This site contains information from a module that I taught 1999-2002 and does not get updated. Hopefully some of the links remain useful

Suggested Questions: Film Sources

Following are some questions to think about when considering film sources:

  • Think about the image itself - what attitudes/atmosphere is conveyed by lighting, angle, pose, background, etc.
  • May need to question the context of the image within the film. Where does it fit in to the overall story, and what difference has it made if it is not there? Does it matter that you haven't seen the film - what difference will that make to how you view the source? (i.e. any problems that they are stills/publicity shots?)
  • Who made it? Who influenced it?
  • What was the rationale for making it?
  • Why was it made at that time (just for money or to make a point?)? Are there any other significant dates in the film - e.g. banned on video?
  • If we are already familiar with the image, through myth, etc. - how does that affect our viewing?
  • Does the image itself answer any of the questions?

Think of the kind of steps you would take to start to answer these questions, e.g. the first step would possibly to watch the film in its entirety, followed by reading around it, both material directly related and other works that would seem to have a bearing upon the topic.

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