what is a cinema essay

Essays About Cinema: Top 5 Examples and 10 Prompts

Are you writing an essay on cinema? Check out our round-up of great examples of essays about cinema and creative prompts to stir up your thoughts on this art form.

Cinema is primarily referred to as films. With the power to transport people to different worlds and cultures, cinema can be an evocative medium to tell stories, shape beliefs, and seed new ideas. Cinema can also refer to the production process of films or even film theaters.

If you’re writing an essay about cinema, our inspiring essay examples and prompts below can help you find the best way to express your thoughts on this art form:  

Best 5 Essay Examples

1. french cinema is more than just entertainment by jonathan romney, 2. “nope” is one of the greatest movies about moviemaking by richard brody, 3. the wolf of wall street and the new cinema of excesses by izzy black, 4. how spirited away changed animation forever by kat moon, 5. from script to screen: what role for intellectual property by cathy jewell, 1. the history of cinema, 2. analysis of my favorite movie, 3. the impact of cinema on life, 4. the technological evolution of cinema, 5. cinema and piracy, 6. how to make a short film, 7. movies vs. film vs. cinema, 8. movie theaters during the pandemic, 9. film festivals, 10. the effect of music on mood.

“In France, cinema is taken seriously, traditionally considered an art rather than merely a form of entertainment or an industrial product. In that spirit, and in the name of ‘cultural exception,’ the French state has long supported home-grown cinema as both art and business.”

The culture of creating and consuming cinema is at the heart of French culture. The essay gives an overview of how the French give premium to cinema as a tool for economic and cultural progress, inspiring other countries to learn from the French in maintaining and elevating the global prestige of their film industry.

“‘Nope’ is one of the great movies about moviemaking, about the moral and spiritual implications of cinematic representation itself—especially the representation of people at the center of American society who are treated as its outsiders.”

The essay summarizes “Nope,” a sci-fi horror released in 2022. It closely inspects its action, technology play, and dramatic point-of-view shots while carefully avoiding spoilers. But beyond the cinematic technicalities, the movie also captures Black Americans’ experience of exploitation in the movie’s set period. 

“These films opt to imaginatively present the psychology of ideology rather than funnel in a more deceptive ideology through moralizing. The hope, then, perhaps, that indulging in the sin that we might better come to terms with the animal of capitalism and learn something of value from it. Which is to say, there is a moral end to at all.” 

This essay zooms into various movies of excess in recent times and compares them against those in the ‘60s when the style in the cinema first rose. She finds that current films of excess do not punish their undiscerning heroes in the end. While this has been interpreted as glorifying the excess, Black sees this as our way to learn.

Check out these essays about heroes and essays about college .

“Spirited Away shattered preconceived notions about the art form and also proved that, as a film created in Japanese with elements of Japanese folklore central to its core, it could resonate deeply with audiences around the world.”

Spirited Away is a hand-drawn animation that not only put Japanese cinema on the map but also changed the animation landscape forever. The film bent norms that allowed it to break beyond its target demographics and redefine animation’s aesthetic impact. The Times essay looks back on the film’s historic journey toward sweeping nominations and awards on a global stage long dominated by Western cinema. 

“[IP rights] help producers attract the funds needed to get a film project off the ground; enable directors, screenwriters and actors, as well as the many artists and technicians who work behind the scenes, to earn a living; and spur the technological innovations that push the boundaries of creativity and make the seemingly impossible, possible.”

Protecting intellectual property rights in cinema has a significant but often overlooked role in helping make or break the success of a film. In this essay, the author identifies the film-making stages where contracts on intellectual property terms are created and offers best practices to preserve ownership over creative works throughout the film-making process.

10 Exciting Writing Prompts

See below our writing prompts to encourage great ideas for your essay:

In this essay, you can write about the beginnings of cinema or pick a certain period in the evolution of film. Then, look into the defining styles that made them have an indelible mark in cinema history. But to create more than just an informational essay, try to incorporate your reflections by comparing the experience of watching movies today to your chosen cinema period.

Pick your favorite movie and analyze its theme and main ideas. First, provide a one-paragraph summary. Then, pick out the best scenes and symbolisms that you think poignantly relayed the movie’s theme and message. To inspire your critical thinking and analysis of movies, you may turn to the essays of renowned film critics such as André Bazin and Roger Ebert . 

Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of cinema. You can cite research and real-life events that show the benefits and risks of consuming or producing certain types of films. For example, cinematic works such as documentaries on the environment can inspire action to protect Mother Nature. Meanwhile, film violence can be dangerous, especially when exposed to children without parental guidance.

Walk down memory lane of the 100 years of cinema and reflect on each defining era. Like any field, the transformation of cinema is also inextricably linked to the emergence of groundbreaking innovations, such as the kinetoscope that paved the way for short silent movies and the technicolor process that allowed the transition from black and white to colored films. Finally, you can add the future innovations anticipated to revolutionize cinema. 

Content piracy is the illegal streaming, uploading, and selling of copyrighted content. First, research on what technologies are propelling piracy and what are piracy’s implications to the film industry, the larger creative community, and the economy. Then, cite existing anti-piracy efforts of your government and several film organizations such as the Motion Picture Association . Finally, offer your take on piracy, whether you are for or against it, and explain. 

A short film is a great work and a starting point for budding and aspiring movie directors to venture into cinema. First, plot the critical stages a film director will undertake to produce a short film, such as writing the plot, choosing a cast, marketing the film, and so on. Then, gather essential tips from interviews with directors of award-winning short films, especially on budgeting, given the limited resource of short film projects. 

Beyond their linguistic differences, could the terms movie, film, and cinema have differences as jargon in the film-making world? Elaborate on the differences between these three terms and what movie experts think. For example, Martin Scorsese doesn’t consider the film franchise Avengers as cinema. Explain what such differentiation means. 

Theaters were among the first and worst hit during the outbreak of COVID-19 as they were forced to shut down. In your essay, dig deeper into the challenges that followed their closure, such as movie consumers’ exodus to streaming services that threatened to end cinemas. Then, write about new strategies movie theater operators had to take to survive the pandemic. Finally, write an outlook on the possible fate of movie theaters by using research studies and personally weighing the pros and cons of watching movies at home.

Film Festivals greatly support the film industry, expand national wealth, and strengthen cultural pride. For this prompt, write about how film festivals encouraged the rise of specific genres and enabled the discovery of unique films and a fresh set of filmmakers to usher in a new trend in cinema.

First, elaborate on how music can intensify the mood in movies. Then, use case examples of how music, especially distinct ones, can bring greater value to a film. For example, superhero and fantasy movies’ intro music allows more excellent recall. 

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers . 

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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• Essay On Impact Of Cinema On Life

Essay on the Impact of Cinema on Life

500+ words essay on the impact of cinema on life.

Cinema is a motion picture, or to put it simply, it means movies. Most of us love watching movies and wait eagerly for the next new release. These movies take us on an entertaining journey to a whole new world. From the time it came into existence, cinema has had a great impact on our lives. Cinema is also a great medium of education. From bringing different cultures and traditions across the globe together to raising awareness about important issues, cinemas educate us in many ways.

Origin of Cinema

Cinema is short for cinematography. Cinematography is the illusion of movement seen on a screen. This illusion of movement is a result of recording and then projecting several still photographs rapidly on the screen. This medium of mass communication and entertainment is a product of 19th-century science. Unlike most scientific inventions, the cinema doesn’t have just one inventor. Several scientists of the time, like Edison and the Lumiere brothers William Friese-Greene, worked to invent motion pictures and the cameras that recorded them.

The Edison company invented a device called the Kinetoscope, which allowed a person to view moving pictures through a peephole. In 1895, the Lumiere brothers invented a device called the Cinématographe, which could project moving pictures onto a screen. The Cinématographe was a three-in-one device, it was a camera, a projector and a film printer.

The first films were short, lasting a few minutes and did not have synchronized sound or dialogues. But with more scientific innovations, production houses started making feature-length movies with colour and synchronized sound. Roundhay Garden Scene, which was recorded by English photographer Louis Le Prince is believed to be the first motion picture ever made. The motion picture was recorded in Leeds, England, in 1888. The first Indian cinema was Raja Harishchandra, which was recorded and shown to the public in 1913.

Impact of Cinema on Our Lives

Cinema is mainly a medium of entertainment and communication. It is also a great medium to educate the masses. A movie has the power to bring distant, unseen lands, their culture and traditions before the audience. It can help raise awareness about social and cultural issues and help people understand the difference between good and bad. It can be inspirational and push the audience towards achieving their goals and dreams. Cinemas are also great stress relievers. It helps transport the audience to a distant, make-believe land that helps them forget their troubles for a little while.

While it has its merits, cinema does have several disadvantages too. There are several ways in which it could affect our lives negatively. It is up to the individuals to choose what to watch.

Impact of Cinema on Students

Young children are very impressionable and pick up things quickly. While the educational part of films is a good influence on them, the negative aspects can be a bad influence. Movies can also fuel their imagination and creativity and introduce them to new concepts. It can also inspire them and push them to work hard towards achieving their goals. At the same time, some movies can have a negative impact on students. So, parents and educators should ensure that movies shown to young children and students should be properly vetted and age-appropriate.

In conclusion, cinemas have had a vast impact on our lives. From educating and entertaining us to opening our minds to new possibilities and inspiring us, movies have changed our lives in several ways. The best way to ensure cinema doesn’t have a negative impact is to appreciate and learn the good aspects while leaving out the bad.

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Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life for Students and Children

500 words essay on impact of cinema in life.

Cinema has been a part of the entertainment industry for a long time. It creates a massive impact on people all over the world. In other words, it helps them give a break from monotony. It has evolved greatly in recent years too. Cinema is a great escape from real life.

Furthermore, it helps in rejuvenating the mind of a person. It surely is beneficial in many ways, however, it is also creating a negative impact on people and society. We need to be able to identify the right from wrong and make decisions accordingly.

Advantages of Cinema

Cinema has a lot of advantages if we look at the positive side. It is said to be a reflection of the society only. So, it helps us come face to face with the actuality of what’s happening in our society. It portrays things as they are and helps in opening our eyes to issues we may have well ignored in the past.

Similarly, it helps people socialize better. It connects people and helps break the ice. People often discuss cinema to start a conversation or more. Moreover, it is also very interesting to talk about rather than politics and sports which is often divided.

Above all, it also enhances the imagination powers of people. Cinema is a way of showing the world from the perspective of the director, thus it inspires other people too to broaden their thinking and imagination.

Most importantly, cinema brings to us different cultures of the world. It introduces us to various art forms and helps us in gaining knowledge about how different people lead their lives.

In a way, it brings us closer and makes us more accepting of different art forms and cultures. Cinema also teaches us a thing or two about practical life. Incidents are shown in movies of emergencies like robbery, fire, kidnapping and more help us learn things which we can apply in real life to save ourselves. Thus, it makes us more aware and teaches us to improvise.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Disadvantages of Cinema

While cinema may be beneficial in many ways, it is also very damaging in various areas. Firstly, it stereotypes a lot of things including gender roles, religious practices, communities and more. This creates a false notion and a negative impact against that certain group of people.

People also consider it to be a waste of time and money as most of the movies nowadays are not showing or teaching anything valuable. It is just trash content with objectification and lies. Moreover, it also makes people addicts because you must have seen movie buffs flocking to the theatre every weekend to just watch the latest movie for the sake of it.

Most importantly, cinema shows pretty violent and sexual content. It contributes to the vulgarity and eve-teasing present in our society today. Thus, it harms the young minds of the world very gravely.

Q.1 How does cinema benefit us?

A.1 Cinema has a positive impact on society as it helps us in connecting to people of other cultures. It reflects the issues of society and makes us familiar with them. Moreover, it also makes us more aware and helps to improvise in emergency situations.

Q.2 What are the disadvantages of cinema?

A.2 Often cinema stereotypes various things and creates false notions of people and communities. It is also considered to be a waste of time and money as some movies are pure trash and don’t teach something valuable. Most importantly, it also demonstrates sexual and violent content which has a bad impact on young minds.

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Where Film Matters

Introduction to André Bazin, Part 1: Theory of Film Style in its Historical Context

André bazin revisited.

André Bazin, film critic, theorist, philosopher, and humanist wrote a series of essays between the years 1944 and 1958, before he died at the young age of 40. The majority of them were anthologized in their original language in the four volume set Qu’est- ce que le cinéma? Selections from these four volumes were trans­lated by Hugh Gray and presented in two English volumes: What is Cinema? Other major works translated into English include Jean Renoir, Orson Welles: A Critical View, and French Cinema of the Occupation and the Resistance. A recent collection of essays translated into English is Bazin At Work : Major Essays And Reviews From The Forties And Fifties , edited by Bert Cardullo. Other crucial non- anthologized articles are found in the journals Esprit, Cahiers du Cinéma and Les Temps Modernes . Given the breadth of his work, I have limited myself in this introduction to his theoretical work and omitted his critical work on genre/cycles (the Western, Neo-realism) and/or specific films.

In my exposition of these writings I do not purport to be exhaustive, but rather to arrive at an understanding of Bazin’s cinematic beliefs. By expounding, commenting on, and making necessary connections I will attempt to synthesize a complex man and his works into a manageable form. Any element of criticism is a residue of the rigorous thought process propelled by his writings.

THE ESSENCE OF CINEMA

Bazin sees cinema as “an idealistic phenomenon” and only consequently technical. Being a humanist he believes that the idea precedes the invention and hence is superior to the technical means used to achieve it. He categorizes the early pioneers (Muybridge, Niepce, Leroy, Demeny, Joy, Edison, Lumiére) as “ingenious industrialists” at best. Later, in his now famous essay “The Evolution of the Language of Cinema” he would extrapolate this formula of “idea necessitating technical means” into complexity of subject matter necessitating a new form/style. To Bazin the cinema is inherently realistic ­because of the mechanical mediation of the camera. This is not the same as saying that cinema is “objective” in any sense other than relative, and that cinema is untouched by ideological and cultural factors, as many of Bazin’s critics have said. What Bazin does do with this fact is place cinema above painting – the camera vs. the brush- as a medium for duplicating reality. Further, cinema’s ability to record the event in time, making “an imprint of the duration of the object” elevates it above photography. Although the potential for human intervention is always present, even granting the mechanical intervention, Bazin believes that the filmmaker owes it to the complexity of reality to refrain from false subjective manipulation and overwrought formalist mediation.

The “myth” of total cinema Bazin speaks of is a reflection of humanity’s psychological and indeed ethical, obsession in the arts with depicting reality. 1 Possibly as a means of countering mortality, humanity has forever been attempting to preserve his/her likeness in one form or another. As Prakash Younger notes in his involved argumentation in his Offscreen essay, there is an ethical and moral link between the real world and the practice of artistic creation and spectatorial reception of art which informs the “aesthetic” practice and theory of Bazin. This moral and ethical link does not circumvent the ideological, but stands as a way through the “impasse” of the ideological, or, to once again quote Prakash, “pseudorealism” to get at the “true realism.”

As time evolved so did the means of artistically replicating reality, from cave drawings, to mummification, to engraving, to painting, to photography, and to its (thus far) most convincing form, cinema. In the task of duplicating reality cinema has surpassed all other forms of representation. Bazin envisions each rung on cinema’s evolutionary ladder as a step toward a more realistic depiction of the world (sound, color, depth of field, 3- D,etc.). Since Bazin believes that the origins of an art reveal its nature, cinema’s quest for realism supports his claim for an objective and pure cinema. This “myth” which grew out of cinema’s beginnings stands as the touchstone cinema has progressively evolved toward.

Much of the confusion concerning Bazin’s writings – and indeed a major concern in the canon of film theory- is traceable to the relationship between the filmed image and its life counterpart. How does Bazin explain this relationship? He describes it in the following terms: 1) The photographic image is “a kind of decal or transfer”; 2) “The photographic image is the object itself, the object freed from the conditions of time and space that govern it”; 3) Photography embalms time; 4) “The photograph as such and the object in itself share a common being, after the fashion of a fingerprint”; 5) “In no sense is it the image of an object or persons, more correctly it is its tracing”; 6) “The photograph proceeds … to the taking of a veritable luminous impression in light – to a mold. As such it carries with it more than mere resemblance, namely a kind of identity …”; 7) “The cinema … makes an imprint of the duration of the object.” 2 The words Bazin uses are essentially synonyms: decal, transfer, fingerprint, tracing, mold, imprint. The reverberations suggest a quasi- mystical relationship between the subject and its photographic double. Given Bazin’s strong Catholic background it may or may not be begging credulity to mention at this point an underlying presence of religious reverberation in lines two and six. Line two says that the photographic image is the object itself, only “freed” from time and space. By “freeing” the object Bazin is implying a form of salvation or transgression to a higher moral/spiritual plateau. Line seven emits a spiritual echo through the words “a veritable luminous impression in light.” Could the photographic reproduction be in a symbolic sense the soul of its real life counterpart? Even when, in his article “La Technique du Citizen Kane ,” 3 Bazin defends Welles against George Sadoul’s charges of unoriginality he concludes with the spiritualistic thought that Welles, the modern artist, has left behind (through his films) “a resonance the likes of which we have never known before” (my translation). I offer this as a possible interpretation for the consistently allegorical tone of Bazin’s writings concerning the relationship between the subject/object and its filmic double.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE LANGUAGE OF CINEMA : an Exploration of cinema style

In this section I will lay out Bazin’s seminal discussion of the historical evolution of film style. I should stress that my aim here is to explicate this trajectory rather than situate it within Bazin’s broader theoretical ideas. I admit that even the few criticisms I make with regard Bazin’s critical application of realist style can be smoothed over by relating Bazin’s analysis of cinematic language to his larger philosophical and theoretical aims.

With the championing of realism as the eventual goal, Bazin wrote a thoughtful historical overview of the evolution of film language. The major tenet coming from this overview is that the jump from silent to sound cinema was not the major evolutional point in film language. That breakthrough point would arrive several years later (1940-41). Bazin’s starting point for his historical overview is the silent period. Employing a stylistic and semi-auteur approach he groups all directors between the years 1920 to 1940 into two groups: one which base their integrity in the image (the imagists) and another which base their integrity in reality (the realists). The imagists are broken down into two camps, those working with the plastics (lighting, decor, composition, acting) and those working with the editing (the montagists). The realists do not distort time (like the montagists) or space (like the expressionists) but attempt to depict true reality. The major exponents of the realist camp are F.W. Murnau, Eric Von Stroheim, Robert Flaherty, Carl Dreyer, and Jean Renoir. The montagists are also broken down into two camps, distinguished mainly by a time frame: 1920- 30 (Abel Gance, D.W. Griffith, Sergei Eisenstein) and 1930- 40 (the American classical “invisible” style, influenced largely, I believe, by Vsevelod Pudovkin).

The end of the silent period brought the two “image” camps to their apex in the form of German Expressionism (the plastics) and the Soviet Post-Revolution cinema (the montagists). The jump from the silent to sound cinema did not give evidence to any immediate effects on shooting or editing styles. By the late 30’s sound moved editing toward realism, switching the operative cutting style from symbolic/expressive to dramatic/analytic. Editing style became more or less standardized. Cinema reached a point of classical perfection where content fused with form. By now, 1939, cinema had reached the point where most technical innovations were established (color, track, dolly, crane, zoom, sound, panchromatic film stock) and the next evolutionary advancement, if there was to be one, would not be propelled by a technical matter but a thematic one: the subject matter and the effect it imposed on technical/formal aspects. The result of this was, according to Bazin, the most important aesthetic revolution in film history, the arrival of the mise-en-scéne style. In brief then, here is Bazin’s evolution of film language:

1) The Imagists:

a) Plastics (lighting, decor, composition, acting)

b) Montagists (editing)

2) The Realists:(long take, on location shooting, objective approach)

• By 1939 all major technical advancements are established; the next step in evolution of style is spurred by subject matter.

a) Pure objective realism (Neo- Realism, Documentary)

b) Spatial Realism (Jean Renoir, Orson Welles, William Wyler).

The implication in Bazin’s historical evolution is that by the 1940’s the imagist style had been completely engulfed by the realist style. The imagists, having had their glory days in the silent period, were confronted by the realists and, after a realist maturation period in the 30’s, over­taken by them. A graph would read:

A new type of Realism evolves, splitting up into two camps, as did the Imagists during the silent period, and totally dominating 1940: a) Spatial realists; and b) Pure objective realists.

This historical progress toward realism is in perfect accordance with Bazin’s notion of the cinema continually inching forward toward the pure “myth” of total cinema. The force of History does not always obey, and this movement does not hold true for long. There is some historical truth in Bazin’s schema because, indeed, the imagists did dominate during the silent period, as did the realists during the later 30’s, but Bazin’s contention of the post 1940 period being dominated by the realist style is quickly but into question by film-noir, a movement/style derivative of German Expressionism. Nowhere in What is Cinema Vol. 1 & 2 do we see even a passing remark at film noir or the expressionistic-like Universal horror films of the 30’s. This oversight is surprising, especially with the evidence already building around Bazin toward the evolutionary direction which the dialectics of realism/formalism would take: toward a harmonious existence where the two become more or less equal and interchangeable operative modes of a complex art form. 4

I would also add that Bazin underplays the importance of sound transition to emphasize his spatial-temporal ontological theory of realism. He realized how important a step sound was toward realism, eliminating the need for expressivity and “denaturalization” that was a large part of silent cinema. However, Bazin overlooks just how important a psychological role sound played in achieving the impression of reality, and the impression of space and depth that were so important to him. Sound added immensely to realism in cinema but Bazin, perhaps so as not to interfere with his spatial/temporal claim, downplays it. He clearly emphasizes the psychological role with regard to the visuals, so the omission may be a result of sound theory not yet entering into the general discourse of film analysis. This aural component is still excluded by many people today when discussing the claim to realism cinema has over other arts.

I must mention a final slender point of disagreement. By including Murnau and Dreyer as realists Bazin is falling into the same trap that Siegfried Kracauer does when he accepts certain fantastical/formalistic scenes when they are in the proper “realist” context, such as a dream or a specific point of view (Tudor 94). Bazin is on shaky ground when he removes Nosferatu and The Passion of Joan of Arc from the expressionistic mode on the frail basis of Nosferatu ‘s on-location photography and Dreyer’s refrain from the use of make-up for his actors (Bazin, What is Cinema Vol.1 109-110). What then becomes of Nosferatu ‘s sinister shadows, fast motion and negative photography, and expressionistic acting, and The Passion of Joan of Arc ‘s abstraction of space and extreme reliance on close-ups? In neither case do the slim realist tendencies compensate for the overwhelming artistic intervention, as does Welles’ spatial realism for example. Both films fail to completely qualify for either of Bazin’s realistic camps –the documentary- like “pure” realism or the spatial realism. Although one can argue that Nosferatu is ‘more realist’ than other expressionist films of the time, and that The Passion of Joan of Arc is so unique and iconoclastic in style, that the affect on the spectator is one of realism.

DEPTH OF FIELD

Having pointed toward Bazin’s preference for the mise-en-scéne style I will now discuss his reasons for that choice. The depth of field/long take style, known as mise-en-scéne, attracted itself to Bazin for two essential reasons:

a) It maintained the unity of space and the relationship between the objects within that space.

b) It gave the spectator, according to Bazin, the freedom to direct his/her own control over the viewing process, including what to look at, in what order, for how long, and to make their own synthesis of that viewing process. Together they maintain the ambiguity – the existential ambiguity present all around us in life- of that space.

Mise-en-scéne can incorporate two styles, one being a documentary­-like process where the camera “allows us to see” the event (Neo- Realism) and a second more aesthetic rendition of reality where the realism derives almost exclusively from the respect for spatial unity (Welles, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Theo Angelopoulos).

An integral part of the mise-en-scéne style is the presence of depth of field. Bazin wrote entirely on this aspect in the article “Pour en finir avec la profondeur de champ” (“My Final Words on Depth of Field”) ( Cahiers du Cinéma . 17-23). This article begins by stating that depth of field belongs only incidentally to the technical domain (my translation):

If depth of field interests us it is only incidentally as a technical progress of a shooting style and, essentially, as a revolution of mise-en-scéne or, more precisely, ‘decoupage’ (19).

Something outside of Feuillade’s genius allowed him to spontaneously discover a prophetic frame, a rough outline of a Renoir or Wellesian shot. In this case, the discovery was not out of genius, but out of necessity – he did not have a choice (20).

Given the technical state of 1910 the shot succeeds partly; both planes are visible but the background is soft. Again, giving the state of cinematography (to render a clear, legible image) and the state of audience awareness the softness of the background appears as a default. With the ameliorization of the depth of field shooting style and the parallel advancement of audience awareness, soft focus becomes a technique (rack focus and softening of a part of the image for an effect) and takes on a different meaning, that of decoupage. 5 The soft focus effect is (my translation)

… an indirect means in which to place value in the shot which is being focused; it transcribes in the frame the dramatic hierarchy which montage expresses in time.

Consequently:

In this new complex perception the clarity of the background is no longer indispensable; soft focus is no longer experienced like an im­probability: it becomes contrast and not contradiction ( Cahiers du Cinéma 22).

In a pre-montage context Feuillade foreshadows the true sense of depth of field – the ability to preclude montage through decoupage in depth. 6 According to Bazin decoupage in depth approaches a realism in an ontological sense, restoring to objects their existential density. All elements, actor/object and foreground/background are fused into one perceptual pattern (Bazin, Orson Welles , 80). A final quote serves, perhaps more than any other, as a testament to Bazin’s burning stance as “realist” theorist (my translation):

In classical style when a character becomes secondary he is usually eliminated from the scene. Welles maintains that his play not be so precise, but to keep the character “alive” so as to allow the spectators to continually dispense their attention. We must constantly be on the lookout for principal actions which can produce itself “behind our backs” so to speak. Here a part is taken from reality; a way of posing reality homogenous, of considering it indivisible and accruing equal weight to all coordinates of the screen. All the decor and all the actors in the total image are equally offered to the action and at the same time to our attention. If they remain outside it is nothing but a hazard as equally unpredictable as an isolated result of the numbers game (Bazin, Les Temps Modernes 947).

Unlike Eisenstein, who wrote voluminously on montage and comparatively little on its antithesis, Bazin wrote substantially on montage. Bazin describes editing as a “series of either logical or subjective points of view of an event.” Dealing with sound films, he lists three motives for cutting: 1) As a purely logical descriptive analysis of the narrative 2) As a psychological analysis from a character’s point of view and 3) As a psychological analysis from the audience’s point of view. (Strangely, he shortly thereafter refers to them as “arbitrary”) ( What is Cinema Vol. 1 , 92).

Bazin opposes classical and expressive editing on the following counts. The simple geographically and psychologically logical (dramatic) cutting within a scene does not add anything to the intent of a scene, only adding emphasis. So why bother? If the scene has only one simple meaning why insult the audience’s intelligence with needless and obvious close-ups? Contrarily, if the scene is complex why presuppose only one meaning? Expressive editing invents meaning through juxtaposition of the images and not through the images themselves. This is trickery; it removes the freedom on the part of the spectator to select for him or herself and removes whatever existential ambiguity may be present in the scene. Therefore it is not faithful to reality, either spatially, temporally, or morally. Bazin is not against editing which forms the basis of film structure, that is cutting necessary to join unconnected scenes/sequences, but is against optical illusions (superimpositions, dissolves, process shots), needless pedestrian editing within a single scene, and expressive editing that adds meaning through the juxtaposition rather than content of each image. Bazin employs a simple aesthetic criteria for deciding when to edit: anytime two or more objects/subjects are necessary to the construction of meaning in a scene, depth of field is preferable over editing.

Bazin opposes the contention that editing is a more realistic depiction of the physiological viewing process on several counts. Logical cutting according to drama, narrative, and anticipation constructs a sense of an integral space. The master shot establishes a location so that the cutting to points within is physically (spatially) understood; the dramatic action makes it psychologically understood. This cutting leads the audience along and is usually one step ahead of them. Bazin sees this as only one of two possible modes of realism. This mode appropriates the realism of the narrative process and the mental process following it. The second mode of realism appropriates the event itself. The implication is that there is a choice between one type of reality and another. Here it is instructive to recall Younger’s distinction in Bazin’s understanding of realism in art between “pseudorealism” and “true realism” -the former being caught in the trappings of ideology or meaningless formal articulations. All arts share in this inability to completely capture reality, but there are differing ways of countering this problem. The true realist does not fight against this opposition but merely tries to accommodate it through sincerity and honesty. According to Bazin, within the historical conditions of the 1940s and 1950s, the best way to achieve this was by means of spatial integrity, depth of field, and the long take mise-en-scéne. Cinema can never totally duplicate the viewing process – physiologically and psychologically. That would be impossible, and if possible it would be a visual quagmire. Bazin realizes that the human eye does not perceive a scene in the same way as a camera recording a scene in depth of field and/or long take. This limitation becomes a virtue. By being faithful to the space and the event itself the spectator is able to perceive this hypothetical scene with greater insight and clarity than if he/she were physically present at the scene. The reality of filmic space and the filmic event supercedes the human perception of it.

The essay “The Virtues and Limitations of Montage” presents, in the strongest possible sense, Bazin’s mistrust for montage and discloses the essence of his preference for the mise-en-scéne style. Bazin denounces the “trickery” of montage, evident in the animal film by Jean Tourane. Here montage becomes emblematic of its untruthfulness – by relating the human qualities of animals by virtue of off-screen guidance and editing. Later in the essay he discusses the process shot, an equally deceiving effect, and says that the point is not whether or not the trickery is noticeable, but whether or not it is used (a question of integrity). Thus far Bazin’s reasoning implies that the artist has a moral obligation to the audience and the faithful rendition of the event/space. He then uses an example from the film Where No Vultures Fly to demonstrate how much more effective depth of field is than parallel montage. (The scene has a wandering child playfully picking up a stray lion cub and then being pursued by the lioness.) The fact that the lion is tame is unimportant; this deceit is made “morally” correct because it occurs in a homogenous space. Bazin sees no deceit in the proceedings behind a long take/depth of field shot (numerous takes, removal of walls, props, etc.) but instead wants us to neglect the causal events and consider only the final results. 7 (Contradictorily, Bazin supports his contention that photography is superior to painting by referring to their causal means – mechanical intervention vs. human intervention. Though ‘mechanical’ must be considered relatively, since all ‘tools’ (pen, brush, needle, etc) used in art are a form, lesser perhaps, of mechanical intervention.) Through these contradictions we can decipher Bazin’s true motives for his disliking montage and upholding mise-en-scéne. Montage is untruthful to spatial integrity and also deceives the audience through its juxtapositioning; therefore montage is of secondary importance, morally and aesthetically, to the mise-en-scéne style. The integrity of spatial unity is of the utmost importance and supercedes all else – deceit included. Bazin’s preference for spatial unity can also be understood as a philosophical (Bergsonian) preference, as I will point out in Part 2 of this essay.

BAZIN & THE THEORETICAL WORLD

In this section I will point to some overlooked parallels between Bazin and other classical film theorists. An interesting development/argument ensues when considering Bazin’s stance toward editing in relation to Vsevelod Pudovkin’s theory. In Pudovkin’s illuminating and influential film theory the natural way for a filmmaker to constitute a scene is to assume a hypothetical “perfect” observer, an imaginary, attentive, sensitive eye which captures the scene not the way everyone would see it but the way an acutely intense, analytical, and probing observer would. This is an ideal approach, but realistically, most directors either do not place that much thought into the editing or do not have the aptitude to, and, consequently, fall back on the more traditional editing style, to what Noel Burch terms the “zero point of cinematic style” (11). Even given the ideal, Bazin would still reject Pudovkin’s theory because of its potential to reduce the possibility for multiple interpretations. Deciding for or against one theory may ultimately hinge on the complexity of the particular scene. Given a simple, straightforward scene where the meaning is only at the surface level, Bazin’s resistance to the theory is tenuous, but a complex scene with possible multiple interpretations gives more credence to Bazin’s opposition. Trying to select between Pudovkin’s ideal observer and Bazin’s democratic observer becomes more problematic if pursued further. Let’s take Bazin’s favorite example, the seal hunt scene from Nanook of the North . Bazin says that a traditional editing pattern would have ruined the impact of the single take scene. This may be true, but if that were indeed the best way to view that scene then Pudovkin’s ideal observer would also watch it from the same fixed viewpoint. The argument could go on and on. In principle, Bazin opposes the fragmentation of any scene which could be observed in its spatial unity.

Bazin and Rudolf Arnheim, despite one being a realist and the other a formalist, begin their theories from the same starting point. Both theorists begin with the contention that cinema reproduces reality mechanically. Arnheim’s end goal is the equation film=art, while Bazin’s is film=reality. Bazin accepts the contention, and in fact posits it himself, but adds to it by elevating the filmic double to a spiritual/moral/ethical level. Arnheim refutes the contention by saying that regardless of the process, even on the most elementary level the recording of an object/subject is answerable to many factors. (Example: The problem of reproducing three dimensional objects in a two dimensional medium – positioning of object- and the intangible aspect of intuition – deciding whether a person is more him or herself in profile or full face or whether one angle of a mountain is more expressive than another) (Arnheim, 8- 11). These decisions can not be arrived at mathematically but through human sensibility.

Arnheim begins with the contention and then attempts to accord to the filmmaker the same artistic intervention of the painter. Bazin, in contrast, downplays the filmmakers intervention. In both cases the limitation – not being able to reproduce reality exactly- becomes the source for the respective ends. In Bazin’s case the film, in its faithfulness to the event, grants the spectator a privileged experience of that event; in Arnheim’s case the spectator experiences the event colored through the artist’s sensibility.

Writers who try to reveal inconsistencies in how Bazin applied his own theory to criticism often focused on his troubled affirmation of Welles as a realist. Andrew Tudor, in Theories of Film , says that Bazin enters “deep water” in doing so because Welles is the great inheritor of German Expressionism. Tudor, although noting the two types of realism Bazin formulated – the pure realism and the spatial realism- does not allow Bazin this benefit. I can respect Tudor’s refusal to grant Bazin the benefit of two types of realism, but I disagree with his reason. Tudor believes that Welles’ baroque style – the chiaroscuro lighting, the excessive camera movements, the odd angles- is, along with montage and decor, just “another – way of destroying the visual unity of space.” Bazin is well aware of Welles’ affinity for the baroque and the manipulative potential mise-en-scéne carries:

Welles’ pictures are more difficult to analyze because of his over-fondness for the baroque. Objects and characters are related in such a fashion that it is impossible for the spectator to miss the significance of the scene. To get the same results by way of montage would have necessitated a detailed succession of shots ( What is Cinema Vol.1 34- 35).

Bazin does not deny that the depth of field style can, in that sense, appropriate montage – for that is Bazin’s point- and the point missed by Tudor. Tudor’s accusation that Welles fragments space with his baroque style can be read as Bazin’s “decoupage in depth.” Hence, decoupage in depth is not anomalous to Bazin’s spatial realism but an essential part of it.

Although Welles inherited many traits from German Expressionism Tudor can not deny that the context is different – within Wellesian mise-en-scéne- ­and that there is a difference between cutting a space through montage and cutting a space “in depth” as does Welles. It is this distinction – manipulation via editing vs. manipulation via mise-en-scéne- which makes the difference for Bazin.

The last theorist I will consider is Brian Henderson. He serves as an endpoint to this section because Henderson exemplifies the by-product which can result from the constant need to reevaluate and think through existing theories.

In his essay “Two Types of Film Theory” Henderson discusses the choice representatives of the formalist and realist camps, Eisenstein and Bazin. One of the conclusions he arrives at is that both theories, albeit drastically different, are in the general sense, ‘incomplete’ theories of the sequence. Out of this evolves Henderson’s critique of both theories: neither considers the relation of the part (the sequence) to the whole. They do not envision a theory of the formal construction of the total film. At this point Henderson does not posit any answers, but only raises the question of whether there can be a theory dictating the complete organization of a film.

Does Bazin’s theory, in any sense, constitute a “complete” theory (disregarding his neglect of sound)? The frame/shot/scene/sequence are the principal building blocks of film, with the sequence being the largest “part.” Bazin’s mise-en-scéne contains all these elements and his constant championing of mise-en-scéne at the expense of montage dictates how these elements should be used; as such, this constitutes a theory of how a film should be constructed from beginning to end. Although Bazin expresses approval of simple editing to join homogenous spaces (connecting scenes/sequences which in themselves are shot in depth), he never felt the need to expand on the relationship between long take and editing. Consequently, all that is missing to form a “complete theory,” in the very general sense, is a term designating this “carry- over” from sequence to sequence. Henderson himself would later supply this term. In the subsequent essay “The Long Take” Henderson examines the role of editing within the long take style vis- a- vis Welles, Ophuls, and Murnau. As an answer to his own query, he posits the inter and intra-sequence cuts, cuts occurring in between sequences (inter) or within sequences (intra) (See essay by David George Menard, “Toward a Syntheis of Cinema- a Theory of the Long Take Moving Camera.”). Regardless of the validity of Henderson’s theory, the point is that through a thought process predicated on Bazin’s theory and a need to “complete” it, Henderson constructed a theory of the sequence cut. This interplay between contemporary and past theorist is a vital part of the theoretical world’s evolution and proves the validity of past theories. As art evolves so must the theories.

Read Part 2 Here.

• In making this contention Bazin is, of course, glossing over a long line of antithetical movements (Expressionism, Surrealism, etc.) revolting against this obsession with realism. ↩
• All of these quotes or paraphrases are taken from What is Cinema Vol. 1 pps. 14, 15, 96, & 97. ↩
• André Bazin, Les Temps- Modernes 17, (1947), 948. Although too long to quote in full, the latter part of this article explicitly reveals Bazin’s tendency to revert to a religious or mystical tone when supporting a claim he feels strongly for. ↩
• There still are filmmakers who fall exclusively into one or the other camp, Miklos Jansço for example, but most directors utilize both styles according to their needs: Hitchcock, Godard, Kubrick, and Scorsese as prime examples ↩
• There are two terms used by Bazin which either take on a different meaning in their English translation or don’t have an equivalent. Montage in English terminology implies a rigorous and expressive editing style. Most editing sequences juxtapose shots of varying space, time, and content combining to create an over- all idea, meaning, or tone. Editing implies the formal construction of the film from one shot to the next and is not nec­essarily expressive. Bazin uses the terms interchangeably. The second term, decoupage, has no English equivalent. The French definition is “to cut,” but applied to film the word is better described as construction. Noel Burch, in Theory of Film Practice, defines the three terms for which decoupage is inter­changeably used for as: 1) The final form of a script replete with the required technical information. 2) The practical breakdown of the film’s construction into separate shots/sequences prior to filming & 3) The underlying structure of the finished film, which has probably deviated from the original “decoupage.” ↩
• With the meaning of decoupage in mind, we must consider the other means by which depth of field appropriates montage: the moving camera, especially the reframe, the zoom, lighting, props, and the use of off- screen space. ↩
• The phenomenological approach at understanding the essence of phenomena also foregoes the causal series of events (Husserl’s “bracketing”). ↩

Donato Totaro has been the editor of the online film journal Offscreen since its inception in 1997. Totaro received his PhD in Film & Television from the University of Warwick (UK), is a part-time professor in Film Studies at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) and a longstanding member of AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).

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Volume 7, Issue 7 / July 2003 Essays   andre bazin   film history   film style   film theory   new wave   people_bazin  

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Also in Volume 7, Issue 7

Re-thinking Bazin Through Renoir’s The River, Part 2

Prakash Younger

Bazin and “The River” as a Problem in the History of Film Theory, Part 1

Introduction to André Bazin, Part 2: Style as a Philosophical Idea

Donato Totaro

Re-reading Bazin’s Ontological Argument

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4 (page 50) p. 50 Cinema as art form

• Published: November 2017
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In the years before World War I there were few people who thought that cinema was or might become an art form. From about 1910, however, signs emerged that cinema was on the road to acquiring some sort of legitimacy. These signs initially pointed in different directions, but eventually a cluster of forms developed, which were to become the cinema as we know it today. ‘Cinema as art form’ considers how cinema has developed through the evolution of editing and narrative techniques and sound synchronization, and then discusses different types of film genre, the neo-realism movement, and the diverse varieties of modern cinema.

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Language of Cinema: Martin Scorsese's Essay Explains the Importance of Visual Literacy

Like I said before, being able to read a film has a range of significance in our world. Scorsese touches on a few areas in his article that explain how film language is important historically, technically, and socially.

Historically

The history of the "language" of cinema started, arguably, with the very first cut. I imagine it being like the first glottal stop or fricative that set apart the constant flow of sound, or in cinema, images, developing a rich and profound language.

Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery  from 1903 is one of the first and most famous examples of cutting. In the first few minutes of the film, there is a shot of the robbers bursting into the train depot office. In the background we can see a train pulling in, and in the next shot, we're outside with the robbers as the train comes to a stop near them. The significance of that is that the audience realized that the train in the first shot was the same one that was in the second, and it all happened in one action (it didn't pull in twice.)

Further along the timeline, filmmakers continued to advance and add to the language of film. D.W. Griffith managed to weave together 4 separate storylines by cross cutting scenes from different times and places in Intolerance . Sergei Eisenstein forwarded the idea of the "montage" most famously in Battleship Potemkin    and his first feature  Strike .  Continuity editing, shot sizes, including the close-up, the use of color, parallel editing, camera movement -- all of these things and more began to speak to audiences and filmmakers in new and exciting ways.

Technically

These techniques began to solidify and become standard. The old way of making a film -- one take or multiple long takes filmed in a wide shot -- began to evolve into much more complex visual narratives. Films could encompass hours, days, years out of a characters story thanks to continuity editing. The shot-reverse-shot editing allowed for the use of close-ups and different camera angles . Certain shot compositions began to speak to audiences in different ways, giving the frame itself a life and language of its own.

Being able to read and speak the language of film as a filmmaker is a skill that must obviously be mastered. Everything on-screen -- the lighting, the shadows, the size of the shot, the angle, the composition, the blocking, the colors, everything -- is a word spoken to your audience.

For example the shot from  Vertigo   that employs the "Vertigo Effect". Second-unit cameraman Irmin Roberts invented this "zoom out and track in" technique, known as the "contra-zoom" or "trombone shot". Roberts, essentially, invented a new word in the language of motion pictures that means "dizziness", "fear", "terrifying realization", etc.

There's a great Proust quote that my visual literacy professor shared with us one day in class, "The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."  Films of the early 1900s were all about  showing  something exciting and different: cats boxing, a woman dancing, a train arriving. But, the filmmakers who developed the visual language of cinema were the ones who began to see things in a new light, and as they screened their films, audiences began to learn the language their films were speaking.

Today, filmmakers and viewers are visually literate, but not many viewers realize it. We, myself included, tend to allow the spectacle to overtake us -- we get wrapped up in the story, the visuals, and the music. We feel sad when we watch an on-screen break up or fight between two people who had been close, but we may fail to realize, or at least consciously identify, that a lot of the drama that leads to that climax was created using visual queues.

Many audiences in the past took for granted this form of communication until the film critics that eventually ushered in the French New Wave, like Truffaut, as well as American critic Andrew Sarris took a closer look at the filmmaking of Alfred Hitchcock.

Scorsese mentions that because Hitchcock's films came out almost like clockwork every year (Scorsese likens this to a sort of franchise,) his film  Vertigo  kind of disappeared into the heap of movies that came out that year. It wasn't a failure by any means, but it wasn't the overwhelming success we today would expect it to have been.

Today, the Master of Suspense is revered as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, but it wasn't until Cahiers du Cinema and   critics like Truffaut and Sarris began studying Hitchcock's work, decoding the film language Hitchcock used, that a more solid understanding of film language started to emerge.

They realized that Hitchcock had his own "dialect", which helped develop the auteur theory. Without visual literacy, there wouldn't be auteurs -- the genius and skill of history's greatest filmmakers could potentially be lost on a an audience that doesn't know how to read  between the lines  of a film.

Understanding the concepts of visual literacy is not only a skill for filmmakers, but all who experience films, because films are such a huge part of our lives. Scorsese says:

Whenever I hear people dismiss movies as “fantasy” and make a hard distinction between film and life, I think to myself that it’s just a way of avoiding the power of cinema. Of course it’s not life—it’s the invocation of life, it’s in an ongoing dialogue with life.

Scorsese laments that today movies are more often judged based on their box office receipts than on the artfulness of their execution.

We can’t afford to let ourselves be guided by contemporary cultural standards -- particularly now. There was a time when the average person wasn’t even aware of box office grosses. But since the 1980s, it’s become a kind of sport -- and really, a form of judgment. It culturally trivializes film. And for young people today, that’s what they know. Who made the most money? Who was the most popular?

I definitely recommend reading Scorsese's full article, which you can find here .

How would Hollywood and independent cinema change if audiences became more aware to what was being communicated to them visually? What is your most favorite cinematic "word?"

Link:  The Persisting Vision: Reading the Language of Cinema -- The New York Review of Books

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What Are The Best Fantasy Movies of All Time?

Travel to faraway places with fantastical characters in some of the greatest films..

Sometimes, you just want to settle in front of the screen and be taken to a faraway place where anything is possible. That's where the best fantasy movies come into play.

I love the fantasy genre . When those movies hit the big screen, I'm there. I say the first Lord of the Rings seven times at the AMC Painter's Crossing. And I even saw the Seventh Son there. That's called dedication, folks.

Fantasy stories have been around since the dawn of time, and when we started making movies, they followed quickly thereafter.

They are some of the best ways for writers and directors to showcase worldbuilding , characterization , and conflict .

Today, we're going to suss out the best films in the genre , and looks at the history and tropes as well.

Let's dive in.

What is Fantasy?

New Line Cinema

Fantasy, as a genre, centers on the impossible made believable. It incorporates elements that defy the laws of our reality—talking animals, magical spells, supernatural beings, and realms hidden from our everyday world.

Fantasy movies often build rich mythologies with unique rules and histories.

The History of Fantasy Movies

Like I said up top, fantasy movies came into existence moments after actual movies came into existence.

Early fantasy films drew inspiration from fairy tales, fables, and mythology. Pioneers like Georges Méliès brought magic to the screen with silent films like Cinderella (1899 ) and A Trip to the Moon (1902). As special effects evolved, so did the ambition of fantasy movies. Technicolor gems like The Wizard of Oz (1939) enchanted audiences and set new standards of visual wonder attainable within the genre.

Pioneering Years: The Magic of Silent Film (1890s - 1920s)

• Georges Méliès: The French filmmaker is considered the father of fantasy cinema. Short films like A Trip to the Moon (1902) and The Impossible Voyage (1904) used trick photography, sets, and costumes to craft fantastical spectacles.
• Early Adaptations: Fairy tales were a prime source, with films like Cinderella (1899) and Alice in Wonderland (1903).
• Myth and Spectacle: Films like Dante's Inferno (1911) and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) leaned on mythologies and expressionist styles to create otherworldly visions.
• Douglas Fairbanks and the Swashbuckler: Fairbanks starred in adventure films with fantastical elements, like The Thief of Bagdad (1924), popularizing a heroic archetype.

The Rise of Sound and Special Effects (1930s - 1950s)

• Technicolor and a Touch of Whimsy: The Wizard of Oz (1939) set a benchmark, its vibrant colors bringing a fairy tale world to life. Other playful films like The Thief of Bagdad (1940) continued this trend.
• Monsters Unleashed: Universal's iconic monster movies ( Dracula , Frankenstein , etc.) blended horror and fantasy, introducing enduring creatures to the screen.
• Early Animation: Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and later films proved the power of animation to bring fairy tales and talking animals to vivid life.
• Ray Harryhausen and Stop-Motion: The master of stop-motion animation brought clashing titans, skeletons, and dragons to life in films like Jason and the Argonauts (1963).

A New Era: Swords, Sorcery, and Expanding Ambition (1960s - 1980s)

• High Fantasy and Adaptation: Lord of the Rings attempts emerged, along with films like Conan the Barbarian (1982) popularizing heroic battles.
• Practical Effects Dominate: Movies like Labyrinth (1986) and The Dark Crystal (1982) showcased puppets, creatures, and elaborate sets for a tactile fantastical feel.
• Quirky Fantasy-Comedies: Time Bandits (1981) The Princess Bride (1987), and others played with history and humor within the genre.
• Growing Influence of Anime: Japanese animation began reaching a wider audience, with Hayao Miyazaki's films starting to garner critical acclaim

Technological Leaps and Blockbusters (1990s - 2000s)

• The Rise of CGI: Jurassic Park (1993) ushered in a new era of believable computer-generated creatures and effects.
• Epics Find a Footing: Lord of the Rings became a reality. Peter Jackson's trilogy proved high-fantasy could be both a box-office phenomenon and a critical darling.
• Superhero Boom: Comic book universes like Marvel and DC began to dominate, often incorporating fantastical elements.
• Animation Soars: Pixar and Dreamworks pushed the limits of CGI, with films like Shrek (2001) also upending traditional fairy tale tropes.

The Modern Age: Diversity and Global Influences (2010s - Present)

• Reimagined Fairy Tales: Darker twists on familiar stories, like Maleficent (2014) and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).
• Worldwide Impact: International hits like Pan's Labyrinth (2006) from Mexico, and China's expanding Wuxia genre gained recognition.
• Animation as Art: Studio Ghibli continued to garner acclaim while studios like Laika pushed the boundaries of stop-motion with films like Kubo and the Two Strings (2016).

Tropes of Fantasy Movies

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Warner Bros.

Certain tropes are deeply woven into the fabric of fantasy filmmaking:

• The Chosen One: A seemingly ordinary individual destined for greatness.
• The Hero's Journey: A protagonist's adventure, facing trials and ultimately triumphing.
• Good vs. Evil: Classic battles against dark forces or monstrous villains.
• Magical Objects: Enchanted items like swords, rings, or amulets with extraordinary powers.
• Mythical Creatures: Dragons, elves, fairies, goblins, and other fantastical beings.

Global Fantasy Films

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Sony Pictures Classics

New and exciting fantasy films are emerging all the time from across the globe. And they're really scratching the itch for those of us who want to explore these worlds.

Now, this is just a starting point. Each country has diverse cinematic traditions beyond what's listed.

But let's check out a few.

• Spirited Away (2001): A girl trapped in a spirit bathhouse.
• Princess Mononoke (1997): A clash between nature and industry with spirits and gods.
• My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Whimsical forest spirits befriend two sisters.
• Your Name (2016): A body-swapping fantasy steeped in themes of memory and connection.
• Akira (1988): A cyberpunk landmark with mind-bending action and psychic powers.
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): Ang Lee's poetic masterpiece with gravity-defying fights.
• Hero (2002): A visually stunning exploration of one story told from multiple perspectives.
• Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983): A Hong Kong classic with dazzling special effects for its time.
• A Chinese Ghost Story (1987): Ghosts, romance, and comedic action.
• Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) & Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017): A sweeping tale of warring brothers and hidden kingdoms.
• RRR (2022): Historical figures infused with superhuman strength in this action-packed sensation.
• Mayabazar (1957, Telugu): A pioneering film adapting stories from the Hindu epic Mahabharata .
• Eega (2012, Telugu): A man reincarnated as a fly seeks revenge, in a wild special effects spectacle.

Beyond the Big Three

• Pan's Labyrinth (2006, Spain/Mexico): A dark fable set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.
• The City of Lost Children (1995, France): A visually stunning and grotesque film about a scientist stealing dreams.
• Trollhunter (2010, Norway): A mockumentary style film about giant trolls that turns delightfully absurd.
• Nigeria (Nollywood): A growing industry with unique fantasy often intertwined with spirituality and folklore.
• Mexico: Guillermo del Toro's films are notable, but Mexico has a rich tradition of horror merging with the fantastical.

The Best Fantasy Movies of All Time

This is a list I made that does not encompass every fantasy movie, just the ones I know and love. It's subjective, so don't take offense if I missed a few.

My hope is that these give you the proper jumping off point.

• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003): Peter Jackson's cinematic triumph brings Tolkien's Middle-earth to life in unparalleled detail.
• Pan's Labyrinth (2006): Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale masterpiece set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.
• Harry Potter Series (2001 – 2011): Immerse yourself in the magic of Hogwarts and the epic battle against Voldemort.
• Spirited Away (2001): Hayao Miyazaki's animated wonder about a girl spirited away to a world of spirits and magic.
• The Princess Bride (1987): A cult classic offering a witty and charming blend of romance, adventure, and humor.
• How to Train Your Dragon (2010): A heartwarming tale of friendship between a Viking boy and a dragon.
• Labyrinth (1986): David Bowie stars as the Goblin King in this fantastical musical adventure.
• The NeverEnding Story (1984): A timeless classic about the power of imagination and stories.
• Excalibur (1981): John Boorman's retelling of the King Arthur legend, brimming with power and magic.
• The Wizard of Oz (1939): A groundbreaking masterpiece that forever changed cinema and the fantasy genre.
• Edward Scissorhands (1990): Tim Burton's unique blend of gothic fantasy and heartfelt romance.
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005): Step through the wardrobe into the magical realm of Narnia.
• Big Fish (2003): Tim Burton weaves a tapestry of tall tales filled with giants, witches, and fantastical adventures.
• The Shape of Water (2017) Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning love story between a woman and an amphibious creature.
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): An absurdly hilarious romp through Arthurian legend.
• Groundhog Day (1993): A weatherman relives the same day in a loop, offering a humorous twist on the fantasy genre.
• The Dark Crystal (1982): Jim Henson and Frank Oz's stunning puppet-filled adventure set in a world of Gelflings and Skeksis.
• Jason and the Argonauts (1963): A heroic quest brimming with iconic stop-motion monsters created by special effects legend, Ray Harryhausen.
• Stardust (2007): A charming fairy tale romance with witches, pirates, and a fallen star.
• The City of Lost Children (1995): A visually striking French dark fantasy about a scientist who steals children's dreams.
• Coraline (2009): A stop-motion masterpiece where a young girl discovers a sinister parallel world.
• Willow (1988): Ron Howard directs this classic story of a small hero protecting a baby destined to topple an evil sorceress.
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008): A family discovers a hidden world of fairies right in their own backyard.
• Jumanji (1995): An enchanted board game comes to life, unleashing jungle creatures into the real world.
• Kubo and the Two Strings (2016): A breathtaking stop-motion adventure from Laika studios, following a young boy's quest in a mythical Japan.
• Mary Poppins (1964): Julie Andrews brings magic and music into the lives of the Banks family.
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Tim Burton's stop-motion classic where Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, tries his hand at Christmas.
• The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988): Terry Gilliam's outlandish and visually stunning depiction of a fantastical storyteller.
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): Ang Lee's Wuxia masterpiece blending graceful martial arts with a mythic love story.
• The Seventh Seal (1957): A knight plays chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman's iconic exploration of mortality and faith.
• Time Bandits (1981): Terry Gilliam takes us on a time-hopping adventure packed with historical figures and mythical oddities.
• Ponyo (2008): Another enchanting Studio Ghibli tale about a goldfish princess who yearns to be human.
• Mirrormask (2005): Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's visually dazzling story of a girl lost in a world of shadows and masks.
• The Fall (2006): A visually breathtaking journey into the world of a bedridden stuntman's fantastical stories.
• Pete's Dragon (1977): A heartwarming Disney classic about a boy and his invisible dragon friend.
• Legend (1985): Ridley Scott's dark fantasy with a young Tom Cruise facing off against the Lord of Darkness.
• Clash of the Titans (1981): Ray Harryhausen's special effects bring the heroes and monsters of Greek myth to life.
• The Thief of Bagdad (1940): A lavish Technicolor adventure filled with flying carpets, genies, and magic.
• The Secret of Kells (2009): A visually stunning animated film steeped in Celtic mythology.
• My Neighbor Totoro (1988): A heartwarming Studio Ghibli gem about two sisters discovering friendly forest spirits.
• Hugo (2011): Martin Scorsese's love letter to cinema and the magic of early filmmaker Georges Méliès.
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): Terry Gilliam's final film starring Heath Ledger is a wildly imaginative tale about a traveling theatre troupe with a magical mirror.
• Beauty and the Beast (1991): Disney's animated masterpiece that proves love can see beyond appearances.
• The Princess Mononoke (1997): A landmark anime from Hayao Miyazaki exploring the clash between nature and industry.
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Steven Spielberg's classic about a heartwarming friendship between a young boy and an alien.
• Paddington (2014): A delightfully charming film about a marmalade-loving bear finding a home in London.
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): A beloved adaptation of the Dickens classic with Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the whole Muppet gang.
• Babe (1995): A talking pig defies expectations in this heartwarming Australian classic.
• Kiki's Delivery Service (1989): A Studio Ghibli coming-of-age story about a young witch perfecting her craft.
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005): Aardman Animation's hilarious claymation adventure where the cheese-loving duo takes on a giant rabbit threat.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

What Are The Best Comedy Movies of All Time?

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Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life for in English Children and Students

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Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life: Cinema is an extremely popular source of entertainment worldwide. Numerous movies are produced each year and people watch these in large numbers. Cinema impacts our life both positively and negatively. Just as everything else in this world, cinema also has positive as well as negative impact on our life. While some movies can change our thinking for good others can invoke a feeling or pain or fear. Despite having a regulatory mechanism, movies these days display a good amount of violence and other illegal and immoral activities. While these activities don’t have much effect on matured adults, it could however adversely affect children or teenagers. Kids in their tender age are unable to make right decisions and are easily influenced by what is shown in the cinema.

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It exposes us to different types of art and helps us learn about how people from various backgrounds live. In a sense, it brings us together and makes us more open to diverse art forms and cultures. Movies also provide valuable lessons for real life.

Long and Short Essay on Impact of Cinema in Our Life in English

Here are long and short essay on impact of cinema in life in English, of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exam or other activities.

You can choose any Impact of Cinema in Life Essay as per your need and interest during your school/college essay writing competition or in a debate, discussion with your class mate on topics relevant to the subject.

So, go through this page and select the one essay which is best for you:

Essay on Impact of Cinema in Our Life 200 words

Since the beginning of the human existence, man has been searching for different ways for recreation. He has been looking for something that gives a little break from his exhausting schedule of day to day life. Cinema has come forward as a great way of recreation since around a century. It has been one of the most loved pastimes since its inception.

Initially theatres were the only way to get access to the cinema but with the popularity of television and cable TV, watching movies became easier. With the advent of internet and mobile phones, we now get access to the cinema on our mobile screens and can watch them just about anywhere and anytime.

Everyone today is more or less connected to the cinema. When we see certain incidences shown in movies that we can relate to we naturally let them influence our mind-set and thought process. We even idealize certain characters and scenarios from the movies. We want our personality and life to be just like the life of the movie character we idealize. Some people get so hooked on to these characters that they become an integral part of their life.

Thus, we can conclude that cinema has a great influence on the lives of the people and society. It is rightly said that we are more or less carved out from the type of movies we see, songs we hear and the books we read.

Essay on Impact of Cinema on Students Life 300 words

Exploring the world of cinema has been a craze for the young generation ever since the initiation of the movies. They follow it like a passion and thus the young generation mostly the teenagers are the ones largely impacted by cinema. This is mainly because it is an age wherein they are about to step into the real world with dozens of notions and at times unreasonable optimism, and the films play a prime role in catering to them.

Positive Impact of Cinema on Students

• All kinds of movies are made to cater to the interest of different types of audience. There are movies that include educative content. Watching such movies widens the knowledge of the students and has a positive impact on them.
• Students need to juggle between their studies, extra-curricular activities and competitions. Amid such mad rush and rising competition, they need something for relaxation and movies are a good way to relax.
• Students can also bond well with their family and extended family as they plan to go out with them to watch cinema.

Negative Impact of Cinema on Students

• While cinema may be educative, watching too much of it can prove to be a waste of time for the students. Many students get addicted to the movies and spend their precious time in watching movies rather than studying.
• Certain movies contain inappropriate content such as violence and other A-rated scenes that have a negative impact on the students.
• Watching too much cinema and other video content can weaken the students’ eye sight and also hamper their power to concentrate.

Whatever a movie maybe about, one should not forget that a movie is a portrayal of writer’s imagination unless it’s a biopic. One should not madly follow them. Students must to realize that it isn’t necessary for their lives and situations to have resemblance with the movie. They should understand and know the difference between the reel life and real life and try to inculcate only the positive aspects of cinema.

Essay on Impact of Cinema on Society 400 words

Cinema has been a major source of entertainment for the people of every age group around the world. Different genres of movies are produced and these influence the public in different ways. Since movies are explored by all, they influence the society immensely. This impact can be both negative and positive.

Positive Impact of Cinema on the Society

Here is a look at the positive impact of cinema on the society:

• Cinema has a major influence on the society. So it can be used as a major tool for creating public awareness. Bollywood films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Taare Zameen Par and Swades have helped in bringing about positive changes in the society.
• Certain good movies and biopics can genuinely influence the viewer’s mind positively and can motivate him or her to work hard in life.
• Movies and songs can give rise to the feeling of patriotism in the viewers.
• A movie is always a good sort of entertainment. It lets you forget all your problems and can take you to an all new world of imagination, which can be beneficiary at times.
• Films at times can also widen your scope of knowledge according to their genre. A historic film can improve your knowledge in history; a sci-fi movie can touch you with some knowledge of science and so on.
• Good comedy movies have the power to make you laugh and can thus enhance your mood.
• Adventure movies can arise in you a spirit of adventure and motivation.

Negative Impact of Cinema on the Society

Here is a look at the negative impact of cinema on the society:

• Most of the movies nowadays show violence which can affect the public in a negative way. It can indirectly contribute to violent thoughts in one’s mind especially in the youth.
• Certain content shown in the movies is not appropriate for some people. It can actually mess up with their mind.
• People at times fail to differentiate between the movie and reality. They get so engrossed in it that they somehow start to believe that the reality is the same as portrayed in the movie which can have undesirable side effects.

It is a world in which everyone has their own different perspective which may not be right from the view of the others. Certain movies can thus hurt the feelings of certain audience. Some movies have hurt the religious sentiments of people and even resulted in riots.

Thus, we can conclude that movies can have a great impact on the viewer’s mind. It becomes the moral duty of the team to prepare the content that is appropriate and has a positive impact on the society.

Essay on Influence of Cinema on Youth 500 words

It is a well-known fact that one can learn and remember things easily if it has got both audio and visual aids instead of just audio. Keeping this thing in mind, many study sessions are taken where students are taught with the help of videos. Cinema has been popular since its inception. People came to realize that students can remember more through videos than just from verbal sessions as they observed kids remembering dialogue of the movie they watched a week ago but nothing from the lecture they attended in the morning.

Young Minds are influenced by what they see

Humans have this tendency of adopting the way of talking, walking and behaving of the person they are with for a long time. A person always leaves a mark in other person’s head according to his behaviour.

This notion is more popular among the people belonging to the teenage and also among the kids of age less than 13 years as they have massive grasping power. They want to mimic and copy everything they see in the cinemas, hairstyles, fashion, actions, body language, way of talking, everything. They think that by doing all this they can become popular and cool which seems to be important for today’s youth.

Cinema has a Major Impact on the Youth

Cinema is basically considered as the best among all means of entertainment. Young people watch cinema to get relax and entertained though along with this they learn a number of new things. The normal human tendency is to apply these things in their lives too. That is why it is very important that they grab only the positive points from the cinemas.

As youth is the future of any nation so it is essential that they build a positive mindset. It is thus essential for them to watch good quality of cinema that helps them grow mentally and makes them more knowledgeable and mature. Not only the actions and body language but their level of command on the language is also influenced by the cinema.

Moreover, many movies don’t just entertain, but also provide lots of information regarding different aspects of life. It also helps the young to develop an open-minded mentality which can be very helpful for their progress in lives.

Negative Impact of Cinema on Youth

Cinema has both negative and positive impact on the youth. In the form of action, showing various ways of killing people is a common sight in the movies these days. These things affect the people watching it at a psychological level. They create a mentality among the youth that to show power you need to fight with few, kill few or dominate few. This is a very wrong notion.

Not just this, even the adult scenes, including sex are misguiding for the youth who have not even been provided sex education to understand what is wrong and what is right. Showing excess of nudity and lust can make them do things that they are not supposed to at their age. Moreover, too much time and money is also wasted on viewing cinema.

Hence, cinema impacts the youth in various ways. However, it depends on their maturity and understanding on what they adopt the most.

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Cinema 600 words

Cinema is a source of entertainment for millions of people around the globe. It serves as a tool against boredom and an escape from the monotonous life. A good movie offers a relaxing and entertaining experience. It takes you to a new world of imagination, away from all the troubles. It has the power to refresh and rejuvenate your mind. However, it also has certain set of disadvantages attached to it. Here is a look at the advantages as well as disadvantages of cinema:

Advantages of Cinema

Here is a look at the advantages offered by the cinema:

• Social Advantages

Among the teens the trend of watching movies is followed as a passion. Looking at the type of movies a person prefers to watch one can judge his preference and personality. Movies help in socialising as they offer a common ground of discussion. You can always discuss about the content you have watched while sitting in a group or at parties. It offers as a good conversation starter. It is an interesting topic unlike politics and sports that many people find boring.

• Inspires Imagination

Movies at times show the weirdest imagination of the writer. It shows the world that is unseen and unexplored with advanced graphic technology which can help us enhance our imagination too.

• Reflection of Art and Culture of Different Parts of the World

Different movies have varied plots that are set around varied cultures and people belonging to different places across the globe. This helps one broaden his or her knowledge about people living in different parts of the world and their way of living.

• Improvises Thinking Capacity

Success stories and biographies can inspire people to not give up in life. There are certain scenes in the movies wherein cases of emergency such as fire, bomb blast, robbery, etc are shown. We may not know what to do in such moments in real life if we ever come across them. Movies can help improvise our thinking capacity and help us understand how to act in such situations.

Disadvantages of Cinema

• Creates False Notion

Movies contribute greatly towards forming false notion in people especially kids. Situations and societies in every part of the world are different. People are different on screen and in reality. However, many individuals fail at realize the gap between the movie world and reality which causes problems.

• Waste of Money and Time

Movie is a mere representation of the writer’s thoughts and imagination and they are not always worth our time and money. What’s the point in investing into something if it isn’t worth our time and we feel disappointed at the end of it?

• Violent and Adult Content

To make a movie fetch more profit unnecessary scenes of violence, action, nudity and vulgarity are added to it, making it inappropriate for the kids and young adults. It can have a negative impact their mind.

Movies have at times proved to be over addictive for certain people. Not every movie is worth watching. There are so many other productive and interesting things to do in life other than unnecessarily wasting hours on useless movies. The involvement in movies up to certain extent is alright but undue craze for cinema and wasting money for overhyped movies is not preferable.

There are always two aspects of a thing – a positive one and a negative one. One must watch movies and let them impact oneself to a limit to avoid all the negative aspects of it. As it is rightly said, everything done in limit is beneficiary. Similarly, investing time into movies that are worth watching is fine but getting addicted to them should be avoided, as it would not only waste our time but we’ll also miss out other things that are actually worth our time.

Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life FAQs

What is the impact of cinema on youth.

Cinema can influence youth by shaping their beliefs, values, and behaviors through the stories and characters they see on screen.

What is the impact of cinema in India?

In India, cinema is a powerful cultural and entertainment medium that reflects the diversity, traditions, and societal issues of the country.

What are the benefits of cinema?

The benefits of cinema include entertainment, education, cultural representation, and a platform for storytelling.

What is the impact of cinema in our life?

Cinema impacts our lives by providing a source of entertainment, inspiration, and a means to connect with diverse perspectives.

In India, cinema is a significant part of the cultural fabric, influencing society, and addressing important issues.

What was the impact of cinema as a means of mass communication to the society?

Cinema, as a means of mass communication, has the power to inform, entertain, and shape public opinions on various topics.

Why is cinema important in our daily life?

Cinema is important in daily life as it offers relaxation, escape from reality, and a window to different worlds and experiences.

In India, cinema has a profound impact on culture, society, and the way people perceive and connect with their surroundings.

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Essay on Cinema

Cinema is a major source of recreation in most countries of the world especially in India where the majority of people live below the poverty line. It provides us with entertainment and sometimes educates us too. Depending on the quality of films produced by the directors, one could label cinema as a curse or a boon.

Bombay is the main centre of film city. Films are mainly produced in Mumbai. There are hundreds of them produced every year. India is known to be the highest producer of movies in the world. Indian cinema provides us with a good view of the glamour and glitter of the affluent Indian society and also the poverty and misery in the slums of this country.

Hence it, more or less, with a few exceptions, presents a fairly authentic picture of the lives of Indians. It educates the public with the help of stories that depict conflicts between the good and the evil in our society.

There is some sort of a moral lesson behind these stories and the society is often greatly influenced by these values. Some of the stars acting in films become role models for the youth who are usually quite impressionable at their age. Hence a great responsibility lies with the makers of cinema.

They have to form their ideas after careful research and thinking and the public too has to be able to sift out the best from the film, if at all they want to be influenced. But the cinema can become a curse when the movies are full of mindless sex and violence. This could colour the mind of the young boys and girls who watch these movies with great interest.

Cinema can become an addiction and these films could sometimes distract the youth so much that they might lose interest in their studies and other work that requires serious concentration.

Cinema has such an attraction that one often finds young boys and girls getting so attracted to it that they begin to harbour a craze about joining the film industry themselves.

Very few talented people make a name for themselves in the tinsel world and quite a few unfortunate ones waste many a precious year trying to make it big in that world of money and glamour.

The cinema can remain a boon for us as long as those who view it keep a balance between what they believe in and what the cinema may be thrusting down their throats. Cinema should be enjoyed and used as a means of pure entertainment and education.

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The Poetics of Film: Four Poets on How Cinema Influences Their Work

On dracula , anna may wong, secret sunshine , and “horror poetry”.

Whether seen as adults or children, for pleasure or research, films can be as formative for a writer as any literary text. They can shape our aesthetics, our relationship with language, and can provide a sense of lineage. They can awaken our civic consciousness, and help us to see and be seen. In this roundtable, which originally took place at the 2022 AWP Conference, four poets explore how the cinematic world has informed their poetic one, and how films have inspired their craft, identity, and passion for the cross-pollination of artistic mediums.

–Christopher Kondrich

Sara Eliza Johnson on Poetry, Trauma, and the Aesthetics of Horror

I’ve loved horror films since I was a kid. But it was only after I started working on an essay collection about my relationship with horror and horror films, and their relationship to my own traumatic memories, that I realized how much cinema has also influenced my poetry practice. I’ve now come to terms with the fact that what I’m writing, is, to some extent, “horror poetry.”

I find myself gravitating towards horror for inspiration in my poetry writing, in addition to my nonfiction writing, not just because of its thematic resonances, but also because that resonance is often tied up in the visual viscerality of horror. The thematic heart of horror is trauma, so it only makes sense that I gravitated back to it. And the primary metaphorical language of horror cinema is the visceral moving image. The movement of the image is important because it facilitates the metaphorical transformation.

And this has been integral for me. As I’ve started to work with trauma in my poetry more consciously, the primary language of my poetry has become the visceral moving image. In sum, watching so much horror led to a symbiotic relationship between my work and the horror film that I believe shows the potential for horror cinema as a lens when “writing trauma,” which I think shows the potential for greater relationships between poetry and film more broadly.

A cinematic scene is orchestrated in a way that is useful for poets to study if they want their poems to have complex and dynamic movement on the page, to switch perspectives or angles, to work through shifts in psychology. For example, in a slasher scene, you might take on multiple roles in the scene based on the camera’s view, moving from both perpetrator to victim and observer perspectives. In a body horror scene, you might enter the inside of the body, then move back out. Cinema often also works with montage and floating fragments, which is useful for poetry (or, at least, has been for mine).

It took me some time to understand this development in my own work. I didn’t realize how often I was writing about bodies being torn apart, reconstituted, torn apart again, and annihilated, or how often wounds became the central point of emotional and metaphorical pressure in my poems. An important note here is that my book doesn’t deal with bodily annihilation in itself, but the sensation of annihilation that trauma can engender for a person. And my quest was to create that sensation, not only engage with a concept, and this is one realm in which horror cinema has helped me.

Overall, horror or not, the multimodal complexity of film has been immensely helpful for me for thinking through the dynamic movement of the poem’s “bodily” presence on the page, and in helping me develop the materiality of poetic language, which has been essential for me when trying to develop emotional and psychological intensity in my poetry.

Chase Berggrun on Erasing Dracula

My book, R E D (Birds LLC, 2018), is a full-length erasure of Bram Stoker’s Victorian horror Dracula . Each of the collection’s 27 poems, corresponding to Dracula ’s 27 chapters, is composed exclusively of language sourced sequentially from the novel: no words were changed, added, or otherwise manipulated, only deleted; then relineated on the page into a more recognizable poetic shape.

R E D is an original story, unrelated to Dracula, of violence, sexual abuse, power dynamics, vengeance, and feminist rage, and wrestles with the complexities of gender, transition, and monsterhood. It features an unnamed narrator, who contends with her relationship to herself and her body, as well as an abusive husband, over the course of the book, ending in a climactic scene of revenge and resolution.

Erasing Dracula was a long, arduous process of sifting through more than 160,000 words into what became a manuscript of 5,750. I decided that as I was working on the book, I was going to “watch every vampire movie,” an absurd and impossible commitment. Obviously, this plan failed—but I did, in fact, get through quite a lot of them.

Watching all these films made me think about why exactly it is that Dracula has been adapted to cinema so very many times since its publication in 1897, and my theory is, beyond the obvious attraction and popular captivation with vampires, that the narrative structure of Dracula is particularly suited to adaptation. The events of the book contribute to a ramping up of tension and dread—an introduction of the vampire in a spooky castle, mysterious events and deaths told of through interviews, journal entries, and news clippings, then the organization of an intrepid team, a montage of planning, an international hunt, and a final confrontation.

The cinematic arc of Dracula ’s 27 chapters informed and constrained the structure of my erasure poems much more than I had anticipated. Without even intending to, the poems began to take on the pace, the arc, the urgency of Dracula , almost in parallel. Particularly vivid scenes from the novel offered their language to new and equally vivid moments in the poems, but in markedly different contexts.

For all its flaws, Dracula remains a massive tree in the grove of pop culture, growing new branches literally by the day. Swimming amongst its various iterations while creating a new story from the inside out was a fascinating and exciting process—one that very literally took place during my own transition—and what is gender if not an adaptation, however faithful or rebellious, of a preexisting script? The films I watched alongside the writing of R E D excited and enlarged my idea of the vampire and the limitless potential within the constraint of the various tropes, rules, and popular conceptions of that monster, and monstrosity in general.

Sally Wen Mao on the Agency of Chinese American Actress Anna May Wong

When the iconic Hollywood actress Anna May Wong arrived in Shanghai in February 1936 aboard the S. S. President Hoover , thousands of fans greeted her alongside reporters and her brother, James. At the time, Shanghai was near the tail end of its “Golden Age” and experiencing a period of intense growth and cosmopolitanism. While the West was experiencing a Great Depression, Shanghai was abuzz with glamour, art, and intrigue, even as the threat of civil war and foreign invasion loomed.

To the disappointment of the local Shanghai press, the 31-year-old Anna May Wong didn’t speak any Mandarin. She was the first Asian American internationally renowned movie star, born and raised in Los Angeles as a second-generation Chinese American of Taishanese descent. Though Anna May Wong’s whole film career in both America and Europe pushed her to “represent” China, she had never been to China before. She intended her visit to be geared toward education—to learn Mandarin and study the Chinese theater.

To be caught between two worlds, one of which rejected the other, how could one negotiate identity?

For many Chinese Americans, China can be a paradox: at once close, and at once far away. To some, it is hard to know whether visiting China is an arrival or a return. And in 1936, a time when the Chinese Exclusion Acts were still written into the laws of the United States, it was even more complicated for Anna May Wong. To be caught between two worlds, one of which rejected the other, how could one negotiate identity? In Wong’s account of her visit to China, she declared, “I am going to a strange country, and yet, in a way, I am going home.”

Chinese reporters, critics, and officials treated Anna May Wong with a mixture of interest and disdain. They decried the roles she had to play—in particular, the shame she caused the country playing evil stock characters in Hollywood that cast China in a mocking light. According to Anna May’s account of a reception in the Department of Cinematography in Nanjing hosted by the Kuomintang government, the Chinese officials “all took turns berating [her] for the roles [she] had played.” Yet, it was also clear that Anna May Wong had a reverence for China, a desire to understand it, to fully connect and engage, using her newfound knowledge to cement her future as an actress who will portray the real China.

Sartorially, Wong’s lack of belonging across America and China compelled her to assert a new identity for herself. In the footage from her initial journey to Shanghai on a boat, Anna May draped herself in a luxurious fur coat and donned a black wool hat. On the street, she wore a long qipao and black leather gloves, with a fox fur draped around her. She was a tourist, essentially—but in a sense, she was also observing the street scenes of Shanghai, taking on the role of a female flaneur and participating in its urban life with her movements and her style of dress. If Anna May Wong’s film roles expressed a series of stereotypes, a set of tragedies, or a lack of agency, then fashion has always been Anna May Wong’s assertion of her identity, her sense of connection to her culture, and consequently, her agency.

Christopher Kondrich on Secret Sunshine and the Failures of God

Is there a more profound betrayal than to be betrayed by God, to feel that God has betrayed you personally despite your devotion?

In Secret Sunshine , written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, Shin-ae, a single mother whose husband died before the film opens, whose son Jun is kidnapped, held for ransom, and found dead by a riverbank, decides she must visit her son’s killer in prison to deliver the news of her forgiveness, as well as the news of God’s love, a love she has found, or has convinced herself that she has found, in the wake of her son’s death. Expecting to find him in need of her forgiveness, she learns that God has already done so.

“God reached out to a sinner like me,” her son’s killer explains, completely at peace. “He made me kneel to repent my sins. And God has absolved me of them.”

“God has forgiven your sins?” she asks, barely able to speak. Within Shin-ae’s question is the realization that God has betrayed her, that she has been deprived of her one opportunity to regain a sense of meaning and purpose in her life, as well as the incredulousness that someone who committed such a heinous act could be forgiven so easily.

In an interview with Dennis Lim for Film Comment , Lee Chang-dong explained that the question of what cinema is for is one he asks himself all the time. Several years ago, while watching Secret Sunshine for the first time, I asked myself the same question, though from the perspective of a parent already wracked with anxiety about the health and safety of his child. What is a film for when it depicts what we fear most? Why would I subject myself to this, I thought, which was then followed by the question why would I not?

I believed then, as I do now, that art must show us what we would rather not see, tell us what we’d rather not hear. If this was what I truly believed, rather than what I simply told myself I did, why would I turn away? I’ve also come to believe that art should explore why we’d rather not see or hear certain things. It wasn’t that I simply did not want to see violence befall a child, it was that I did not want to entertain the thought that my daughter was mortal.

I have difficulty believing in God, and often do not. Nevertheless, how could God do this to me—make my child mortal? The question, which Secret Sunshine prompted me to ask, compels me to write. “In short,” as Allen Grossman writes in his essay “My Caedmon, “the speaker in the poem is moved to begin speaking by the failure of God to make sense.”

Sara Eliza Johnson  is the author of Bone Map , which won the National Poetry Series and was published by Milkweed Editions in 2014, and Vapor , which will be published by Milkweed Editions in 2022. Her work has been featured on Poetry Daily , Verse Daily , and the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day series. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including a NEA fellowship, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, and currently teaches at the University of Alaska–Fairbanks.

Chase Berggrun  is a trans woman poet and the author of R E D (Birds, LLC, 2018). Her poems and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in The Nation, Poetry Magazine, American Poetry Review , and elsewhere. She lives in New York City, where she works as a literary assistant to the poet Gerald Stern.

Sally Wen Mao  is the author of Mad Honey Symposium (Alice James Books, 2014) and Oculus , published by Graywolf Press and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry. Her work has won a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Pushcart Prize and an Amy Award from Poets & Writers. She was the 2015-2016 Singapore Creative Writing Residency Writer-in- Residence, a 2016-2017 Cullman Center Fellow at the New York Public Library, and the 2017-2018 Jenny McKean Moore Writer-in-Washington at the George Washington University. Currently she is the 2021 Shearing Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute in Las Vegas.

Christopher Kondrich

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609 Cinema Essay Topics & Research Topics about Cinema

Welcome to our list of cinema essay topics! With our unique writing ideas, you are sure to write an excellent film analysis or a study of the movie industry. Besides, we’ve included writing samples you can use for inspiration. Have fun with our film essay topics!

🏆 Best Film Essay Topics

📚 catchy cinema essay topics, 👍 good argumentative essay topics about movies, 🌶️ hot movie essay topics to write about, 🎓 most interesting research topics about cinema, 💡 simple film analysis essay topics, 📌 easy cinema essay topics, ❓ research questions about movies.

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• Comparing Literature and Film: Rapunzel and Tangled The paper states that Rapunzel is a traditional tale that has been passed through generations. Tangled is the animated movie adaptation.
• Interstellar: An Analysis of the Film This essay analyzes Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar. It is described through the receptive theory of criticism because of the depth of the story.
• Raise the Red Lantern: Summary and Analysis Raise the Red Lantern is a beautiful and simple story of a young girl with a number of complex issues represented through effective mise-en-scène and roof-top level shots.
• The Effects of Violent Video Games and Movies The paper discusses the effects of violent video games and movies. There is a debate over the relationship between violent video games and movies and aggressive behavior.
• Gran Torino Essay – Clint Eastwood’s Film Analysis Gran Torino film, shot by Clint Eastwood, represents the life of Walter Kowalski, a veteran of the Korean War and a true American with his views and moral principles.
• Film “Sybil” by Joseph Sargent: Plot Summary and Analysis This paper tells about Sybil which highlights the importance of timely professional care in the case of multiple personality disorder, while showing the risks.
• “Miss Representation” Documentary Film Analysis The film “Miss Representation” depicts the reality of the disproportionate objectification of women and girls in the contemporary media-constructed culture.
• Mi Familia Movie Analysis My Family ? (1995) is an American film by Gregory Nava ?. Learn more about the plot and the characters of Mi Familia from this movie analysis ? essay!
• “Act Without Words I” by Beckett: Response to the Movie “Act Without Words I” by Samuel Beckett is an example of the Theater of the Absurd, a designation of the particular type of plays written by different playwrights.
• Going to the Movies Cinemas have giant screens that would not fit into your home and offer quality surround sound which makes watching a movie a truly immersive experience.
• Why Are Fantasy Films so Popular? Once people escape into this irrational world of fantasy, they are allowed to wonder and question conventions that have been accepted as truths.
• The Analysis of the Film “Dune” Watching the film “Dune” allows us to assert that characteristics such as music, special effects, acting, and an interesting plot influenced the quality of the film.
• The Documentary Film “The Corporation”: Review It would be interesting to know more examples of how corporations take the responsibilities of the government and what are the costs and benefits of such actions
• Films and Their Role in Society Films are part of an industry traditionally devoted to providing “pure entertainment”. However, more recently, there is a focus on the impact of films on society.
• “Good Will Hunting” Movie: Abandonment, Love, and Attachment The movie Good Will Hunting is a prime example of how cinema can provide the audience with a comprehensive narrative of one’s complex psyche and its role.
• Critique of the Movie “Contagion” The paper states that “Contagion” is a movie that is not only enjoyable due to its non-standard plot and impressive acting but also highly educational.
• Deontology and Ethical Relativism in “The Founder” Film The essay aims to review the movie The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, from the perspective of ethical theories: deontology and ethical relativism.
• Character Analysis of the Film “Secret Window” The film “Secret Window” is based on the fictional novel Secret Garden written by Stephen King. This paper tries to analyze the characters of the film.
• “Cast Away” by Robert Zemeckis: Movie Review The movie “Cast Away” focuses on one’s capability to survive and challenges faced in such an environment, where many critical details are considered.
• Video Games Versus Movies The current paper discusses three reasons that make video games a more rewarding and immersive entertainment medium than movies.
• Violence in Movies: Adverse Effects on the Adolescents Violence in films and television programs has negatively affected adolescents’ general mental and physical behavior while also desensitizing some in real life.
• “Whiplash”: The Creation and Key Observations Whiplash, directed by Damien Chazelle in 2014, still conveys a powerful message that is brought to the audience through creative directing.
• “Interstellar” Film Under Sociological Analysis Interstellar is a 2014 cinematographic masterpiece by Christopher Nolan that portrays a near-future dystopian society placed on Earth.
• Main Idea and Characters of “Dead Poets Society” Film “Dead Poets Society” is a great representation of building relationships between adolescents of the opposite sex, teachers, and parents, with an emphasis on the topic of suicide.
• Emotions in the “Up” Movie by Pete Docter The movie “UP” is one of the highly emotional and impactful animated films made by Pixar. The story describes the importance of appreciation, love, and friendship.
• Movie Reflection – “Contagion” by Steven Soderbergh Towards the end of the film, the spread of the disease is halted after the discovery of a vaccine that can counter its effects. Steven Soderbergh directed the film.
• Viewing Movies: The Problem of Age Restriction Although movies have been known to be a source of negative influence on children, they also have benefits, and the age restriction should be eliminated to allow children to watch.
• Cinematography of “Scarface” Film by Brian De Palma In his film Scarface, the director Brian De Palma is focused on demonstrating Montana’s violent way towards the American dream through cinematography, music, and acting techniques.
• Environmental Issues in The Lorax Movie The movie The Lorax narrates the story of a walled city that is characterized by an artificial way of life. This essay gives a detailed summary and discussion of the film.
• Les Intouchables Summary & Analysis “Les Intouchables” explores life in Paris and the clash of the representatives of two different social classes. This is a French film directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.
• “Django Unchained”: Discussion of Film Techniques This essay discusses in detail the two cinematic techniques — light control and camera angles — that Tarantino used to reinforce the subthemes of the film “Django Unchained.”
• “Inception” Directed by Christopher Nolan: Film Analysis This paper analyzes the “Inception” movie, which explores issues such as family dynamics and crime from a psychoanalytic perspective.
• “Black Panther”: Dealing With Real-Life Social Issues Black Panther is an example of such a movie, which demonstrates how science interacts with literature and society.
• Business Ethics and Dilemmas in the Film ‘Michael Clayton’ The movie “Michael Clayton” addresses a wide range of ethical issues faced by corporations and advocates. One of the ethical issues addressed entails the impacts of capitalism on morality.
• Organizational Behavior in the “Up in the Air” Film The goal of this paper is to summarize the concepts in Up in the Air and analyze the links between the story told in the movie and well-known theories of organizational behavior.
• “The Crucible” (1996) Film Analysis The Crucible is a film that dramatizes real-life events that took place in Salem where people accused as witches became subjects of mass executions.
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Play and Movie Michael Hoffman’s 1999 movie version of the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream seeks to meet the demands of an audience of the late twentieth century – it has wrestling in the mud.
• Symbolism in Disney’s Movie “Encanto” One of those movies that people will remember ten years from now is Encanto. The movie has flawless execution, and many people may relate to its topic.
• The “Hidden Figures” Movie by Ted Melfi The movie “Hidden Figures” by Ted Melfi tells the story of three African-American women who played a significant role in developing the American space program.
• The Relevant Aspects of the Movie “A Beautiful Mind” The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relevant aspects of “A Beautiful Mind”, the topic of mind and motivation, and the lessons learned from this masterpiece of cinema.
• Roma by Alfonso Cuarón: A Film Analysis The movie provides a comprehensive image of Mexico in the 1970s. The film highlights the major impact of class, race, and gender on the life of people in Mexican society.
• “A Quiet Place”: Film Analysis The film heavily relies on sound effects and narrative structure to convey its central motif, a dreadful life in which silence is a means of survival.
• Theoretical Concepts in “Freedom Writers” Movie The analysis of the movie gives an opportunity to observe the introduction of theoretical sociology and psychology.
• The Films “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” and “Hachiko Monogatari” The film “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale”, is a memorable drama featuring Richard Gere. The movie was remade in 2009 from a Japanese film of 1987 named “Hachiko Monogatari”.
• The Language of Dance in the “La La Land” Movie The purpose of this paper is to describe how movement is used to portray the intention and theme of the movie La La Land.
• Applying Psychological Principles to Girl Interrupted Film The Girl Interrupted film’s psychodynamic perspective is clearly portrayed through the different characters’ behavior, feelings, and actions.
• Movie Theatre Business: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis The movie industry should expand the target audience and stop relying on youths whose unpredictable behavior significantly affects the profits generated by companies.
• “Mean Girls” by Mark Walters Movie Analysis Mean girls’ is a teenage movie that bring about, certain aspects of teenage or adolescent issues mostly amongst the female gender.
• An Analysis of the movie “Crash” by Paul Haggis In the movie “Crash” by Paul Haggis the characters tend to assume certain socioeconomic status and behaviour with certain cultures.
• Documentary Movies Review The paper discusses several films. It includes “The Mask You Live In”, “Women Who Make America”, and “Miss Representation”.
• Rhetorical Analysis of a Film “Us” By pointing out metaphors, symbols, dialogues, and details in various scenes, The Film Theorists make a convincing argument about the film’s “Us” deeper meaning.
• The US Film Industry’s History and Competitiveness This study will evaluate the history of the US film industry, the industry’s competitiveness, and the prospects of inward and outward foreign direct investment.
• “Don’t Look Up” Movie Directed by Adam McKay The Netflix video ‘Don’t Look Up’, directed by Adam McKay, pays attention to two astronomers who endeavor to alert humans.
• ”Boy” Directed by Taika Waititi as a Representation of the Local Culture The film “Boy” (2010), directed by Taika Waititi, is a comedy-drama that tells the story of a young Maori boy’s relationship with his father, who returns from prison.
• Postmodernism Film: Run Lola Run Analysis The postmodern cinema invites the audience to participate in the dialogue. Run Lola Run, a movie produced by Tom Tykwer, is the specimen of the era that characterizes it quite accurately.
• The Aviator’ by Martin Scorsese Film Analysis The Aviator is a biographical film about the life of Howard Hughes. The film concentrates on the Hughes’ life from early adulthood and ends towards the end of his life.
• Pride and Prejudice (2005): Movie Analysis The character of the move that has been chosen for this analysis of personality is Keira Knightley’s character of Elizabeth Bennet directed by Joe Wright.
• The Devil Wears Prada Film’s Critical Analysis The Devil Wears Prada film tells the story of how the chief can be stubborn, but the courage of potential employees can surprise them.
• Plot and Main Idea of “Back to the Future” Film The “Back to the Future” film’s main idea seems important and modern, as it says that people can influence both their own and others’ future through actions in the present.
• Comedy Movies: Positive Psychological Effects Comedy movies make people feel relaxed, especially after stressful events or when they are extremely exhausted.
• “Hotel Rwanda” Directed by Terry George: An Analysis of the Film The British film “Hotel Rwanda” directed by Terry George is one of the most emotional historical dramas of this millennium, which is not a big box office movie.
• The Movie “The Devil Wears Prada”: Recommendations Based on what has been presented so far, it is the recommendation of this analysis that Miranda should attempt to pursue a leadership path that integrates sufficient relationship behaviour into it.
• The Film Review: “Scarface” DePalma’s Scarface (1983) creates a new gangster genre reorganizes the problems faced by earlier gangster movies and create a larger than life depiction of the issue.
• Real and Escapist Life in the Film “The Slumdog Millionaire” The movie, Slumdog Millionaire attempts to contrast two themes: real-life vs escapist life. The characters are trying to escape from their miserable situations.
• Analysis of “Sleepy Hollow” Film Directed by Tim Burton Tim Burton, the director, employed creativity in developing the story by improving the plot of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and creating a new one with modified characters.
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Fearless Film In the Fearless movie, Max has been suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder that has affected his everyday life, personality, perceptions, and behaviors.
• Gender Representation in Akira Kurosawa’s Films This paper is intended to analyze one of the most controversial topics of Kurosawa’s films, specifically gender representation.
• The Film “The Help” from a Sociological Perspective The paper states that due to the change of narrative situations in the film “The Help”, the ideological point of view of the focal characters is manifested.
• Gender Stereotyping in the “Pretty Woman” Movie The movie Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, created quite a bit of stirring among the feminist supporters of the country.
• Analysis of the Movie “Thank You for Smoking”: The Propaganda The movie presents the deceitful nature of Tobacco Academy Studies that use the skills of their lobbyist Nick Naylor to confuse the public that cigarette smoking is good for their.
• The Most Beautiful Thing: Short Film Review The short film “The Most Beautiful Thing” brings to life the important themes of love, disability, and communication due to the effective use of film direction.
• Principles of Suspense in the Film “The Fugitive” The film “The Fugitive” is an action thriller film. This essay will focus on the principles of suspense shown in particular scenes of the film and provide a detailed discussion.
• Race and Culture in The Hate You Give Movie The Hate You Give movie reveals society issues, particularly how society can be cruel even when one wants to amend his/her ways and make right for the errors they did.
• Love, Simon’ by Greg Berlanti: Movie Analysis Love, Simon is an excellent example of a movie that expresses the difficulties of people who are afraid to open their sexual orientation to others.
• Adolescence: Social Concepts in “Mean Girls” Film The film “Mean Girls” depicts the confrontation of the “new vs. popular students.” The film’s social concepts are presented in a sophisticated and exciting manner.
• Disney Movie “Beauty and The Beast” In “Beauty and The Beast” beauty is considered to be the hallmark of attractiveness, with many of the film personalities presented as beautiful having a field day in many aspects.
• Psychotherapy. “A Beautiful Mind” Film by Ron Howard The well-known movie A Beautiful Mind provides a scope of assumptions and suggestions regarding hidden capabilities of the mind.
• Deciphering the Meaning of Animals in Films In looking at the use of animals in film, with the possible exception of family type, feel-good animal stories, animals are usually symbolic.
• Sociological Themes in the “Taxi Driver” Film The movie Taxi Driver discusses the sociological themes of deviance and socialization, showing the world through the eyes of a war veteran unable to adjust to a healthy life.
• Caregivers, Teachers, and Children in “Matilda” Film Based on the film “Matilda,” this paper discusses the roles of caregivers, teachers, and children and the interventions parents can use to improve their relationship with children.
• Review of “Frida” Movie From Historical Viewpoint The paper aims to discuss the “Frida” film from the viewpoint of its historical accuracy and entertainment value.
• Film Analysis of “Titanic” by James Cameron Its production techniques and the movie’s connection with society will be discussed over the course of this essay as well.
• “The State of Play: Trophy Kids”: Main Idea and Summary of the Film “The State of Play: Trophy Kids” trails five progenies exercising in a sport on how discipline and parental guidance influence the children psychologically and physically.
• Cultural Analysis and Inferences from the Movie 42 The movie 42, which was released in 2013, has been applauded for its relevance. Branch Rickey is a renowned manager of America’s famous Baseball Team-the Brooklyn Dodgers.
• “Death in Venice”: Mann’s Novel v. Visconti’s Film The purpose of this paper is to discuss the similarities and differences between Thomas Mann’s novel “Death in Venice” and Luchino Visconti’s cinematic adaptation.
• The “Hero” Film: Shot-by-Shot Analysis The plot of the film “Hero” (2002) by Zhang Yimou unfolds the historical events that took place in the 3rd century B.C..
• Sociological Analysis of One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Film The teaching from the film “One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is that inclusion and consensus methods should be considered while treating patients with mental health issues.
• The Film “The Fisher King” by Terry Gilliam: Psychological Analysis The film “The Fisher King” by Terry Gilliam, showcases a possible permutation of symptoms that people suffering from schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder may adopt.
• Cannibalism and Female Desire in Horror Films The films “Raw”, “Jennifer’s Body”, and “Ginger Snaps”,have cherished the idea of many female protagonists or the main characters being portrayed as cannibals.
• Urbanization and Poverty in “Slumdog Millionaire” Film Boyle’s movie, “Slumdog Millionaire,” is one of many successful attempts to depict the conditions in which people who are below the poverty level live.
• Justice Miscarriage in “The Shawshank Redemption” Film A major theme depicted in “The Shawshank Redemption” film is the inherent failure of the criminal justice system which creates conditions for the miscarriage of justice.
• The Movie “Titanic”: A Survey of Semiotics This paper will give a semiotic survey of the film ‘Titanic’ directed by James Cameron. Media Semiotics will be the approach in studying features of communication.
• “The Neighbor’s Window”: Film Review The characters of the movie “The Neighbor’s Window” Alli and her husband Jacob, watching the life of their neighbors, begin to remember their youth and regret their existing life.
• “Creed” Movie vs. “The Contender” Book by Lipsyte: Similarities and Differences There are many similarities between Lipsyte’s novel the Contender and the movie Creed, one of the major themes in both of them is finding yourself.
• “The Patriot”: Historical Film Analysis “The Patriot” is an epic war film which illustrates the relationships of loved ones. The movie is half-way realistic movie and the attempt to address the war-fares.
• Beauty and the Beast’: Movie Review The movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’ seems to be about the power of love. It does not matter how good-looking a person is, but it is important what personality he or she possesses.
• Sociology of “Avatar” Movie by James Cameron “Avatar” is a science fiction movie created and produced by James Cameron. The movie follows the colonization of Pandora by the humans whose aim was to exploit the resources.
• Comparison of the Books and the Movies This essay will aim to contrast both ways of representing the story and learn about the pros and cons of each by comparing their features.
• “Life Is Beautiful” Film by Roberto Benigni The “Life Is Beautiful” film is an illustrative example of a work of art that appeared during the period of the exploration of the Holocaust.
• Acculturation and Assimilation in the Mi Familia Movie The movie Mi Familia by Gregory Nava tells the story of a Mexican family, the Sanchez, who immigrated to the United States. The plot revolves around three generations.
• Social Inequality in Poems, Songs, and Films Social stratification in the U.S is based on race and ethnicity and is demonstrated in films, poetry, and songs.
• Cinematography and Visuals in the Tenet Film The purpose of this essay is to discuss the role and effect of the visual aspect in Christopher Nolan’s film Tenet.
• “West Side Story” and “Romeo and Juliet” Movies Comparative Analysis Even a brief analysis of “West Side Story” and “Romeo + Juliet” leaves no doubt as to the fact that the apparent similarity between two cinematographic pieces is only a skin deep.
• Schizophrenia in “A Beautiful Mind” Film by Howard Directed by Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind is a chef-d’oeuvre film centered on the life and mental illness of the renowned mathematician, John Forbes Nash.
• Aging Theory Analysis in the Film “Up” The film “Up” directed by Docter (2009) shows a storyline about the 78-year-old grouch Carl Fredriksen who believes that life bypasses him.
• Review of “Kung Fu Panda” Movie: Educational Psychology In the movie “Kung Fu Panda”, individual characters use a multimodal learning approach in taking in information.
• The Movie “Back to the Future”: The Genre of Science Fiction This work presents the movie “Back to the Future” as a prominent example of the science fiction genre, which contains elements of this classification.
• The “Juno” Movie Under Communication Analysis The movie “Juno” brings out the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and emotional conflicts that Juno had to go through due to teenage pregnancy.
• “Little Miss Sunshine” Film About Family Issues This essay highlights issues in society and the family through metaphors from Jonathan Dayton’s film Little Miss Sunshine.
• Leadership in “Erin Brockovich” Film In the “Erin Brockovich” movie, the main protagonist, Erin, is a transformational leader, he shows passion and determination until the desired outcome is achieved.
• Mise-en-Scene of “Blade Runner” Film by Ridley Scott Based on the opening scene of the film “Blade Runner” by Ridley Scott, the viewers can see that Los Angeles is presented as a modern and developed city.
• Lighting and Landscapes: The Movie “Call Me by Your Name” Throughout the movie Call Me by Your Name, both lighting and landscapes play a central role in promoting the metaphorical semantics and emotional background.
• Neorealism Elements in “The Color of Paradise” Film The movie The Color of Paradise serves as a spectacular example of post-war Iranian cinema. The film discusses the injustices of contemporary Iranian society.
• Predictive Analysis in Business: “Moneyball” Film Predictive analysis is a powerful tool for businesses and individuals; it has started to be used extensively over the past several years.
• “Get Out” Movie’s Rhetorical Analysis The movie Get Out is a horror satire. Its main purpose is to illustrate an exaggerated reality of interracial interactions from the African-American person’s perspective.
• True Leadership in the Invictus Film This paper discusses the role of true leadership as depicted in the film Invictus by focusing on the two main characters – Mandela and Pienaar.
• ”Doctor Strange”: Description and Interpretation The story of the movie is constrained by the need to fit within an established cinematic universe and appeal to the common viewer.
• Lessons of “Bon Cop, Bad Cop” for English-Canadian Film “Bon Cop, Bad Cop” points to some social and political messages in the movie’s plot. The film is significant, and its newness for the Canadian filmmaking industry is essential.
• Nash’s Schizophrenia in “A Beautiful Mind” Film This paper discusses John Nash’s paranoid schizophrenia as portrayed in the film “A Beautiful Mind” using different psychological perspectives.
• The “Lions for Lambs” Film Analysis The main theme of Lions for Lambs is that American politicians in America defining the country’s foreign policies refuse to learn the lessons of history.
• “The Last King of Scotland” Film Analysis If power is the ability to influence the results and behavior of others, then “The Last King of Scotland” helps us understand where despotism and tyranny can lead.
• The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review The article provides an overview of The Shawshank Redemption, as well as the reasons why it still invariably resonates with the viewer.
• Ethical Analysis of the Awakenings Film The Awakenings movie focuses on Dr. Oliver Sacks’ work treating people with catatonia, a disorder marked by excessive stiffness and a lack of responsiveness to stimuli.
• The Symbolism of the Cage in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Film and Novel The cage symbol has tremendous value for creating Breakfast characters at Tiffany’s feelings; however, the peculiarities of the film and the novel revealed it differently.
• “Walk. Ride. Rodeo.” Movie Evaluation “Walk. Ride. Rodeo.” is a 2019 movie that tells the story of Amberley Snyder, a young girl who has had a lifelong passion for horses and horse racing.
• Romantic Comedy in American Film Industry Romantic comedy is a part of the American film industry. A Romantic comedy film basically refers to a movie which is very humorous and it denotes romantic ideals.
• “The Kite Runner” Film: History and Cinematography The historical background of the movie The Kite Runner started when the Soviet intelligence had evidence that Amin was attempting intercourse with Pakistan and China.
• Investing in the Film “Escape from Rio Japuni” The paper compares 6 project proposals and finds out that investing in the movie Escape from Rio Japuni is bound to trigger a major triumph.
• Representations of Disability, the Example of “Forrest Gump” Film The topic of the present paper is to define the societal roles of handicapped people and to find out how they have been formed due to exclusion and stereotypes of normal people.
• Chapter 5 of Thompson, & Bordwell’s “Film History” In this essay, Chapter 5 of Thompson, & Bordwell’s “Film History” will be summarized in connection with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an example of German Expressionism.
• The Functions of Film Music: Essay Example Music plays an important role in films. This paper will discuss how music has been used in the movie Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
• Analysis of a Scene in the Film “Vertigo” Each element of the first scene in the film Vertigo becomes crucial in establishing the continuity, managing to preserve the film’s main message.
• Cinematic Language in A Beautiful Mind Film The movie A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard, implements a wide range of cinematography techniques to help the audience develop an understanding of powerful ideas.
• “Rampant: How a City Stopped a Plague” Film Reflection This essay is going to take a look at the 2007 film “Rampant: How a City Stopped a Plague” directed by Midwinter-Pitt, and discuss the depicted Australian method of fighting HIV.
• “Get Out” Movie: Genre, Medium, and Pathos The movie Get Out is an exciting illustration of interracial interactions combined with pseudoscientific forces, such as the transfer of consciousness.
• Leadership Styles in the Forrest Gump Film Forrest managed to inspire Elvis Presley, who imitated Forrest’s dance moves. As such, he received a football scholarship and became a top running back.
• Cinematic Techniques in The Silence of the Lambs Movie The paper is devoted to analyzing the cinematic techniques applied in the classic horror movie called The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme.
• Silver Linings Playbook Film Studies The movie ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ became one of the best of its kind in terms of depicting the issue of mental disorders.
• Theme of Hope in “The Shawshank Redemption” Film The film “The Shawshank Redemption” emphasizes the value of hope and the implications of both possessing and losing hope.
• Critical Success Factors: Movie Industry in Hollywood This paper will discuss importance and application of critical success factors in business based on movie industry in Hollywood, which is a home of some of the largest film producers in the world.
• The Spirited Away Animated Film The animated film, Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), by Hayao Miyazaki is of Japanese origin and was released in the year 2001.
• Stereotypes in “Moonlight” Film by Barry Jenkins “Moonlight” chronicles the life of a queer black boy singled out for being too soft, but transforms himself to a menacingly muscular drug dealer with gold teeth grills.
• Aspects of the Narrative Construction in “Gladiator” Movie The essay argues that “Gladiator” the movie changed the perception of the public about the possibilities and powers of cinema and combine elements of a successful story.
• Gender Stereotypes in “Frozen” Animated Film The shift in gender stereotypes is presented in “Frozen.” The contrast between Elsa and Anna is a conflict between the past stereotypes and emerging perceptions.
• Shakespeare’s Othello Movie Adaptation Overview and Social Relevance William Shakespeare’s “Othello” has been adapted to a variety of media forms, and among the most contemporary versions is Olive Parker’s movie with the same name.
• Gender Expectations in the Disney Film “The Little Mermaid” This article will show that the Disney’s work magnifies the evolving roles of women in society, and despite the existing tensions and backlash, women are integrating successfully into the society.
• Motivation in the “Whiplash” Film by Damien Chazelle “Whiplash” by Damien Chazelle is a superb story depicting the efforts of an ambitious, 19-year-old drummer, Andrew Neyman, to become one of the greatest musicians ever.
• Renton’s Addiction in the “Trainspotting” Movie This paper reviews the character of Renton in the “Trainspotting” movie and looks at ways and steps through which can be helped him to overcome his addiction.
• Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls Film Analysis For Colored Girls is a purposeful sharpening to the problem of women’s lack of freedom. For Colored Girls is about gender relationships at its African-American version.
• “Parasite”: Symbols Represented in the Film This paper aims to discuss how various symbols represented in the film “Parasite” are applied to the demonstration of social stratification.
• “Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban”: Book and Movie Comparison Both the book “Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban” and its film adaptation share the same character set. The lead character is the hero Harry Potter, a famous wizard.
• A Conventional Japanese Family in a Film Tokyo Sonata Tokyo Sonata is one of the most recent works of Kiyoshi Kurosawa that depicts a conventional Japanese Family. The 2008 film delves deep into a culture.
• Moral Behaviours in the Movie “Inside Job”
• Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ Film Analysis
• Plot, Genre and Main Idea of “The Blind Side” Film
• Comparison of “Metropolis” and “Modern Times” Movies
• Mise-En-Scène in Sofia Coppola’s Films
• Disney Films: Projector of Our Society’s Values
• Beowulf: Comparing the Movie and the Book
• Film Studies: “I am Sam”
• “Twelve Angry Men” Movie Analysis
• Ethical, Political and Social Issues in Business in “The Corporation” Movie
• “Psycho” Film by Alfred Hitchcock
• Psychological Struggles of the Main Character from the “Ben X” Film
• “Get Out” Horror Film by Jordan Peele
• The Film “Devil’s Playground” by Schepisi
• The Movie My Family/ Mi Familia: Mise en Scene Analysis
• Movie Narration & Historical Accuracy: Troy
• Kant’s Philosophy in the Movie “Gone Baby Gone” by Ben Affleck
• 2012′ by Roland Emmerich Film Analysis
• The Film “Die Hard’
• The Film “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Rob Marshall
• American Multi-Cinema, Inc. Analysis
• The Phenomenon of PR in Film Industry
• Copyright Infringement in Music and Film Industry
• “Erin Brockovich” by S. Soderberg: Conflict in a Film
• “Farewell”: Interpersonal Communication in the Film
• Movie Reflection – “Mi Familia”
• Psychology Behind the Movie “Trading Places” by Landis
• Picnic Scene in “Citizen Kane” Movie by Orson Welles
• “The Crucible” Film and Its Historical Value
• Iranian Revolution and Terrorism: the Rex Cinema Massacre
• Substance Abuse Disorder in “The Breaking Bad” Film
• Surrealism in the Meshes of the Afternoon Film
• Unhappy Marriages in the Movie ”Passing”
• Review of “The Patriot” Movie
• Split Personality in the Frankie and Alice Film
• The Films That Used as a Tool to Reimagine Africa and Africans
• The Great Debaters – Film Synopsis
• “The Doctor” the Film by Randa Haines
• The Main Character’s Traits in the “Precious” Film
• “A Class Divided” Film on Discrimination
• Communication in the Movie “Parent Trap”: Communication Disorders
• Film Production: Camera, Lighting and Sound
• Psychology. Memory Disorder in “Fifty First Dates” Film
• Interpersonal Communication in the “One Day” Film
• Colorblind Racism in “The Help” Film
• The Fifth Element: Gender and Sexuality in Cinema
• “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant” Film Analysis
• Stranger Than Fiction: Critical Analysis of Film
• Narrative Campaign of “The Hunger Games” Film
• Mayan Culture in “Apocalypto” Film Discussion
• Representation of Race and Intersectionality in Films: “The 13th”
• Capitalism and Class Division in the “Parasite” Film
• Defamation in Media Law and Film Industry
• Change in the Team in the Moneyball Film
• ”Argo” Directed by Affleck: Summary and Opinion
• Stereoscopic Movie Editing: 3D Signal Editing Techniques and Editing Software
• Rain Man: Movie Characteristic
• Kantian Moral Philosophy in the Film “Sleepers” by Barry Levinson
• The Book “A History of Narrative Film”
• “The Corporation”: The Idea of the Movie and Analysis
• The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring Film Analysis
• Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter” Story and Hitchcock’s Film
• Social Conditions Reflected in Tokyo Sonata Film
• Data Visualization of Most Profitable Movie Genres
• Peer Pressure and Decision-Making in “The Breakfast Club” Film
• Analysis of the Documentary Movie Cowspiracy
• Historical Depiction in the “Helen of Troy” Movie
• The Feminist Ideas in ”A Doll’s House” Movie by Patrick Garland
• “District 9” Movie Critical Review
• “The Break Up” Movie: Family Conflict Theme
• “Training Day” the Film by Fuqua
• “The Wizard of Oz”: Movie Analysis
• Indian Culture in the “Pather Panchali” Movie
• “Salt” by Phillip Noyce Film Analysis
• Servant Leadership in the Remember the Titans Film
• The Movie “Liar Liar” by Tom Shadyac: Moral Issues Analysis
• “The King’s Speech” Movie and Anxiety Disorder
• Negotiation Situation in “The Godfather” Movie
• Why the People Crave Horror Movies
• Narrative Structure in “Notorious” & “The Place Beyond the Pines” Films
• Themes in the Movie “The Physician”
• Cross-Racial Relationships in “The Lunch Date” Movie and Short Stories
• “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” the Film by Joel Coen
• Science Fiction in Literature and Movies
• Predicting the Future of Film Narrative
• The Social Worker Role in the Film “Crash”
• Film Studies: “The Sound of Music” by Robert Wise
• The Optical Poem Film by Oskar Fischinger
• Family Systems Analysis of “A Family Thing” Movie
• The Movie “Gran Torino” by Clint Eastwood
• Themes in Films by Spike Lee
• “The Big Short”: Analysis of Adam McKay’s Film
• Deceiver (1997) Movie Analysis
• Review of “Anxiety” Short Film
• Analysis of “The Interrupters” Film
• The Movie ”Trainspotting” by Danny Boyle: Presenting Issues and Interventions
• “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” Book and the Movie: Similarities and Differences
• “The Notebook” Film by Nick Cassavetes
• Short Movie “Darkness/Light/Darkness” by Jan Svankmajer
• “Stephen King On Why We Crave Horror Movies” Analysis
• Film Studies. Authorship Theory in Examples
• Feminist Theory Applied to the “Passengers” Film
• Horror Movie Analysis and Its Approaches
• Organizational Behavior in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” Movie
• Alzheimer’s Disease in the “Away From Her” Movie
• The Agents of Change Documentary Film Review
• Gender Roles in the Boys Don’t Cry Movie
• Hero’s Journey and Archetypes in “Django Unchained” Film
• “To Live” Directed by Zhang Yimou: Movie Analysis
• “Troy”: Film Analysis From the Point of View of Organizational Behavior
• Economic Aspect of The Wall Street Movie
• Maurice by E.M. Forster Novel and Film Adaptation Comparative Analysis
• Freud’s Ideas in Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” Film
• Neoliberalism in the Film “Wall Street”
• “Remember the Titans” Movie by B. Yakin
• Ideology in “The Matrix” Film
• Music in the Movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
• “Erin Brockovich” a Film by Steven Soderbergh
• Western Movies and Their Effect on Arab Youth
• 12 Years a Slave: The Analysis of the Film
• Dunkirk: Analysis of Film by Nolan
• The Film “Gran Torino” by Clinton Eastwood
• Cultural Artifact in the “Legally Blonde” Film
• “99 Francs” by Jan Kounen as an Immortal Film
• “At Last” Movie Directed by Yiwei Liu
• The Use of Costume as a Style in the Movie ”The Matrix”
• The Film Zodiac and Ethical Concerns
• Latin American Film: “Macario” by Roberto Gavaldón
• Analysis of Ben Affleck’s Movie “Gone Baby Gone” From Kant’s Categorical Imperative Perspective
• “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”: Movie of Contrasts
• Racial Discrimination in the “Selma” Film
• Christian Symbolism and Imagery in “The Matrix” Film
• The Film “We Bought a Zoo” and Single Parenting Issues
• Gender Display in TV Shows, Movies and News
• 3D Animation in “Ice Age: The Meltdown” Film
• Racism and Masculinity in the Film “A Soldier’s Story”
• Hotel Rwanda Film Review
• Garcia’s Family in the Film “Real Women Have Curves”
• Edward Zwick’s “Blood Diamond” Movie Analysis Essay
• Chinese cinema: Two Stage Sisters and Yellow Earth
• Why the Titanic Film Is Overrated
• The Film “Do the Right Thing” by Spike Lee
• Conflicts in the Film “A Clockwork Orange”
• The Public Enemy and The Godfather Films Analysis
• The Movie “Alien” Overview and Analysis
• “The Matrix” Movie Discussion
• “Doll’s House”: Ibsen’s Play vs. Losey’s Movie
• The Whale Rider Film Directed by Niki Caro
• Film “Ex Machina”: An Artificial Intelligence
• Romero vs. Voces Innocentes: Films Comparison
• Lessons From the Hardball Film Applied to Real Life
• Movie Review: Miss Evers’ Boys
• Patrick’s Final Decision in Gone Baby Gone Film
• The Mask You Live In (2015) Movie Review
• The LEGO Movie Promotion Video in Accordance With the AIDA Model
• “Freedom Song”: Movie Review
• Films and Television: Visual Techniques
• The Importance of Being Earnest: Play Movie (2002)
• Progress Traps in the “Surviving Progress” Film
• “The Miracle of Bern” Sports Film
• The “Battle Royale” Film’s Main Ideas
• God Existence Argument in the “Forrest Gump” Film
• Films Comparison: “Psycho” by Gus Van Sant and Hitchcock
• The Film “Damaged Care” Analysis
• Watching a Movie at Home and in Theatres
• The “Hidden Figures” Film Analysis
• Film Tourism Development and Benefits
• Aspects of the Film “Fruitvale Station”
• “The Great Escape” Film from Project Management Perspective
• Value of Film in Explaining History
• Vincent and Theo: Life Stories in the Film
• Polanski’s and Kurzel’s Film Adaptations of Macbeth
• Animals and Plants in “What Darwin Never Knew” Film
• Poetic Themes in the Selma Film Staring D. Oyelowo
• “Romeo and Juliet”: Forbidden Love in the Eponymous Movie by Baz Luhrmann
• The Movie “Queen and Slim” Analysis
• MPAA Rating System: Issues Involved in Rating Movies
• Motion Pictures: “Film/Genre” Book by Rick Altman
• India Partition in the “Earth” Drama Film
• Chicanos in “Mi Vida Loca” Film by Allison Anders
• “Moby Dick,” a Film Adaptation of the Novel
• Accidental Horror in Smith’s “The Black Tower” Film
• The Film “Dead Man’s Letters” by Konstantin Lopushansky
• “The Constant Gardener” a Film by Fernando Meirelles
• Hollywood Film Industry’ Success Factors
• The Morality of the Movie “Gone Baby Gone”
• The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street – Film Study
• “Solitary Nation” – Documentary Film Analysis
• “A Passage to India” Movie Review
• Meaning of Symbolism in the Film “Parasite”
• The Classic Musical Film Grease Analysis
• The Film “The Blind Side” by John Lee Hancock
• The Importance of Theological Study of Film
• The Film “My Sister’s Keeper” by Nick Cassavetes
• Popular Culture in “Inglourious Basterds” Film
• “I, The Worst of All” Film by María Luisa Bemberg
• Politics in “28 Days Later” Film by Danny Boyle
• Kids Behind Bars: Analysis of Film
• Visual Effects in the “1917” Movie
• Themes in The Corporation Documentary Film
• Love and Women in Cinderella and Mulan Films
• “The Iron Lady” Movie Review
• The Film “Cabaret” by Bob Fosse
• The Language of the “Citizen Kane” Film
• Benefits and Threats of Digital Cinema: The Matrix World
• “District 9” by Neill Blomkamp – Movie Review
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Book and Film Compared
• “The Last of the Mohicans” 1992 Film by M. Mann
• Adult – Child Relationships in American Movies
• Ethnocentrism and Stereotypes in the Movie “Crash”
• American Film Comedy. Slapstick Genre
• African-American Stereotypes in Film Is Rooted in How American Society Perceive African-Americans
• A Story of Struggle in “Farewell My Concubine” Film
• “Letter From an Unknown Woman” the Movie by Max Ophüls
• Sexualization of Women in Hollywood Cinema
• Early Feature Films and Ethical Considerations
• Fireproof by Stephen Kendrick – Film Study
• The Movie “The Boy in The Striped Pajamas” by Mark Herman
• The Book and Movie Versions of “The Martian”
• The Hadza: Last of the First Film by Bill Benenson
• Quentin Tarantino: Influence on World Cinema
• China Films’ Influence on Cultural and Creative Industries
• “It Must Be Heaven” Film Analysis
• The Oedipus Complex in Pasolini’s Movie
• Character Change in Malcolm X Film by Spike Lee
• Greek Mythology in the “Inception” Film by Nolan
• “Metropolis”: Analysis of Issues Raised in the Film
• Mythology in The Hunger Games and Moana Films
• American Society in the 1980s in the Rocky IV Film
• Plot and Characters of the “Brokeback Mountain” Film
• Review of “12 Years a Slave” Movie
• The Last Night in Soho Film’s Critical Analysis
• Movie Review “Angels and Demons”
• The Movie”Smurfs”: The Problem of Gender Roles
• Analysis of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” Film
• Plot of “Dope” Film by Rick Famuyiwa
• Analysis of “The Corporation” Movie
• Interpersonal Relationships in the Movie Crash
• The Urban Space Depiction in the Cinema
• Legacy of the Family. “Snow Falling on Cedars” Movie
• The Butler by Lee Daniels: Movie Review
• Jose Antonio Vargas’ Film Documented
• African American Males in “Boyz n The Hood” Movie
• “American Psycho” Film and Lizardo’s “Fight Club” Article
• “The Medicated Child”: Film Review
• Analysing Films “The Great Debaters” and “Crash”
• Historical Evidence in the Renaissance Italy Film
• Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Trilogy: The “Blue” Film
• Modern-Day Berlin City in the “Run Lola Run” Film
• Gender and Sexuality in “The Exorcist” Film
• Racism in the “Devil in a Blue Dress” Film
• Travis Bickle in “Taxi Driver” Film by Scorsese
• Cultural Films’ Studies: Perception and Analysis
• Western Movies and Arab Youth
• Relationships in the “Say Anything” Film by Crowe
• “Erin Brockovich” Film and 2014 Flint Water Crisis
• Charlotte’s Personality in the “Now, Voyager” Film
• Colors in “The Thief of Bagdad” Movie by A. Korda
• Youth and Media in “The Merchants of Cool” Movie
• Movie “Joy Luck Club” by Wayne Wang
• Tyler Perry’s Contribution to the Growth of the Film Industry in Atlanta
• Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Films by Quentin Tarantino
• The Rubber Film by Quentin Dupieux
• Manager Alvaro in the “Twisted” Movie
• Japanese Animation: “My Neighbour Totoro” Film
• The Paradise Now Movie Analysis
• Walter Salles’s Film The Motorcycle Diaries Analysis
• The Film “A Time to Kill” by Joel Schumacher
• Race in “The Long Walk Home” Film
• Chinese vs. Taiwanese Film Production
• A Beautiful Mind: Analysis of Film
• Batman vs. Joker in “The Dark Knight” Film by Nolan
• Historical Themes in the Movie “Gladiator”
• “Crash”: Movie Significance
• A Study of Watching Movies as a Way to Practice Language Skills: Proposal
• “A Beautiful Mind” and “Erin Brockovich” Films
• “Armageddon” Film: American Culture of Patriotism
• “The Physician” Film and Narrative Tradition of “The Epic of Gilgamesh”
• Contemporary Literature: Beowulf, the Movie
• Billy Wilder’s Movies Overview
• Interpersonal Relationships and Conflict in “Malcolm & Marie” Film
• The Film “Citizen Kane”: Scenes Analysis
• Boiler Room: The Film’ Review
• The Film “The Great Debaters” by Denzel Hayes Washington
• “The Help” Movie: Interaction of Characters
• Humor at American and British Film Comedy
• Internal Racism in the Movie Amreeka
• Communication Types in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” Film
• “Erin Brockovich” Film Critique
• Meaning of Life in the Sidney Lumet’s Film “Twelve Angry Men”
• Women as Vigilantes in “Thelma & Louise” Movie
• Social Relations and State Control in “Penguin Island” Novel and “Brazil” Film
• Amadeus: Play and Movie Review
• “Maurice” by James Ivory: Film Outline and Symbols
• “Seven Samurai” and “The Magnificent Seven” Movies
• Italian Neo-Realism: An Exclusive Film Genre
• The Lost World Movie Review
• The Troy Film Inspired by Homer’s Iliad
• Narration in the Max Ophuls’ Film “Letter From an Unknown Woman”
• German Democratic Republic in “The Lives of Others” Film
• History of World Cinema. “A Tale of Two Cities” Film
• Urban Chinese Family Life in the “Shower” Film
• Settings in Bollywood Cinema: “Bobby” Movie
• Iron Man and The Avengers: Films Comparison
• Nazi Propaganda Movies and Their Effects on Viewers
• The Godfather Movie: Scoring and Visual Style
• Masculinity in the Film “Saturday Night Fever”
• The Sundance Film Festival and Its Influence
• “Out of the Past” Noir Film by Jacques Tourneur
• Film Evaluation Criteria: Approaches and Effects
• “Catch Me If You Can” a Film by Steven Spielberg
• Modern Film Version of “Hamlet” by Shakespeare
• Master of Deceit in “Othello”: Iago in the Film Adaptation
• Hidden Figures by Theodore Melfi: Movie Analysis
• The Thesis of The Corporation Film
• “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Film Adaptation
• Cleopatra: A Historical Figure in the Movie
• Film Summary: “The Patriot” Directed by Dean Semler
• The Film “Stranger on the Third Floor”
• “The Karate Kid” Film by John Avildsen
• Films “172 Hours” and “The Day After Tomorrow”
• “Fences”: Wilson’s Play and Washington’s Movie
• Substance-Related Disorders in the “New Jack City” Movie
• “Avengers: Endgame” as a “Zeitgeist Film”
• Silent Films and Foley Artists
• Pulp Fiction as Iconic Gangster Cinema
• The Film “Chinatown” by Roman Polansky
• Researching the Concept of the Film Genre
• Spanish Cuisine and Its Importance in Spanish Cinema
• The Photographs “Untitled Film Stills” by Sherman and “Early Colors Interiors” by Simmons
• “Aliens”: A Dark and Unique Film
• The Film “Dune” by Denis Villeneuve
• The “Somm” Documentary Movie by Jason Wise
• Youth Violence in the Film “The Interrupters”
• How Does “The Matrix” Film Connection to “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato?
• Oppression of African Americans in the Selma Film
• Cinematography Techniques in Steven Spielberg’s Films
• “His Girl Friday” Film by Howard Hawks
• Family Relations in “Love Actually” Movie
• The Story of the Maasai Tribe in the Film “Man of Serengeti”
• “Paradise Now” the Film by Abu-Assad
• Signs’ Movie Analytical Critique
• Futuristic and Real World in the Gattaca Film
• “Blood Diamond” Movie’s Critical Review
• “Dragonheart” by Rob Cohen Review Movie
• Political Science. Gus Van Sant’s “Good Will Hunting” Film
• “The Watchmen” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons: Film and Comic
• Minorities Portraying in Movies
• Holocaust in “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” Film
• East Asian Cinema Development in a Regional Context
• Realism & Formalism. Singer’s Reality Transformed and La Jetée Film
• Arnheim, Eisenstein, Hitchcock: Film and Reality
• American Noir Tradition in the “Oldboy” Film
• “A Doll’s House” the Movie by Patrick Garland
• “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice” Films
• “Girl, Interrupted” and “The Age of Adaline” Films
• Auteurism in Film-Making and Art Film Features
• “The Circus” Film: Cognition and Neuroscience
• “The Morning Guy” Film Analysis
• Selma: Historical Drama Film by Ava DuVernay
• Organizational Behavior in the “Troy” Film
• Ethics in “John Q” and “Dog Day Afternoon” Movies
• “The Shawshank Redemption” Film by Darabont
• “Scarface” Movie: Genre’s Definition
• Korean Cinematography and Films Analysis
• Red Tails by George Lucas Film Analysis
• Not Easily Broken by Duke Bill Film Analysis
• “Double Happiness” and “Do the Right Thing” Film Analysis
• Freakonomics the Movie
• Costume Design in the Soylent Green Film
• ”Comfort” Movies and Films With Greatest Impact
• The American Gangster Film Analysis
• Review of “The Battle of Algiers” Film
• The Film “Marry Me” by Kat Coiro: MacBook Placement
• The Alternative Ending for the Film “Thelma and Louise”
• Criteria for Referring a Film to the “Great Works of Cinema”
• Catholic Church and Sexual Abuse in “Doubt” Film
• The My Sister’s Keeper Film Analysis
• The “Factory Girl” Film Review
• Discussion of the Movie “Alex Haley’s Queen”
• The Film “Good Will Hunting” by Gus Van Sant
• “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”: Book and Movie Comparison
• The Body Film by Brian Evenson
• Movie Review: Life as We Know It
• Pray Away: Documentary Film Review
• The Film “Apollo 13” by Ron Howard
• Gender Biases in “If These Walls Could Talk 2” Film
• “Watchmen” Film in Relation to the American Dream
• “The Death of a Salesman” Film by John Malkovich
• The Aeneid: Virgil’s Poem and Modern Film
• “Metropolis” and “Battleship Potemkin”: The Idea of the Film
• Amélie Film Directed by J. P. Jeunet
• The “Blood Quantum” Film by Jeff Barnaby
• Historical Analysis of “12 Years a Slave” Film
• “Warrior Women”: Gender, Race, and Sexuality in Film
• Visual Effects in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Film
• Gender and Family in “Gone With the Wind” Film
• The “Race, the Power of an Illusion” Film Review
• “Rear Window” Movie Analysis
• Being a Trans Woman in the Call Her Ganda Film
• Discussion of Gender and Society Themes in Films
• Disney Princesses: How Movies Impact Gender Roles
• The Gangs of New York Movie Review
• Review of “Murder On A Sunday Morning” Movie
• “Amélie” Film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet Review
• The King Kong Movie Poster Examination
• “Boyz n the Hood” by Steve Nicolaides: A Movie Review
• ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’: Depiction of American Culture
• “Midnight Cowboy” and “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” Films Analysis
• Music and Movie Industry Analysis
• Character Analysis in the Mean Girls Movie
• The Mirror (1975) Movie Review
• “Avatar” the Film by J. Cameron
• “The Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Hurt Locker” Films
• Theory in Modern Film Production Relevance: ‘Kill Bill 2’
• Protagonist in the “Run Lola Run” Film
• Godard’s Film History “Le Mepris”
• Does Indian Cinema Educate and Entertain?
• Why Do Many Adults Enjoy Animated Movies?
• Are Disney Movies Suitable for the Adolescent Mind?
• How Has Cinema Matured and Developed Within the Last 10 Years?
• Does the Cinema Reflect or Impose Moral Standards?
• Should Sex and Violence on Television or in the Movies Be Restricted?
• How Have Movies Changed Today’s Society?
• Are Television, Movies, and Music Responsible for Teen Violence?
• How Do Cinema Directors Develop Humanism Theories?
• What Factors Affect Student Cinema Attendance?
• How Did the Cinema Affect the Lives of Women and Children in the 1930s?
• Does Film Technology Impacted Cinema’s Evolution?
• Should Adults Criticize Movies Meant for Children?
• How Has the Experience of Cinema-Going Changed Over the Past Century?
• Do Disney Movies Alter a Child’s Perception?
• Why Was Cinema Going So Popular in the First Half of the Century?
• How Did Indian Cinema Evolve Over the Years?
• What Is the Contribution of Edison and Lumiere to Cinema?
• How Was the Cold War Represented in Cinema?
• Do Walt Disney Movies Negatively Affect Attitudes and Behaviors of the American Child?
• How Is the Heart Rate Affected by Suspenseful Movies?
• What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Horror Movies?
• Should People Who Download Movies and Music Illegally Be Punished?
• Why Are Horror Movies So Appealing to the Human Mind?
• How Were Muslims Influenced by American Movies?

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StudyCorgi. (2021, September 9). 609 Cinema Essay Topics & Research Topics about Cinema. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cinema-essay-topics/

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StudyCorgi . "609 Cinema Essay Topics & Research Topics about Cinema." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cinema-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "609 Cinema Essay Topics & Research Topics about Cinema." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cinema-essay-topics/.

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What Is Cinema? Volume I

• André Bazin
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• Language: English
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Copyright year: 2004
• Main content: 208
• Published: December 13, 2004
• ISBN: 9780520931251

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Welcome to a new era of trans-authored cinema

3 breakthrough movies are ushering in a new age of trans film

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Queer cinema has always been in a state of continual evolution, but the evolution of trans depiction has come slower, even during agreed-upon golden eras of queer cinema. But in 2024, we are in the midst of a potentially new movement in which three trans-authored films are reshaping the possibilities of what a trans film looks like, and how transness can be expressed in cinema.

In the 21st century, Hollywood saw the potential money in telling more “authentic” mainstream queer stories due to the advent of the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s. This movement saw radical directors like Todd Haynes, Marlon Riggs, Gus Van Sant, Cheryl Dunye, and Gregg Araki reshape the concept of how queer cinema could function, and they made a name for themselves alongside the booming popularity of the Sundance Film Festival.

At the conclusion of the decade, Hilary Swank took home an Oscar for playing Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry in a moment of misguided cross-gender casting. Boys Don’t Cry was considered an instant classic at the time, and its prominence as an image of the New Queer Cinema meant its Academy Award victory was a pivotal moment for queer cinema and trans depiction alike. While this film was not perceived to be conformist at the time of its release, it has since become a model of upholding the transgressive, negative concepts of trans film images of the past, obfuscating the reality of the trans masculine body, and consigning stories of transness to familiar modes of biological underpinning: mirrors, outings, reveals, and tragedy.

For queer cinema to be viable and artistically revolutionary, it must upend the status quo of form and depiction. In the case of transness, this means a reinvention of how trans films are conceived at a visual level. Many of the trans-authored films of 2024 are promising an exciting new way forward for the concept of trans cinema, which refutes those trends of the past or renegotiates their status in a modern context. This burgeoning period feels like the trans equivalent of the reshaping of queer cinema that took place in the ’90s.

The modern trans mise-en-scène is directly inspired by the circumstances of the past, but the major difference between these films and something like The Matrix is these filmmakers are not forced to smuggle their ideas into the film through secretive metaphor. Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow is an ambient nightmare of hissing, flashing, crackling liminal analog spaces reminiscent of David Lynch, conveying trans experiences through visual language rather than direct representation.

Where to watch the movies mentioned in this piece

• I Saw the TV Glow : In theaters May 3
• The People’s Joker : Now playing in theaters
• T-Blockers : Digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, and Vudu

The directness of Schoenbrun’s usage of thematic and personal metaphors through the guise of horror is a classic storytelling device, but the way these ideas are communicated is startling, singular, and new territory for a mainstream horror picture. Their mise-en-scène embodies the specific experience of gender dysphoria and bodily disassociation through the character of Owen (Justice Smith) over a period of decades. Schoenbrun keys into beautiful liminal images and uses the in-between spaces of static on television sets, or a close-up of saliva fizzing through a bushel of cotton candy, to evince the indecipherable physical state of knowing something is amiss but being unable to find the words to describe what’s wrong. Through this idea, they illuminate a nature of transness as a true visualized bodily experience.

I Saw the TV Glow chronicles the relationship between Owen and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) as they bond over a horror-tinged television series called The Pink Opaque in the mid-to-late ’90s. Things become strange when they are no longer sure if the characters they are watching are fictional, or versions of themselves. The Pink Opaque is deliberately crafted to look like ’90s TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Are You Afraid of the Dark? and follows heroines Isabel (Helena Howard) and Tara (Lindsey Jordan) as they try to defeat the “big bad” Mr. Melancholy.

Schoenbrun taps into the complex nature of trans viewership and nostalgia, which is typically built upon images of fantasy as placeholders until the trans person in question can fully embody their own identity. The film wonders if this type of idealized pursuit can ever truly be a healthy relationship, which acts as an enticing metaphor that questions the value of the queer gaze and the desire to have our stories reflected on screen — and whether or not that want is just another form of prolonged closeting. TV Glow subtly interrogates how trans viewers watch things — how fantasy can be formed, and how it can curdle under the tragic weight of time. When you’ve grown up without images of yourself, you’re liable to find yourself in unexpected places. Schoenbrun, importantly, never opts for classic signifiers of transness on screen (such as cracked mirrors), but indulges in what they find beautiful and where they found their voice, such as analog horror, void spaces, and modern gothic interpretations.

In The People’s Joker, director, star, and co-writer Vera Drew found her voice through a trans coming-of-age tale encased in the phenomenon of the superhero picture. Her film is a trans memoir that also functions as a satire. It directly addresses images of fantasy in relation to the trans viewing experience , and begins with protagonist Vera watching Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and becoming intoxicated with the image of Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian.

Vera wishes she could look like her someday, which makes her ’90s pre-adolescent mind wonder if there’s something wrong with her. She asks her mom if she was born in the wrong body, and is then whisked away into a montage of psychiatrists unable to fix her problems. She is prescribed “Smylex” — a drug that stretches the user’s face into an artificial grin, like Joker’s laughing gas. Years later, in this fascist, dystopian Gotham City, Vera, now an adult, performs at an illegal comedy club as “Joker the Harlequin.’’ In her avant-garde act, she intentionally bombs with material about her mother and being a trans woman before using Smylex as a crescendo, sending her into a laughing fit.

Vera initially conceived of The People’s Joker as a found footage exercise, which would have used existing footage from other sources to create a new Joker film. That impulse of remixing is still felt in what The People’s Joker eventually became, but now those images have been repurposed to illuminate Vera’s own lived experience as a trans comedian through the absurdist imagery of superhero IP.

With its bursting, tacky green screens and vibrant, animated sequences built on brash, contrasting color elements, its primary visual influence is the queer-coded Schumacher Batman films. The People’s Joker tells viewers exactly what it will be with the desire to evoke the glamour of Kidman in Batman Forever, but the experience of being trans never results in the fantasy ending of what a body will become through hormone therapy and socialized transition.

There is beauty in seeing those fragments of fantasy filter through regardless, and how the trans body is its own impossibly restless, ever-changing monument to desire and fulfillment. The fantasy is only the start, and it’s later you discover who you’ll eventually become. The People’s Joker is a monument to that very idea, because it is at once all the elements of Joker (2019), Kidman’s Chase Meridian, Harley Quinn, and Selina Kyle’s transformative moment in Batman Returns all rolled into one being. Vera’s Joker falls into a vat of estradiol at one point, and the concept of the Batman film falls with her, forcing a transition upon its frame, giving it a new trans feminine body.

Film history undergoes a similar trans-feminization in Alice Maio Mackay’s self-aware T-Blockers . The movie begins with an Elvira-like drag midnight movie hostess talking about the virtues of shot-on-video horror films made by trans people in the 1990s that didn’t actually exist, but were fabricated for the sake of this narrative. One of the defining factors of these three trans-authored films is the impulse to fill in the blanks of what was missing from trans film history. It is resulting in works that are self-reflexive, and prone to basking in camp alongside topics and scenes that are deadly serious. Fellow trans critic Juan Barquin astutely described the Australian trans wunderkind director Mackay as “the self aware gen z ed wood we deserve.”

Ed Wood has a broader reputation as a notoriously awful filmmaker, but in truth, he was groundbreaking, and one of the first architects of how trans cinema would operate going forward, and his films also lived in that space of camp and serious personal issues. His riotous Glen or Glenda (1953) is a multifaceted combination of medical drama, documentary, and horror film, and whose structural influences are felt across the generations of trans film image-making, ranging from Doris Wishman’s Let Me Die a Woman (1977) up through the recent Orlando, My Political Biography (2023) . Mackay lives with the spirit of Ed Wood, because she is making pictures with her friends about whatever she wants with meager budgets, and with the ingenuity to argue for broader political acceptance of a minority class while also indulging in the direct pleasures of genre cinema.

Mackay’s T-Blockers begins, like all of her films, with a title card that reads “A Transgender Film By,” an ode to Gregg Araki’s tendency to announce the latent queerness of his projects with a title card championing their queerness. T-Blockers is a film about art imitating life imitating art in the vein of Cheryl Dunye’s New Queer Cinema classic The Watermelon Woman (1996), and follows a young trans filmmaker named Sophie (Lauren Last) as she tries to make it in the film industry and learn more about a trans film from the past that doesn’t actually exist.

One evening, she watches a late-night internet streaming picture show that showcases an unknown, rediscovered short film from a trans filmmaker from the ’90s. The film-within-the-film was shot on video and chronicles a trans lead in the process of killing a transphobic man who was leaking parasites out of his mouth. Sophie is shocked by the short film due to its mere existence, but also because she and her friends encountered a man infested with those same parasites outside of their local gay bar not too long ago. The parasite takes the image of bodily disintegration and dysphoria prevalent in body horror films from David Cronenberg , reinterpreting it through the lens of transphobia as an infection that spreads among a population.

It’s a film communicating directly to the moment at hand, where transphobia has spread like wildfire among legislative bodies as various conservative governments across the globe have latched onto it as an agreeable fear-mongering tactic. Diegetic radio broadcasts are heard throughout the film discussing this very topic, and the climax hinges on Sophie and her friends contending with a flock of protesters looking for a return to the values of the past. This is where the parasite breeds.

T-Blockers is also a salient picture that prioritizes the importance of available images to trans viewers, so that we may learn from our history and see ourselves in film. Sophie learns how to fight the parasites through her discovery of this short film from the ’90s, and through this link to the past, she also finally believes in the possibility of making films as a trans person.

The trans film archive is one that is largely closed to trans viewers, because there is not a mainstream precedent for our inclusion in motion pictures, and the independent and forgotten films of disreputable genres have long been neglected in cinephile spaces. Due to the nature of the hidden archive, trans filmmakers are taking an oblong route in telling their own stories by finding beauty in other images, such as horror shows from the ’90s, or comic book movies, or Gregg Araki films, and introducing their own spin on preexisting modes of expression. It is a dynamic way of moving transness on screen forward and transcending limiting concepts of good or bad representation in favor of an expressionistic take on gender identity.

With I Saw the TV Glow , The People’s Joker , and T-Blockers , we are potentially witnessing the beginning of a new era of trans image-making where transness is more clearly defining itself without the imposition of cisgender assumptions about what it means to be a trans person. With these three films, and other recent pictures made by trans filmmakers such as Angelo Madsen Minax, Isabel Sandoval, Tourmaline, Jessica Rovinelli, and Louise Weard, we are seeing the formulation of a new trans cinema movement in North America that has hopefully only just begun.

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