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GUIDELINES – 4 NEXT
SOME SPECIFIC POINTS FOR ANALYSIS
A short paper cannot cover
everything, especially a one-page movie review. (One typed page is equivalent
to an average newspaper movie review. Two to three typed pages would be
comparable the length of many magazine movie reviews.) One aspect can be
examined in some depth, or several important aspects may be touched upon
briefly. Reconsideration of elements of a film which you noticed the most or
caused you to think about them afterwards would be a good point to begin when
choosing a topic for an analytical paper.
Writing (Script)
Plot and Story (consider Bordwell
& Thompson’s differentiation between the two)
Subject material
Treatment or attitude
Believability
Logical development
Unity
Closure
Overall structure (possibly
compare with film editing)
Characters
Individual characterization
(not to be confused
with actor’s performance)
Action and interaction
Believability
Setting
Realistic, surrealistic,
impressionistic, expressionistic?
Authenticity
Importance to story
Social and/or Philosophical significance
“Message,” if any
Author’s statement(s) or
commentaries on subject material, characters, events
Relationships and possible
parallels with real life situations
Symbolism
Types of symbols (and
techniques that achieve them)
Meanings
Obscure, subtle, or
blatant? Overly obscure? Overly blatant?
Effectiveness
Acting
Believability in character (casting)
Consistency or evenness in performance
Interpretation of author’s intention
Directing
Control of overall production,
coaching of actors’ performances
Mise en scene —realism or stylization or a blend of the
two? —appropriateness to subject
Staging of action —realistic?
—effectiveness
Filmmaking techniques utilized, their
appropriateness and effectiveness
Style: Was the director primarily
responsible or merely a coordinator of the cast and other technicians?
Photography (Cinematography)
Composition – how does it emphasize
character or plot elements?
Arrangement of images in the
frame — actors, setting, props
Making use of the aspect
ratio
Lighting – how does it contribute to
the mood?
Camera techniques
Color or Black and White — use and effectiveness
Editing
Continuity
Pacing
Types of transitions between shots and
scenes
Control and manipulation of time (e.g.
montage, jump cuts, re-ordering of story chronology, etc.)
Use of sound in conjunction with the
image