I have thought a lot about something I learned in the first chapter of the guide book we are reading for this film history class. I keep thinking about the point the author makes about how people can say that they understand a movie but when asked to explain it they hit a wall. The author then goes on to explain that people lack the ability to analyze the movie in detail.
This has forced me to really think and analyze the movies that I watch over and over again. Why do I watch them over and over again? Do I just enjoy the jokes? The action scenes? Or do I really get sucked in by plot so much that every time I watch it I notice something different. Ah yes! That's it! I have often found myself thinking "Hmm I did not notice that the first time I watched this". And now that I have noticed that about myself I am realizing that I analyze movies in detail while I watch it and I never even noticed I did that.
Think of yourself as a "viewer" and see if you notice yourself doing the same things. Now sit down and analyze your favorite movie. Every part that you like, the characters, violent scenes, crude jokes, emotional moments and you will realize that it can be really simple to analyze a movie in detail.
After I read your comment about watching movies over and over again, it got me thinking that I do the same thing. I tend to watch the same movies a lot, before your comment I thought it was just because I enjoyed them. I began thinking about the movies I watch and started to realize something. When I watch movies I tend to watch movies that follow two different genres. I usually watch either and older kind of comedy or a true crime movie. I must be more interested in these kinds of plots more than other movies.
ReplyDeleteI totally do this. When I watch movies for the second or third time I am always so amzed with what I see that i didnt the first time. I find that it happens with childrens movies more than adult. Like Cars, for example, I have seen cars 50 times and everytime I notice something new. I think for that genre they do that because they know kids will want to watch it 100 times and the parents will have to watch it too and they make it so the parents can find new things and not get bored.
ReplyDeleteI think I started analyzing movies more when I started taking film classes. Last semester I took a class that forced us to analyze our favorite films. I chose to do When Harry Met Sally. I always loved the story, the acting and the dialogue in the film, so why wouldn't it be a favorite. However, although it is still in my top ten of favorite films, it is not my favorite anymore because I realized that it is not as good as other films.
ReplyDeleteMy friends joke with me saying I have become more of a film snob because I won't go see any film that just does not seem to have a good plot. And when I do go out to see films, I always critique the acting and story and the meaning behind the story.