Chapter 1: What is a Movie?

Chapter Overview

Like other languages, cinematic language is made up of systems and conventions that allow communication. Think of Chapter One as a “big picture” introduction to the general principles of that language, and the rest of the book as a more detailed explanation of those principles.

The first concept that the chapter introduces is the relationship between form and content.  Make sure that you understand the implications of the interrelationship between these two things. Don’t skip over the example on page 5 (various sculptures of a nude male). It makes very clear how form and content depend on and affect each other. If you understand this example, you can feel confident that you understand the concept.

The chapter next explains some of the features of film form, including its use of patterns and rhythms to manipulate our expectations and responses. Later chapters will explain in more detail how filmmakers create patterns and rhythms; the point in Chapter One is simply to demonstrate that these patterns and rhythms have an effect on our viewing experience.

Another major concept that you should understand before moving on to later chapters is verisimilitude—the quality that convinces us that the world portrayed onscreen is convincing and believable. Make sure that you understand this word and its relationship to the related but distinct concepts of realism and anti-realism

Like other academic subjects, the study of film has produced a taxonomy of its subject (a taxonomy is simply a division of the subject into categories), so the last third of the chapter—“Types of Movies”—gives you an overview of the various ways movies can be classified. The most general division of “types” is fiction (or narrative), nonfiction, and experimental. All films fall into one of these three categories. Within the category of narrative film, genres designate types of film that are defined by narrative and stylistic traits.