Film Analysis Reading Essay

     A film analysis is breaking down a film into component parts to see how it is put together in order to make statements about a film's themes and meanings. There are three forms of analysis that take different levels of meaning: descriptive, interpretive, and evaluative. A descriptive claim is simply a neutral account of the characters and events in the film, and can be strung together to create a plot summary. Descriptive claims also account the visual or audio styles of the film. The second form is an interpretive claim. This presents an argument about a film's meaning and significance, digging deeper than simply describing what's happening. The book gives an example that explains Quentin Tarantino's connection between the American Western and Nazi propaganda in Inglorious Basterds. The claim must be supported by scenes, motifs, parallels, etc. in the film. The third form of analysis is an evaluative claim. This expresses the author's belief that the film is good, bad, or mediocre. This type of claim is based on the critics standards for what makes a good film. The critic must relay details from the film and interpret what the film is trying to convey then decide if it succeeded or not.