COMM 3000 1st Edition Lecture 1 Current Lecture ● Films can analyzed, read for meaning just like written texts. searching for a larger significance ● Reading a film involves a close, active analysis – beyond simply watching a movie ● The active viewer is constantly examining the film for larger significance. – what the film says or suggests– how the the film conveys meaning Motifs● Any significant repeated element in a film ● Filmmakers may employ any film element to develop a motif: – color– props– costumes – music– dialogue it forms patterns, and then we start asking ourselves what is the importance of these patternsMotifs & Meaning● Motifs take on significance through repetition. – Through repetition, motifs form patterns. ● Motifs encourage the audience to create connections. ● These patterns & connections contribute to a film’s meaning. – introduces ideas– reveals characterization– communicate the film’s theme examples: from the movie the 6th sense, there is repetition of the color red. every time something red appears something supernatural appears. from the movie unbreakable, reflective surfaces with images upside downSymbolism● Film is a visual medium.– Film makers use specific imagery to represent abstract ideas. ● Symbolic meanings may be culturally based. – Meanings can also be created by the film itself. ● Some symbols are polysemic– symbols that have multiple meanings, example: the like button. thumbs up means lots of different things. i agree with you, i like this, etcexample: from the movie drive, he wears a scorpion jacket which can represent him being deadly. but they can have multiple meanings, they can be culturally constructed,Intertextual References: one text representing another text● References to other films or works of art – the reference can be narrative, visual, or aural ● The relationship between the references often creates additional levels of meaning – allows for a deeper reading of the film example: diamonds are a girls best friend scene from gentleman’s prefer blondes, compared to Madonna’s music video material girls is an intertextual referenceHomage (soft H, oh-mage)● A reference to an existing work of art– meant as a sign of respect or admiration– at tests to the worth or influence of the workSubtext● Meanings are not always explicit or obvious, below the surface● Some meanings are subtextual or below the text – an implicit or underlying meaning ● Subtext can be found underneath: – dialogue – gestures – behavior– images Theme● The overall message or argument that a film makes ● A theme is the film’s unifying central concern – It unites the film’s various elements in to a coherent whole. ● Analyzing a film’s theme involves an interplay between: – descriptive claims: describing what we are seeing, recognize artistic choices, red is used in the 6th sense– interpretive claims: why are we seeing it? why are we seeing red?sound, editing, production design, cinematography Analyzing Theme● What is the key subject of the film? – What is the film about? ● What kind of statement or message, if any, does the film make about this subject? ● How do the film’s separate elements contribute to this statement? Analyzing Content & Form● A film’s content cannot be divorced from a film’s form. – content = the film’s narrative– form = the film’s style ● Focus on the ways in which the film’s elements interact to produce an emotional and thought-provoking experience.● “It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” ~Roger Ebert, film critic Reading a Film● The process of reading a film involves the making of different types of claims. ● Descriptive claim– a factual account of the basic plot and/or style of a film ● Descriptive claim– “Inglourious Basterds focuses on cinema, propaganda, and warfare.” – “Throughout Inglourious Basterds,Quentin Tarantino uses parts of Ennio Morricone’s scores from classic Spaghetti Westerns.” Interpretive Claim● An analytical statement that presents an argument about a film’s meaning and significance – what the film “says”– how one should understand the film ● Interpretive claim – “By linking the Western to the Nazi propaganda machine, Tarantino draws attention to and complicates the ways cinema fosters nationalistic sentiments by maligning cultural outsiders.” Evaluative Claim● A statement that asserts a judgment regarding a film’s quality based on specific criteria – judging or assessing a film’s quality ● Evaluative claim – “Despite failing to achieve cinematic greatness, Inglourious Basterds is an entertaining film filled with cineaste jokes, razor- sharp dialogue, and intertextual references to classic cinema.” Making Interpretive Claims● Films seem to invite us to interpret them– often in several different ways with in the same film ● Interpretative claims vary. ● Yet, not all interpretations are valid– Valid interpretations are supported with evidence. – Valid interpretations are specific and precise. Interpretations & Point of View● Interpretations are influenced by our point of view – values,beliefs,attitudes– life experiences– culture ● Interpretations may be personal or cultural. – However,they still need to be supported. Meaning & the Filmmaker’s Intent● We may be able to research the filmmaker’s intentions. – what the film maker was attempting to accomplish or convey ● The filmmaker’s intent doesn’t supersede your interpretation. – meaning may have nothing to do with the artist’s intention● A movie’s meaning does not lie solely within the film. – meaning lies in the interaction between the film and audience The Intentional Fallacy● The belief that authorial intent is irrelevant to understanding an artistic work – The text is the only source of meaning. ● Championed by proponents of New Criticism – a literary movement in the mid-20th century– emphasized close examination of the text ● They rejected the incorporation of the author’s intentions & biography in an interpretation. “You’re Reading Too Much Into It”● Don’t dismiss an interpretation just because it involves reading into the film. ● Certain readings are clearly invalid.– “reading too much into it”– suggests a reading that is not supported by the text ● Recognizing