ANALYZING FILMS

Analyzing Films

Analyzing Films

Analyzing movies is not an easy task. There are many things to take in account when attempting to do so. I am going to describe some of the techniques that I have found and used in my own analysis of movies. I will also be discussing how I interpret meaning in the movies that I watch.

Analyzing vs. reviewing

Analyzing a film is much more time-consuming than writing a review. A reviewer aims to tell potential viewers whether a film's worth seeing. At minimum, he should give the plot-theme or premise of the story - a brief statement of the main characters and conflict. (See my Chronicles of Narnia review). If the film has noteworthy acting, special effects, music, and so on, the reviewer should mention them. His one inviolable rule must be never to ruin a potential movie-goer's enjoyment by revealing the ending. Most reviewers see a movie only once, and that's usually adequate.

Analysis, on the other hand, is the study of how all the elements in a film combine to reveal the theme. You can't analyze a film without discussing the ending, because the ending is a crucial part of the plot, and the plot is what reveals the theme. Analysis requires that you watch a film several times: once for first impressions of the plot, mood and theme, and at least once more to study the means by which the theme was conveyed. First content, then style; first the what, then the how.

Analysis: structure

Without a system for analysis, you risk ignoring subtle but important elements. On the other hand, if the system is too complicated you won't be able to remember and apply it. The method outlined in this column is based on the stages of making a film:

· Pre-production, including script and production design

· Production, including acting and camera work

· Post-production, including editing and audio

As in all analysis (be it of sculptures, stocks or computer failures), the most difficult task is not finding the answers but finding the right questions. I hope to delve into this more deeply in a future essay. For this column I've chosen instead to compare a short exchange from two film versions of the same story, in order to show how minor details can change a viewer's interpretation. (By my count, I've looked at each of these scenes nine times over the past two weeks. For most of us non-professionals, only crucial scenes in our most beloved films merit this kind of attention.)

Theme is defined as a unifying or dominant idea. The theme of a movie can sometimes be found by answering the following questions: what was the central point the director was trying to make with this film and what was the central goal of the film. If the theme is not apparent after the questions above sometimes describing the movie to another person is helpful. Usually what is discussed the most is the theme. There may also be supporting or minor themes found in a ...