How to analyze a movie

How to Analyze a Movie

Walking out of the movie theater was almost as interesting an experience as the movie itself . The movie of choice that night was The Illusionist (Burger , 2006 . Without a lot of fanfare and big Hollywood stars , it drew an interesting crowd . As opposed to a torrent of teenagers and the handful of movie going adults , the theater was an even mix of a diverse slice of the community . And although I walked out of the dark theater blinking more at the effects of the movie still hanging about me

than the brightness of the hallway lights , I heard a surprisingly various amount of remarks . Others , like me , were moved and pleasantly awakened from the emotions and insights the movie had uncovered . Several others were complaining that they didn 't get it ' and were still waiting for the punch line , and still some few who were indifferent and looked as if the had maybe been napping

What is the cause of all these different emotional reactions from the inspired to the indifferent , after having the same experience ? Perhaps it was not the same experience at all

To look properly at a film , the viewer must as much as possible enter into its

rhythms and empathize with the emotions it generates . At the end of a fine film

We may be exhilarated and emotionally charged , but we also may be as happily

exhausted as after , say , two hours spent in an art gallery or at a concert...