Group 1 – Theme and Focus (pgs 20 - 31)
- in context of film analysis, theme is ‘unifying central concern of the film, the special
focus that unifies the work’ (not necessarily an idea at all – as in literature)
- 5 major elements (in all films) that help develop/focus theme: plot, emotional effect or mood, character, style or texture, and ideas
Focus on Plot
- adventure and detective stories focus on plot
- aim of plot focused film is to escape from boring, everyday life, into action packed plot
- events and final outcome are all-important (in context of entire story being told)
Focus on Emotional Effect or Mood
- identifiable single mood or emotion that prevails throughout film
- each segment leads to singly powerful emotional effect
- events are less important than the singly, subordinate to the emotional response produced
- the theme is best stated by identifying mood
Focus on Character
- using action and dialogue to create unique character
- plot is important only in that it helps us understand character
- appeal is qualities that set them apart from ordinary people
Focus on Style or Texture or Structure
- telling the story in a different way making it the most memorable aspect
- a unique look, feel, rhythm, atmosphere, tone, or organization
Focus on Ideas
- when action and characters have significance beyond context itself – they represent a
‘big idea’ about life, experience, or human condition
- idea often presented more subtly
*possible categories: moral implications (i.e. love of money is at the root of all evil), truth

of human nature (i.e. Lord of the Flies), Social Problems (i.e. criticism of social institutions and traditions humans have created), struggle for human dignity (character struggles to overcome odds and have dignity respected), Complexity of Human Relationships (i.e. family interactions), Coming of Age (i.e. young people gaining maturity through experience), Moral or Philosophical Riddle (mltpl meanings that aim is to mystify; i.e. Fight Club)
Group 2 – Characterization (pgs 60-70)
- need to care about characters to be interested
- must seem real, understandable, worth caring about, and if they are, we will feel something toward them (i.e. may admire them for heroic nature, identify with their struggle, laugh at them for their ignorance, which we all share etc)
Characterization Through Appearance
- importance of casting (we make assumptions as soon as we see them – facial features, dress, physical build, mannerisms, movement)
Characterization Through Dialogue
- importance of what they say and how they say it
- word choice, stress, pitch, pause etc reveals personality, social and economic level, educational background and mental processes
Characterization Through External Action
- actions speak louder than words (and appearance)
- actions (and in turn plot development) grow naturally out of character’s personality
- sometimes most effective characterization comes from small, seemingly insignificant actions
Characterization Through Internal Action
- importance of action that occurs within character’s minds/emotions – i.e. secret, unspoken thoughts, daydreams, aspirations, memories, fears and fantasies etc
- filmmaker takes us visually or aurally into the character’s mind so we see or hear things that the character imagines, remembers, or thinks about (does this using tight close-ups on expressive face, musical score etc)
Characterization Through Reactions of Other Characters
- importance of the way other characters view a person (could be through conversations)

Characterization Through Contrast: Dramatic Foils
- use of foils (are contrasting characters whose behaviour, attitudes, opinions, lifestyle, physical appearance, are the opposite of those of the main characters) highlights opposite
Characterization Through Caricature and Leitmotif
Caricature - exaggerating or distorting one or more dominant features or personality traits (i.e. obsession with neatness, or way one moves/walks, voice qualities)
Leitmotif - repetition of action, phrase, idea until it becomes trademark
Characterization Through Choice of Name
- names that possess appropriate qualities of sound, meaning, or connotation
Group 3 - Cinematic Points of View (pgs 126 – 133)
- importance of focusing on HOW we see (not just what) and WHY it’s shown this way
- different ways a movie camera sees the action taking place before it
3 Impt Questions: from what position and through what kind of eyes does the camera see the action? What effect does the position of the camera have on our response? How is our response affected by changes in the point of view?
- inconsistent p.o.v. makes film interesting
- four many types used
1. Objective P.O.V.
- watching the actions as if they were taking place at a distance (no participation)
- emotional distance between camera and subject (camera merely records)
- natural, normal, static, straightforward types of camera positioning and camera angels
- viewer forces us to pinpoint visual details by ourselves
2. Subjective P.O.V
- provides visual view, and emotional intensity, felt by character in the action
- use of camera angles/shots that force us to become a character in the action
- our experience is more intense
- done by moving a camera so that our view is that of characters (common pattern is objective angle, looking at subject, to a subjective angle, which shows us what the character is seeing)
3. Indirect-Subjective P.O.V

- does not give the character’s point of view, but does bring us closer to the action (i.e. close up of a facial expression – intensifies our reaction to it)
- we feel like we are participating in the action without showing the action through character’s eyes
4. Director’s Interpretive Point of View
- this involves seeing something in a particular, unusual way, that tells us of the director’s intention/interpretive p.o.v.
- i.e. use of slow motion is director telling us how to see it