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t PREPARATION FOR

AND THE PROCESS

OF FILM CRITICISM

Film has been provoking reaction via the written word ever since its ear liest versions flickered hesitantly on the makeshift screens in the nine teenth century. Over the years, writing about film has become a cottage industry. Journalists write reviews and critical features about current and past movies. Authors pen popular books about cinema's history, its movers and shakers, and those whose faces have been projected larger than-life before millions. Academics produce scholarly papers and theo retical monographs about the motion picture. Students labor to present their viewpoints in the form of reviews, critiques, comparative analyses, and research papers.

This chapter will present a methodical preparation for film criti cism and suggest different procedures to take in that process. The mind set one adopts during the actual critiquing is important since one must distinguish between the objective and subjective components offilm crit icism and judge when one is more appropriate than the other. Various types of written cinematic criticism will be introduced including an awareness of the different audiences, approaches, styles, and lengths for reviews, critiques, comparative analyses, and documented research studies.

When writing about film, one should be acquainted with and willing to use appropriate cinematic terms. As you read this chapter-and sub sequent chapters-please refer to the glossary of cinematic terms pro vided at the end of the book.

Preparation

We watch movies for entertainment and/or information. If we are going to analyze a film, however, we must be prepared to watch it critically, not passively.

2 Preparation for and the Process ofFilm Criticism

Having a Purpose

Why does one critique a movie? The reasons vary yet are similar to those for critiquing a musical work, a play, a novel, or a nonfiction book; or, for that matter, critiquing an automobile, an airline service, a college course, a restaurant, and so on. Besides informing us as to what decisions to make, critiquing forces the writer to consider that concept or entity objectively: by amassing data, organizing it, analyzing its meaning, and making a series of evaluative judgments leading to its ultimate appraisal. Writing the critique is merely documenting the analytical and evaluative process on paper or electronically. In most critical analyses, there is also some subjectivity: yet, a skilled critic will be able to distin guish between what is objective (factual and nonopinionative) and what is subjective (intuitive and reflecting one's personal tastes) and when to use one or the other appropriately.

The reason why critical papers are assigned in any college course is to provide tangible proof of critical reading and/or critical viewing, fol lowed by critical thinking and organizing, and, finally, critical writing. Relating what happened, when, and to whom in their proper order is merely factual recounting; why and .how something occurred and if the presentation of such material works for the reader/viewer, on the other hand, is critical evaluation. It is that critical perspective in its various written formats that is the objective of many college courses, including those in literature and the arts, of which film is very much a member.

Why write a critical piece on a movie? Isn't film just an expression of mass culture for a mass audience--at its lowest common denominator that is churned out indiscriminately? Or, as some have been heard to dis paragingly comment, it's only a movie ..." True, many poorly conceived, shoddily crafted, and exploitive films have been foisted on the public. But they should be branded as such by critics and reviewers. Excellent motion pictures have also been produced; such fine work should, therefore, also be identified and assessed. One must be reminded, as well, that a work being printed on paper and bound in cloth is no guarantee of quality. Like everything else creative, some efforts are inferior, many are average, and some are exceptional. Be reminded that the writing and edit ing of a book often involves only a handful of individuals, whereas the making of a motion picture employs hundreds-sometimes thousands-of people. They, in turn, must labor together under the relentless pressures

budget, and, in some instances, grueling geographic locations. There is another reason for analyzing and discussing any work of

art or literature and, especially, film. In many instances, a movie is a fairly accurate portrayal oflife: of how the human condition is at present, was in the past, or, perhaps, will be in the future.

3 Preparation for and the Process of Film Criticism

But if movies show life, does film always portray life accurately? Of course not, and critical discussion,

either oral or written, tries to distinguish accuracy from exaggeration, evenhandedness from bias, the real from the imaginary, and fact from opinion. In looking at a motion picture critically, we not only make more sense of the film but, perhaps, more sense of ourselves, the relationships that we have with others, and the multifaceted world at large.

Developing a Plan

Before watching a new film prior to writing its review, or before organiz ing your thoughts preceding the critiquing of a cinema classic, you must be aware of your intended audience. Is the review going to be a formal essay for your professor? An article in the campus newspaper? An infor mal verbal account of the movie for the film club? How long should it be? How knowledgeable is your audience? These and similar questions must be answered before you can proceed with development of a plan. Obvi ously, the longer the project, the more detailed the planning must be. It might involve the movie once or twice or renting the video and taking notes. When working with older films, it may involve doing or Internet research for previously written critical material. Since any given film can be reviewed or critiqued from dozens of perspectives, a fresh, honest, and personal perception can still be made even after con ducting research.

The Tools and the Process

of execution is decided upon, serious data gathering ""'Oj~.l.U.O. For this, you need the obvious: a pencil with an eraser, a notepad, and a penlight. A battery-powered laptop computer would be a worthy substi tute for the aforementioned materials when watching a video on a video cassette recorder (VCR), and, in this instance, a remote control device is strongly recommended.

Before we go any farther, we must first distinguish the film review from the other forms of written critical expression on cinema. The review makes an important distinction from the rest: it assumes that the reader may not be familiar with the movie in question and definitely has not seen it. For the other types of critical expression, the assumption is the opposite: namely, that the reader is somewhat familiar with the motion picture(s) in question and has seen it (them). The review, therefore, immediately poses some restrictions: the reviewer must not retell the

4 Preparation for and the Process of Film Criticism

entire plot and must not divulge the outcome of the climax and its denouement. There are times when these restrictions can be violated without integrally harming the review-as when evaluating some farces-but, in most cases, details of the climax and the ending must be avoided. (Other aspects of the written movie review will be discussed in depth in Chapter 3)

Taking Notes in Cinep/ex

Critical viewing of a film is quite different from attending the local moviehouse with a box of popcorn in one hand and an enormous cup of soda in the other and kicking back to enjoy two hours of entertainment. That is casual movie viewing, and what you are left with afterwards are some impressions and reactions. Many of the subtleties have been missed because the watching has been passive rather than active. Active watch ing, however, is a crucial component of critical viewing. The process is analogous to reading for pleasure versus reading critically. Before the viewing can take place, you must have already asked yourself questions about your expectations of the film. These expectations could be deter mined by your familiarity with the following:

• The director's style, biases, preferred subject matter, and/or body of work;

• The actors and whether they are big name stars, an ensemble of character players, or a cast of virtual unknowns; and

• The pronounced stylistic qualities-such as those found in the the comedy, or the action thriller (with its increasing dependency on special effects).

It may be that the movie is a "small" film with a low budget, an unrecognizable cast and director, and a movie title which gives no indi cation of its genre or theme. Certainly, the context of your expectations and prior would differ for such a film compared to the latest Steven Seagall action blockbuster.

For the initial viewing of a film at a local theater, it is best to go when the audience is scanty. Matinees and twilight shows are the best times, and the rates for admission are also lower than at later evening showings. First, get all the important credits written down before the film actually begins running. The poster advertising the film in the lobby or near the outdoor box office has information as to the stars, the direc tor, producer, screenwriter, and other major contributors to the film. Additional credits can be obtained during the showing, from recent

5 Preparation for and the Process of Film Criticism

reviews in the local newspaper, or from such nationally circulated news papers as The New York Times, which are often available at your local public or college library. Film credits can also be found from various Internet sources, especially the Internet Movie Database.

Find a seat away from others so that their rustlings or whispers won't distract you and your penlight and jottings won't annoy them. As the credits scrolling, make sure the list of actors is from the other credits eventually, you will be filling in the names characters the cast plays. As the movie unfolds, try to discern the ..""''',,............. Sometimes, it is obvious: a seedy section in a wintry, contemporary San Francisco; or a tree-lined residential street with single-family homes dur

summer in the 1950s. (Automobiles and their license plates as well as clothing help fix the era.) In many films that are set in exotic locales or historical periods, either a voice-over or a line written across the screen announces the setting: "German East Africa, September 1915" (from The African Queen).

Next, try to identify the tone and genre of the film-humorous, sus penseful, exciting, or realistic-which, in,turn, helps determine whether it is a comedy, mystery, thriller, or drama. Of course, through word-of mouth, television trailers, or newspaper advertisements, you may already know the genre and tone. The music accompanying a movie often strongly suggests its tone.

As you scrutinize a film, you are absorbing and processing infor mation and events as they unfurl on the screen while simultaneously silently questioning yourself about what you see. These would include inquiries about the relationship of the characters to each other as they are introduced or the significance of certain events that have occurred. You would also be aware of numerous visual and symbolic clues and try to comprehend their impact upon the plot or theme.

During the film's first half-hour, you may have no idea yet of what you are going to emphasize in your piece. Each review or critique, besides including the standard relevant information mentioned above boilerplate), emphasizes a few points and develops them. Such points will come gradually as you perceive evolving in the film or get inter ested in particular aspects of the movie. These are the attributes that will make your review or critique different from someone else's.

If a class were assigned to write individual papers on Babette's Feast (1987), everyone would probably furnish similar boilerplate. Each would mention the setting (a remote Danish fishing village on the Jut land Peninsula in the mid-nineteenth century). Also included would be Gabriel Axel, the director who also wrote the screenplay adapted from the Isak Dinesen novel. The names of the cast and the characters they play would also be listed in the students' papers. Very likely, a short

6 Preparation for and the Process of Film Criticism

Babette's Feast (1988) The rustic townspeople in the midst of dining on Babette's gourmet French meal.

paragraph would be written summarizing the film. (In fact, this would probably closely resemble what is typically written on the plastic jack ets of movie videos.) But from this point on, the writers move in diver gent directions. One student might concentrate on the opulence of Babette's banquet as compared to the blandness and simplicity of the villagers' normal fare. Another might expound on the use of the unsatu rated color and its meaning in the film-with its dark blues and grays in the exterior shots, earth tones accentuated by the candlelight of the interiors, and the severe, somber hues of the clothing worn by both the men and women. Yet another student might discuss the juxtaposition of the widow Babette, a sophisticated and mysterious Parisian, set among these simple, God-fearing, unworldly denizens of the remote, seaside Danish hamlet. Someone else might analyze the motifs of sacrifice and gratitude as manifested by the two sisters, Martina and Philippa, and their housekeeper-cook, Babette. Finally, someone might deliberate on how the title of the film functions both symbolically and thematically.

I have just skimmed the surface of topics that could be written on this thought-provoking, heartwarming motion picture. This will become

7 Preparation for and the Process of Film Criticism

clearer when the different types of critical writing done on film is pre sented in greater detail in succeeding chapters.

Throughout the. movie, you take notes and jot down words of any thing that may be useful to you later on. Do not worry about organization at this juncture. At the movie's fmale, you can still glean much useful information as the credits scroll by before the theater's houselights come up. It is best to see the film again, either later that day or the next. If see ing a film once more is not possible, then within twelve hours of the ini tial screening-while the film's images, insights, and the connections between them are still vivid-study your notes carefully, reorganize them, and write the rough draft.

In summary, the process for viewing a film critically in a theater fol lows these chronological steps:

1. Attend a performance at a time when crowds are smallest: weekday matinees or twilight showings.

2. On your notepad, copy any useful information from the movie poster of your film in the theater.

3. Using a penlight and pencil, jot down useful information in a notepad from the opening credits.

4. Discern the setting, tone, and genre as soon as possible. 5. Comprehend the interplay of the characters and their relationships

to each other and the plot. 6. Focus on one or two aspects of the film that you could develop. 7. Write down anything you fmd important during the film. 8. Glean information from the closing credits. 9.. See the film again within twenty-four hours. If this is not possible,

within twelve hours read and reorganize your notes and write your first draft.

Using the VCR

The videocassette recorder has revolutionized how we see movies on tele vision. No longer need viewers be victimized by network censors and their arbitrary edits; no longer need film enthusiasts be bombarded indiscriminately by mind-numbing advertisements at an increasing pace as the movie rolls toward the climax; no longer need movie fans be chained to their easy chairs and couches, daring not to leave for two min utes and miss an important segment.

In fact, the preferred technology for a review or any other critical essay would be the VCR (or more recent devices such as laser disks and digital video disks [DVDs]). Using such a device, you can stop the film

8 Preparation for and the Process ofFilm Criticism

wherever and whenever you want to, freeze a or use the rewind and play buttons either to see some piece of action again or catch the exact wording of an important exchange of dialogue. You can see a pas sage repeatedly to search for any subtleties in characterization, theme, or symbolism that may have eluded you previously.

Since the video of a film has been made and released after both the first and second run engagements, and since there is already a wealth of information available in periodicals and on the Internet, you can use such technology for not only writing a review but any other critical assignment. Writing a review is an exercise in a type of format and is not contingent on the release date. In fact, you may be assigned to write a review on Gone with the Wind, even though it made the first of its many runs in 1939.

The methodology that you use preparing to view a videotape, then seeing it, and, finally, writing about it is similar to that which you use when watching a film critically in the theater. The suggestion, again, is to do preliminary research to get all the necessary information involving the cast and credits beforehand. Of course, you may opt to rewind and freeze a frame a few times to obtain that data from the introductory and final credits. Again, as the film unfurls, you want to discern the setting, the tone, and the genre. In time, a number of aspects of the film will intrigue you so that you follow and then develop them into the main thrusts of your review or other critical piece.

The attitude that you take during a critical VCR viewing (or in a theater, for that matter) should be interrogatory. You must keep ques tioning the meaning of what you see and jot down these interrogations. They can always be answered after the showing has ended, when you review your notes. From the opening moments to the final credits, you should be generating questions about such typical aspects of a film as the

• Movie's title and its significance, • Format of the opening credits-whether there is static background

behind them or action is transpiring-and its effect, • Purpose of the film's opening minutes regarding establishment of

setting, theme, mood, characterization, and/or tone, • References to other films, • Patterns indicative of the director's style, • Impact of lighting, music, sound, special effects, camera shots, cos

tuming, and set design on the film, • Strengths and weaknesses in casting, • Lapses, if any, in continuity, • Sloppiness, complexity, or tightness of plot, and • Effectiveness and validity of the final scene and ending shot.

9 Preparation for and the Process of Film Criticism

It is always best to write the rough draft while the film is still fresh in your mind. If you own the video or have borrowed it for a considerable length of time, the immediacy for writing the first draft is lessened con siderably-you may not even want to write a draft until you have seen the video an additional time or two. However, if it is rented from the local video mart, you probably will want to view it again within twenty-four hours and then write the initial version.

For writing a lengthy critical paper, you will want to view the video a few times and then integrate your critical viewing notes with your other research. This would consist of copies of reviews, plot summaries, excerpts from articles, books, and the like from the library since you will want to combine your impressions and insights with those of other crit ics, reviewers, and scholars. Make sure to give credit when appropriate and employ standard documentation practices.

In summary, the process for viewing a film criticallv on a VCR fol lows these chronological steps:

1. Gather other reviews, plot summaries, lists of credits and the like and have them available for your viewing.

2. Start the video: on your notepad, jot down any useful information that adds to what you already have. Especially important would be what you can gather about setting, tone, and genre.

3. Note the interplay of the characters and their relationships to each other and the plot.

4. Focus on one or two aspects of the film that you could develop. 5. If doing a comparative study, note the parallels as they unfold. 6. As you watch, jot down anything else that you could conceivably use

later on in your paper. Do not hesitate to use the rewind, play, and freeze frame functions of your VCR for accuracy in quotes and cine matic subtleties to catch and incorporate later on in your first draft.

7. Glean information from the closing credits. 8. See the video again within twenty-four hours. If you own it, see it

an additional time or two before writing the first draft. 9. Read, integrate, and document additional source material-reviews

and critical pieces-with your notes and insights as you compose your first draft.

10. Proofread, edit, and write your final draft on your word processor or computer.

t GLOSSARY OF CINEMATIC TERMS

This text uses numerous terms that relate to the moving picture. They are common enough, but since assumptions of shared knowledge can be dangerous, the following definitions enable every reader to be familiar with the cinema terminology used in these pages.

angle The position of the camera in relation to the subject being filmed. If the camera is above the subject, it is at a high angle; if beneath, it is at a low angle.

auteur The director (who often also is the screenwriter) as the primary creator of film art who is involved in every aspect of the filmmaking process and thus gives each work his/her distinctive style.

backlighting Lighting emanating from behind the actors thus putting them into heavy shadow or even silhouette in the foreground.

blocking The planning and directing· of the actors' movements and positions prior to filming.

cinematographer The individual who plans a scene (usually with the direc tor) and then shoots it.

close-up shot A shot of a character's head or face, for example, that fills the screen.

composition The arrangement of the actors, three dimensional objects (manu factured and natural), and other visual components that form the image within a frame.

crane shot A shot taken from high above the characters and the action by using a mechanical crane.

cut An abrupt change (break) from one continuous set of images to another. deep-focus shot A shot with the visual field in sharp focus: foreground, back

ground, and everything in between. dissolve A slow fading out of one shot followed by the slow fading in of another

where the images are superimposed at midpoint.

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201 Glossary of Cinematic Terms

editing The act of putting together (splicing) images of film that have not been shot sequentially.

fade A transitional effect (also called fade-outlfade-in) where the last image from the previous scene fades to black then gradually, as the light increases, becomes the first image of the next scene.

film noir A genre of mainly American mystery films of the 1940s and 1950s characterized by a pessimistic tone, low-key lighting, and motifs of violence, betrayal, deception, and corrupted passion.

frame Like composition in its concern with the elements within a shot; how ever, here the emphasis is with the borders of that shot.

freeze frame The reprinting of the same frame a number of times giving the effect of freezing the action into a still photograph on the screen.

full shot A medium long shot that shows a complete person from head to foot. genre A category of motion picture, such as the western, the comedy, the melo

drama, the action epic. hand-held shot A shot that follows a character moving-usually through a

crowd-using a hand-held camera and characterized by a jumpiness not present in a mounted camera.

long shot A shot taken at considerable distance from the subject. medium shot A shot of a person from the knees or waist up. mise-en-scene All the theatrical elements necessary in composing a scene to

be filmed: props, sets, lighting, sound effects, costumes, make-up, actors' placement (blocking).

montage A series of abruptly juxtaposed shots using short, edited sequences and music, often interrelated by theme and/or events, denoting the passage of time.

motif An image, object, or idea repeated throughout a film usually to lend a thematic effect.

narrative The storyline or sequential plot of a film. New Wave A group of young French directors during the 1950s. Among them

are Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Alain Resnais, whose films are characterized by shooting scripts written directly for the screen, urban location shooting, improvisation, naturalistic acting, and allusions to ear lier films.

pan shot A shot taken from a mounted camera moving horizontally on a fixed axis.

period piece A film that does not use a contemporary setting but rather that of an earlier historical era.

point of view Either a subjective (first-person) or objective vantage from which everything is observed and interpreted. The subjective viewpoint would be from the perspective of one of the characters. The objective view point would be more neutral and not from anyone character's perspective.

prop A three-dimensional object used by an actor or present on a set. reaction shot A shot of a character's reaction to what has been said or done in

the previous shot. scenarist The person who adapts a literary source for a movie by writing the

screenplay, or who writes a script directly for a film; a screenwriter.

202 Glossary of Cinematic Terms

scene A series of shots unified in action or established location and time (setting).

score Music-either originally composed for the film or not-used in a motion picture.

sequence A series of interrelated scenes that establish a certain prolonged effect with a decided beginning, middle, and ending.

set A soundstage decorated for shooting or any other site prepared for filming to occur.

shooting script The movie storyline broken down to its individual shots, often with technical instructions.

shot The basic unit of filming, which is the unedited, continuously exposed image of any duration made up of any number of frames.

sound effects Sounds-neither musical nor dialogue-that are made to realis tically approximate a desired noise.

special effects Various photographic, artistic, animated, or computerized effects that are filmed to approximate reality or produce a sense of the sur real.

star An actor, actress, or celebrity having great popular appeal. star system Filmmaking that capitalizes on the mass commercial appeal of

certain performers to assure maximum box-office appeal. star vehicle A film produced with maximum publicity to demonstrate the tal

ents or appeal of a specific star. symbol As with literature, a device in which an object or event means more

than its narrow literal meaning. tilt shot A shot taken from a mounted camera moving vertically on a fixed axis. tracking shot A shot of a subject fllmed by a camera mounted on a moving

vehicle. voice-over Narration offscreen while a series of shots unfold onscreen. zoom shot An ongoing shot through a stationary camera where through the

continuous action of the lens, a long shot can very rapidly convert to a close up as zoom in. A close-up reverting to a long shot is a zoom out.

l CREDITS

Photo Credits

Page 6, Photofest; page 14, Shooting Star International Photo Agency; page 17, New Line Cinema/Shooting Star International Photo Agency; paage 32, Everett Collection, Inc.; page 37, Photofest; page 58, Shooting Star International Photo Agency; page 63, Photofest; page 73, Ron Batz dorfflEverett Collection, Inc.; page 87, Everett Collection, Inc.; page 92, Archive Photos; page 106, Kohal Collection; page 109, Epic (Courtesy Kobal); page 122, Shooting Star International Photo Agency; page 130, Kobal Collection; page 141, Everett Collection, Inc.; page 142, Shooting Star International Photo Agency; page 145, Everett Collection, Inc.; page 146, Columbia (Courtesy Kohal), Photographer: Richard Foreman; page 165, Paramount (Courtesy Kobal); page 174, Everett Collection, Inc.

Text Credits

by permission.

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