The Art of Watching Films

With an emphasis on the narrative film, The Art of Watching Films challenges students to take their film experience further by sharpening their powers of observation, developing the skills and habits of perceptive watching, and discovering complex aspects of film art that they might otherwise overlook. The first chapter offers a rationale for film analysis while providing suggestions for deepening film appreciation from day one of the course. Following Chapter One, the text presents a foundation for understanding theme and story, key aspects of understanding narrative films (Chapters 2 and 3), before moving on to discussions of dramatic and cinematic elements (Chapters 4 to 11). A framework for integration and application of these elements into an analysis of the whole film is set forth in Chapter 12. Subsequent chapters explore special topics including adaptations, genre films, re-makes, and sequels.The Art of Watching Films introduces the formal elements and production process of films, and helps students analytically view and understand films within their historical, cultural and social contexts. The text presents an analytical framework that can be applied to all movies, as distinctly different as Avatar, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Vertigo, Iron-Man, Man on Wire, and The Hurt Locker.