American Film

Question 1

Who directed Moonlight?

Answer 1

Barry Jenkins

Question 2

What year was Moonlight released?

Answer 2

2016

Question 3

What play is Moonlight based on and who wrote it?

Answer 3

‘In the Moonlight, Black Boys Look Blue’ by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Question 4

Who are the lead actors in Moonlight?

Answer 4

Little: Alex Hibbert
Chiron: Ashton Sanders
Black: Trevante Rhodes

Question 5

Who was the cinematographer for Moonlight?

Answer 5

James Laxton

Question 6

Who were the editors for Moonlight?

Answer 6

Jo McMillon & Nat Sanders

Question 7

Name 5 of Jenkins’ auteur traits

Answer 7

Marginalised identities
Romance Narratives
Shallow focus, straight-on closeups that break the 4th wall
The American Black experience
Bittersweet, melancholy tone

Question 8

A quote from Jenkins about sexuality in Moonlight?

Answer 8

‘Through the prism of empathy’

Question 9

A quote from Jenkins about his ideology for Moonlight?

Answer 9

‘There’s a statement on the Black Experience’

Question 10

A quote from Jenkins about positioning?

Answer 10

‘wanted the audience to feel what the character was feeling’

Question 11

Who directed Carol?

Answer 11

Todd Haynes

Question 12

What year was Carol released?

Answer 12

2015

Question 13

Name 5 auteur traits of Todd Haynes

Answer 13

Post-modern, ironic film form
Academic approach (intertextual references to other films)
Formalism over naturalism
Recent history as a backdrop for untold stories
Subverting modern pop culture

Question 14

What book is Carol based on and who wrote it?

Answer 14

‘The Price of Salt’ by Patricia Highsmith

Question 15

Who are the lead actors in Carol?

Answer 15

Cate Blanchett (Carol) and Rooney Mara (Therese)

Question 16

Who was the cinematographer for Carol?

Answer 16

Edward Lachman

Question 17

Who was the editor for Carol?

Answer 17

Affonso Goncalves

Question 18

A quote from Nick Davis about Carol

Answer 18

‘Braiding of social diagnosis and emotional catharsis’

Question 19

How can a film encourage passive spectatorship?

Answer 19

Satisfy genre expectations
Provide a closed ending
Conform to narrative logic
Have ideological values that conform to dominant power structures
Focus on action-driven sequences

Question 20

How can a film encourage active spectatorship?

Answer 20

Subvert genre conventions
Character-driven narratives
Challenge dominant power structures
Encourage the audience to intellectually engage
Give characters implicit or intangible motivations

Question 21

What are a passive audience focused on?

Answer 21

Their emotional response

Question 22

What are an active audience focused on?

Answer 22

Their intellectual response

Question 23

How can a film communicate ideology?

Answer 23

Film form
Narrative structure
Characters and character arcs
Dialogue

Question 24

What is hegemonic heterosexuality?

Answer 24

Traditional straight relationships with established gender roles

Question 25

Who argued that heterosexuality is not intrinsic to humans? In what article?

Answer 25

Adrienne Rich in 'Compulsory heterosexuality and lesbian existence'

Question 26

What is encoding?

Answer 26

Filmmakers using film form to convey their ideas?

Question 27

What is decoding?

Answer 27

The way a spectator interprets film form

Question 28

What is aberrant decoding? Who suggested it?

Answer 28

Umberto Eco suggested that while a filmmaker may encode a specific idea, they can't control how an audience decode it , so there are multiple ways to decode a text.

Question 29

What other arguments are there to consider that may limit the usefulness of an ideological approach?

Answer 29

Auteur perspective Production context Genre Emotional Response Aesthetic and Style

Question 30

How can a film endorse heterosexuality?

Answer 30

By presenting it as ideal or positive, or by presenting alternatives as deviant

Question 31

How can spectators respond to a character?

Answer 31

Identify (see themselves) Empathise (emotional understanding) Sympathise (feel pity)

Question 32

How can a director position and audience with a character?

Answer 32

Close ups Shot reverse shots POV shots Eyeline matches Non-diegetic parallel score or soundtrack Non-diegetic voiceover Narrative techniques like Todorov structure

Question 33

What does Stuart Hall suggest about decoding ideology?

Answer 33

We decode ideology through a filter of our own selves. Our identities, experiences and beliefs all contribute to out interpretation.

Question 34

In what four ways can a film present hegemonic heterosexuality?

Answer 34

Endorse it (showing it as positive) Endorse it (showing alternatives as negative) Challenge it (showing it as negative) Challenge it (showing alternatives as positive)