Summary of Text Reading: Film Analysis

Film analysis is the process of forming statements and opinions about a film's themes and meaning. There are three different types of film analysis: descriptive, interpretive, and evaluative. A descriptive claim is a "neutral account of the basic characteristics of the film." Essentially, it is a plot summary that outlines the basics of the film. However, descriptive claims can include intertextual connections and genre as well as analysis of the film's visual or audio style. This is the most simplistic type of analysis as it does not require a large degree of synthesis on the part of the critic. The second kind of analysis, the interpretive claim is described as a "more complex intellectual response." In order to present an interpretative claim, one must take a stance and argue a point about a film's themes and abstract ideas. It's important, when making an interpretative claim, to explain, create, and develop a logical argument that the reader can follow. In order to do this, one must choose specific scenes, motifs, and critical moments that support their argument and bring them together into a cohesive argument. Some examples of elements that one might use to support their claim may be the cinematic lineage of the film, or the use of irony, as seen in Inglourious Basterds. The final type of claim that a film analyst can make is an evaluative claim. An evaluative claim involves the author expressing their personal opinion about a film and ranking or scaling it according to a grading system, such as stars or the letter system. This claim is based purely on the evaluator's own opinions and standards. Because of this, evaluative claims are extremely subjective. However, this is the most advanced type of claim because not only does one have to describe details from the film precisely, they also have to make interpretative claims about the film's meaning before deciding if it successfully conveys its intended meaning. In all, film analysis can promote a greater appreciation and understanding of film through examining the complexity within the film in any one of the three ways.