Midterm Flashcards
(50 cards)
narrative
An account of a string of events occurring in space and time; a story; a chain of events linked by cause-and-effect logic
exposition
Dense accumulation of detail conveyed in the opening moments of a film; it conveys important information about the characters and the situation that informs the narrative
diegetic
Diegetic elements exist in the story world
nondiegetic
any narrative, sound, or visual element not contained in the story world.
syuzhet
The selection and ordering of narrative events presented in a film
Fabula
The chronological accounting of all events presented and suggested; the total story without being abbreviated into a runtime
voiceover
A direct vocal address to the audience, which may emanate from a character or from a narrating voice apparently unrelated to the diegesis; diegetic when it is a character from the film
turning point
A narrative moment that signals an important shift of some kind in character or situation
climax
Major turning point
Dénouement
The falling or unraveling action after the climax of a narrative that leads to resolution
three act structure
The classical model of narrative form. The first act introduces characters and conflicts; the second act offers complication leading to a climax; the third act contains the dénouement and resolution.
Four part structure
Adds a critical turning point at the halfway mark of most narrative films. (Climax is after this critical turning point)
point of view shot
A technique in which the audience temporarily shares the visual perspective of a character or a group of characters; we simulate the character’s vision
direct address
A sound and visual technique that presents one or more characters speaking into the camera as if talking to the film audience.
restricted narration
A narrative approach that limits the audience’s view of events to that of the main character(s) in the film. Films that use restricted narration limit the audience’s perception to what one particular character knows, but may insert moments of omniscience.
alternatives to conventional narrative structure
- Lack of clarity
- Lack of unity
- Open-endedness
- Unconventional characterizations
- Intrusions, direct address to the audience, and other devices that call attention to narrative as a process
ideology
Ideologies are systems of beliefs, values, and opinions
In what sense do you think “ideology operates at an emotional level” (p. 318)?
They are formed and influenced by family and cultural background, personal experiences, education, and popular culture, including music, movies, magazines, television, and the internet
What is the most common ideology in Hollywood film?
Individualism, self determination, singular hero, savior
How are ideologies implicated in “practices of social power” (p. 320)?
Reaffirms values held by societies and can lead to divisions due to its roots in personal experiences, education, and familial/cultural backgrounds
What is the “Hollywood Production Code” (p. 321)?
The practice of directors performing self-censorship due to an awareness of social influence of the cinema; filmmakers maintained the status quo by sticking to traditional values in their work and avoiding taboo topics
What is the HCUA (or HUAC) and what was its purpose (p. 322)?
U.S. Congress’s House Committee on Unamerican Activities
i. Initially established to investigate Nazi propaganda
ii. Looked into charges that Communist propaganda was infiltrating Hollywood films
Theodor Adorno + Frankfurt School
Popular films are nothing more than products of a “culture industry.” Films transmit only ideas that service corporate and government interests that dominate society at large and the film industry in particular.
Louis Althusser
Commercial cinema does not browbeat its viewers into submission and instead compels individuals to comply with existing economic and social arrangements
