Deck 2: An Approach to Film Analysis

Question 1

A viewer's ability to find meaning in a film is based on ________.

A) knowledge
B) cultural experience
C) preferences
D) all of these

Answer 1

D

Question 2

________ films may depict characters and stories,but may draw attention to their status as works of art,often using unusual visual and sound techniques to explore abstract ideas.

A) Formalist
B) Realist
C) Classical
D) Post-modern

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Any detail that takes on meaning through repetition is called a ________.

A) motif
B) signifier
C) element
D) pattern

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Viewer expectations of a film directed by Woody Allen might include ________.

A) European settings
B) neurotic characters
C) elaborate costuming
D) sparse dialogue

Question 5

In Steamboat Bill,Jr.,Bill Jr.and a female friend are shown to have identical ________,a parallel suggesting that Bill is not manly.

A) haircuts
B) outfits
C) shoes
D) cars

Question 6

A turning point is a moment that signals an important shift in ________.

A) a film's commercial potential
B) a star's persona
C) the narrative
D) the audience's perception of which characters are good and which are evil

Question 7

Which of the following would be an example of an "interpretive claim"?

A) A casual viewer discusses his or her enjoyment of a particular actor's performance.
B) A film critic discusses whether or not a film is "good" or "bad."
C) A film scholar discusses a recurring theme present throughout the film.
D) All of these are interpretive claims.

Question 8

In Citizen Kane,newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane's last spoken word is ________,which serves a motif throughout the film.

A) "rosebud"
B) "xanadu"
C) "snow"
D) "lily"

Question 9

In the documentary In a Dream,filmmaker Jeremiah Jagar indicates the emotional cost of his father's marital infidelity by ______________________.

A) inserting a shot of his father that parallels an earlier moment, only with muted colors
B) playing a downbeat song whose lyrics focus on betrayal
C) showing his father out drinking obsessively
D) none of the above

Question 10

When audiences go to the cinema,they bring with them expectations about ________.

A) how the film will be organized
B) the type of story the film will tell
C) the kind of character the star will play
D) all of the above

Question 11

________ is a marketing process that studios,talent agencies and the press use to transform actors into brand-name products.

A) The star system
B) Method acting
C) Mass-production
D) Green lighting

Question 12

A __________ arises when two characters,events,or locations are compared through the use of a narrative element or visual or sound device.

A) motif
B) parallel
C) cut
D) clip

Question 13

Audiences typically expect fiction films to offer __________________.

A) open endings
B) closure
C) explicit social commentary
D) radical experimentation with story structure

Question 14

An allusion to another film or work of art is called ________________________.

A) cribbing
B) artistic quotation
C) an intertextual reference
D) plagiarism

Question 15

Motifs can encourage viewers to compare and contrast ________.

A) characters
B) plot events
C) objects
D) all of these

Question 16

The arrangement of visual elements in the frame is called ________.

A) composition
B) mode of operation
C) cinematography
D) frame situation

Question 17

A parallel is when a film emphasizes the similarities between characters,events or locations through the use of a:

A) narrative element
B) visual device
C) sound device
D) any of the above could establish a parallel

Question 18

When directors conclude their films with an unhappy ending,one potential side effect is ________.

A) audiences will be alienated
B) other directors will emulate the narrative innovation
C) the film will be criticized for being too derivative
D) the film will appeal more to women than men

Question 19

In the film Notorious,Alfred Hitchcock uses a ________ motif to suggest the change and development of a "party girl" character.

A) dress
B) dancing
C) drinking
D) musical

Question 20

________ filmmakers explore the aesthetic possibilities of the film medium itself,rarely telling stories or presenting arguments.

A) Narrative fiction
B) Documentary
C) Avant-garde
D) Horror

Question 21

The distinction between art and entertainment is an artificial one.

Question 22

Avatar repeatedly makes reference to what historical event?

A) the attack on Pearl Harbor
B) dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
C) the first Earth Day
D) the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Question 23

Aesthetically successful films will work to avoid upsetting audience expectations.

Question 24

When creating films that reference historical events,filmmakers risk being accused of forwarding an interpretation of events rather than an accurate representation of facts.

Question 25

Some critics and scholars argue that our ability to embrace new innovative filmmaking practices can be hampered by the fact that most of us have grown up seeing only one type of filmmaking practice .

Question 26

Open-ended conclusions or circular narratives often leave audiences with a feeling of closure.

Question 27

Ofelia is associated with circles in Pan's Labyrinth

Question 28

The distinction between art and entertainment is very important to film scholars,as art films are more worthy of serious analysis than popular movies.

Question 29

Audiences automatically associate actor John Wayne with what type of movie?

Question 30

Expectations influence filmmakers' choices and viewers' experiences of films.

Question 31

Ofelia's stealing the key from the toad in Pan's Labyrinth parallels ____________.

A) the Captain stealing a watch from his father
B) the resistance movement's attempt to get supplies from the Captain's storeroom
C) her mother's risky pregnancy
D) the Pale Man's overflowing banquet table

Question 32

The feeling of satisfaction that film viewers experience from a conclusion that resolves conflicts is termed ________.

Question 33

The film Once captivated audiences by challenging expectations about what type of film?

Question 34

What motif is associated with the Captain in Pan's Labyrinth?

A) a pocket watch
B) straight lines
C) controlling food and supplies
D) all of the above

Question 35

Pan's Labyrinth concludes with an intertextual reference to _______________.

A) Citizen Kane
B) It's a Wonderful Life
C) Let the Right One In
D) The Wizard of Oz

Question 36

Documentary films abandon stories in favor of capturing real world events.

Question 37

As the Captain grows more and more hostile in Pan's Labyrinth,Ofelia grows to trust the mysterious Faun,who nurtures her and encourages her to follow her own feelings.

Question 38

A descriptive claim presents a judgment,expressing the author's belief that a film is good,bad or mediocre.

Question 39

If viewers went to see a(n)________ film,they might not expect to see a story at all.

Question 40

Every film viewer brings expectations to their experience of a film.

Question 41

Analyze a film we have screened in class using three different forms of statements. First,make and explore a descriptive claim about this film. Second,make and explore an evaluative claim about this film. Third,make and explore an interpretive claim about this film.

Question 42

Using a title we have screened in class as an example,discuss a motif that contributes to the film in some significant way. In your answer,be sure to define "motif" and explore how that motif is used in this film to develop an idea or convey important story information.

Question 43

How does Pan's Labyrinth draw a parallel between the Captain and the Pale Man?

Question 44

An avant-garde film composed entirely of scenes taken from other films is called a ________ film.

Question 45

Using a film we have screened in class,discuss the different ways it may be analyzed by a casual viewer,a film critic and a film scholar. Discuss the framework each of these viewers might use to evaluate this film and the role that viewer expectation plays in each of these analyses.

Question 46

A painting prominently featured in Run Lola Run makes reference to what Alfred Hitchcock movie?