The above example of Film Analysis: Chasing Ice Video Essay is Credited to Benskian on Youtube. Published April 9, 2017. We do not own the rights to this production, but appreciate Mr. Benskian's decision to unveil it in the Public Domain. Film has been for years an example of artistic outpouring despite restrictions imposed by money and profitability. These restrictions often lead to more subtle jabs or references than we see at first glance. Finding these jabs is the basic task in film analysis. Analysis of a single film breaks down into three major parts: the macro of the film, the micro of the film, and the film's context. The macro of a film is fairly simple. It looks at the plot, characters, and writing. The micro is purposely a bit harder. It is the hard to notice, but extremely impactful details. Finally, context is easy to find, but hard to interpret. We can look around to find what was going on in the world, but that doesn't always tell us what the movie was supposed to be about. These three components make up any good analysis of a film. The macro-analysis of a film is essentially a base for more in-depth analysis. Once we know the basics of a film (plot and characters), we can look deeply into it. But there are subtle bits to a film's macro. Certain parts of writing are often overlooked, and can offer interesting insights to why we like a movie. Another deep analysis of macro focuses on that which isn't written. Improv is an essential part of a film's macro and it can make or break films, especially comedic ones. The macro of a film tells us the film's basics, but leaves out the subtle details essential to great film. Any great film has subtle details that affect the audience's feeling during the piece. These are the true nitty-gritty of film analysis. These details can be anything as obvious as Alien's (1979) frequent use of rape to the subtle phallic imagery of James Bond. No matter how subtle or obvious, a film's micro makes us feel- but does not necessarily induce feelings. It puts us on edge or puts us to sleep, and puts us into the atmosphere of the movie. These feelings are sometimes a are point of entry, more so than relating to any character or the situations they are put in. A film, alone, means nothing. As rife with imagery as it may be, in cannot be analyzed without a context. The most obvious context is the time of the film, which gives many hints as to its desired audience and goals. But it is important to not take this at face value: while something like Birth of a Nation (1912) is meant to reflect the times, a film like Dr. Strangelove (1964) was made to criticize the time, and art or absurdist films like A Clockwork Orange (1971) may be made just to be made with no apparent agenda. In fact, the best barometer is often the director: Hemsworth's position in the Ghostbusters (2016) remake is likely explained by director Paul Feigs hate for male comedy. Context give us the most concrete information about a film. Film analysis is a very complex art that requires research and critical thinking to take part in at the highest levels. However, you too can analyze films just by watching them. The next time you see a movie, focus on these three things--- maybe you’ll see it in a different light.
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