Ideology In Film

After reading the article "Ideology in Film" I will answer these questions below.

1. What is ideology and how can it be implicit vs. explicit?

Ideology is a term to describe a set of beliefs or values such as socialism or capitalism. Usually this term is used for economic and political situations, but as time passed it has been used for other academic fields such as film studies. In film this term is referred to the viewpoints and meanings that a film might show to the audience. Ideology can be seen in two different ways, such as explicit. Explicit is when a character in film or a director want to be the subject of the film. On the other hand implicit refers to the meaning of the film. Instead of looking at the director's intentions, you would look beyond that with more analysis to create an argument. It usually revolves around a topic that has many arguments among the people. For example in the film East is East, there was a concern about arranged and mixed marriages.

2. Give an example of an actor that presents a predictable ideological package that studios are quick to use. List as many of their film roles as possible- note the particular actions/dialogues associated with that character that they play. Make a list of five adjectives that you think their best capture their typical role. Produce a detailed description of what you think their next role will be like.
An example of an actress I will use is Angelina Jolie. Now I am going to list as many of her films as possible:

• Salt- being followed by spies b/c they think she is a Russian spy, she is very clever to outsmart the bad guys.
• The Tourist- undercover, smart to get away from the bad guys, romantic, dialogue is straight to the point
• Mr & Mrs Smith- violence/action, tries to kill her husband, works with a company undercover work, clever
• Wanted: has to deal with assassin, holding guns, action, clever, good physical abilities to outrun others
• Hackers: action, clever, has good physical abilities to outrun bad guys, has to deal with the Secret Service

A list of 5 adjectives that best capture her typical role:

• clever
• talented
• extreme
• charming
• daring

The next role she will play is a undercover agent for the CIA. She will be asked to capture and kill a man who is threat to the United States. However she does not do this task alone. She will get help from a partner. As they go find this man, they will have a romantic connection. She will have many scenes where she will run away from bad guys, so when they capture her partner, she will come to the rescue. In this part of the movie, the audience will see her physical abilities and her courage daring plan to save her partner, and capture the bad guys.

3. Personal Ideologies and the Enjoyment of Film: Think of a film that you enjoy and know well. Consider which characters you like. The movie I will choose is Don't Mess with the Zohan, with Adam Sandler.

• What is it that you like about them and what has the filmmaker done to encourage you to feel this way?

My favorite character in this movie is Adam Sandler. I like his character in this film because he is very daring and funny. His character pretended that he died so he can go to America with out his enemy following him. He is funny because when he gets to New York, his wardrobe and dialogue makes me laugh. 

• What values am I being asked to share or reject?

I am being asked to value the idea of two different cultures/religion to come together. Zohan met a girl who was middle eastern, and he is Jewish. They overcome the differences at the end of the film, by telling their families that they are the same and religion does not matter.

• How are my feelings being manipulated to prefer one viewpoint over another? (Camera placement/movement and editing are particularly important here.)

The camera movement is suttle, and their are lots of view points. My feeling are mostly manipulated by the close ups. Because when Zohan became  hair stylist, close ups made me laugh because of a woman's facial expression in reaction to what Zohan did. 

• Why might a filmmaker want me to prefer one viewpoint to another?

A filmmaker wants me to prefer one viewpoint to another because those viewpoints might be portrayed by the filmmaker, and the creation of the film was intended to show the audience that viewpoint.

• What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what an audience might approve/disapprove of?

The reason why they preview scenes or movies to small audience is to make sure the audience likes the movie. If the audience did not like one part of the movie the filmmakers can re shoot or remove that scene with another. Showing a preview will help determine if the movie will become successful or not.

4. Why would the ideologies of a given era or time period change the way a narrative is presented to its audience? Can you give an example of a film narrative that has changed over generations?

Ideologies of a given era or time period change the way a narrative is presented to its audience because society is changed overtime. For example, in 1971 the movie called the Shaft was about this character who spent lots of time socializing with woman, and he was a cop who would at car chases. By 2000 society changed and in that same film (recreated) the character takes his work seriously and is more concerned with solving the case instead of looking cool. 

5. Do you feel that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it?

Yes they are affecting me. The effects of watching a film are expressed in negative terms. For when you watch a comedic film, you will share the ideology of that film to know where to laugh and at who/what to laugh at. When your young, you don't like to watch scary films, but as you become a teenager you feel like you can handle the horror.

6. Define Suspension of disbelief and give an example from a recent film you have watched.

Suspension of disbelief is term to know if the fictional world of a film is real. In real life a fistfight can be really quick, one punch can make someone unconscious. But in a film fights take minutes, and the hero would get hit but then recover themselves. A recent movie I have watched is Taxi Driver. So in the end Trevor shoots the landowner of the building. So as Trevor is in the room (several minutes later) the man gets back up and shoots Trevor in the head.

7. Does the financial support of a film or the ownership of a production company influence the ideology represented in a film? Explain with an example. 

Ideology represented in a film is influenced by the ownership of a production company. For example in 1994 Italy voted into government a party called Forze Italia. Its leader was helped by the ownership of several TV channels, which promoted his party during the campaign. 

Writing About Film Article

1. What are the 5 kinds of film writings described in the article and what are the key details of each?

This movie promoted certain values

The first kind of film writing is called formal analysis. Basically this type of paper consists of the viewer needs to break down the film into small categories such as lighting, sound, cinematography, or other components. Then the viewer would talk about how each category contributes the film as a whole. To be able to do this, one must be familiar with certain terms. The next type of film writing is called film history. Films have their own histories such as how and why they were made, all films are released to different audiences, and films sometimes can reflect historical trends. Most important key detail is that it reflects the values and ideas of the culture that inspired it. The third film writing is called ideological papers. Basically the key detail in this section is that each film promotes a set of beliefs that are based on politics or propaganda. A film's purpose is to entertain but at the same time it can promote or manipulate the audience's feelings about a set of values or beliefs. The next type of film writing is cultural studies/ national cinemas. So, the most important thing in this section is that films reflect the cultures and nations in which they were produced. A different film made in a different country other than the USA might seem very different to Americans. The last kind of film writings is called discussion of the auteur. Auteur criticism looks at one person, which is the director and how the film came out because of that person. This style helps the people to understand common themes and decisions by the director.

2. What does "Annotating a Film Sequence" involve and what are its's benefits?
This is different than taking notes to write an essay. As you watch the film take notes or list all the different shots in the sequence. For example, the scene starts with an establish shot, then there is a close up on the boy's face, then a dolly to the sky as the boy looks up. When you label the shots on paper it will help you notice a pattern in the shots of the sequence. Also it will help you understand how the director created his film or understand his common style.

3. What does the author imply when she says to "Think Beyond the Frame?"
This term implies that instead of just focusing on the narrative of the film and the cinematography, consider thinking about the people who created the film, film reviews, genre, cultural phenomenon. Try to research the director's previous works and try to find his creative interest. Try to find out the production of the film and if there is anything interesting that makes the film unique.

5 Most valuable Minutes in the film Taxi Driver

After our screening of Taxi Driver consider what you feel is the most important 5 minutes (or less) of the film is in terms of:

The most valuable 5 minutes can be seen below.


1. The film intent theme or ideology

 Martin Scorsese was born in New York, and then moved to Hollywood. He directed over 25 films. Taxi Driver "elevated" Scorsese's status as a director and Paul Schrader became a major screenwriter. The film's intent is to show the life in New York City. In the 1970s New York almost filed for bankruptcy. This led to to people to strike such as trash collectors, and this caused the streets to be filled with garbage. The central theme revolves around sexuality, racism, and dominance. Guns represents Travis masculine power and its a symbol of masculine power. For example when the passenger told Travis he was going to kill his wife, he called Travis 'Cabby'. This shows that the passenger doesn't see a risk of telling Travis the truth, because Travis here is being depersonalized. Travis is racist, for example when he speaks to Charlie T he pretends to be unable to understand what he says. This is a common racist practice.Also the theme of old west is seen when Travis practices to shoot bullets, and through his appearance of his brown boots. Many Cowboy films are racist and end up killing many people, which Travis does in the end.

2. Relate the film to rest of the director's body of work

This is Scorsese's fourth film and he combined elements of film noir, western, horror, and urban melodrama genres. At a young age he wanted to become a priest, and this can relate to the film because porn is a sin, and he is showing that through Travis. Travis knows that New York is filthy and he is referring to prostitutes. In the 1970s there was a group of directors called the "film school brats" and Scorsese was apart of this group. People in this group were young Americans who had studied European filmmakers at film school. They were also the first generation of filmmakers to have grown up watching television. Basically the majority of filmmakers in this group focused on close attention to technical detail. They also demonstrated knowledge about film and television history. This relates to the film because Scorsese paid attention to close details, such as Travis's room, or the many reaction shots of Travis when he watched porn movies or had different types of people in his cab.

3. Defining the genre characteristics of the film

Film genres in this movie are western, horror, and urban melodrama. It explores the psychological madness of a lonely anti-hero cab driver. Travis is an anti hero because he does bad things such as killing a pimp and a black guy for the right reasons. He kills the pimp to free Alice from the dirty life she is in, and he is trying to help her regain the purity in her life. Also, Travis is an anti- hero because he wants to save someone's life even though its going to cost him. He does bad things, but the audience gives him sympathy, because they know that he is trying to do the right thing. The western genre is a major occurrence in the film. First we see Travis pointing guns as staring in a mirror. He practices the whole cowboy stance. Then he begins to change his appearance by wearing cowboy boots. There is also the genre of sexuality. When Travis talks about cleaning all the scum off the streets, he is talking about whores, queens, dopers, junkies, etc. When he takes Betsy to a porn movie, it shows a kind of rape, and this can show Travis's isolation. The porn move he takes Betsy to is non violent, and it shows that he usually watches the violent ones. In some scenes Travis is sitting in the movie theaters and he starts to cover his eyes, which sows that he is watching violent porn.   

4. The relation of specific film to film history 

Taxi Driver has been influenced by John Ford's The Searchers (1956). This is about a angry war veteran and a social outcast who becomes obsessed of his young niece. So basically the angry war veteran had a quest to liberate the young girl, restore her virtue, and to return her to society. He does this to purify his own soul, but in the end he is still isolated. De Niro's (Travis) performance was compelling and fascinating to watch. His target practice 'You talkin' to me?' monologue before a mirror remains one of the best known sequences in film history. The film helped expand the director's and screenwriter's careers. Also made many actors and actresses in the movies become major stars. For example Jodie Foster became an actress and director. Cybill Sheperherd became a popular television star. Also the movie had a memorable lamenting saxophone score by Bernard Herrmann. He provided some of cinema's best known musical accompaniments. The film has become prophetic and reflected the violence of contemporary news headlines. The film is also linked to and may have triggered the political assassination attempt by John Hinckley on President Ronald Reagan in 1981. This film also influenced other future filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher.

5 Minute Extract
If video is not working, go to youtube and search Taxi Driver 1976 Full Movie part 5/8

The extract is from 8:17 to 14:17


I chose this extract because it shows many different genres. Also the audience can thoroughly understand Travis's character and his struggle to put an end to the madness going on in the streets of New York. His reaction shots, the music played in this section, and the dialogue used helps show the overall narrative of this film. This extract connects to the opening narrative of Travis wanting to "flush" New York City down the "toilet". 


This extract relates to the narrative because it mentions Betsy and centralizes the genre of the old west. For example, as Travis lays on his bed, the audience sees him wearing cowboy boots. Also when he closes the letter intended to his parents, he is wearing straps for placing his guns. His appearance show this genre and it changes the whole film. since he begins to dress like a cowboy, it foreshadows that he is going to kill someone. At first I believed that he was going to kill Palentine, but he stopped because he got scared. As he watches t.v. he points the gun on his face, which foreshadows that he wants to commit suicide, and near the end he tries to commit suicide but he ran out of bullets. 

During that scene, the music playing in the background gave a sad mood, and this showed is isolationism from other people. Through the reaction shots it seemed that he felt lonely, but at the same time he was mad at the people. He is mad at the people for making new York City dirty. When we first saw the show on, a black dude appeared and Travis pointed his gun at him. It shows racism, and also when he killed the guy at the store. The white guy told him to not worry about, this shows that racism still existed.
In the scene where Travis kills the black dude isn't really only about racism. Since Travis had an issue about New York being bad and dirty, he was fed up with people who do wrong things, and in his mind the only way to end it is to kill the bad people. This relates to Alice, because the only way he freed Alice is by killing the bad guy, which in this case was the pimp and the landowner who owns the rooms. 


The dialogue in this extract shows that Travis is not intelligent or smart. He is speaking very slowly, and it shows that his mind takes time to process things. In the first 10 seconds of the extract Travis is writing in his journal, but he repeated his words twice, because he didn't know how to phrase it. Travis is traumatized from the effects of war, this can be sen through the mis en scene. For example the card he choses to send for his parents isn;t the right choice, I mean its a cartoon. Also Palentine says that people know what "suffering" is and he refers himself as part of the people. The  reason why Travis doesn't like Palentine because he knows that he will not do anything to fix New York City. Also Palentine must remind him of Betsy and when he burned the flowers it shows that he has moved on. This film is created after the Vietnam war, and it shows how this one soldier came back from te war with mental problems due to the horrors of battle and fighting. Travis shows that he is a hero, even if the US didn't win, but he helped someone's life. He helped Alice regain her normal good life again by going back to school. 

Offline Preproduction Trailer

Offline Preproduction Trailer

Shot Description	Audio/Dialogue
Fade in to title	Background voices of students laughing at her, then fade out these voices, and her voice begins, “Oh my God” 3 sec
Selena is sitting down, and the audience is introduced to the character	“Can I go to the bathroom” 3 sec
The narrative structure is still being introduced, the girl asks to go to the bathroom.	“Go ahead” 1 sec
There is a cut to the toilet paper, and then a fast cut to the classroom scene where everyone is laughing at her.	3 sec
The girl meets with her friend	“Look at this picture” 2 secs
* A boy sitting receives a picture message	“Nice picture loser” 2 secs
Then there is a cut to Selena breaking the mirror.	The sound of the mirror, suspenseful music 2 sec
Title Labeled J&J Productions	2 secs
The a cut to the students in the classroom	“Look at her but” Music is getting faster 4 sec
There is a cut to Selena as she stares into the mirror.	“Loser”, “Look at her but” 4 secs
*	“People are so mean” 1 sec
Running scene: Tiffany is in the car and the car won’t start. Many quick cuts.	“Selena, Selena, Selena” Music gets louder 4 secs
Looks at Facebook, and looks very irritated.	“Ugghh” Music gets faster 3 secs
*	“The mirror is broken permanently, just like me” Music fades out 3 secs

The American Anti- Hero Response

What historical factors influenced the rise of the American Anti-Hero in cinema and how does this hero contradict the Classic Hollywood Ideology.


An anti hero is is a character who inspires the audience to great heights, but as this hero tries to become great, it will commit actions or behave in a non heroic way. In Post World War II, the anti hero began to change, and between 1945 to 1980 it was the golden age for the anti- hero. This new hero was recognized more as a human. Also males were not the only heroes, females became heroes too. 


After World War II because people began to relate to the non hero who was not involved in world problems but devoted its time to focus on its personal problems.There was a growth in character that focused on their individual aspirations and their identity. For example in films such as Duel in the Sun and The Best Years of Our Lives showed that post- war America isn't a good place to live, and there isn't a happy ending all of the time.In the 1940s people enjoyed seeing the dark side of anti- heroes. John Garfield casted people who are only concerned about their gains and loses. When the Cold War broke out in the 1950s, people began to get fearful and hateful. So now characters had to embrace the nature of a man. That person was good and evil, for example in the movie A Place in the Sun (1951), a character is torn between with two women he loves, but can't chose which one to be with.This is a new type of hero that would be loved and hated by the people. 


 In the early 1950s America was fighting in a war and trying to prevent Communism. This leads to a revolution of the father figure because America youth began to feel that the their authority figures are doing bad, and they want to have good order in their country. In the 1950s James Dean interpreted the rebels as misunderstood innocence. He put out the emotion of passionate and sympathetic, which made him very likable and a great anti- hero. In the film Rebel Without a Cause Dean's character is a misguided youth who gets drunks, fights, and gets in trouble. Rebels are the anti- heroes who fight big authority figures no matter what the price is in order for justice, and what they believe is right.This type of hero is very stubborn and ends up having a tragic life. In the 1960s rebellions in America were to reform America.America was born from a rebellion and rebellion is a citizen's right. In the 1960 many rebels such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X changed the world by rebelling for what they think is right. 


The anti hero contradicts the Classical Hollywood Ideology because anti- heroes are not seen as heroes by others until they actually do something that helps their community or the people. The Classical Hollywood Ideology makes a hero well known by everyone due to their characteristics, but the anti- hero does not have those characteristics. An anti- hero becomes heroic with no intention.

"Arrival of a Train" and "Damsel in Distress" Blog Response

a. Compare the following two short films: the "Arrival of a Train" and "Damsel in Distress"- as they relate to Realism, Classicism and Formalism

1. How would describe the difference in camera work: composition, angle, movement

2. How would describe the differences in the edit?

3. How would describe the characteristics of the story being told/narrative?

 In the "Arrival of a Train" there is one long continuous take. This is a long shot of the train arriving to the station. Before the train is in the shot, there is a group of people waiting for the train. Then the train enters the shot it is still moving, and the people are ready to get on. When the train comes to a complete stop people begin to board the train, and some get out of the train. The camera angle is along the railway, but the people are waiting on the other side.

In the short film "Damsel in Distress" the camera work is really different than the "Arrival of the Train". First of all, the "Arrival of Train" doesn't have different angles or camera movement. The other short film has many cuts and parallel action. For example, the guy ties the woman on the railing, and as she tries to free herself there are multiple cuts of the train approaching and the woman. The majority of camera shots are close- ups and medium shots. There were different coverage shots such as many cuts to the passengers in the train.

The "Arrival of a Train" relates to Realism because the film is a sequence shot. The "Damsel in Distress relates to classicism. The type of edit the filmmaker used is parallel editing.

In the "Arrival of the Train" there is a train approaching and many people are waiting for it to arrive. This shows that the people have some place to go. In the film "Damsel in Distress" the man ties up the woman, and this shows that the man is very evil and hates that woman. The woman is characterized as not overwhelmed because she tries to think of a way to be saved, which is by blowing a whistle. The dog is the hero of the film.

Advanced Editing Notes- Response to Questions

In paragraph form answer the questions using your notes and post to your blog. If possible use and image as well for each question.

III. Soviet Montage and Formalism

a. What was Pudovkin's concept of constructive editing and how did it manifest itself on film?

Pudovkin's concept of constructive editing is one of the first theoretical treaties introduced. He insisted that each shot should make a point that contributes to your film. He believed that the juxtaposition of shots gave meaning to each shot instead of Griffith's close- ups. He believed Griffith provided no meaning or point with his use of close ups.  Pudovkin believed that long shots are too close to realty, so he used symbols and other selected details to show meaning. This idea did manifest itself on film because many directors chose specific details to show on screen to make sure their audience understands the meaning behind the characters.

b. What was the Kuleshov effect and give me an example of how is it used in today's film's?

The Kuleshov effect involves unprofessional characters. Basically this effect shows that the emotion is produced not by the actor's performance, but by the juxtapositions. When the film maker choses the right details to show in the film, this will create more emotion for the audience. In today's films this effect is used to show reaction shots. For example, we see a mother and daughter hug each other after a big fight. Then the camera cuts to their faces, so the audience can feel their emotion. Also this can be seen in our films. We don't have professional actors, but the details we show on screen help us communicate the emotions to the audience. 

c. What was Eisenstein Montage and how does it work in the "Odessa Step" sequence?

Eisenstein Montage is are sharply contrasting images. He believed that the art of film was in the edit, and shots should not be complete. Many critics of Eisenstein argued that his films lacked realism and he gave the audience too much information. His montage is seen the Odessa Step. This technique works in this sequence because we see two different views on whats happening. First, we see people waving at each other than we see a boy and his mother. All of a sudden people begin to run away, and people began to fall down. Then the boy falls, and the mother goes crazy. So basically Eisenstein used two different stories, which are opposites and then combined them together.

IV. Andre Bazin and Realism

a. What were Andre Bazin's frustrations with Classical and Formalistic film making?

He believed that editing could destroy the effectiveness of a scene. He thought that formalists were manipulative due to the distortions they use. He also believed that classical cutting was corrupted. He thinks its corruptive because the audience is being deprived of the different choices we can make in real life. The editor has the power to cut and make its own choices. 

b. What do Realist filmmakers strive for in their work?

Realist filmmakers strive for what actually exists, and how they can interpret that understanding to make their film. Realist filmmakers believed that montage is a way to impose a simplistic ideology over actual life. They also strive for things that actually exist, because that is how realistic the film is going to get. Also, they thought that the essence of reality is interpreted depending on the artist's perspective.

c. What techniques to realists use in their filmmaking?

Realists used color and deep focus photography to get to the idea of realism. Synchronized sound changed editing back to long sequence shots until the blimp and dubbing was introduced. Deep focus allowed directors to film one setup with depth. Also sound made acting styles better. They stopped using distractive titles and eliminated exposition when they made their actors say a few lines of dialogue.