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.