Structure of The Film

John Winkler

Film Theory

Midterm question 2

11/8/11

The Structure of The Film

In this chapter Eisenstein explains the importance of structure in films.

·      The structure faces the problem of portraying an attitude toward the thing portrayed.

·      Composition is what gives the active means of portraying this.

·      Little has been written on the role of composition in cinema.

In a film there must be a base of human emotions interplaying with human experience, that structural approaches and compositional construction’s can be built off of.

·      Explains how character and emotion/mood of film coincide.

·      Ex: If character is feeling joy, then the mood must be joyous. Fast paced and up-tempo music, with bright lighting and colors, etc.

·      Ex: If character is feeling depressed, the mood must be depressive. Low music, dark lighting, dark/dull colors, etc.

The emotion of the film will coincide with the emotion of the spectator.     

·      "The event, as it is unfolded on the screen according to a timetable of the running of this or that passion, thrown back from the screen involves, the emotions of the spectator according to the same timetable."

·      Which means, the passion or emotion that manifesting as the story is unfolding is going to affect the spectator with the same build of emotion at the same appropriate times.

·      Eisenstein claimed "this is the secret of genuinely emotional effect on real composition."

·       

Features, like music and lighting are used to portray human emotion. Human emotion is a key part to the structure of a film, or any work of art in general.

Genuine organic-ness of the ideas and emotions expressed in the fil