Some Cinematic Narrative Elements

Motifs

Sometimes in film certain detail is repeated and takes on special significance. Such repeated detail becomes a motif in the movie.

Parallels

When two or more characters, events, locations, situations, or other elements are compared or contrasted in a film, it is called a parallel.

Structure

It is always important to take special notice of a films structure. There may be parallels in the opening and closing scenes. The film’s narrative usually have important turning points. A director may indicate such turning points in the form of transitions which may include, for instance, a fade-out, or a change in the music.

Allusions

Allusions are “outside references” in a film that bring new meaning to the film.

• Historical Setting & Cultural Attitudes

The film may be placed within a specific historical setting or within a cultural attitude that causes the viewer to “read” the film in a special way. For instance, a story depicted during the Holocaust, e.g. Life is Beautiful (1997) , is read very differently from a film taking place on another planet, e.g. Avatar (2009). Both the historical setting and the cultural milieu in films supply the viewer with certain expectations and attitudes towards reading and understanding the film.

• Stars as Reference

Stars (very famous actors) can also be a reference, often to certain genres. What type of movie comes to mind when Bruce Willis or Hugh Jackman is the leading actor? Most likely an action movie or suspense film. How about Hugh Grant? Probably a romantic-comedy. Jim Carrey? Comedy. And Johnny Depp? Probably a strange film with a quirky character.

• Public Figures & Celebrities

When public figures or celebrities partake in a film they bring with them all kinds of associations. For instance, when Madonna acted in Evita (1996), many devotees of the real Evita Duarte de Peron of Argentina were outraged because Madonna’s reputation as the “Material Girl” contradicted with the virtuous ideas associate with Evita, the "spiritual leader" of Argentina.

• Intertextual Reference

Sometimes a movie may make references to other films or to other books or plays. This is known as an intertextual reference, and also contribute to the meaning of the film.


Summarized from Pramaggiore & Wallis, 2005. Film: A Critical Introduction. Laurence King Publishing.

Metadata

When talking about movies it is often important to refer to the metadata. The metadata are all the important data concerning the production of the film and include the film title, film’s release date, the genre, as well as the names of all those involved, like the producer(s), director, writer(s), cinematographer, cast members, and so on.

Usually when writing an analysis of a movie you need not include all the metadata, merely the basic metadata, which include at least the title, release date, director, and main cast members. Other metadata can be mentioned as needed. For instance, if you discuss the special effects, you may need to supply the names of the chief special effects supervisor and/or chief computer graphics animator. Alternatively, if you discuss the mise-en-scène you may need to mention the names of the cinematographer and/or set designer.

A good website for finding the metadata of a film is the Internet Movie Database.

Welcome to our class blog!

This blog functions as a platform for the dissemination of class notes and announcements. It is not, however, a substitute for your own notes taken during class. Please visit this website regularly for a summary of each class, some extra material, and announcements.

The purpose of this class is to consolidate your previous experience in literature with the visual arts, specifically film. This class will therefore serve a double purpose of introducing you to the fundamentals of Film Theory & Critique, using Shakespeare films as the vehicle. During this semester we will watch around thirteen movies that are either direct adaptations of Shakespeare plays, or roughly based on Shakespeare plays. Some of these plays you may have previously encountered while studying in the Department of English Studies.

Before we watch any new film, please ensure that you are familiar with the play it is based on. Try to read the play and, if possible, also an analysis. If time does not allow, please read a synopsis and analysis of the play – see the links to Shakespeare Resources on the side, or visit the Campus Library, or our department library (Room 305). There will be a quiz on each play before we watch the movie.

The first part of the semester (up until the Midterm Exam) will focus on the introduction of relevant Film Theory. The second part of the semester will focus more on discussions of the films using the theory you have learned, and preparation for your final exam submission. There will not be a final examination; instead you will submit a detailed film analysis of a selected film. A short list of films that you may write your analysis on will be given two weeks before the Final Exam week starts.

I look forward to watching great films with you!