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FS 1 Film Appreciation

An Introduction To Understanding The Aesthetics Of The Movies

Course Requirements

  • Exams (35%)

Midterm

Final

  • Weekly Quiz Writing Assignments (50%)
  • Discussion, Attendance (15%)
  • 3 unexcused absences = fail the course
  • Canvas

Text

  • Looking At Movies by Richard Barsam (5th edition)
  • 3rd edition on Reserve at the library
  • Weekly Reading Assignments
  • see schedule below for Chaps and due dates

Writing Assignments

  • Total of 10 films.
  • 5 films screened by Midterm
  • 5 films screened by Final
  • Length: 2-3 pages
  • Prompts posted on Canvas
  • Assignments submitted on Canvas
  • Due before class start time.
  • Observe deadlines-
  • NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS
  • Writing Assignments = 50% of course grade

Exams

  • Mid Term- take home (Canvas)
  • 70 multiple choice questions
  • Final Exam- in class
  • 70 multiple choice questions
  • Scantron
  • Exams = 35% of course grade

Classtime

  • Monday – Lecture
  • 2 parts
  • break
  • Wed - Viewing
  • Entire class time
  • Role Sheets- beginning and end of each class
  • Office Hour ‘virtual’
  • Email – [email protected]

Attendance/Discussion

  • Class discussion is integrated during lecture consistent class participation will improve your grade.
  • Be on time, Do not leave early, both classes
  • 15% of course grade

Critical Evaluation

Formal Analysis

  • Break down the component elements
  • Understand and apply Terms
  • Reintegrate to enhance over all understanding (appreciation) of cinema
  • The ‘Language’ of the Cinema
  • Terms we use to identify cinematic elements

Four Central Components

  • Narrative (story)
  • Mise en Scene
  • Editing
  • Performance

Form and Content

  • Form
  • design, structure
  • The form of a film is how it is presented on screen
  • Content
  • interpretation, meaning
  • The content of film is what the film is about

Traditional Cinema

  • In most ‘traditional’ cinema content is emphasized
  • Story is predominate
  • Genre
  • Classic Hollywood Style
  • In many films form is emphasized
  • Visual Style

  • How does an emphasis on formal elements increase the potential of cinematic expression?

Theme

  • Barsam: A unifying idea that film expresses through its narrative or imagery
  • A film can have many themes.
  • Some films are more ‘thematically driven’ than others
  • ‘Love conquers all’ is a theme

Metaphor

  • Metaphor is an image that represents, figuratively, a literal aspect of a film.
  • often addressing theme
  • The ocean may be a metaphor for the beginning of life.

Lec 1 Part 2
Story

  • When asked, What makes a good film, Louis B Mayor said: “Story Story Story”
  • Story = Narrative*

Narrative

Barsam:

  • any cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged in a cause and effect sequence of events occurring over time*
  • A broad definition can apply to fictional, documentary or experimental films.
  • The ‘narrative’ of a fact or event
  • ‘every picture tells a story’

  • Narrative Films=Fictional Films

* This does not mean a chronological, forward moving sequence of events

Elements of a ‘good’ Story

  • Aristotle (4th cent, Poetics) states a good story must have a beginning middle and end.
  • Conflict, Climax, Resolution
  • Story Arc

Conflict

  • No Conflict No Story
  • Conflict: clash of opposing ‘forces’
  • A goal
  • the character wants something
  • Opposition to that goal,
  • either another character or dramatic condition.
  • Antagonist vs Protagonist
  • Often, both want same goal
  • Goals have consequences (stakes)
  • If the goal will be accomplished
  • How the goal will be accomplished

Climax

  • Conflicts come to together and ‘demand’ a resolution
  • The point of ‘no return’
  • Decisive moment
  • No way out -- opposing forces ‘demand’ a resolution
  • Plot twist (peripity) expired.

  • Often the most ‘dramatic moment’ in a film

Resolution

  • The ending of the film
  • Stasis or equilibrium
  • The dramatic conflicts are ‘solved’
  • One character obtains the goal, the other is defeated
  • Satisfying Ending
  • Higher ‘noble’ purpose
  • Not necessarily a ‘Happy Ending’
  • The ‘hero’ may die, but for the greater good

Fretags Pyramid

Narrative Structure

Barsam pg 136

Crisis Climax

Rising Action and Stakes

Act 1: Setup Act 2: Conflict and Obstacles Act 3: Resolution

Inciting Incident

Plot vs Story

  • Plot duration= All events seen on the screen; a ‘map’, delineating the course of events
  • Story duration= All events implied, or referred, including Plot
  • important character/narrative information
  • often done through Exposition
  • Louise
  • Plot- Portrayed as strong woman, won’t go through Texas
  • Story- Vulnerable. Has ‘secret’, raped in Texas when young
  • Story and Plot overlap

Classic Story Structure

  • Characters and Events ‘larger than life’
  • Aristotle
  • ‘Worthwhile’ Characters maintain positive attributes above average
  • ‘Worthless’ characters maintain negative attributes above average
  • Succession of events in a linear progression (from beginning to end)
  • Emphasis on Story content over formal considerations
  • Classic Hollywood Style
  • structure is designed to promote the story

Hollywood Style

  • Hollywood style employs many of the elements of Classic Story Structure
  • Emphasis on Story
  • Casa Blanca the ‘quintessential’ Hollywood style.

Hollywood Style

  • Golden era- 1930-40’s
  • A system that ‘industrialized’ Movie Making
  • Sophisticated techniques in Story, Visual, Performance and Editing
  • Form is ‘invisible’
  • Factory of Dreams
  • The star
  • Primarily to entertain a mass audience
  • Economic return
  • Technique and Craft

Characteristics of Hwood Style

  • Clearly defined characters, clearly defined goals
  • High Production values
  • The ‘look’
  • Invisible style that promotes story and character
  • Satisfying viewing experience (entertaining) emphasizing positive attributes
  • Winners over losers, success over failure.
  • Moral attributes
  • Dominance of Genre Films

The Antihero

  • Protagonist is flawed, unlikely or unwilling.
  • Demonstrates complexity of character
  • Appeals to human nature (realistic) lends to ‘identification’ with character
  • Goes through transition,
  • Character arc
  • becomes a ‘hero’ (arises to the occasion)
  • Creates ambiguity and potentially conflicting narrative outcomes
  • Rick Blaine in Casablanca is a ‘classic’ antihero

Is a Hero, Not Villian

  • The Anti-Hero is a protagonist, a (‘hero’) and NOT the antagonist (bad guy)

Suspension of Dis Belief

  • Why the term Disbelief, why not suspend belief?
  • A film must create an illusion of ‘reality’ and convince us of that ‘reality’ despite the fact that we know that is ‘just a film’
  • Often used in the context of performance

Inciting Incident

Crisis Climax

Rising Action and Stakes

Act 1: Setup

Act 2: Conflict and Obstacles Act 3: Resolution