Paper Example of Questions on Film Studies

(A) Film noir is characterized by elements like complicated plots, cynical heroes, recurrent use of flashbacks, stark lighting effects, and an underlying theme of existentialism.

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(B) The 1944 film Double Indemnity has all the characteristics of film noir considering its visual and thematic dark tone, an anti-hero who is led to his downfall by lust and greed, as well as a seductive but deadly femme fatale.

(C) Neo-noir films actually exist, and are a kind of a contemporary version of their film noir counterparts. They utilize techniques such as titled camera angles, unbalanced framing, interplay of shadows and light, and motifs of revenge, alienation and paranoia. Notable examples of these films include LA Confidential (1997) and Memento (2000).

The films Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Treasure Of The Sierra Madre have a common plot element of greed. In Double Indemnity, a married woman called Phyllis Dietichson has an affair with an insurance agent; with the two planning to murder her husband in order to access some insurance money. in The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cora Smith plots with a lover to kill her husband and inherit his businesses. In Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, the characters fight over ownership of vast amounts of gold reserves.

The 1927 film The Jazz Singer may not have been the earliest sound film or the first talkie film. However, it was the first full-length talkie movie in which spoken dialogue was utilized as part of the dramatic action. The industry shift from silent films to talkies as well as the commercialization of sound-on-film was made possible by the success of The Jazz Singer.

Narration of well-known events involving celebrities benefitted from the advent of sync sound. For instance, on the 20th of May 1927, a film company called Fox Movietone presented a sound film of Charles Lindbergh taking off from New York during his famous first-ever solo non-stop transatlantic flight.

(a) Neorealism is a trend in Italian film characterized by narratives set among the poverty-stricken and the working class, shot on location, and often casting non-professional actors. Neorealist films mostly highlighted the difficult social and economic conditions facing Italians after World War II.

(b) The traumatic experiences of the Second World War influenced the incorporation of humor into Italian films. Audiences in Italy naturally took interest in the happier fare of home-grow comedy films and other humorous genres.

(c) The Italian neorealism influenced several recent Hollywood films. A notable one is the 1995 film titled Friday. It highlights the social and economic problems faced by African Americans living in inner city Los Angeles during the early 1990s.

6. The Criterion Collection release of the 1998 film Armageddon includes commentaries by actors Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The earliest documented utilization of commentary in a film was that of the 1933 film titled King Kong. This technique provides unique insight into a movie, while also presenting audiences with a reason to purchase several copies of that particular film.

7. Filmmakers do not face any danger by making a film that incorporates the mixed genre story. Whenever two or more genres are combined in a single film, each one of them brings along its own conventions. Sometimes, such a situation can make an old narrative appear fresh. While the film can be more effective in some cases, at other times it can simply be confusing to the audience. Since the mixed-genre film is now a crucial new narrative, the film-maker must put into consideration for editing purposes.

8. In 1940 and 1941, British and American film producers suddenly dropped Depression stories and came up with plots about the glorious past of England and America. A possible explanation for this has something to do with the Second World War. The world was headed in the direction of warfare and re-armament. The film industry contributed to the national war effort by producing some war-time classics.

9. The Ox-Bow Incident can be classified as a character drama as it is an intense depiction of frontier justice. It has simple characters that represent a variety of philosophical opinions, attitudes or stances. Despite the film being set in the vast American West, it is restricted to just five locations. This limitation together with the enduring focus on the posse gives it a more intimate feel when compared to most western films. The lighting and cinematography is almost perfect, while the dialogue and writing is acceptable. The Ox-Bow Incident is definitely film noir considering its dark shadowy photography as well as the gallery of grotesques.

10. Henry V was made in 1944 for the then rather expensive 3-strip Technicolor despite a wartime shortage of funds. The British government allowed this and even partly funded the film because it was meant to be a morale booster for the country towards the end of the Second World War. The film definitely justifies the additional expense and magnitude of the color and production values as it went on to become the highest-grossing film at the time, and re-invented the British film industry after the deprivations associated with the war.

11. a. Reap The Wild Wind (1942) Poetic patriotism

b. The City (1939) Expressionism

c. Northwest Passage (1940) Poetic realism

d. The Grapes Of Wrath (1940) - Abstract expressionism

e. Nosferatu (1922) - Neo realism

f. Forbidden Planet (1956) Poetic realism

12. The most prominent film stories during the second world war were about combat, and were meant to rally the audience behind the war effort. In addition to presenting a sense of wartime crisis, the plots were allegories of a democratic country at war. They helped shed light to viewers on why nations fought by portraying democracy in action. For instance, the 1942 film Casablanca portrayed a gradual shift by the main character from a selfish detachment to active participation in the Allies cause.

13. Cinerama was a film technique whereby each of three synchronized projectors project a third of the picture on a wide and curving screen. This screen annexes the viewers entire field of vision, inducing a sense of reality that cannot be matched by the flat screen. While Cinerama was quite a popular motion picture novelty, it did have its ups and downs. It was a costly process that contributed to its abandonment in the 1960s.

14. Filmmakers encountered several production difficulties with the classic 3-strip 1B-Technicolor. For one, Technicolor cameras and the technicians who operated them were in very short supply. Also, the expensive and cumbersome process required a lot of light, and studios had to employ cinematographers working for Technicolor.

15. (a) In the future, movie theatres will be customized to match with the movies showing. Side screens inside the auditorium, project mapping for the outside, and digital screens spread across the lobby will make theatres a changeable space that matches with the films story world.

(b) It is likely that movie theatres will incorporate advertising. They will introduce an interactive form of cinema advertising whereby audiences will get to enjoy movie pre-shows.