British Film- WNTTAK + UTS Flashcards
What is the difference between story and narrative?
The Story is literally the things that happen. Narrative is the structuring of the things that happen.
What are the three core elements studied in the course?
- Film Form
- Meaning And Response
- Context
What are the two films studied in relation to British cinema?
- Under the Skin (2013, Jonathan Glazer)
- We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011, Lynne Ramsay)
What are the two Specialist Areas focused on in the exam?
- NARRATIVE
- IDEOLOGY
What is causality in narrative?
Causality refers to narrative as cause and effect.
What are the four narrative approaches?
- Causality
- Todorov Narratology
- Binary Oppositions
- Formalism
What does David Bordwell say about film narrative?
Film narrative is a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space.
What are the four stages of Todorov’s Structure?
- Equilibrium
- Disruption
- Quest
- Resolution / New Equilibrium
What does a closed ending in a narrative suggest?
Most narratives are resolved at the end; the quest is over, tensions are balanced.
What does an open ending in a narrative incite?
Discussion and ambiguity, challenging the audience to decide how they feel about the narrative.
What are Binary Oppositions?
A set of two concepts or ideas that are defined by one another.
What is Formalism in the context of film narrative?
Considering the overall shape and structure of a film’s narrative.
What is a narrative device?
Technical choices made to affect the shape and structure of the story.
What are some examples of narrative devices?
- Voiceover Narration
- Flashbacks
- Expositional Dialogue
- Sound Bridges
How does studying a film from a Formalist perspective affect audience engagement?
It invites spectators to determine meaning and actively engage in the story.
Who is Jonathan Glazer?
A critically acclaimed English filmmaker known for films like Under the Skin.
What themes are often explored in Jonathan Glazer’s films?
- Alienation
- Isolation
- The uncanny
- Emotional coldness
What is significant about Under the Skin’s development?
It was in development for 13 years and initially had a $40 million budget.
What does the narrative resolution suggest in a film?
It suggests the ideology of the filmmaker.
Fill in the blank: Causality is looking at narrative as _______ & _______.
cause & effect
Fill in the blank: Todorov is looking at narrative as _______.
Character’s Journey
What is the main premise of Under The Skin?
An alien entity takes human form and preys on lonely men.
List all key story events in Under The Skin.
- An alien entity takes human form
- She adopts the identity of a woman
- She preys on isolated men
- She witnesses human kindness
- She becomes more cautious and vulnerable
- She extends kindness to a disfigured man
- She questions her identity
- She flees to the forest
- She is violently attacked
- She dies.
Does Under The Skin have causality?
Yes, it has cause-effect logic and a logical narrative progression.
What is the protagonist’s journey in Under The Skin?
She transitions from a predator to becoming prey and experiences vulnerability.
What is the significance of the protagonist’s lack of a clearly defined goal?
It creates ambiguity and raises questions about her identity and motivations.
What are the stages of Todorov’s narrative structure as applied to Under The Skin?
- Equilibrium: Introduction of the predator
- Disruption: Encountering human kindness
- Quest: Seeking identity and humanity
- Resolution: Experiencing death.
What does Nietzsche’s quote ‘To live is to suffer’ imply in the context of the film?
It suggests that suffering is an intrinsic part of the human experience.
What transformation does the protagonist undergo by the end of the film?
She becomes more human and vulnerable, ultimately leading to her death.
True or False: The ending of Under The Skin can be seen as a failure for the protagonist.
True, but it can also be viewed as a success in terms of her emotional journey.
List as many binary oppositions presented in Under The Skin as u can?
- Strength vs. Weakness
- Predator vs. Prey
- Agency vs. Objectivity
- Invulnerability vs. Vulnerability
- Life vs. Death.
*Empathetic vs. Apathetic
*Masculine vs. Feminine
What does the binary opposition of Masculinity vs. Femininity reveal in the film?
It highlights the themes of gender dynamics and the protagonist’s shifting roles.
How does Russian Formalism relate to the narrative structure of Under The Skin?
The film follows a chronological and linear structure, exploring themes of life and death.
Fill in the blank: The protagonist’s journey in Under The Skin represents a transition from _______ to _______.
[predator], [prey]
What does the cyclical interpretation of the narrative structure suggest?
It reflects the ongoing misogynistic treatment of women in society.
What is the impact of the protagonist experiencing kindness?
It prompts her to question her identity and mission.
What is one of the central themes of Under The Skin?
Discovery, change, and transcendence.
What does the protagonist’s act of letting the disfigured man go signify?
An act of selflessness and a pivotal moment of change.
How does the introduction of the character in the Equilibrium affect audience response?
It establishes her as a strong, emotionless predator.
What is the ultimate ideology revealed through the binary oppositions?
The fallibility of human-made conditions under pressure.
What are some specific technical details to analyze in a film scene?
- diegetic/non-diegetic sound
- heightened volume
- ambient silence
- camera framing/movement/angle/focus
- continuity editing
- extended takes
- action matches
- montage
- CGI
- mise-en-scène
- body language
- gestures
- facial expressions
These technical details help in understanding the film’s narrative and emotional impact.
What does Todorov’s narrative theory focus on?
Equilibrium establishing tone/character/journey.
Todorov’s theory involves a structure where a narrative begins with an equilibrium, leading to disruption and then a resolution.
What does the Male Gaze theory suggest?
The camera positions viewers as heterosexual male voyeurs, objectifying women as passive figures.
Laura Mulvey introduced this concept in her essay ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ (1975).
Fill in the blank: The Monstrous Feminine is an idea first put forward by _______.
[Barbara Creed].
Creed’s theory expands on the Male Gaze by suggesting that powerful women are often depicted as monstrous in cinema.
What are the seven types of the Monstrous Feminine in cinema according to Creed?
- The Archaic Mother
- The Monstrous Womb
- The Possessed Woman
- Castrating Mother
- The Vampire (Vagina Dentata)
- The Witch
- Femme Castratrice
These archetypes reflect society’s fears and perceptions of powerful women.
How does Under the Skin challenge the Male Gaze?
By presenting the female character’s perspective and subverting traditional roles.
The film interrogates the idea of the female as a passive object, instead depicting her as an active agent.
What does the concept of Binary Oppositions suggest in film analysis?
It examines contrasting pairs that create tension and drive narrative conflict.
Examples include good vs. evil, male vs. female, and human vs. other.
True or False: The Male Gaze reinforces patriarchal ideology by depicting women as active subjects.
False.
The Male Gaze positions women as passive objects for the male viewer.
What is a key narrative approach in Under the Skin related to character journey?
Todorov’s narrative structure suggests a progression from equilibrium to disruption and eventual resolution.
This approach highlights the character’s development and vulnerability.
Fill in the blank: An ideological approach allows us to examine a film from one particular _______ at a time.
[perspective].
This method helps to analyze how a film comments on various societal issues.
What is the significance of the eye motif in Under the Skin?
It symbolizes looking, power, and the voyeuristic aspect of the narrative.
The motif is explored through mirrors and the character’s interactions with men.
What does the term ‘Causal Agent’ refer to in the context of Under the Skin?
A character whose actions drive the narrative forward, often exploring themes of identity.
In this film, the character’s fluid gender identity plays a crucial role.
What does a Levi-Straussian structuralism approach suggest about Under the Skin?
It examines transitions between conflicts and the discovery of change.
This perspective focuses on the underlying structures that shape the narrative.
What is the key theme explored in Under the Skin related to gender?
The objectification and control of women by patriarchal society.
This theme is examined through the lens of the Male Gaze and the Monstrous Feminine.
How does a gender ideological framework complicate the reading of Under the Skin?
It reveals layers of meaning regarding the treatment of women and non-binary identities.
This approach allows for a nuanced understanding of the film’s critique of patriarchy.
What is one limitation of the original point linking back to the film?
It may overlook alternative readings that can provide a more complex understanding of the narrative.
Considering multiple perspectives can enrich the analysis of the film.
What does Russian Formalism suggest about the narrative structure of Under the Skin?
It implies a chronological order that reflects the inevitability of death as part of the human experience.
This perspective can also highlight cyclical themes in the treatment of women.
True or False: Under the Skin exclusively endorses the objectification of women.
False.
The film critiques the objectification, complicating its portrayal of female characters.
What approach allows for the exploration of non-binary identity in Under the Skin?
Gender ideological framework.
This framework examines how the film’s treatment of gender challenges traditional binaries.
What are the key themes of the film We Need to Talk About Kevin?
- Guilt
- Grief
- Memory
- Motherhood
- Gender roles
- America
- Nature vs nurture
These themes explore complex psychological and social issues.
What is the difference between STORY and NARRATIVE in the film?
The structure of the narrative is significantly different from the chronology of the story.
This distinction highlights how the film presents events and their meanings.
What are the components of the Todorov Structure as applied to the film’s story?
- Equilibrium: Eva is a free woman, traveling and successful.
- Disruption: She has a baby she doesn’t want, leading to conflict.
- Quest: Kevin’s personality issues create a struggle for Eva.
- Resolution: Eva and her husband separate; Kevin commits a massacre.
- New Equilibrium: Eva lives with guilt and grief.
This structure illustrates the film’s progression and character development.
What is suggested at the end of We Need to Talk About Kevin as Eva walks into the light?
Three possible interpretations include: * Acceptance of her past * A new beginning * A metaphor for hope or despair
The ending remains ambiguous and open to interpretation.
How does Ramsay’s narrative structure fragment the story?
It uses Eva’s present as a framing device, suggesting themes of memory, interrogation, and acceptance.
This approach rejects traditional narrative closure.
What role does Eva play in the narrative structure of the film?
Eva is the homodiegetic narrator, actively telling her story while being part of it.
This dual role creates complexity in understanding her perspective.
What does Formalism suggest about the film’s structure?
The structure is integral to its meaning, using a non-linear, fragmented narrative to focus on Eva’s guilt.
This emphasizes emotional and subjective experiences.
What does the chaotic nature of the narrative structure imply?
It suggests a lack of traditional causality, mirroring life’s unpredictability.
This invites active spectatorship and engagement with the film.
What is the effect of the crime occurring in both the past and the future?
It suggests the massacre is inevitable, possibly absolving Eva of guilt.
This duality complicates the moral implications of the narrative.
What do the Binary Oppositions in We Need to Talk About Kevin reveal?
- Mother vs Child
- Right vs Wrong
- Innocence vs Guilt
- Nature vs Nurture
- Perception vs Reality
- Freewill vs Fate
- Cause vs Effect
These oppositions explore thematic tensions and societal norms.
What narrative devices are used to aid the delivery of the story?
- Voiceover Narration
- Flashbacks
- Exposition
- Editing style
- Titles
- Repetition
- Omission and Revelation
- Ellipsis
These devices help structure the film’s complex narrative.
What does the unreliable narrator in the film signify?
It raises questions about trust and perception in Eva’s storytelling.
This technique emphasizes the subjective nature of memory.
How does the mise en scene function in the narrative?
It anchors the present and suggests a working-through of guilt.
The cleanliness of the new house by the end symbolizes a potential letting-go of guilt.
What is the role of flashbacks in the film?
They highlight Eva’s perception and struggles with memory.
Flashbacks create a layered understanding of her character.
What does Ramsay aim to interrogate through the film’s narrative tensions?
She explores social norms and expectations, using an unreliable narrator.
This approach challenges preconceived notions of motherhood and guilt.
What is the ideological approach in relation to We Need to Talk About Kevin?
Examining the film from a gender perspective using three ideas: Woman as ‘The Mother’, Psychoanalytical, Queer Theory
This approach reveals how motherhood is portrayed and challenges traditional narratives.
How is the ‘Woman as Mother’ portrayed in the film?
As a natural, fulfilling role, exaggerated in cinema, where women are expected to abandon autonomy to raise children
The film critiques this expectation by showing that motherhood isn’t automatic or desirable for every woman.
What does Eva’s portrayal suggest about motherhood?
Eva is depicted as happy and liberated pre-pregnancy, suggesting motherhood may be framed as a punishment for sexual freedom
The film explores the idea that motherhood isn’t inherently fulfilling.
What concept does Julia Kristeva introduce regarding female bodies?
The Abject, which refers to anything that disturbs identity, system, and order, particularly relating to the female body
Female bodies are depicted as monstrous and abject, highlighting their constant change.
What is the Monstrous Womb according to Creed?
The womb represents the abject, contrasting with the ‘proper’ male form, and symbolizes fear of mortality through pregnancy
Horror cinema often explores body mutation and the fear associated with pregnancy.
What is the Oedipus Complex?
A psychoanalytical idea suggesting a boy’s desire for his mother and jealousy towards his father, based on the myth of Oedipus
It reflects complex familial relationships and emotions.
How is Kevin’s relationship with Eva described in terms of the Oedipus Complex?
Kevin exhibits sexual tension with Eva and shows obsession with her, aiming to eliminate his father
This dynamic explores themes of abandonment and desire.
What does Judith Butler argue about gender?
Gender is a construct, performative, and exists on a sliding scale, challenging the binary oppositions of masculinity and femininity
Butler’s theory highlights the fluidity of gender identity.
What is queer coding in cinema?
The practice of using queer identity to signify characters as deviant or villainous, often rooted in internalized homophobia
This reinforces societal norms around heteronormativity.
What does the final sequence of We Need to Talk About Kevin reveal ideologically?
It suggests a journey to acceptance of guilt, grief, and motherhood, challenging traditional narratives
The final scene can be analyzed through various frameworks, including Queer Theory and the Monstrous Womb.
What does Todorov’s narratology suggest about the film?
It is about a journey to acceptance, exploring themes of guilt, grief, and motherhood
This framework focuses on the narrative structure and character development.
How does Levi-Strauss’s structuralism interpret the film?
It interrogates social expectations surrounding motherhood and gender normative performance
This perspective examines underlying conflicts in the narrative.
What does Russian Formalism focus on in We Need to Talk About Kevin?
Subjectivity, memory, and perception, emphasizing how a devastating incident can provoke a re-examination of choice, fate, nature, and nurture
This approach highlights the film’s emotional depth and character complexity.
How does the gender ideological framework contribute to understanding the film?
It explores myths about motherhood, psychoanalytical ideas, and how gender and otherness inform preconceptions
This framework provides insight into the film’s critique of societal norms.
What is the impact of applying a specific gender approach to the film’s narrative?
It can be very useful in understanding narrative resolution, but may also limit exploration of other themes and emotional responses
A broader approach may reveal additional layers of meaning.
What is an ideological approach?
A framework for understanding how ideas and beliefs influence culture and communication
Ideological approaches explore debates, arguments, and counter-arguments.
What are the components of film and filmmaking according to the study?
- Varieties of film and filmmaking
- Global filmmaking perspectives
- Film movements
Each component includes specific sections that focus on different aspects of film.
What is the focus of Section A in Component 1?
- Hollywood 1930-1990
- Representation – Ethnicity and Gender
- Auteur
This section involves a comparative study of films from this era.
What does Stuart Hall’s Encoding and Decoding Theory suggest?
- All texts are encoded with ideological meaning
- Audiences must decode the ideological meaning
- There are three possible responses: preferred, oppositional, negotiated
Hall’s theory emphasizes the interaction between text and audience interpretation.
Define Aberrant Response Theory as proposed by Umberto Eco.
The idea that audiences interpret texts in different ways, leading to varied responses
Eco noted that pre-industrial cultures shared a common understanding, unlike contemporary audiences.
What constitutes a Preferred Response in Hall’s theory?
When the audience accepts and agrees with the ideology of the text
This response aligns with the intended message of the creator.
What is an Oppositional Response?
When an audience member actively rejects the intended ideology of the text
This response indicates a critical stance towards the film’s message.
What characterizes a Negotiated Response?
When the audience navigates the text, rejecting some ideas and accepting others
This response reflects a more complex engagement with the film.
What is the significance of the film ‘We Need to Talk about Kevin’ in relation to Aberrant Responses?
It invites varied interpretations and responses related to its narrative and character perspectives
The film’s ambiguity allows for a wide range of spectator engagement.
What are key elements of film form discussed in documentary film?
- Narrative
- Filmmakers’ theories
Understanding these elements is crucial for analyzing the documentary genre.
What is the role of representation in global film studies?
- Gender
- Political contexts
- Social contexts
These factors influence how films portray various identities and issues.
What does the term ‘auteur’ refer to in film studies?
A filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so significant that they are regarded as the ‘author’ of the film
This concept is often applied to directors noted for their distinctive style.
What does the term ‘mise-en-scène’ encompass in film analysis?
The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing of a shot: setting, props, actors, costumes, and lighting
It is crucial for creating the visual storytelling of a film.
What is a key aspect of the narrative in ‘We Need to Talk about Kevin’?
The film’s ambiguity regarding Eva’s narrative goal and Kevin’s character development
This ambiguity can lead to diverse audience interpretations.
What is the significance of fragmented editing in film?
It reflects the internal cognitive process of characters and can challenge audience engagement
This technique is often used to create a disorienting or reflective viewing experience.
