Movie Lessons
Lists Used for Rankings
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American Film Institute: AFI
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Time Magazine All-Time 100 Movies
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Written by Ty Burr in 1999
They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They: TSPDT
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Two film critics’ opinions, not ranked though
Entertainment Weekly’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time
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Determined by 1,500 leaders of the industry
Based on 1,320 critics’ and filmmakers top-10 lists
Also factors in over 300 magazine polls, film institute polls, and
many others of interest
Internet Database or IMDb.com:
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Based entirely on popularity with the fans
Fans rate films online and it gets averaged
I. Analyzing Film
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To analyze, we must be totally immersed in the experience of
the film, but also keep a high level of objectivity and critical
detachment.
A. Film is a collaborative effort.
B. We must let go of our prejudices and misconceptions.
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Don’t dismiss certain genres.
Be willing to venture outside the norm.
Be flexible on what a movie is supposed to be.
Don’t be too rigid when setting up criteria for a good film.
Don’t over-respond to individual elements or certain ones pertaining to
the film.
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Ex. I love all Harrison Ford movies. Sex and Violence
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Don’t expect too much from a film.
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Consider keeping a movie journal.
Ebert, “It’s not what the move is about that makes it good or
bad, but how it is about it.”
C. What is the proper environment to view films?
II. Theme
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What is the unifying central idea of the film?
A. Focus on Plot
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B. Focus on Emotional Effect or Mood
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Create feelings for the viewer.
Horror, Drama, Comedy, and Romance (The Shining, Shawshank
Redemption, Borat, and The Notebook)
C. Focus on Character
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Action and adventure films focus on what happens (Gladiator, Spider
Man, and Star Wars)
Developing the main figures of the film. (Ray, Raging Bull, and Walk the
Line)
D. Focus on Style, Texture, or Structure
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Films that go for a unique look, feel, rhythm, atmosphere, tone, or
organization. (Pulp Fiction, Raising Arizona, Fargo, Natural Born Killers)
II. Theme cont.
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E. Focus on Ideas
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Films that clarify some aspect of life, experience, or the human
condition.
1. Moral Implications (Crash)
2. The Truth of Human Nature (Groundhog Day, Shane, Deliverance)
3. Social Problems (Do the Right Thing)
4. The Struggle of Human Dignity ( On the Waterfront, Schindler’s List,
Rocky)
5. The Complexity of Human Relationships (When Harry Met Sally,
Brokeback Mountain)
6. Coming of Age/Loss of Innocence/Growing Awareness (Almost
Famous, Finding Nemo, Sixteen Candles)
7. A Moral or Philosophical Riddle (Fight Club and Being John Malkovich)
Some Films have more than one theme
Some contain less important points of emphasis: motifs.
Is the Theme universal?
Citizen Kane, 1941
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Written, produced, and directed by
Orson Welles (age 26)
Also starring Welles
His 1st feature film
 War of the Worlds radio broadcast
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Portrayed Charles Foster Kane with
flashbacks and narration
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Loosely based on William Randolph
Hearst
The movie is shown in fragmented
scenes of Kane’s life
Like a puzzle, trying to figure out
Kane
 What or Who was “rosebud?”
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Innovations in the film
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Most of the film was made in deep
focus.
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Everything in the scenes is in focus
Use of low-angle shots
Citizen Kane, 1941
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The film was not a box office hit.
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Hearst tried to stop its release.
Some claim he had Welles
blacklisted from Hollywood
Nominated for 9 Oscars, it only
won one for Best Screenplay.
#1 film on AFI’s 100 Greatest
Movies list in 1997 and 2007.
“Rosebud” was the #17 on AFI’s
100 Movies…100 Quotes list.
Orson Welles was named the #16
Greatest Film Legend by AFI.
TSPDT List: #1
EW List: #2
Time Magazine Top 100 Film
IMDb.com List: #24
Citizen Kane Response Questions
1. What is the theme or themes of the film?
 2. Did you enjoy the film? Why or why not?
 3. Do you think this is a great movie? Why or
why not?
 4. Should this be rated #1 all time? Why or why
not?
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Welles in later life
III. Fictional and Dramatic Elements
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A. The Elements of a Good Story
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It has a unified plot
The story is credible
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B. A Good Story is Interesting
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Externally Observable Truths: It shows the way things really are.
Internal Truths of Human Nature: It shows the way things are
supposed to be.
Artistic Semblance of Truth: The way things never were and
never will be.
Suspense and Action
C. A Good Story is Both Simple and Complex
D. A Good Story Handles Emotional Material with
Restraint
III. Fictional and Dramatic Elements
cont.
E. The Significance of the Title
 F. Dramatic Structure
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Linear, or Chronological Structure
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Nonlinear Structure
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Endings: Fine-Tuning the Denouement
External or internal
H. Characterization
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In medias res, flashbacks, and flash forwards
G. Conflict
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Exposition, complication, climax, and resolvement (denouement)
Static or Dynamic Characters
I. Allegory
J. Symbolism
K. Irony
IV. Analyzing Visual Design
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A. On Color Versus Black and White
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How does it affect the mood? Is it the correct choice
for the story? The Wizard of Oz vs. Schindler’s List
Are there any special color effects used to achieve a
unique look? Minority Report
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Smooth or rough-grain film stock
B. On Screen Format (Aspect Ratio)
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Was the film originally shot for standard screens or
widescreen?
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Standard, widescreen, Cinemascope, and Panavision
Would the film be the same in the other aspect ratio?
IV. Analyzing Visual Design cont.
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C. On Production Design/Art Direction
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D. On Costume and Makeup Design
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How important is the set or location?
Was the film made mainly on a set or on location?
Do the settings enhance or underscore the film?
Is the setting too powerful? (The Last Samurai)
Is the setting convincing enough for a period piece, a fantasy, or a science
fiction?
Could this story take place somewhere else?
Why did the filmmaker choose one particular location?
Is the setting symbolic?
Do these help actors get into character?
Does makeup enhance the natural appearance or significantly transform it?
E. On Lighting
Is the lighting (1) direct, harsh, and hard; (2) medium and balanced; (3) soft
and diffused?
 Does the lighting seem natural or artificial?
 Does the lighting contribute to the overall emotional attitude or tone of a film?
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V. Cinematography and Special Visual
Effects
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A. The Importance of the Visual Image
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Visual elements are the primary and most powerful means of
communication
B. The Cinematic Film
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1. Is the film cinematic?
Keep the image alive and in motion
 Sets up clear, crisp, and aural rhythms
 Gives an illusion of depth
 Uses other special properties of the medium
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2. Does the cinematography create clear, power, and effective images?
C. Cinematic Points of View
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1. Objective: camera as a sideline observer
2. Subjective: camera as a participant in the action (direct involvement
of the audience)
3. Indirect-subjective: not a participant’s point of view, but it’s really
close to the action
4. Director’s interpretive: viewers are consciously aware of the director’s
desire to show action in an unusual way
V. Cinematography and Special Visual
Effects cont.
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D. Elements of Cinematic Composition
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Draw attention to central objects
 Size,
closeness, sharpness, movement, and
camera angles
 Close-ups, arrangements, framing, lighting, and
color
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Keep images in motion
 Fixed-frame
movement, panning and tilting, zoom
lens, rack focus, deep focus, three-dimensional
arrangement of people/objects, foreground
framing, special lighting, and the use of reflections
V. Cinematography and Special Visual
Effects cont.
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E. Specialized Cinematic Techniques
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Handheld Camera
Camera Angles
Color, Diffusion, and Soft focus
Special Lenses
Fast and Slow Motion
Special Lighting Effects
F. Movie Magic: Special Visual Effects in the Modern Film
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Matte and glass shots from old movies
Blue-screen process
Computer-generated imaging (CGI)
Stop-motion animation
G. The F/X of Animated Feature Films
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1. From hand drawn frames to computer animation
VI. Editing
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“The film is not shot, but built…” (Boggs and Petrie, 2008).
Editing guides our thoughts, associations, and emotional
responses from one image to another.
Editing should be smooth, natural, and unobtrusive. Sometimes
it is tricky or self-conscious.
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Transitions: Wipe, Flip Frame, Fade-Out/ Fade-In, or Dissolve
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Most film editors no longer use these.
Form Cut: the shape of an object is matched to a similarly shaped object in
the next scene.
Time Control: jump cut, parallel cuts (show two scenes of action back
and forth), slow motion,
Freeze frame (Butch Cassidy), Thawed Frame, and Stills (pictures shot
with camera movement).
Editing cutting and transitions set the pace of the film.
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Creative Juxtaposition: Montage
Ironic Montages (The Godfather)
Mise-en-scene: emphasizes the content from a single frame, opposite
of a montage