How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay of a Film Text

Jonathan Friesen - Writing Coach

paragraph 1:  offer your overall impression of the film while mentioning the movie's title, director, and key actors. paragraph 2:  summarize the plot of the film paragraph 3: how did the actors portray key character roles?  did they fulfill your expectations given your knowledge of the original novel or play if one exists ? paragraph 4:  were any particular film techniques used in key scenes?  how did the film techniques anmd music enhance the setting and themes of the film?  you may need two paragraphs to explain this information. paragraph 5: address how well the film represents the novel or play.  offer evidence for your opinion. Remember to mention use of symbols and literary devices.  do they transfer from the novel/play into the movie well? paragraph 6. Ending paragraph your last opportunity to guide the reader.  offer a clincher that tells the reader to attend the film or not. Adams,  baltimore, 2001. shot: continuous, unedited piece of film of any length scene: a series of shots that together form a complete episode or unit of the narrative storyboard: drawn up when designing a production. The editing together of a large number of shots with no intention of creating a continuous reality.

A montage is often used to compress time, and montage shots are linked through a unified sound either a voiceover or a piece of music. parallel action : narrative strategy that crosscuts between two or more separate actions to create the illusion that they are occurring simultaneously long shot: overall view from a distance of whole scene often used as an establishing shot to set scene. Middle distance shot can give background information while still focusing on subject. tracking shot : single continuous shot made with a camera moving along the ground reverse shot : shot taken at a 180 degree angle from the preceding shot reverse shot editing is commonly used during dialogue, angle is often 120 to 160 degrees subjective shot p.o.v. In writing this critical analysis, the writer has considered purpose and audience. The paragraph is relatively free of errors in spelling, grammar, usage, mechanics, and manuscript form.

Sample outline for a critical essay the following is a basic outline of a critical essay, the kind that might be written in a composition, literature, or film class. In this case, the writer is analyzing the meaning of particular symbols in a short story and film. Keep in mind that this is only one kind of possible organization there are several ways to structure an essay effectively. Always check with your instructor if you are unsure about the organization of your essay. Title: symbols of freedom in stephen king's story rita hayworth and shawshank redemption and frank darabont's film the shawshank redemption. Thesis statement: in their different version of shawshank redemption, author stephen king and director frank darabont make distinctions between freedom and captivity using a bird, a library, and a poster as symbols of freedom and justice. Introduction the theme of freedom contrast freedom with the idea of unfair imprisonment a bird, a library, and a poster as symbols of the human spirit, longing for community, and rebirth ii.

The bird as the struggle of andy dufesne's human spirit bird as a universal symbol of freedom caging the bird is a metaphor for andy's false imprisonment jake's different fates in the book and the film: warning and hope i. The library as a symbol for community the library as a place of freedom within the prison in the film the shawshank redemption, directed by frank darabont the purpose of the beginning sequence is to introduce us to andy dufresne and his situation being accused of the murder of his wife and her lover. This sequence uses lighting, music, sound and camera work to show us andy’s struggle. The most of his incarceration time, finds himself and friends, and eventually escapes. Synopsisthe shawshank redemption is a dual protagonist film based on the novella rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption by world famous author stephen king. If you enjoy watching movies, you would most probably like to know how to write a critical analysis of a film. Critical analysis refers to a subjective form of writing in which the author evaluates or critiques the work of another person.

The work that is critiqued or evaluated can be a film, an essay, a book, a painting or any other creative work. The aim of writing a critical analysis is to enhance the understanding of the work by the reader.  it is important to note that critical analysis of a film is different from a movie review. A movie review is just about watching a film passively while a critical analysis entails engaging on a level that surpasses mere storytelling. While writing a critical analysis of a film, you should always remember that this writing is subjective because it should express your evaluation or opinion of the film. Therefore, your analysis should depict two major aspects: studying and critiquing. here are the steps to follow when writing a critical analysis of a film: at this step, you watch the film severally to get its gist.

This is very important because it enables you to understand different aspects of the film which is crucial in writing a good critical analysis paper. To watch the film critically implies that you must watch it severally and take notes while watching it. If you are watching the film using a dvd player or a computer, rewind and pause to understand crucial parts of the movie. This is very important because it will enable you to come up with a strong critical analysis essay. For instance, you can focus on how the film was photographed, how a sequence in the film relates to a broader cinematic concept, how the film relates to a specific historical event dramatically without compromising facts. You can also focus on the use of various devices such as dramatic irony and overlapping dialogue.