ELEMENTS OF FILM ANALYSIS (some topics and issues to consider and write about) * Setting (Geographical, Historical, Social

Milieu) * Atmosphere (Mood) * Cinematography (Camera Placement and Movement; Lighting; Color; Focus; Frame Composition, etc.) * Lighting (Realist; Romantic; Expressive; "Dark"; "Surreal") * Decor/Clothing * Pace (Fast-Paced; Slow-Paced; "Meditative"; "Poetic") * Images, Symbols * Sound (Realistic; Expressive; Simple vs. Multi-Layered) * Music (Soundtrack vs. Source) * Editing--Cutting for Continuity; Cutting Within a Scene; Cross-Cutting (Parallel Editing); Metaphorical/Symbolic Cutting * Character (Complexity, Development, Believability) * Acting (Professional/Non-Professional; Realistic; Stylized/Symbolic) * Plot (Story, Subplots, Drama) * Narrative Structure (Straightforward vs. Complex; Flashbacks) * Conflict * Point of View * Genre * Themes (Issues, Ideological Conflicts, Lessons Learned) ... and post to our LIST! sample: Citizen Kane is a good film because it effectively uses film language on many different levels. The camera work and lighting are so meticulous that with each viewing there is more to see and appreciate. The way the film is laid out also sets it apart. The beginning of the film is actually the ending of the story because in the opening scene the main character, Kane utters the last words of "rosebud" and then dies. This sets the stage for the retelling of his life and the search for the mysterious origins of "rosebud". In Citizen Kane it is really the small things that make the film so effective. A good scene that illustrates this point is in the beginning when young Kane is playing outside his house and his parents are talking about what is going to happen to him. As his parents talk they are the focus of the shot and are in the foreground but in the background

framed through a window we can see young Kane playing out in the snow. This type of shot is used later in the film when Kane throws a party for his newspaper. Leland and Mr. Burnstein are talking about Kane and we see a reflection of him dancing in a window, framed almost the same as the shot when he was a child. This film also uses low angle shots quite often which make the characters seem larger than life. These low angle shots are most noticeable when Kane is first starting out as an adult and after he loses the election. Mise-en-scene is also an essential element of this film. In the scene where Leland is passed out on his typewriter the bottle of alcohol is placed prominently in the frame, this type of shot is repeated when Susan O.D.'s and the sedative is placed in the close foreground of the shot. The use of focus in Citizen Kane gives the viewer insight into what the characters are thinking or feeling. Often throughout the film when Kane is talking business he will go out of focus and only Leland will be in sharp focus. It is in these types of shots that we see that Leland is thinking about the man that he once knew which ultimately foreshadows the falling out they will have toward the end of the film. The last thing that I will mention that this film does very well is the use of transitions. For instance when Kane is looking at the picture of the Chronicle employees and it transitions from the picture to the actual people who are then employed by Kane. Also, when the newspapers run the article of Kane and Susan's affair it transitions from her building door with the 185 over it to the same shot on the cover of the newspaper. The use of a slow fade is also used throughout the film when ever a character is remembering. Needless to say, I think that Citizen Kane is a very good film and will hopefully continue to stand the test of time. [ politics and movies -- historical POV ] Film Review Guidelines Paragraph 1: Offer your overall impression of the film while mentioning the movie's title, director, and key actors. Paragraph 2: Summarize the plot of the film Paragraph 3: How did the actors portray key character roles? Did they fulfill your expectations given your knowledge of the original novel or play (if one exists)? Paragraph 4: Were any particular film techniques used in key scenes? How did the film techniques anmd music enhance the setting and themes of the film? You may need two paragraphs to explain this information. Paragraph 5: Address how well the film represents the novel or play. Offer evidence for your opinion. Remember to mention use of symbols and literary devices. Do they "transfer" from the novel/play into the movie well? Paragraph 6: Ending paragraph--your last opportunity to guide the reader. Offer a clincher that tells the reader to attend the film or not.

General Terms Shot: continuous, unedited piece of film of any length

 Scene: a series of shots that together form a complete episode or unit of the narrative Storyboard: Drawn up when designing a production. Plans AV text and shows how each shot relates to sound track. (Think comic strip with directions - like a rough draft or outline for a film.) Montage: The editing together of a large number of shots with no intention of creating a continuous reality. A montage is often used to compress time, and montage shots are linked through a unified sound - either a voiceover or a piece of music. Parallel action: narrative strategy that crosscuts between two or more separate actions to create the illusion that they are occurring simultaneously Shots Long Shot: Overall view from a distance of whole scene often used as an establishing shot - to set scene. Person - will show whole body. Medium or Mid Shot: Middle distance shot - can give background information while still focusing on subject. Person - usually shows waist to head. Close Up: Focuses on detail / expression / reaction. Person - shows either head or head and shoulders. Tracking shot: single continuous shot made with a camera moving along the ground Reverse shot: shot taken at a 180 degree angle from the preceding shot (reverse-shot editing is commonly used during dialogue, angle is often 120 to 160 degrees) Subjective Shot (P.O.V. Shot): Framed from a particular character's point of view. Audience sees what character sees. Camera Movement Camera Angles Low Angle Camera: shoots up at subject. Used to increase size, power, status of subject High Angle Camera: shoots down at subject. Used to increase vulnerability, powerlessness, decrease size Pan: Camera moves from side to side from a stationary position Tilt: Movement up or down from a stationary position Tracking: The camera moves to follow a moving object or person

Editing (the way shots are put together) Cut: The ending of a shot. If the cut seems inconsistent with the next shot, it is called a jump cut. Fade in or out: The image appears or disappears gradually. Often used as a division between scenes. Dissolve: One image fades in while another fades out so that for a few seconds, the two are superimposed. Sound

 Soundtrack: Consists of dialogue, sound effects and music. Should reveal something about the scene that visual images don't. Score: musical soundtrack Sound effects: all sounds that are neither dialogue nor music Voice-over: spoken words laid over the other tracks in sound mix to comment upon the narrative or to narrate

Film Analysis Essay Guidelines

Guide to Critical Assessment of Film The following questions should help you in your critical evaluation of your film choice(s) for your assigned essay. Please keep in mind that sophisticated film, like literature, requires more than one viewing to begin to appreciate its purpose beyond merely the plot. You will need to view your film(s) with this in mind. You should use some of these questions to complete a journal on your film. BACKGROUND Who is the writer of the film? Has the screenplay been adapted from another work? Who is the director? When was the film made? STRUCTURE / FORM What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole? How are the opening credits presented? Do they relate to meaning? Why does the film start in the way that it does? Are there any motifs (scenes, images) of dialogue which are repeated? What purpose do they serve? What three or four sequences are most important in the film? Why? Is sound used in any vivid ways either to enhance the film? (i.e. Enhance drama, heighten tension, disorient the viewer, etc.) How does the film use color or light/dark to suggest tone and mood in different scenes? Are there any striking uses of perspective (seeing through a character's eyes, camera angle, etc.) How does this relate to the meaning of the scene? How and when are scenes cut? Are there any patterns in the way the cuts function? What specific scene constitutes the film's climax? How does this scene resolve the central issue of the film? Does the film leave any disunities (loose ends) at the end? If so, what does it suggest?

Why does the film conclude on this particular image? THEME How does this film relate to the issues and questions evoked by your topic? Does the film present a clear point-of-view on your topic? How? Are there any aspects of theme which are left ambiguous at the end? Why? How does this film relate to the other literary texts you have read on your topic (or in class this year or on your own)? Student Learning Outcomes The student learning outcomes for the course are: 1. Identify and describe the narrative and compositional structure of film. 2. Clearly explain and evaluate the political thoughts, assumptions and implications of several key films. 3. Examine and interpret contemporary political issues in film through the application of political thought. 4. Relate media, technology, and language to the formation and maintenance of the political order. 5. Carefully justify ones own political position. ... Introduction to Politics and Film POLS 243 Spring 2008