Learn film analysis in 20 films
TLDRThis video provides an insightful list of 20 films to analyze for improving skills in film studies. It recommends specific movies to focus on different elements like narrative techniques, editing, cinematography, sound design, color, genre analysis, auteur theory, and more. For each film, clear signposting is provided regarding what aspects to pay attention to. The goal is to develop skills in noticing, questioning, and analytically interpreting creative directorial choices. Beyond just entertainment, these films offer rich fodder for thoughtful examination, allowing viewers to enhance their understanding and appreciation of cinema as an art form.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video provides a list of 20 films to analyze to improve skills in areas like genre analysis, author study, decoding cinematography etc.
- 😮 Films like Psycho, Dunkirk etc. are used to demonstrate specific aspects of filmmaking that are worthy of deeper analysis.
- 😥 Grave of the Fireflies is recommended to appreciate anime as a serious film medium & how animation impacts the anti-war message.
- 🧐 Locke is analyzed as a character study of a pragmatic man bound by duty and razor sharp dialogue.
- 😲 The Artist shows how early cinema told stories visually before the talkies became the norm.
- 😨 Sound of Metal uses sound design to let audiences experience a musician losing his hearing.
- 😱 Horse Girl plays with continuity editing rules to disorient the audience like the mentally ill protagonist.
- 😅 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ties the end of the classic Western era & the inevitable end of the bandit way of life.
- 😍 Dancer in the Dark shows how a traditional musical genre can be reinterpreted postmodernly from a vulnerable perspective.
- 🤖 2001: A Space Odyssey uses precise, mechanical camerawork to reflect man and machine's lifeless space exploration.
Q & A
Why is Psycho a good film to start analyzing?
-Psycho is a good starting point because Hitchcock has a very motivated cinematic style where every camera movement and prop close-up is done with clear intent. Noticing and questioning these choices helps develop skills in film analysis.
How does Dunkirk demonstrate complex non-linear structure?
-Dunkirk tells three stories on different time scales. Paying attention to the sequencing and how tension builds illustrates how editing can manipulate time.
How does the animation medium impact Grave of the Fireflies?
-The contrast between childhood optimism we associate with animation and the bleak realities of war makes the anti-war message more powerful and the children more vulnerable.
What makes Locke a great character study?
-With just Tom Hardy in a car, the razor-sharp dialogue and performance create a portrait of a duty-bound man who handles challenges with cold pragmatism.
How does The Artist showcase early cinema techniques?
-By stepping back to the silent film era, The Artist relies more on performance and cinematography for visual storytelling and illustrates the power of editing through cause and effect.
What is the significance of Butch Cassidy's ending?
-Butch Cassidy came at the end of the classic Western era. The inevitability of the outlaw way of life ending is foreshadowed, serving as a farewell to the genre.
How does Dancer in the Dark play with musical conventions?
-It tells the story of a factory worker who escapes into musical fantasy, contrasting gritty realism with colorful spectacle to show the unrealistic romance of musicals.
How does Jaws showcase pacing?
-Jaws uses long takes and suspenseful build up to draw out scenes and build anticipation, demonstrating how great films play with audience awareness of looming danger.
What is the 'male gaze' in Rear Window?
-The voyeuristic camera perspective offers a heterosexual male point of view, revealing attitudes towards women. We see events through the eyes of a male directed by a male.
How does Children of Men excel in visual storytelling?
-Rather than exposition, Children of Men world-builds through background details that subtly clue the audience into how society adapted to the dystopian setting.
Outlines
🎥 Analyzing Hitchcock's Psycho
Psycho is a great film to analyze because Hitchcock's motivated cinematic style and camera work are apparent. Pay attention to framing, mirrors, high angles, and the infamous shower scene editing and sound.
⏳ Dunkirk's Complex Non-linear Structure
Dunkirk has a complex non-linear structure with three stories across different time scales. Pay attention to how sequencing builds tension around the rescue attempt.
🎨 Grave of the Fireflies Shows Anime as Serious Film
Grave of the Fireflies is an anti-war anime exploring conflict's impact on a brother and sister. Consider if the tragic story would be as effective in live action vs animation.
📝 Locke is a Character Study in Minimalism
Locke tells the story of a duty-bound man coordinating life's challenges pragmatically, all from his car. Pay attention to sharp dialogue and performance creating a portrait with no distractions.
🎭 The Artist Lovingly Recreates Silent Film Era
The Artist pays homage to silent films as talkies emerged. Study visual storytelling and editing techniques like match cuts to understand scene flow.
👂 Sound of Metal Uses Sound to Share Musician's Hearing Loss
Sound of Metal uses sound design and first-person perspective to share a musician's hearing loss experience. Study the building sense of panic.
🎥 Horse Girl Subverts Continuity Editing
Horse Girl intentionally breaks continuity rules to disorient the audience like the unhinged main character. Study expectations around sequencing being dashed.
🤠 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Marks the End of Classic Westerns
Butch Cassidy mixes traditional western plot with a sense of the genre ending. Study themes of finality and the foreshadowing of the protagonists' inevitable end.
🎼 Dancer in the Dark Contrasts Gritty Reality with Musical Escapism
Dancer in the Dark tells a bleak story from a dying factory worker who lives for musicals. Study the contrast between her reality and the dreamlike songs.
🌊 Jaws Shows Virtuoso Command of Scene Pacing
Jaws demonstrates Steven Spielberg's masterful sense of pacing, using long takes to build nail-biting tension. Study scenes others may rush through.
👀 Rear Window Epitomizes the Male Gaze
Rear Window offers a literal male gaze perspective into neighbors' lives. Consider gender attitudes seen through the privileged camera lens.
🎨 Portrait of a Lady on Fire Focuses on Female Gaze
Portrait builds mystery through eyes and subtle clues before introducing the main character. Study the intimate female gaze in the evolving portrait.
☄️ Children of Men's Backgrounds Reveal Disturbing Backstory
Children of Men builds its dystopia through subtle background clues rather than exposition. Analyze settings beyond the foreground action.
🎥 Cléo from 5 to 7 Showcases Rule-Breaking French New Wave Style
Cléo demonstrates French New Wave rule-breaking, like unusual camera work. Take notes on how scenes deviate from conventional style.
🚆 Snowpiercer Highlights Bong Joon Ho's Style
Snowpiercer shows Bong Joon Ho's interest in class divides via analogies like the train segregated by class. Study recurring style in his other films too.
👨🍳 Inglourious Basterds Interrogation Scenes Show Mastery of Tension
Inglourious Basterds builds incredible tension with simple shot reverse shot in two interrogation scenes. Analyze how camerawork and performance manipulate emotions.
🎹 Amadeus Provides Accessible Period Drama Perspective
Amadeus tells a period story from a modern, jealous rival's perspective, making Mozart seem untouchable. Consider the difference vs Mozart's POV.
🌌 2001: A Space Odyssey Epitomizes Sci-Fi and Man vs Machine Ideas
2001 explores sci-fi and man vs machine via symbolic props and calculated, lifeless cinematography. Analyze enigmatic meaning.
💙 Her Uses Color to Reflect Main Character's Emotions
Her tailors colors and saturation to reflect Theodore's feelings. Study the psychological impact of color in film.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Film analysis
💡Character study
💡Non-linear narrative
💡Visual storytelling
💡Camera work
💡Blocking
💡Pacing
💡Genre study
💡Auteur theory
💡Mise en scene
Highlights
Psycho is a great starting place for film analysis because Hitchcock has an incredibly motivated cinematic style.
Dunkirk by Christopher Nolan...introduce you to a complex, non-linear structure that demonstrates how time can be manipulated through editing.
Grave of the Fireflies is on this list as your introduction to anime as a serious film medium.
Locke is a film that can't hide behind special effects or big budget set pieces.
The Artist is a love letter to early Cinema just as the talkies were becoming the new Norm.
Sound of Metal uses fantastic sound design to offer us the perspective of a musician who is losing their hearing.
Horse Girl uses continuity editing rules and breaks them intentionally to disorientate the audience.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid marks the end of the classic Western era.
Dancer in the Dark plays on all the conventions we expect to see in a musical but tells it from the perspective of a young factory worker.
Jaws will show you that great films know how each beat plays with the audience.
Rear Window will be your introduction to the concept of the male gaze.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a great example of the female gaze.
Children of Men exemplifies visual storytelling - pay attention to the background not just the action in the foreground.
Cleo from 5 to 7 demonstrates how exciting variation and difference from the norm can be.
Snowpiercer illustrates how a director can have a set style and theme across their movies.
Transcripts
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