c





c  


`





 
 

‡ Movies can mean a great number of things, and there is plenty of
room for argument about those meanings.
Question to ask yourself:
J
has

has a movie stimulated my
intellectual or
emotional responses?
‡ we always want to go beyond ³ 

³ 
 



´´ to find convincing reasons within the movie to support our
opinions.
‡ we are going to examine and apply the many
different theoretical and critical models that give us a psychology
perspective
ë
c ë





ë
c  is a way at looking at movies from a particular intellectual
ë
c
or ideological perspective. It is concerned with many areas of
investigation, including:
1. The film text itself - its structural properties and meanings.
2. The film text¶s connection to culture and history.
3. The relationship between film and reality and anti-
anti-realism
(formalist theory).
4. The production of movies as the result of art, economics or technology.
5. Our psychological reaction to the world projected on the screen.

ë




 is generally focused on evaluating a film¶s artistic merit
and appeal to the public.
 c   ë
c 
   a formalist movement that spanned from 1916-
c ë

   1916-1935
2. ë
 

 


 



  



 



  

 










 











  

 
 
 


  a realist reaction to formalism that began with the
c    
coming of sound in 1927 and continued to the 1960s and was
primarily influenced by Andre Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer.
Kracauer.
   began in the late 1950s/1960s and continues today
c c
  
and includes a wide range of new interpretive approaches,
including: auteurism,
auteurism, feminism, psychoanalytic criticism, Marxism
and cultural studies.
 ë
  
!
‡ "#$


 
 everything that a movie
"#$


 

presents on its surface. Our ability to notice
associations and relationships among the many
pieces of information in the film.
‡ !$


 
 an association, connection,
!$


 

or inference that a viewer makes on the basis
of the explicit story and form of the film.
Lying below the surface of explicit meaning-
meaning-
closest to the everyday sense of the word
meaning.
 ë
  
!!
Ë ! 
 
 body of ideas expressed
! 
 

by a film that reflects beliefs on the part of
filmmakers, characters, or the time and place
of the movie¶s setting.
Ë ! 
 
 is the product of social,
political, economic, religious, philosophical,
psychological, and sexual forces that shape the
filmmakers¶ perspectives.
 


$$ 
‡ c






 attempts to place a value on a work of art, a genre or an
artist; to establish hierarchies of good and bad and to distinguish between
timeless classics and forgettable pulp or tasteless junk.
‡ ë
 is a traditional type of criticism; when applied to film, it entails
seeing cinematic form as the most important source of a movie¶s meaning, and
attempting to explain how the filmmakers¶ techniques create the movie¶s
layered meanings.
‡ We might contrast formalism which looks inward at a film with the

#

 which looks outward at critical theories.
‡ c 
 offer specific world views (e.g. j

,
j

,  

 
)) that make
expansive claims to explain the place of works of art within a larger context,
and they offer critical lenses into the implicit and ideological meanings within
those works.
!
$

 ë %
 
 



‡ 
: In the Western tradition, the effect of art on

 


:
people and society begins with the Greek philosophers and dramatists.
On one side you had ±most prominently Plato-Plato- who viewed the arts as
dangerous in their potential influence.
‡ Plato opposed the idea of 

,, the Greek word for the imitative
representation of the world in art and literature.
‡ On the other side of the Greek debate were the defenders of art. In the

,, Aristotle argued that humans acquire knowledge through


imitation. More famously, he used the term   
-

-to describe a
therapeutic by-
by-product of watching tragedy, which, through fear and
pity, purged viewers of such emotions.
‡ e.g. In film studies, genres like horror, b-
b-moves, pornography and
violent films like Oliver Stone¶s   
 (1994) or Mel
Gibson¶s   
j  
 (2004) generate complex issues in
discussions about film violence.
 *
&$$


'( 
)
‡ According to structuralist anthropologist   * 

  * 
 
  (b.
 
,, the
1908), all human cultures share an underlying reliance on  

tendency to see the world in terms of opposing binary oppositions-
oppositions-
raw/cooked, nature/culture, man/woman, for example.
‡ In addition, each 
$$


 reveals an underlying tension, a
potential conflict that myth or art tries to reconcile. The form of such
resolutions reflect the prevailing culture.
‡ e.g. In James Cameron¶s c

films


films we see the machines vs.
humanity. In c

 
1991)


 
1991) the T-
T-800=³human´ and T-T-
1000=³machine´. In 
 (1939) 
 (1946)
we see rural vs. urban and (³
(³  
 
‡ Dramatic conflict, in and of itself, creates binary oppositions.
oppositions.
›

›

 


‡ The 

 postulates that the film director is the
³author´ of a film.
‡ 

 has roots in 1920s France; its popularity
peaked there in the 1950s with the influential film journal


 ,


 , founded and edited by  *+
.
 *+
.
‡ Contributors to this journal and early proponents of this
theory (both as critics and directors) included the New
Wave filmmakers ë
c 
, 
ë
c 
, * -
"
.     
‡ A director must have made a significant body of films
'  )) to be considered an auteur.
' 
 

!!
‡ A film director¶s style should be as distinctive as a
novelist¶s and the cinematic style is the DNA by which
that author can be identified.
‡ In the 1960s, this auteur theory was promulgated by The
2
 !2
 film critic  %

 %
..
‡ Despite its weaknesses, 

 is a useful approach
to film criticism and helps identify those directors whose
work displays ideological and stylistic consistency.
  
ë
c 
/
ë

 , the Austrian founder of
‡  ë
 ,
psychoanalysis, believed that each person has a
profoundly influential unconscious.

‡A good deal of this unconscious manifests itself

through art, narratives and entertainment and the
venting of the unconscious is therapeutic and
cathartic.
 ë
%

0
 ë 

! 

Ingmar Bergman¶s ë  
(
( )

)

Alfred Hitchcock¶s ! "

#$)
"
#$) & %

(1958)

Jacques Tourneur¶s & !

# )

# )

Fred Wilcox¶s ë
" & 

$')

$')

Ken Russell¶s 
 

 ()
()
 ë 
ë
c 

Art may reveal emotional dynamics not

deliberately fashioned by the artist.

Expressions of sexual desire in art are intertwined

with incompletely suppressed aggression, fear and
guilt.

A critic can link an artwork and an artist¶s

biographical background within an interpretation
that reveals unconscious manifestations of desire,
aggression, fear and guilt.
  
c 
/



  

Draws on perceptual psychology and aesthetic studies

to explain how we fit elements into orderly patterns,
experience joy and sadness through art.

Film scholars David Bordwell and Noel Carroll are

among the principal proponents of this movement.

A viewer is seen as an active participant in the

creation of a film¶s effects and meaning.
 


  !!

A foundational idea of cognitive psychology is that

people use   o
 o make sense of a perceptually
incomplete world.

R  are
 are mental concepts that filter our
experience.
 ! Films
Films such as M.Night Shyamalan¶s )
 
* requires an active viewer to determine
the meaning of the film¶s conclusion.
! 
c 
& 
%

Ideological criticism attends to the formal and

informal beliefs, feelings and habits of individuals,
groups and nations.

Films reflect ideology.

e.g. c
!))  (1935)
) ë) (1943
(1943--1945)
Malcolm X
 #

ë
c 
#
: a body of doctrine developed by
#
:
Marx and Hegel in the mid 19th Century.
It consists of:
1. A philosophical view of humanity that is
non--religious.
non
2. A theory of history (thesis + antithesis=
synthesis).
3. An economic and political program.
 #

ë
c !!

The idea of the proletariat as hero, rising up

and creating a classless society with prosperity
for all was reflected in the films of:
>` 
"#


"

"2
"R $
#
/
a. Is a system of thought developed in the mid
nineteenth century by Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels.
b. Describes the emergence of a classless
society.
c. Provides a critical method for analyzing
power structures and class inequities.
d. All of the above
e. a and c only
 ë 


ë 

 brings the following issues to the
forefront in the movies:
1. A desire for equality with men in society and the
arts.
2. The roles of women in society.
3. The patriarchal structure of society.
4. The stereotypes of women.
5. Gender discrimination.
 ë 


ë
c 
Feminist film theory focuses on how
the media, and film, in particular,
have represented women in a
condescending manner as:
1. Objects of desire.
2. Passive beings.
3. Dependent on men.
 ë 


ë
c !!
Two of the most important issues
facing  




 are:
1. Deterministic Feminist Theory

2. Liberal-
Liberal- Progressive Feminist Theory
(




ë 


c 

Many feminist critiques focus on whether woman

and men can challenge patriarchy.

Laura Mulvey¶s landmark essay ³2

  
³2
  
  

 ´(1975)
  

 ´(1975) stated patriarchy is
a systemic condition that is virtually
unchangeable because classic narrative cinema
views women as objects to be watched.

This theory was popular in the 1960¶s and early

1970¶s.
 *
  
 ë 



*
 
ë
c 

Molly Haskell¶s ³From Reverence to Rape: The

Treatment of Women in the Movies´(1974)
surveys the unrealistic depiction of women in
films.

She states that most depictions of women in films

made before 1960 are demeaning.

Haskell argues that stereotypes should be replaced

with images that are real and positive.

Today we embrace this form of feminist theory.

  




In the 1920¶s The Frankfurt Institute attempted to

incorporate politics, culture, psychology and sociology into
a single discipline. (i.e.  



 


))

Works by intellectuals such as Siegfried Kracauer¶s ³ë

³ë



1

 / 
1

- 
´(1947) opened a new perspective on movies as a
ë
´(1947)
ë

popular art rather than a traditional one.

A branch of cultural studies called   $


 studies
how the audience received the movie (not its director or
theme) evaluating age, politics, sex, class, ethnicity, socio-
socio-
economics etc.

Cultural studies goes deep beneath the surface of a movie to

explore implicit and hidden meanings.
`
 `
 $$
. 


Let¶s now look at a number of films that are

well suited to specific critical and
theoretical approaches.

Although all approaches are broadly

applicable to almost any film, some movies
yield more interesting answers to particular
kinds of questions, as the case studies that
follow illustrate.

 


/(
1

 +

 ) presents violence in a form that
can entertain and horrify. It becomes perfect
fodder for a mimesis/catharsis debate.

To explore  +
 treatment of violence, you

could do basic research into the film¶s reception-
reception-
reading reviews, criticism, marketing materials,
interviews of viewers and fans-
fans-to learn how the
violence was received and then begin

 

..
 


*
&$$


/(
1
Compose a list after watching the film such as:
>Man versus Woman
>Black versus White
>West Coast versus East
>Local Cops versus FBI
>USA versus Japan
>USA versus Europe
>Outlaw Hero versus Official Hero
 ë 

/2


Oliver Stone¶s 


 ,)provides
,)provides a
textbook example of a classic Freudian oedipal
conflict between a caring and supportive father
and his prodigal son.

Freud¶s central idea is that oedipal aggression

expresses itself indirectly, accidentally and
unconsciously.



  /3 


Alfred Hitchcock¶s brilliant %
(1958)is

(1958)is
interesting cognitively for:
1. POV depiction of vertigo effects.
2. Visually dramatic dream sequences.
3. The viewer¶s sharing of Scottie¶s visions of
Madeleine and then his memory of her through
Judy.
4. Our ability to remember and recognize a
familiar face or profile.


/ 
 -
$#))

 -
$#

1

   film is a good example of how the
director, together with his cast and crew created a
unified work.

1

  is an  because he is a director
style( e.g.
who manifests a consistency of style(
shooting in a confined space) and theme (e.g.
films.
interest in voyeurism) across his films.
ë

r:: the total body of work of a filmmaker

r
  
!'
#
/
#
/ 
!' ,
 ,))

ë

+*  silent masterpiece was the high point of
German expressionism.

The sci-
sci-fi story presents a society with a social
structure much like that described by #

The owners live above ground and the slave workers

toil beneath.

Marxism¶s central tenet of exploitation of workers by

those who control capital is evident.

Hitler¶s favorite film!

 ë 

/c) 
ë 

/c)
 '44)
.
 

 film is the first big budget

Hollywood film to assert a feminist perspective
with its details debatable:
1. The film traffics in stereotypes of male
chauvinism.
Ñ c *
 take on traditional male
roles.
ë 

/c *
 !!

3c *
 develop into proud, fearless,

satisfied people.
4. The road picture and western overlap feminist
concerns.
5. The film condemns criminal justice and its failure
to protect women victimized by sexual assault.
6. The movie deflects the traditional Hollywood
male gaze by allowing T&L to ogle handsome J.D.
(*

).
*

).
 


/ !
 #)
#)
 ##  low
low-- budget, dark comedy speaks
eloquently about social conditions and attitudes.
It depicts subcultures of disaffected youth and:
1. Examines the punk movement.
2. Urban legends.
3. Conspiracy theories.
4. Provides a deadpan commentary on American
social conditions and attitudes.
 * ++2

: any cause, person or object admired by a

:
minority.


:: ! is a cult film which means


that it has a small but devoted audience that
admires and values certain aspects of this film.


 are either µso bad they¶re good¶ (e.g.
world¶s worst director Ed Wood) or are the
objects of a quasi-
quasi-religious worship (


(

).
).
 &
ëë


-"0."c5(6

The study of individual films within a certain genre.

One simple but very effective way of analyzing

genre convention and a particular film¶s place
within a genre is to break down a movie into three
discrete temporal aspects: (continued)
 -"0."c5(6
 
ë overall plot structure found in a

ë 
genre. e.g. In the science fiction genre consider the
plot of
c .(1982), or 


c.(1982), (1984)

(1984)
Ñ    

In science fiction, the scene in
   


which the visitor exhibits otherworldly powers.
 
an immediately recognizable visual
!
 

symbol. In Sci-
Sci-Fi this might be homesick shots of
the night sky.
7777777

 $


 
  
  

a. Scene type
b. Iconic image
c. Story formula
d. Stylistic framework
e. Rhetorical layout
 ë


A  
.) is an intellectual
property involving an original work of fiction.
Multiple sequels are often planned well in
advance and, in the case of motion pictures,
actors and directors often sign multi-
multi-film deals
to ensure their participation.

e.g. c) .
/
((0 ((') franchise.

((0 ((')
-  1 81

+



Wes Craven¶s .


')echoes

')echoes and plays
homage to &.)
&.)
 +- 
, )and
the horror genre itself.

+"
 :: the tendency to combine genres in

+"
 
a single film.

e.g. *  

 )=thriller,sci
)=thriller,sci--fi,adventure
&


)=action, adventure, illusionist
c) 

)=action,
sci--fi.
sci
 ë
1




³ 
j!! %&

j!! %& j


 '




 
j  %

j (j
)' 




!j
j  
 
 %
 
 
 ! 

&&
 !  
 
 ! 




 
³ë
1

,, Theory
Film historians Douglas Gomery and Robert C. Allen from ³ë
1


and Practice´(1985)
Practice´(1985)
 ë
1


!!

In its broadest sense, film history, examines the

development of the movies from their invention in
1895 to the present.

ë)

!)1different types of historical

ë)

!)1
writing about the cinema.

Human conflict has been depicted in the movies not

only to entertain but to inspire and educate.
e.g. /&
/  
 *
 ë
1


!!!
> Some historical movies are biased or
melodramatic.
e.g. *
)
$*

3)
2 )c) 
3)
> Some historical movies tend to smooth-
smooth- over
history¶s facts and blur its moral ambiguities.
e.g. .
 
!

3#*
2 )
 *
.4
 *
c$ ë
1


$ !!

>The technological perspective:

optics

chemistry

digital processing

>Social history:

movies and how they affect culture, society and

influence social change.
 
!