Chapter 3 Flashcards
A chain of events linked by cause and effect and occurring in time and space is referred to as ______.
narrative
A narrative’s chain of events in chronological order is called a ______.
Story
In the Harry Potter series, the main character loses his parents and receives a scar from Voldemort. He develops his skills as a wizard, and as a result is able to defeat Voldemort. What narrative tools are being employed here?
Cause and effect
Patterns of development
In L.A. Confidential, a seemingly meaningless name is used as a moniker for a killer. That same name returns unexpectedly at the end of the film as a clue to the identity of the killer being sought in the film. This is an example of ______.
causal motivation
Which of the following words would NOT be used when describing narrative?
Randomness
At the end of The 400 Blows, Antoine runs away from reformatory school. However, François Truffaut chose to end the film without revealing whether Antoine was caught or not. What narrative device was used in this case?
Withholding effects
Which characteristic defines a chain of events in a story?
Chronology
What is the sequencing of events in a film called?
Story order
In making a film, filmmakers build a plot from a story. How do the two relate for a viewer?
Viewers discover the story by watching the plot unfold.
Why do films often include scenes in the beginning that make sure to highlight the personality and traits of its characters?
To help the viewer sympathize with the character
To help the viewer know the character
Story duration
Plot duration
Screen duration
The several years from the first events described by the characters in the film
The four days and nights of events shown in the film
The 1 hour and 16 minutes from the beginning to the end of the film
Whenever an event transpires in a film, the viewer tries to imagine why it happened or what it is foreshadowing. What is this narrative device called?
Causal motivation
In Caché, a married couple receives an anonymous video that chronicles their daily lives. They spend the duration of the plot attempting to uncover who made the video and why. This is an example of ______.
hidden causes
A filmmaker chooses to open a film with its conclusion before going back in time to tell the rest of the story chronologically. What narrative device is being used here?
Flashback
Plot is ______ that can be rearranged depending on the narrative form.
a sequence of events
The ______ of a film refers to the time span over which the plot unfolds.
duration
Which of the following is not an example of frequency in filmmaking?
Changing the chronology of how events are seen by the viewer
When considering space in terms of film narrative, what should you focus on?
Space that is imagined through its description in the narrative
The locale of the story action
What term refers to a film opening in which the viewer is thrown immediately into action that is already underway?
In medias res
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the narrative focuses on the search for the Ark of the Covenant. What kind of development pattern is this an example of?
Goal-oriented
Directors often repeat names, sounds, or events in a film to present them in differing ways. This device is referred to as ______.
temporal frequency
Which of the following best describes screen space?
The visible space within the frame
Which of the following statements are true about the ending of a film?
The climax of an ending leaves a narrow range of possible outcomes.
The ending of many films coincides with emotional satisfaction.
The ending typically closes off the chains of cause and effect.
Which of the following best describes the setup, or opening, of a film?
An initiation into the narrative
Which of the following creates patterns of development in film narrative?
Cause and effect
Temporal order
Space
In the second half of The Big Sleep, the viewer’s knowledge is restricted to what the protagonist sees or hears. Which of the following best describes why the filmmakers chose that restriction?
To build tension
The documentary Primary chronicles the 1960 primary election in Wisconsin between Hubert Humphrey and John F. Kennedy. The moment when both candidates wait patiently for the winner to be announced represents which part of the film narrative?
Climax
Restricted and unrestricted narration represent two strictly separated categories.
False
D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation sprawls across the United States, across time periods, and across many different characters. What kind of narration is employed?
Unrestricted
Which of the following would be the most likely effect of manipulating the range of story information by restricting narration?
Generating audience curiosity
Directors often repeat names, sounds, or events in a film to present them in differing ways. This device is referred to as ______.
temporal frequency
On what side of the spectrum of objectivity and subjectivity does the point-of-view shot land?
Subjective
Which elements of a character are the audience privy to in perceptual subjectivity?
Sound
Sight
Which of the following, if represented in a film, could provide the audience with mental subjectivity?
Fantasies
Voices
Memories
Thoughts
In the beginning of North by Northwest, our knowledge is confined to what the protagonist, Roger Thornhill, knows. As the films progresses we are brought into the U.S. Intelligence Agency where we learn information Thornhill does not know. What kind of narration is this?
A combination
Which question provides the best understanding of the range of narration of a film?
What do the characters and the audience know and when do they know it?
Which of the following is an example of a filmmaker controlling depth of knowledge with mental subjectivity?
Parallels being drawn between mother and son in a shared flashback
Parallels being drawn between mother and son in a shared flashback
Point-of-view shot
Which of the following is a technique for which filmmakkers use objective narration?
Withholding information
Imagine a shot of a person in hiding watching and listening to a conversation between two other people in the background. The audience sees and hears the same thing. What kind of subjectivity is the audience given?
Perceptual subjectivity
Which of the following statements are true about the narrator in a film?
The narrator may be a character in the story.
The narrator has the role of telling a story.
Imagine a montage of memories intercut into a scene of a character attempting to make a big decision. What kind of subjectivity is at play?
Mental subjectivity
Restricted and unrestricted narration represent two strictly separated categories.
False
The narrative arc of classical Hollywood filmmaking is around change in the protagonist(s). Which of the following represent this change?
Change in attitude or values
Change in situation
What are reasons for a filmmaker to manipulate depth of knowledge about a character?
To help the viewer understand the motivation the character has for his or her behavior
Narrative expectations do NOT exist in the film Citizen Kane because modern audiences do not know the person on whom the film was based, William Randolph Hearst.
False
Julia Loktev builds tension and unease in Day Night Day Night by providing little insight into the psyche and thought process of a woman who voluntarily becomes a suicide bomber. What type of narration is being employed here?
Objective Narration
What role does director Michael Moore play in his documentaries when he includes personal anecdotes and appears on camera during the interviews in his films?
Narrator
How is the life story of Charles Foster Kane organized in the plot of Citizen Kane?
Traced through flashbacks
Told by those closest to Kane
Which of the following is the defining characteristic of the narrative form in classical Hollywood filmmaking?
Personal psychological causes
Why were the expectations so high for Citizen Kane when it was released in 1941?
It was rumored to be about a famous figure of the time.
Why is the causality in Citizen Kane unusual for a Hollywood film?
Vagueness of Kane’s goal
Citizen Kane covers nearly the entire life of Charles Foster Kane, a duration of over 70 years. Which techniques were used to compress that time frame into 120 minutes?
Montage
Ellipses
Newsreels
How does “rosebud” function in the plot of Citizen Kane?
It provides the impetus for the reporter to research Kane.
Which of the following best explains why story lines in the first part of Citizen Kane are shown as flashbacks that are not in chronological order?
They cue the viewer to anticipate events when they are treated later in the film.
The narrative arc of classical Hollywood filmmaking is around change in the protagonist(s). Which of the following represent this change?
Change in situation
Change in attitude or values
In relation to the plot in Citizen Kane, what is the importance of the “News on the March” sequence?
It provides an outline of the events we are about to see unfold.
How does “rosebud” play a role in the causality in Citizen Kane?
It is a reason to learn more about Kane’s life.
Which of the following is an example of motivation in Citizen Kane?
The meaning of “rosebud”
Which event in Citizen Kane represents the use of frequency?
Multiple versions of Susan’s debut in the opera
Which best describes the chronology of events shown in Citizen Kane?
The early part of the film jumps back and forth over many phases of Kane’s life.
Which of the following instances in Citizen Kane parallel with Kane’s failed attempt to achieve success for Susan’s opera career by forcing his journalists to write favorable reviews?
The Inquirer immediately claiming fraud when Kane lost the election
Which shows the progression found in the order of the flashbacks that make up Citizen Kane?
Moving from those who knew Kane early in life to those who knew him late in life
In Citizen Kane, why is the timeline of the “News on the March” sequence particularly significant?
It shows the death of Kane before providing any other information.
It matches the plotting of the film itself.
Who of the following can be considered narrators in Citizen Kane?
Leland
Bernstein
Thatcher
The two major characters in Citizen Kane, Thompson and Kane, are both seeking “rosebud.” In the end, neither succeed. What principle of narrative form does this represent?
Parallelism
Despite being the titular character in Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane is only seen in the present in one scene, his death.
True
