some general questions to ask about films

1. Does the title of the film indicate in any way what the film is about? If it does, then in what way(s) is the title reflected in the film? If not, what is the significance of the title in the film?

 

2. How, if at all, does the film's dialogue suggest the theme, i.e. how does it contribute, detract from, or challenge the film's theme?

 

3. In what ways do the characters highlight or detract from the plot, e.g. their names, their circumstances, their manner of dress, their personality?

 

4. Does the structure of the film (i.e. the way it's shot, the way characters are framed, the lighting, etc.) either conflict with or enhance the film's theme?

 

5. What is the relationship between the characters and their environment?

 

6. Is there a relationship between the actor and the character played by him/her?

 

7. Is the character's function in the film symbolic?

 

8. If you are attracted to a character or find him/her appealing or repulsive, what is it about the character you do or do not like? Is this based on the actor or on the character?

 

9. Does the character undergo some alteration in the film? If s/he does or does not, why?

 

10. In proposing an interpretation of a film, you should ask for evidence from the film for this interpretation in such a way that it you can trace a thread throughout the film that expresses your interpretation.

 

11. Does the tone of the film change? If so, try to note at what point(s) it changes, why you think it changes, and whether the change is consistent with other things that have occurred in the film.

 

12. If there is a change in the tone of the film, what precisely do you think contributes to this change? If either the tone changes or if it remains constant (and this can and perhaps should include your reaction to the film), what manifests this tone, i.e. lighting, camera angles, the distance of the shot, the type of lens used, etc.?

 

13. Is the tone of the film consistent with its theme? If not, you may want to re-evaluate your interpretation of one or the other.

 

14. What does the imagery of the film suggest?

 

15. Were there particular aspects of the cinematography that were particularly effective? If so, try to isolate what caused this effect, i.e. lighting, camera movement, camera angle, camera lens, etc.

 

16. Did the imagery of the film enhance or detract from the film's theme?

 

17. In analyzing particular scenes in a film, it may help to ask yourself about how the scene(s) was shot, and why the film-maker shot it in that way and not in another way, e.g. why it was shot with a wide-angle lens from a distance, rather than from a closer distance with a standard lens; or why it was shot from above, rather than straight-on; why the characters were posed in a particular way, rather than another, and so on.

 

18. Most films now are edited before being shown in theatres. Is the editing noticeable? If not, how does this contribute to the film? If it was noticeable, what is the significance of this, e.g. was it used to signal something?

 

19. How did the film's editing affect time, e.g. did it contract it or expand it? How was this done, e.g. what transitional clues were given?

 

20. Why might the film-maker have edited the film in the way s/he did?

 

21. In what way(s) did the sound contribute or detract from the film?

 

22. Were there parts of the sound track that seemed particularly ill or well suited to the film?

 

23. Was the sound distorted or heightened at any point? What might have been the purpose for this?

 

24. Did the sound track provide for a transition? If so, how did it link scenes together?

 

25. Assuming that film is an illusion, does it (i.e. a particular film) comment on reality? If so, how does it do so, e.g. through the characters, through its theme, through the camera work, etc.?

 

26. Given the setting of the film, including the lighting, camera angles, etc., does the film comment on power, e.g. political, one individual's power over another, the power of an individual's circumstances, the power of film (i.e. as a self-commentary/critique), power of one gender over another etc.?

 

27. If, on your interpretation of the film, it is dealing with fantasy, what factor(s) contribute to this sense?

 

28. Does the film attempt to confuse the audience concerning the distinction between reality and appearance, or fantasy? If so, how does it do this? What is the significance of such a move?

 

29. What role does gender play in the film? Do you "participate" in the experiences of a male or female character? What sorts of role are the different genders given to play in the film? If you think such roles could have been different, how so? Does the issue of gender get challenged?

 

30. Does the film challenge us to reflect on current social, political, ontological, or epistemological questions? If so, how does it do this? What ideas/concepts is it challenging? How does it challenge these (pay attention to lighting, camera angles, camera lenses, the distance of the shot, depth of field, time/space, etc. as well as dialogue, juxtaposition of characters, etc.)?

 

31. If an image recurs, what might it signify/symbolize? What is its significance in the film?

 

32. Does the opening scene suggest the theme of the film? If so, how does it do so? If not, what is its relation to the remainder of the film?

 

33. Does the final scene of the film either confirm or challenge the theme?