Critical_Perspective1评论性的观点.doc

Critical Perspectives Introduction The pleasure of watching a film comes as much its content as from its formal properties. Cinema that is sophisticated in form but lacking in content is insipid, depthless, and ultimately unfulfilling. Traditional way of approaching content is through analysis of “theme.” Theme is the controlling idea, and it guides the organization of all the other elements of the film. Film theory provides an alternative set of critical approaches that may be employed in the interpretation of film. The main theoretical approaches are theories of the auteur, structuralism theories, theories deriving from feminism and gender studies, psychoanalytic theories, and theories attempting to unravel the ideology of film. Think about these theories can bring a subtlety and complexity to one’s understanding of the broader issues surrounding the phenomenon of cinema. Defining “Theme” Stated simply, the theme of a film is its main point; it is what the scriptwriter and director want to tell us. In more precise terms, theme is the controlling idea of the film. This idea takes the form of a generalized comment about life – a special understanding of human experience that has significance beyond the specific narrative and the individual lives of the characters who act within it. In addition to constituting a general comment about life, the theme is also the central and controlling idea; it unifies the film and makes it intellectually and emotionally coherent. Theme is not a peripheral or momentary observation cast off by one of the characters, nor is it a side effect of the narrative. It is that center of gravity around which all the other elements of the film imperceptibly revolve. Nevertheless, a film cannot be reduced to its theme. A film is a work of art, not a philosophical treatise or speculative essay. A work of art, when it conveys an idea, must convey that idea artistically. This means that we should not expect to find a film’s theme spelt out to us u