Perceive the Elements of a Film

Perceive the Elements of a Film

One of the reasons for studying an art form is so we can gain a better understanding of its elements and how they contribute to its success. Sometimes we are tempted to judge a book or film or song too hastily, especially if we are used to a certain kind of artwork and have already developed a strong preference for it. It’s the same with food: as a child you no doubt ate lots of hamburgers and french fries. You preferred them because they were what you knew. Many children encounter a dish with a new or unexpected flavor and immediately reject it. But hopefully as you aged, you tried new things and discovered that you like a wider range of food.

The same is true of film. You have probably watched lots of movies from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. These films are usually in color, aspire to a high level of visual realism, and have lots of action and special effects. But many fine films from the history of cinema do not subscribe to this particular set of values. In order to appreciate them, you need to know something about the principles they embrace. In this lesson we studied some of the elements of literature, theatre, and cinema as well as Aristotle’s elements of tragedy: plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. We discussed the styles, techniques, and ideas that writers, directors, actors, and technicians use to create plays and films.

It is now time to apply these elements in detail to a brief segment from a great film. Here is the opening to Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane. It is a montage of scenes from around the death of the man who will be the film’s protagonist. Watch the segment several times:

Film Title: Citizen Kane

Minutes to Complete: 3:12

Description: A montage of scenes from the death of Charles Foster Kane, the film’s protagonist.

Director: Orson Welles

(3:11 mins, Kane Opening Transcript (Links to an external site.))

Instructions

1. Go through Aristotle’s elements and take notes on how they apply to this film clip:
   1. Plot: What can you tell about the plot from this small excerpt?
   2. Character: Describe what you know about the main character.
   3. Thought: What thoughts is the filmmaker trying to convey?
   4. Diction: There is only one word spoken-how would you describe the diction of that word?
   5. Music: What does the music sound like, and how is it used?
   6. Spectacle: What techniques of spectacle, or cinematography, are used?
2. 40 points possible. You will receive up to five points for each paragraph you write, graded according to the following scale:
1. 5 points – The response shows evidence that the clip was viewed multiple times and that the elements and how they relate to the film were carefully pondered.
2. 3-4 points – The response demonstrates moderate engagement with the film and application of the element to the film.
3. 1-2 points – The response is shallow and demonstrates minimal engagement with the film and application of the element to the film.
3. In addition, your instructor will assign you up to ten points for the quality of your descriptive writing in all of your paragraphs.
1. Up to five points for mechanics-sentence structure, spelling, grammar, etc.
2. Up to five points for the quality of your descriptive prose

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