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Analyze a chosen film scene and to
demonstrate an initial understanding of the different aspects of a cinematic artwork. Since this
course focuses on film as an art form as well as a medium for expressing philosophical questions
and ideas, it is a good idea to establish a basic knowledge of the elements that contribute to a
“great” or “well-made” movie. The application of this knowledge will also help to cultivate,
hopefully, a deeper appreciation for cinematic art.
So with this brief paper, you will adopt the role of a film critic, though you will
focus here on a chosen film scene rather than an entire movie. Your first step, then, is to choose
one of your favorite scenes from one of your favorite films, and most especially a movie that you
consider to be a “great” or “well-made” film. Secondly, find a video clip of that scene on YouTube
(youtube.com) and re- watch the scene. (For this assignment, only choose a scene that has a
corresponding YouTube clip.)
Scenes are composed of a series of shots (images) and, when scenes connect with one another,
they help to build sequences. Sequences build upon one another so as to constitute an overall
film. Here are some examples of famous film scenes. If you have a really difficult time choosing
one of your own favorite scenes (though I don’t think you will!), you are of course welcome to
choose one of these:
1. the scene from Casablanca in which Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid
Bergman) meet one another again after so many years apart, surrounded by the customers
of Rick’s Café. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX2N6peyFlk
2. the scene from Gone With the Wind in which Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) promises
herself that she will never go hungry again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2jR62cTTKo
Film scholars and film critics consider various aspects or elements of a movie when judging a film
to be “great” or “well-made.” Typically, great movies contain many memorable scenes and make
use of clever cinematic techniques. Here are several examples of the most essential
aspects/elements of a well-made film:
acting performance
• spoken dialogue
• camera angle • camera movement (panning to left or right, zooming in or out)
• camera distance (close-up, long-shot, medium-shot)
• lighting (light/dark contrast, shadowing, highlighting, etc.)
• music
• editing (also known as “montage”)
Now study the accompanying document (“Film Analysis: What’s Worth Looking At”) in order to
gain a bit more understanding of what these cinematic aspects/elements are all about and how
you might use them in explaining what makes a given film (or a given scene in a film) “great” or
“well-made.”
Next step: re-watch the film scene several times with the above-mentioned aspects/elements in
mind. Identify the several most relevant aspects/elements that make this particular scene so
effective and well-crafted.
For your paper, analyze your chosen scene according to several (at least three or four) of the
above-mentioned aspects/elements. For example, what did the musical soundtrack contribute to
the scene? Which emotions or moods were evoked by the music? How did the music, in
conjunction with the editing, affect the pacing or tempo of the scene? Or why was the lack of
music more effective, given the type of scene? And how was the camera used in the scene? How
did the camera movements (if any) and varying camera distances add to the power of the scene?
And so forth.
