We are used to watching films purely for entertainment. When we watch this way, we are mostly passive observers of the action, not thinking much beyond our feelings and impressions of what is on the screen. As intelligent men seeking recovery, though, we must be more diligent in treating a film. We can read a film as carefully and consciously as a book or poem. Thus, the first step to being a good film reader is to watch with pen and notebook (or writing journal), jotting down notes as you watch the film. This will give you specific things to talk about in our class discussions and when you write your essays. Here are some things to look for when “reading” (not watching!) a film.
The first important thing to do when you watch a film is to pay attention to the story, plot, and characters and how the camera presents them. We tend to think of film as “realistic” because the medium renders people and objects in such a life-like detail. Remember, we as an audience can only see what the camera’s “eye” shows us, and nearly everything we see on the screen is manipulated by the director and others who make the film. So, pay careful attention to how the director “sets up” a shot in any given scene:
- Is the director using a long shot, a medium shot, a close-up, or an extreme close-up?
- Is the shot taken from a high angle, a low angle, or from eye level?
- Is the camera placed in an “objective” location, or does it represent the point of view of one of the characters?
- Does the camera move, or does it stay in place? Is it handheld or stable?
It’s Not Easy to See the Techniques of Film
Consider also the composition of the scene. How has the director arranged actors, objects, lighting, etc., to make the scene effective? Is there something going on off-screen? This shot from The Graduate is one of film history’s most famous images.
What does it convey? Why is it so effective?
Does the film utilize effects like voiceovers, text, direct addresses to the camera, and other narrative devices? What is the effect of these devices?
Pay attention to how the movie opens and ends. The first thing you see in a movie is the credits. What are they like? What images do they show? How do the filmmakers use music to set the mood of the film?
Most people ignore how their favorite films cut from shot to shot and scene to scene.
This is an important part of how the film affects an audience. Pay attention to whether the rhythm of the editing is fast or slow.
- Does the director use long takes in a scene, or do they divide the scene with many short takes?
- Does the editing make for a unified and continuous effect (i.e., you don’t really notice it), or is it jarring or destabilizing?
- Does the editor/director frequently use effects like fade in/fade out?
Or Step Back and Read the Whole Film:
Consider the overall mood of the film as created by acting, music, lighting, sound effects, costumes, colors, sets, etc. (All of these things taken together is what film scholars call mise-en-scene, French for “put before the camera.”) These small details, all of which filmmakers often pay a great deal of attention to, often go unnoticed but play a crucial role in a film. q Look for repetitions that cue you into what the director or writer thinks is important. Is there a recurring song, music, camera technique, or special effect that adds meaning to the film? Just as when you read a book or play, pay attention to these repetitions. q Finally, consider how your observations relate to the film’s over-arching ideas, issues, and themes. How do these particulars help your understanding of the whole?
