Film Theory and Analysis
Lesson 8
Film Theory and Analysis
Manu Scansani
Niko Brauer
E-mail
daskalogiannis81@yahoo.com
E-mail
niko_brauer@hotmail.com
Office Hours: (Room 1#511)
Monday 11.45/12.45;
Wednesday 16.00/17.00
Office Hours: (Room 1#519)
Thursday 12.30/14.00
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QQ: 1265906802
h t t p : / / f i l m a n a l y s i s . w e e b l y. c o m
Film Screening (next week)
Gangster Films – Monday 17.20/20
1. The Godfather [教父] (FF Coppola, 1972, 175 min) (Cinema)
2. Public Enemies [公众之敌] (M Mann, 2009, 140 min)(1#416)
3. The Untouchables [义胆雄心] (B De Palma, 1987) (1#412)
4. GoodFellas [好家伙] (M Scorsese, 1990, 146 min) (1#410)
Second Screening: The Godfather, Part II [教父2] (Cinema)
• Film Corner – Monday 20.00 (3♯102-1/102-2)
This Week
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Style 2:
Mise-en-scène;
Sounds;
Lights;
• Noir Films: why is the protagonist always a
bad guy? Why does it always rain?
Style: Mise-en-Scène
• French: “that which is put in the scene”
• The mise-en-scène is what you see in the
frame
• Setting, props, costumes, lighting, sound,
framing may all be elements of mise-en-scène
• The mise-en-scène may be used to advance
the plot, to introduce symbolism or to define
the style
Sound
• The Sound of a film can be either
diegetic or non-diegetic: in the first case,
the sound comes from the things in the
film (voices, noise of
things/nature/humans); in the second
case, the sound is not a part of the
fictional reality of the film (i.e.
soundtrack).
Lighting
• The Lighting in film-making refers to the
sources of light used to illuminate the scenes.
• Lights can be artificial (any electric lamp) or
natural (sun light, but also candle light).
• Different kinds of light are used to express
different feelings or perspectives.
• Clip 1: “Barry Lyndon” Stanley Kubrick
• Clip 2:“Apocalypse Now” F.F. Coppola
Style: The Shot and Framing
• The shot is the most basic element of the
film.
• It is everything you can see – the image, as
taken by the camera
• The shot can be defined by three main
elements: the framing, the placement of
objects and the type of lens used.
Style: The Shot
• The framing is like taking a picture – you have
to decide on which elements to include within
the picture frame
• Zooming is one of the most common ways to
change the frame. Alternatively, you can
move the camera to a different position.
• Usually the main object of attention would be
placed in the Golden Section or the T-Zone of
the frame (pages 52-53 of your book)
Noir Film
• Noir Film is a classic and post-classic Hollywood
genre, defined by some specific stylistic
characteristics rather than by some particular
narratives.
• It was originally born in Europe in the 1940s, and
then developed in Hollywood in the late ‘40s and
‘50s (Golden Age of Noir Films). Noir Films were
almost forgotten in the 1960s and 1970s, until
the genre has been revisited since the 1980s in its
Neo-Noir fashion.
• What does a Noir Film look like?
Noir Film
Noir Film
Noir Film
Noir Film
Noir Film: style
• How can we define style in Noir films?
- Most of Noir films are black and white;
- The majority of the scenes take place in the
night: films are usually dark and show a
careful use of lights and shades;
- Most Noir films show frequent and intense
rain, which offers a typical background for the
actions of the characters; [Clip: “Se7en”].
Noir Film: characterization
• Morality is difficult to judge in Noir Films: it is
difficult to decide where good and evil lie, and
whether a character can be considered entirely
good or entirely bad.
• The protagonist is usually NOT a hero… but a
bad guy: he can be a criminal or a (morally)
corrupted detective/policeman. If he is not
doing bad things in the present, he did them in
the past. [Clip: “Carlito’s Way” – B. De Palma]
Noir Film: characterization
• Main characters in Noir films don’t usually have
clear and positive plans for the future, and are
more transported by the events, rather than
controlling them.
• Main characters are usually men who get into
trouble because of extremely beautiful (and
often dangerous) women.
• The actions of the characters always take place in
urban areas (cities), which represent a place of
moral decadence and perdition.
Noir Film: style
• [Style] Clips: “Sin City” – R. Rodriguez
& F. Miller (2005)
• Clip 1: Marv & Goldie
• Clip 2: Marv & the Priest
Readings for next week
• Must make sure to have read by next week:
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Unit 1: History & Genres
Unit 2: Character and Performance
Unit 3: Narrative
Unit 4: Style
Unit 6: Blockbuster Films
Unit 7: Comedies
Unit 8: Social Drama Film
Unit 9: Action Film
Unit 10: Neo-noir Film
Films analyzed
• For next week, you MUST have watched at
least the following films.
- The Matrix
- Forrest Gump
- American Beauty
- James Bond
- Se7en