inner Story......Page 245
Slow-Motion Sound......Page 247
Ironic Juxtaposition of Sound and Image......Page 248
Placing Unusual Emphasis on Sound......Page 249
Using Sound for Texture, Time, and Temperature......Page 250
SOUND AS A PLOT DEVICE......Page 251
SOUND AS A TRANSITIONAL ELEMENT......Page 252
VOICE-OVER NARRATION......Page 253
SILENCE AS A SOUND EFFECT......Page 257
Voice Dubbing......Page 258
Subtitles......Page 260
Analyzing Sound Effects and Dialogue......Page 261
Mini-Movie Exercise: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”......Page 262
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 263
Films for Study......Page 264
9 The Musical Score......Page 266
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MUSICAL SCORE......Page 267
GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF THE MUSICAL SCORE......Page 268
Telling an Inner Story......Page 270
Providing a Sense of Time and Place......Page 271
Foreshadowing Events or Building Dramatic Tension......Page 272
Adding Levels of Meaning to the Visual Image......Page 273
Characterization Through Music......Page 274
Triggering Conditioned Responses......Page 276
Providing Important Transitions......Page 277
Music as Interior Monologue......Page 278
Music as a Base for Choreographed Action......Page 279
Covering Possible Weaknesses in the Film......Page 281
BALANCING THE SCORE......Page 282
Analyzing the Musical Score......Page 284
Watching for the Musical Score......Page 285
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 286
Films for Study......Page 289
10 Acting......Page 290
THE GOAL OF THE ACTOR......Page 291
BECOMING THE CHARACTER......Page 292
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FILM ACTING AND STAGE ACTING......Page 293
FLASHBACK: SILENT ACTING EVOLVES: THE SUBTLETIES OF EXAGGERATION......Page 297
Interpreters and Commentators......Page 301
THE STAR SYSTEM......Page 302
CASTING......Page 304
Casting Problems......Page 307
The Typecasting Trap......Page 308
Supporting Players......Page 311
Special Casting Challenges......Page 313
Extras and Small Parts......Page 315
ACTORS AS CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS......Page 316
SUBJECTIVE RESPONSES TO ACTORS......Page 319
Analyzing Acting......Page 320
Watching for Acting......Page 321
Mini-Movie Exercise II: Coffee and Cigarettes......Page 322
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 323
Films for Study......Page 325
11 The Director’s Style......Page 326
THE CONCEPT OF STYLE......Page 329
SUBJECT MATTER......Page 330
CINEMATOGRAPHY......Page 333
EDITING......Page 335
SOUND AND SCORE......Page 336
CASTING AND ACTING PERFORMANCES......Page 337
SCREENPLAYS AND NARRATIVE STRUCTURE......Page 338
EVOLVING STYLES AND FLEXIBILITY......Page 341
SPECIAL EDITION: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT......Page 344
A PORTFOLIO OF FOUR DIRECTORS......Page 346
Analyzing a Director’s Style......Page 355
Mini-Movie Exercise II: Paris, Je T’Aime......Page 357
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 359
Films for Study......Page 361
12 Analysis of the Whole Film......Page 363
Theme......Page 364
The Relationship of the Parts to the Whole......Page 365
Objective Evaluation of the Film......Page 366
The Film as Showcase for the Actor: The Personality Cult......Page 368
The Film as Product of a Single Creative Mind: The Auteur Approach......Page 369
The Film as Moral, Philosophical, or Social Statement......Page 370
The Film as Repeated Form: The Genre Approach......Page 371
The Film as Political Statement......Page 372
The Film as Gender or Racial Statement......Page 373
The Film as Insight to the Mind: The Psychoanalytical Approach......Page 375
The Eclectic Approach......Page 377
EVALUATING THE REVIEWER......Page 379
DEVELOPING PERSONAL CRITERIA......Page 380
Analyzing the Whole Film......Page 382
Mini-Movie Exercise II: Nine Lives......Page 384
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 385
Films for Study......Page 386
13 Adaptations......Page 387
Change in Medium......Page 388
Change in Creative Artists......Page 389
Cinematic Potential of the Original Work......Page 390
Literary Versus Cinematic Points of View......Page 391
FLASHBACK: THE WRITER’S PLACE IN HOLLYWOOD......Page 393
First-Person Point of View: Challenges......Page 395
The Problem of Length and Depth......Page 397
Philosophical Reflections......Page 398
Summarizing a Character’s Past......Page 399
The Challenge of Summarizing Events......Page 400
Literary Past Tense Versus Cinematic Present Tense......Page 401
Other Factors Influencing Adaptations of Fiction......Page 402
Structural Divisions......Page 404
Sense of Space......Page 405
Stage Conventions Versus Cinema Conventions......Page 407
Other Changes......Page 409
FROM FACT TO FILM: REALITY TO MYTH......Page 410
Analyzing Adaptations......Page 414
Mini-Movie Exercise: “Hills Like White Elephants”......Page 416
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 417
Films for Study......Page 418
14 Genre Films, Remakes, and Sequels......Page 420
GENRE FILMS......Page 421
The Strengths of Genre Films......Page 422
Basic Genre Conventions—And Their Variations......Page 423
REMAKES AND SEQUELS......Page 437
Remakes......Page 439
Sequels......Page 441
Analyzing Genre Films, Remakes, and Sequels......Page 447
Mini-Movie Exercise: Frankenweenie......Page 448
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 449
Films for Study......Page 450
15 Film and Society......Page 454
FILM FOREIGNNESS......Page 455
DOES AMERICAN FILM SHAPE OR REFLECT SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VALUES?......Page 457
THE MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION CODE, 1930–1960......Page 459
EXCERPTS FROM THE MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION CODE......Page 460
CENSORSHIP IN TRANSITION, 1948–1968......Page 464
THE MPAA RATING SYSTEM......Page 466
MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA VOLUNTARY MOVIE RATING SYSTEM......Page 467
BEYOND THE CODE AND RATING SYSTEM......Page 471
CHANGING FORMULAS FOR THE TREATMENT OF SEX, VIOLENCE, AND LANGUAGE......Page 474
SOCIAL PROBLEM FILMS AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING......Page 477
FLASHBACK: FILMING LIFE: A HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENTARY......Page 481
Analyzing Films in Society......Page 485
DVD Filmmaking Extras......Page 487
Films for Study......Page 489
Notes......Page 492
Glossary......Page 498
Index......Page 506
Credits......Page 528