IS THIS FILM ART? -- Criteria for Evaluating a Film

RE-VIEWING
Is the film worth seeing again? What factors determine whether you want to see a film more than once? Which of these factors does this film use effectively? Explain.

ENDURING QUALITIES
Can this film stand the test of time? Why or why not? Does it relate to universal ideas or situations? What are they? Does it deal only with contemporary situations and ideas? Explain.

TRUTH
Does the film deepen your understanding about some significant idea or cast new light on it? Does it present new ideas? Are the characters credible? Do they behave in ways you expect? Cite examples and explain.

BEAUTY
Is the film aesthetically pleasing? Do the quality of photography, color, sound, and performance and the use of special effects come together as a work of art should? Which aspects work especially well? Why? Describe how the quality of a particular scene from the film gives the viewer this sense of beauty.

UNITY
Are the shots and scenes organized logically? Describe one example of a particularly effective sequence. Describe one that seems weak. Tell why each of these sequences succeeds or fails.

TREATMENT
Are the ideas suggested or are they stated? Discuss one scene and the particular idea, feeling, or mood it creates.

EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
Were you moved by the film? Did it make you feel sorrow or joy or anger? What emotion(s) did you feel when the film ended?

A BAKER'S DOZEN
Questions for Reading a Film

Watching a film carefully means watching it actively. You can't simply plunk yourself down in a theater, popcorn in hand, and let the images wash over you for a couple of hours. Rather, to watch a movie actively, you must learn to read the screen, to ask yourself questions as you watch, to notice the elements which make a film succeed or fail. There are many possibilities, but here's a baker's dozen that will get you started:

1. Does the beginning of the film get your attention and interest?

2. Are you able to "suspend disbelief" -- able to forget that you are watching a film rather than witnessing real-life experiences?

3. Do the characters seem real?

4. When the actors talk, do they seem involved in real conversations or are they just reading lines?

5. Do the characters' actions make sense in the context of the film?

6. Does the story move along, keeping your attention all the way?

7. Is the story confusing?

8. Does the story build to an exciting climax?

9. Are any scenes unnecessary -- in particular, violent scenes just inserted for their own sake?

10. Do the sets, lighting, and camera shots add to or detract from the film?

11. Do the sound effects and music add to or detract from the film?

12. Does the film end in a logical place -- or stop too soon or go on too long?

13. Is it a good film -- and why or why not?

English IV