Reflections: At times screen characters seem larger than life and the real world dull and less substantial by comparison. What we see on screen affects our thoughts, values, and the very way we perceive and solve problems. Our entire culture, even our language, has been shaped by TV and film. Most people watch TV and movies more often than they read. The consequences for the society are dramatic in terms of dissemination of information and culture.
Goals: We can employ critical thinking to these two media--and look at the underlying meaning, patterns, stereotypes, and both implicit and explicit messages about how to live and think. We need to see if there are links between what we see on screen and the ownership and control of the media (the power structure). This involves assessing and constructing arguments, drawing inferences, examining film reviews, analyzing films, and looking at the issues around the societal impact of film.
The Seductive Screen: Film and TV
Some "entertaining illusion" provides the viewer with an escape from reality. Some take us into realities we only pictured in nightmares. Some movies show us wimpy, milquetoast men who acquire extraordinary strength and power or female heroes who reduce grown men to pulp. Some have an otherworldly dimension, some are creepy, whereas some are downright nasty, brutish, and cold. At times heroes and villains are clearly distinct; other times the line is blurred. There are villains that make such an impact that they are resuscitated in sequel after sequel. Even flesh-eating convicts who manage to ingratiate themselves as alteregos of detectives and FBI agents become cultural icons.
The Interface between Film and Reality
Films may leave an impression, whether we like it or not. According to bell hooks, media images have so much power that they distort reality and encourage children to seek solace in fantasy (see Reel to Real). As we see in The Republic, Plato expressed a similar idea much earlier. He argued that children are highly impressionable and, thus, we must guard against their exposure to works that might leave a lasting impact. He thought that images, music, and stories create so powerful an effect it can't be eradicated.
Key Concerns
Checklist: Film and Television
- Frame of Reference
- The Mythological Dimension
- The Social Dimension
- Ethical and Spiritual Dimension
- The Justice Dimension
- Philosophical Dimension
Frame of Reference
The vantage point or what is also called the frame of reference influences interpretations and can either reinforce or challenge how we think. This is the answer to the question, "From whose perspective is the story being told?"
The Mythological Dimension
The mythological dimension is found in both TV and film. For instance, heroic journeys; struggles with demons and monsters, gladiators, knights, and other mythic figures; Egyptian mummies; curses; vampires; nightmares; and fantasies keep showing up in TV and film. Myths help us find our way in the world. Facing our fears and the darkness within are part of that mythological history.
Mythological Aspects to Characters
Consider the treatment of men and women on the screen. There are mythological aspects in the characters men portray, such as macho-heroes, bumbling heroes, heroes with a cause, male buddies, villains, and so on. There are also mythological aspects in the characters women portray, such as heroes, nurturing figures, muses, sirens, villains, and so on.
The Social Dimension
It is important to consider the social dimension of film. We can use our critical reasoning skills to examine social issues, such as social structures and political systems, the way individuals deal with a societal framework, the portrayal of families and relationships, the way social problems are solved, and the employment of violence to "resolve" conflict. We need to observe how TV and film families and relationships are structured and unearth assumptions and attitudes. We need to look also at who gets marginalized.
The Ethical and Spiritual Dimension
TV and film expose us to a set of values and beliefs--and some reflect the values of the dominant society. Screen treatments of moral decision making may also have a prescriptive effect. Some people think the impact is limited, that we are bombarded with many potentially conflicting influences. Others believe that the impact of TV and film is great; that both values and behavior are shaped by what we see. Film and TV often present struggles of good vs. evil. Some show battles on a global or cosmic scale.
The Justice Dimension
Issues of justice are expressed in film in the treatment of the law, the legal system, and legal concepts, the portrayal of crime and punishment, reparations and revenge. The political framework needs to be recognized and unpacked; the political dimension of TV and film may or may not be overt. We need to be especially attentive to racist and stereotypical portrayals. We should watch for religious intolerance in the stories and characterizations. If we think there is any way such images and portrayals influence our perceptions of those around us, then justice has not been served. Class issues on the screen are also interesting, particularly since they are usually missing.
The Philosophical Dimension
Films frequently grapple with ideas and questions of meaning. We should watch for philosophical concepts and themes that are raised in films--such as metaphysical issues about what it means to be human, what traits form the basis of our sense of personal identity, how states of consciousness can be shaped or manipulated by outside forces, and how memory can be accessed, distorted, or reconfigured. Some movies touch on philosophical themes like freewill vs. determinism, the search for meaning, what our place in the universe is, how to live in community, and how to confront life/death issues.
The Role of the Reviewer and Reviews
Directors tend to have a love-hate relationship with reviewers. Although a good review can boost a picture, it doesn't guarantee success. Similarly, a movie can be panned by critics and become a big hit nevertheless. Reviewers have a tricky job: they need to make their judgment clear to the reader, give a sense of the story line, and set out reasons for their rating. This must be done succinctly and in a readable and engaging way. Because the review present the film critic's assessment of the film, we need tools of analysis to see what the critic is saying and why.
Key Elements of a Film Review
Key Elements of a Film Review
- A brief plot summary.
- An evaluation or rating.
- Key evidence and assumptions.
- Detail laying out the argument.
- Concluding remarks reiterating the rating.
Assessing Arguments about Films
An assessment of an argument about a film entails the following steps:
Key Guidelines for Assessing Arguments on Films
- Check The Factual Claims.
- Check any Assumptions.
- Check for Exaggeration.
- Check for Omissions.
- Check for Fallacious Reasoning.
- Check the Strength of Reasoning.
The Prescriptive versus Descriptive Debate
A central concern when examining what we see on the screen is what the film tells us about life and any insights we can glean about human nature. Some people think art, and thus film, is prescriptive, in the sense that it sets down social and ethical guidelines for us to follow. For example, people who worry about the effect of film on children and teens subscribe to the view that TV and film can inspire "copy cat" behavior on the part of the viewer.
On the other hand, some people think art (and thus film/TV) is descriptive, in the sense that it reflects, or describes, our society. They would argue that, if a film or TV show touches a nerve, it's because the nerve was already there in the first place, pulsating away in our body politic. We must be careful, however, not to bifurcate. That is, perhaps films and TV shows not only can be said to be prescriptive and descriptive, but there could be other options.
Theories of Interpretation
Conceptual frameworks are like mental headgear--lenses for the mind's eye--coloring what we focus on and how we interpret what we see. Commentators often refer to theories of interpretation using such frameworks by the German word, "hermeneutics." The framework we use to do an interpretation shapes our understanding.
The Thematic Approach to Film and TV
To undertake a thematic study of a movie or a TV show, you could look at one of the following sorts of issues: despair, self-identity, alienation, good versus evil, freedom, the human costs of greed or lust, racism, justice, family disintegration, to name a few. These are all thematic approaches that could be taken to examine a film. When doing a thematic approach, our goal is to be single-minded. Stay focused on the central theme and go into depth, citing examples to back up points. Examine the evidence (the film/the TV show) to find anything, large or small that ties in to the theme. Be careful not to make any assumptions or to rule out any possibilities that may prove valuable in our study of the film.
Aspects of a thematic approach in analyzing a film or TV show are: setting out the theme; characters; relationships among characters, dialogue, music, images and symbols, cinematic elements, settings, and the development of the story line. As much as possible, show the particular theme can be seen in the myriad aspects of the film, drawing from scenes and illustrating by way of example.
Violence on the Screen
On one hand, people decry the amount of violence and, on the other hand, they rush to see it. Many films show graphic murders, heads being decapitated, throats slashed, bodies being impaled, and women being raped and murdered. This is no longer reserved for movies, as TV has now expanded to include such violence. Not much is sacred. Little is off-limits. The scarcity of taboos has caused some people to demand that we rethink our notions of acceptable violence.
Key Questions about Violence on the Screen
→ How much is too much?
→ Does screen violence desensitize us to actual acts of violence?
→ Does screen violence lead to copycats, who commit violence?
→ Should pornography and the portrayal of graphic rape and violence to women and children be off limits?
→ What, if any, censorship should there be? Using what set of criteria? And under whose control?
→ Will censorship of violence lead to censorship of ideas?
Systemic Violence, Collective Violence
Many Native Americans find scenes of the cavalry engaged in a mass killing of Indians painful to watch, a reminder of the betrayal and violence Indians experienced. Images of blacks being lynched may internalize the oppression of African-Americans. Jews may find it disturbing to watch graphic films on the Holocaust. Young Asian, Latino and African-American males may be demoralized by gang-banging stereotypes that fill the screen. Women who see rapes, sexual murders, or torture of young women may be drained, depressed or enraged. Filmmakers often justify their choice of subject matter by citing a "supply and demand" argument. As long as people will pay to see violence, they will make it. Sometimes an audience has no idea of the objectionable or disturbing graphic content of a film (even if they saw the trailers). Few viewers know how or where to voice their concerns.
The Question Of Censorship
With the rewards of profit or industry acclaim, it is not surprising that filmmakers go for blood and gore--or sex--to draw in audiences. But ethical questions remain. Producers often claim the audience sets the limits of acceptability. At this point, most of us are used to seeing violence on the screen. The question is what effect this has had on our collective mentality and morality. Have we become desensitized or psychically numb? Has screen violence contributed to violent crime in the society?