FLM 101 Test #1 Chapter 2 Film Analysis

Plot Summary

a sequential account of the important events of a film

Interpretive claim

present an argument about a films meaning and significance

Evaluative claim

expresses the authors belief that the film is good, bad, or mediocre

Motif

significant details that appear multiple times referencing an idea or theme that gains significance through this repetition. This can be a color, sound, image, or line of dialogue

Parallelism

uses parallel editing, which shows two or more storylines unfolding simultaneously, or parallel narratives, which are distinct storylines that converge later in the film

Intertextual reference

a narrative visual or sonic element references to other films or works of art.

Product Placement

generally occurring props used by characters, this is the commercial agreement future products in a film

Omniscient Narration

Completely unrestricted - all versions of the story told from any or all angles. This can be a literal “god like” narrator who speaks in (voice over or merely a general removed approach to the story)

Restricted Narration

told from the perspective of one or two characters and what we know is limited to what they know and can impact identification and emotion

Unreliable Narrator

doubt is raised at some point about the reliability of this source of first person narration - memories can be flawed, manipulated, or untrustworthy

Story

All narrative events explicitly presented on screen plus all the events that we infer or that are implicit but not necessarily shown.

Plot

Consists of the specific action and events explicitly included in the film. The order in which they are presented as to effectively convey the narrative. Because this involves everything explicitly shown and heard this is made up of both.

Non-Linear Chronology

a story or account of events presented out of their true, chronological order, using techniques like flashbacks, flash-forwards, or parallel timelines to create a fragmented, non-sequential structure

Linear Chronology

the presentation of events in the sequential order that they occurred, forming a straightforward timeline from beginning to end

Deadline Structure

a narrative technique where a specific event or goal must be accomplished by a certain time, creating tension, accelerating the plot, and increasing audience engagement

Suspense vs. Surprise

Suspense is the prolonged anxiety created when the audience knows about an impending threat that the characters are unaware of, while surprise is the sudden

Classic Hollywood Narrative Structure

1. Chronological Order/ Linear progression of events

2. Cause and effect logic

3. Tend to build toward conflict and is resolved clearly: closure

4. Characters behave in recognizable ways (often divided into classic roles such as protagonists and antagonist)

5. Tends to employ either an Omniscient or Restricted 3rd person Narration that reflects a degree of realism

Closure

Tend to build toward conflict and is resolved clearly

First Person Narrative Direct Address

a narrative technique where a character speaks directly to the audience, breaking the "fourth wall" and creating a sense of intimacy and complicity