Chapter 1: Looking at Movies
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. In what ways that extend far beyond the multiplex have movies permeated our lives?
a. We watch movies on cable and satellite channels, online, and on our iPads and cell phones; we
buy them at video stores and through the mail; and so on.
b. Half of Americans’ entertainment budgets go toward purchasing movies.
c. Movies have proven their enduring cultural legacy by being the only sector of the entertainment
industry to remain unharmed by the digital revolution.
d. According to research data, movies influence Americans’ opinions about culture and politics more
than any other form of entertainment.
e. Movies are the United States’ number one export.
2. For how long were motion pictures popular before they were considered worthy of serious study?
a. a year or two
b. 10 years
c. 20 years
d. 50 years
e. The serious study of motion pictures made them popular: they weren’t so before.
3. Why are movies worthy of serious study, as opposed to being merely an outlet for escape or
entertainment?
a. Seriously studying movies allows people to better make movies on their own.
b. Seriously studying movies allows people to break the habit of constantly watching them.
c. Seriously studying movies allows people to understand how movies shape the way we view the
world.
d. Seriously studying movies allows people to access the plot synopses of movies they now no longer
have to pay to watch.
e. Seriously studying movies allows people to also understand literature, art, and other cultural areas.
4. Because most movies seek to engage viewers’ emotions and transport them inside the world that is
presented on-screen, the visual vocabulary of film is designed to
a. play on the same instincts that we use to navigate and interpret the visual and aural information of
our “real life.”
b. work against those same instincts that we use to navigate and interpret the visual and aural
information of our “real life.”
c. refer to something else, far outside our usual understanding of “real life.”
d. alienate or distance viewers from what they are watching.
e. cause disorientation and confusion in viewers.
5. As opposed to “film” or “cinema,” the term “movies” is applied to
a. motion pictures considered by critics and scholars to be serious and challenging.
b. groups of films considered to be works of art.
c. the physical spaces where people congregate to watch motion pictures.
d. motion pictures made during the silent era of filmmaking.
e. motion pictures that entertain the masses at the multiplex.
6. Almost all ubiquitous commercial, feature-length movies share the same basic and important
element of
a. genre. d. sound.
b. narrative. e. format.
c. myth.
7. Which type of film strives for objective observed reality?
a. walk-through d. Bollywood film
b. documentary film e. fictional narrative film
c. experimental film
8. The manner in which movies from various countries and societies present their narratives is often
profoundly affected by
a. funding sources. d. propaganda purposes.
b. media coverage. e. Hollywood mimicry.
c. cultural tradition.
9. Movies can diverge from the model of most North American and Western European films by
a. providing dramatic resolution.
b. directly addressing the audience.
c. being produced and marketed by a large commercial studio.
d. arranging subject matter in a cause-and-effect sequence of events.
e. running two hours long and being initially screened in a movie theater.
10. Which of the following is a characteristic of independent films nowadays?
a. They are always unprofitable.
b. They only screen at film festivals.
c. They have crews as small as a single filmmaker.
d. They are only shot digitally.
e. They are less affordable to make.
11. The essential quality that separates movies from all other two-dimensional pictorial art forms is
a. storytelling. d. the arrangement of visual elements.
b. movement. e. the interaction of light and shadow.
c. mechanical technology.
12. Unlike photography and painting, films are constructed from individual
a. laborers. d. shots.
b. performances. e. lighting setups.
c. stories.
13. A shot is best defined as
a. an unbroken span of action captured by an uninterrupted run of a motion-picture camera.
b. an unbroken span of action captured by an interrupted run of a motion-picture camera.
c. a storytelling unit in which action takes place in a single time and location.
d. a collection of scenes united by related thematic or structural material.
e. a lighting setup, prop, gesture, and the like, repeated throughout a movie.
14. The joining together of discrete shots is called
a. mise-en-scène. d. mixing.
b. lighting. e. juxtaposition.
c. editing.
15. One of the unique properties of movies that distinguishes it from any other visual medium is its
capacity to
a. view action from the same angle and relative size.
b. prevent the viewer from witnessing events from multiple vantage points.
c. confine the viewer to a single wide-angle view of the action.
d. see every character at once and continuously.
e. isolate details and juxtapose images within and between shots.
16. As opposed to the theater, how is cinema capable of conveying an object’s physical properties as well
as its narrative significance and emotional meaning?
a. Conveying an object’s physical properties is impossible.
b. only by employing contrived gimmicks that call attention to themselves
c. only by employing awkward shots that take the viewer out of the story
d. via many practical options
e. via limited practical options
17. In the collaborative art of moviemaking, whose role is basically that of the coordinating lead artist?
a. producer d. set designer
b. actor e. director
c. cinematographer
18. Beyond breaking down a movie to identify the tools and techniques that comprise it, film analysis is
also primarily concerned with
a. the movie’s box office gross.
b. the function and potential effect of its combined tools and techniques.
c. how the movie can be neatly categorized in terms of genre or style.
d. how marketable or profitable the movie might have been had it used different tools and techniques.
e. how the movie compares to a given work of literature or painting.
19. The “invisibility” of meaning in movies is largely due to
a. their rapidly and constantly changing images not giving the viewer time to contemplate them.
b. their lack of substantive content.
c. their difficulty and challenging styles and messages.
d. their conflation of real-life action with fictionalized action.
e. their inability to move the viewer emotionally or intellectually.
20. What does a fade-out/fade-in usually convey when used in a narrative film?
a. the film’s beginning d. a flashback
b. the film’s end e. a passage of time in between scenes
c. a dream sequence
21. Techniques such as fade-outs/fade-ins and low-angle shots communicate meaning by
a. contriving a film grammar bearing no similarities to how people perceive reality.
b. only working in concordance with preceding and succeeding shots.
c. solely addressing themselves to seasoned film experts and scholars.
d. drawing on the way in which we automatically interpret visual information in our real lives.
e. constantly confusing and disorienting the viewing audience.
22. What does a low-angle shot usually convey when used in a narrative film?
a. the weakness or subjugated position of a character
b. the dominance or empowered position of a character
c. the neutrality of a character
d. the centrality of a character within the story
e. the natural beauty of a character
23. In order to exploit cinema’s capacity for transporting audiences into the world of the story, the
commercial filmmaking process stresses
a. a rough, disruptive style.
b. foregrounding and calling attention to transitions between shots and scenes.
c. the maximization of any distractions that might remind viewers they are watching a movie.
d. elements having nothing to do with the major concerns of the narrative.
e. a polished continuity of lighting, performance, costume, makeup, and movement.
24. One of the most common editing techniques designed to hide the instantaneous and potentially jarring
shift from one camera viewpoint to another is
a. montage. d. the high-angle shot.
b. cutting on action. e. the low-angle shot.
c. direct address.
25. How have motion pictures been recently liberated from the imposed impermanence that helped foster
cinematic invisibility?
a. by decreasing in cultural importance
b. by directly addressing political issues
c. by being available on and through DVD, DVR, and streaming video
d. by increasingly being produced with digital technology
e. by being meticulously archived and catalogued
26. In order to entertain and not provoke its customers, the film industry usually favors stories and themes
that
a. upset and question their most fundamental desires and beliefs.
b. bear a superficial relation to their most fundamental desires and beliefs.
c. actively avoid addressing their most fundamental desires and beliefs.
d. tap into and reinforce their most fundamental desires and beliefs.
e. compare their most fundamental desires and beliefs to those of others.
27. In regard to viewers’ shared belief systems, how can movies deemed “controversial” or “provocative”
be popular with audiences?
a. by tricking them with a misleading advertising campaign
b. by triggering emotional responses from viewers that reinforce yearnings that lie deep within
c. by arousing viewers’ curiosity to see something shocking
d. by addressing taboos in a graphic and explicit manner
e. by starring famous actors and actresses, as controversial movies without such star power inevitably
fail
28. Why is cultural invisibility not always a calculated decision on the part of filmmakers?
a. because they don’t know any better
b. because they aren’t skilled enough in crafting movies
c. because they misjudge the reactions of their audience
d. because they often have to make movies according to monetary rather than aesthetic concerns
e. because they are products of the same society inhabited by their intended audience
29. Juno adheres to cultural invisibility by
a. championing a protagonist who rejects convention yet ultimately upholds the traditional
institutions she seemingly scorns.
b. chastising a protagonist who rejects convention yet ultimately upholds the traditional institutions
she seemingly scorns.
c. championing a protagonist who accepts convention yet ultimately rejects the traditional
institutions she seemingly scorns.
d. chastising a protagonist who accepts convention yet ultimately rejects the traditional institutions
she seemingly scorns.
e. failing to resolve its protagonist’s attitude toward convention and traditional institutions.
30. Even as Juno seems to call into question some of contemporary America’s attitudes about family, it
also
a. refuses to take itself seriously by employing low-brow humor.
b. calls into question some of contemporary America’s attitudes about politics.
c. appeals to an arguably more fundamental American value of robust individualism.
d. represents a wide diversity of kinds of family.
e. suggests the individual should have less significance within the family.
31. Implicit meaning is best defined as ________, while explicit meaning is best defined as ________.
a. meaning available on the surface of the movie; a deep-level association, connection, or inference
b. a deep-level association, connection, or inference; meaning available on the surface of the movie
c. meaning unavailable on the surface of the movie; a deep-level association, connection, or
inference
d. meaning available on the surface of the movie; a superficial-level association, connection, or
inference
e. meaning unconnected to the movie; meaning connected to the movie
32. One way of thinking about implicit meaning is understanding it as a movie’s
a. overall message or a “point.” d. impact on audiences.
b. central character. e. financial success or failure.
c. genre.
33. In order to possess validity, the interpretation of a movie needs to be
a. agreed upon by everybody.
b. completely original.
c. a fantastical reordering of basic story information.
d. grounded in the explicitly presented details of the surface story.
e. completely unrelated to the surface story.
34. Just as explicit and implicit meanings need not pertain to the movie as a whole, not all implicit
meaning is
a. relevant.
b. valid.
c. interesting.
d. tied to broad messages or themes.
e. tied to small-scale messages or themes.
35. In the scene from Juno in which the main character applies lipstick before visiting Mark, the
implications of this action are
a. explicit.
b. implicit.
c. unimportant to the overall narrative.
d. intended to be the most significant detail in the film.
e. accidental.
36. Because movies are rich in plot detail, a good analysis must begin by
a. disregarding such detail.
b. sorting through the details and extracting the most important among them.
c. immediately mining for implicit meaning.
d. comparing the details to those of other movies.
e. taking into account the breadth and diversity of what has been explicitly presented.
37. Which of the following does NOT provide an example of how movies relate to viewer expectations?
a. A movie unsuccessfully exploits a standard structure.
b. A movie masterfully surprises or misleads its audience.
c. A movie goes over budget and thus fails to make a profit at the box office.
d. A movie deliberately confounds its audience’s presumption of continuity and narrative.
e. A movie adheres to a winning formula in which a protagonist pursues a goal by confronting
obstacles.
38. Audience expectations specific to a particular performer can inform an analysis of
a. how we approach a character type in one of his or her films.
b. how the performer’s artistic choices are random and never thematically linked.
c. the personal motives governing the performer’s investment in particular projects.
d. the editing strategies employed in the film.
e. what a particular performer or filmmaker intends for each shot of a movie.
39. Which of the following would NOT be an appropriate element to comparatively analyze across a
director’s body of work?
a. production design d. recurring themes
b. lighting e. critical reception
c. special effects
40. Formal analysis is the analytical approach primarily concerned with
a. the socioeconomic factors influencing the content of a movie.
b. the means by which a subject is expressed.
c. the industry dynamics that determine the circumstances of a movie’s production.
d. the overall trajectory of a filmmaker’s body of work.
e. the history and evolution of a specific film style, genre, or movement.
41. Movie meaning is expressed through form in which of the following ways?
a. mood, tone, budget d. location, tone, marketing
b. tone, location, significance e. budget, marketing, mood
c. location, significance, budget
42. Before attempting any interpretation of the formal elements used to communicate intended meaning to
the spectator, the analyst should carefully consider
a. the popularity of the movie.
b. the marketing campaign of the movie.
c. the critical reception of the movie.
d. the narrative intent of the moment, scene, or sequence in the movie.
e. the previous work of the filmmaker(s) who made the movie.
43. The simple awareness that Juno’s opening shot is the first image of the movie informs the analyst of
the moment’s
a. evocation of setting and time.
b. relative unimportance to the rest of the narrative events.
c. function as the credit sequence.
d. low budget.
e. resonance in the context of the director’s other work.
44. The waiting room scene in Juno depends significantly on ________ to function effectively.
a. shock value
b. the dispensation of all mainstream film conventions
c. complicated and disorienting point–of-view shots
d. an antipathy toward abortion
e. editing patterns
45. A cultural analysis of the blue-collar occupations of Juno’s parents and the white-collar professionals
who want to adopt her baby would explore the movie’s treatment of
a. race. d. sexuality.
b. class. e. gender.
c. ethnicity.
46. Alternative approaches to film analysis (approaches other than formal analysis) look at movies more as
________ than as traditional works of art.
a. mysterious phenomena d. meaningless entertainment
b. digital exercises e. stylistic experiments
c. cultural artifacts
47. Alternative approaches to film analysis search beneath a movie’s form and content in order to expose
a. the movie as ultimately without value.
b. the filmmakers as ideologically corrupt.
c. moviegoers as manipulated dupes of the movie’s political agenda.
d. implicit and hidden meanings that inform our understanding of cinema’s function within popular
culture.
e. the entire entertainment industry as unsuspectingly subject to outside influences.
48. Which of the following approaches might explore the historical, cultural, or imaginary origins of the
highly stylized slang spouted in Juno?
a. feminist d. societal
b. linguistic e. cultural
c. directorial
49. Which of the following would be considered a comparative analysis of Juno’s attitude toward
“illegitimate” pregnancy?
a. an analysis of the movie as well as others made by the same director
b. an analysis of the movie as well as others throughout film history that also deal with pregnancy
c. an analysis of the movie’s successful adherence to a three-act screenplay structure
d. an analysis of the creative and ideological contributions of the movie’s screenwriter, Diablo Cody
e. an analysis of the movie’s budget compared to blockbuster films
50. Which of the following would NOT be illuminated by a comparative analysis of a movie?
a. how certain movies represent a particular era’s cultural attitudes
b. how the relative gender of different films’ creators affects their representation of cultural attitudes
c. the differences between American and European cinematic sensibilities
d. the differences between genres using the same topical premise
e. the repeated use of a color palette in a specific movie
51. Why would an analysis of the way Juno uses editing techniques similar to those among other
contemporary movies be considered a valid one?
a. because it automatically implies that Juno is a derivative work of art
b. because it approaches the movie in strictly formal terms
c. because it combines formal and comparative analyses
d. because it separates the film’s editing from all other aspects of its aesthetic
e. because it divorces the film from its cultural context
52. An analysis of the decidedly different characters, settings, and stories among an array of contemporary
dramatic comedies dealing with pregnancy might reveal
a. the reason why certain genres can never successfully depict a certain subject.
b. current ideas about women and motherhood.
c. the answer to a troubling social problem.
d. the most efficacious way to make such a film within the Hollywood system.
e. which film audiences will respond to most.
53. Besides the Star Wars films, which other film series features significant figurative or literal character
growth?
a. Lord of the Rings d. Harry Potter
b. Pirates of the Caribbean e. Superman
c. The Hunger Games
54. The narrative origins of Luke Skywalker and Rey can be found in the fundamental story structure
called the ________ by mythologist Joseph Campbell.
a. hero’s journey d. sympathetic quest
b. multimyth e. Hollywood formula
c. villain’s sacrifice
55. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is structured like a plot from what Hollywood genre?
a. thriller d. melodrama
b. Western e. film noir
c. war film
56. What device functions as a talisman, which is central to the films’ application of the universal story
structure known as the monomyth, in every Star Wars trilogy?
a. R2–D2 d. the Millennium Falcon
b. Chewbacca e. the lightsaber
c. X-wing fighters
57. The latest wave of Star Wars films is decidedly forward looking in what significant way?
a. casting d. marketing
b. special effects e. editing
c. sound design
58. General Leia Organa’s statement to the swashbuckling pilot Poe, “Not every problem can be solved by
jumping in an X-wing and blowing stuff up,” is a reference to what gendered dynamic in The Last
Jedi?
a. the failure of new Star Wars women to understand the power of self-examination
b. the inability of Star Wars men to learn from their mistakes
c. the courage of Star Wars men charging into conflict without considering the inevitable
consequences
d. the weakness of Star Wars women in running away from their problems
e. the incapacity of Star Wars women to face their own emotions
59. According to Box Office Mojo, who made up 43 percent of the audience for the opening weekend of
The Last Jedi?
a. fans d. twenty-somethings
b. teenagers e. men.
c. women
60. The Bechdel test is an evaluative tool for ________ in the Star Wars trilogies.
a. entertainment d. naturalism
b. expressionism e. feminism
c. genre
ESSAY
1. For what reasons is it important to study and analyze movies as more than mere “entertainment”?
2. Explain some reasons why popular cinema came to be dominated by movies devoted to telling
fictional stories. What are the specific qualities of the cinematic medium and our cultural traditions
that brought about such an emphasis on narrative?
3. Define and explain three characteristics of the cinematic medium that set it apart from all other two–
dimensional visual art forms.
4. What is cinematic “invisibility”? What are some of the techniques that allow it to function so
proficiently, and how do these work?
5. What is “cultural invisibility,” and what are some of the ways in which filmmakers exploit it for their
movies?
6. Using Juno as an example, explain the difference between explicit and implicit meaning.
7. Discuss some of the ways in which viewer expectations are generated by movies.
8. Explain how expectations specific to a particular performer like Michael Cera inform the way viewers
perceive his role in Juno.
9. Explain some of the several meanings contained in the opening two shots of Juno, especially in regard
to how the film conveys basic storytelling information as well as how it evokes the main character’s
state of mind.
10. Explain how certain camera movements, shot selections, and elements of sound design allow viewers
to understand what the main character is thinking in the abortion clinic sequence in Juno.
11. How might an alternative analysis place Juno within the context of director Jason Reitman’s career?
12. How might one construct an argument that Juno advocates a pro-life message?
13. What genre do the Star Wars films belong to?
14. In what ways did George Lucas engineer the Star Wars series for universal appeal?
15. In what ways is the latest wave of Star Wars films multiethnic?