Film Analysis

To truly understand a novel, you need to read it, comprehend the words, and imagine the world the author is creating.

To truly understand a film, you need to view it, comprehend the story, and imagine what the director is trying to get you to think about.  This is actually quite tricky. 

When watching a film for comparison to a novel or to another version of the movie, there are many things to consider.

• When was the film made? (You can use Internet Movie Database <IMDB.com> to find this information.)
• How did when the film was made affect how the film was made?
• Who were the director, the writer, and the main stars of the film? (You can use Internet Movie Database <IMDB.com> to find this information.)
• Who was the intended audience of the film?  Of the novel?
• How did the intended audience affect how the director presented the film?
• What was left out of the film? 
• What was added in to the film that wasn't originally there?
• Did the film director use unusual camera angles (really high up looking down, really low to the ground looking up, tilting the camera)?  If so, why?
• Did the director use bright/dark lighting and/or vivid/dull colors to enhance or detract from certain scenes?
• How did the music in the film (if any) add to or take away from the story?
• Why do you think the director chose the actors that were in the film?
• What interesting or unusual choices by the actors made you see the story differently?
• If you were the director, what would you have done differently?

Use these basic film terms to help you analyze the movie.  You can also view more terms here.