Chapter 10: Film History
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The four traditional approaches to film history are
a. aesthetic, technological, economic, and social.
b. technological, historical, financial, and international.
c. pre-cinema, aesthetic, neo-cinema, and contemporary.
d. geographical, social, cultural, and political.
e. domestic, international, technological, and social.
2. A term synonymous with the aesthetic approach to film history is the
a. artistic approach. d. great director.
b. narrative approach. e. auteur approach.
c. masterpiece approach.
3. Of all the arts, cinema seems to rely most heavily on
a. cultural influences. d. marketing.
b. artistic movements. e. technology.
c. changing social attitudes.
4. In addition to studying the studio system, historians who take the economic approach toward the film
industry also take into account
a. censorship and the rating system. d. lighting styles.
b. on-screen stereotypes. e. screenwriters.
c. directors and genres.
5. The social approach to film history attempts to establish a link between motion pictures and
a. technology and science. d. government, religion, and labor.
b. the global marketplace. e. financial and critical success.
c. character development.
6. A device that projects an exterior image onto one side of a darkened room is called a
a. lens. d. heliograph.
b. camera obscura. e. silhouette projector.
c. glass-plate.
7. William Henry Fox Talbot’s greatest contribution to photography was
a. glass-plate negatives.
b. fixing an image on transparent material.
c. mass production of photoreactive chemicals.
d. the photosensitive copper plate.
e. the camera lens.
8. By drastically reducing ________, gelatin-covered paper made it possible for photographers to capture
action spontaneously.
a. copper d. hyposulfite thiosulfate
b. sunlight e. the thickness of glass film
c. exposure time
9. The development of ________ served as the bridge between still photography and cinematography.
a. series photography d. negative projection
b. motion capture cameras e. heliography
c. gelatin emulsion
10. The ________ was the first motion picture camera.
a. fusil photographique d. magic lantern
b. Cinématographe e. Kinetograph
c. Kinetoscope
11. Not only could the Cinématographe operate as a motion picture camera and film printer, it also served
as
a. a film studio. d. an editor.
b. a projector. e. a peephole viewer.
c. a sound recorder.
12. The films of French magician and filmmaker Georges Méliès are best known for their innovative use
of
a. color film. d. special effects.
b. crosscutting. e. flashbacks.
c. close-ups.
13. Who is credited with advancing the development of the narrative film and the production of the first
“Western”?
a. Thomas Edison d. Louis Lumière
b. Georges Méliès e. G. A. Smith
c. Edwin S. Porter
14. The classical Hollywood style is built upon the principle of
a. parallel action. d. invisibility.
b. cinematic innovation. e. genre pictures.
c. discontinuity.
15. The transition from short films to feature-length movies led to an emphasis on the quality of
a. mise-en-scène, cinematography, acting, and editing.
b. movie stars and complex narratives.
c. the structure of the screenplay.
d. movie palaces and early sound systems.
e. the characters’ dialogue.
16. The most important and stylistically influential director during the early years of Hollywood
filmmaking was
a. Edwin S. Porter. d. King Vidor.
b. D. W. Griffith. e. Alice Guy Blaché.
c. Erich von Stroheim.
17. Although a commercial and groundbreaking success, why did The Birth of a Nation (1915) spark
nationwide controversy upon its release?
a. It was the longest film ever produced.
b. It was the most expensive film ever produced.
c. It featured a graphic reenactment of Lincoln’s assassination.
d. Its content was overtly racist.
e. It “borrowed” cinematic techniques developed by other filmmakers.
18. German expressionist film reflected an atmosphere of ________ in post–World War I Germany.
a. despair and self-reflection
b. national pride
c. fascism
d. revolution
e. cynicism, alienation, and disillusionment
19. Which film genre was most notably influenced by German expressionism?
a. sci–fi d. film noir
b. melodrama e. musical
c. screwball
20. In addition to differences in narrative, what distinguishes Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922)
from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)?
a. natural light versus artificial light
b. long takes versus rapid cuts
c. still versus moving cameras
d. stylized versus naturalistic acting
e. cinematic effects versus graphic effects
21. The intent of dada and surrealism is to shock the viewer with the ________ juxtapositions of images.
a. predictable d. seamless
b. conventional e. logical
c. unexpected
22. Many films of the 1920s French avant-garde movement emphasized ________, which is based on the
idea that a person’s fate is determined by heredity and environment.
a. naturalism d. Marxism
b. free will e. radicalism
c. surrealism
23. Which dreamlike French avant-garde film was created by Spanish artists Luis Buñuel and Salvador
Dalí?
a. Ballet mécanique (1924)
b. The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
c. An Andalusian Dog (1929)
d. The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
e. Viridiana (1961)
24. The power of montage, as expressed by Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s, lies in its ability to
a. create a seamless narrative.
b. internalize a character’s troubled emotions.
c. elicit subjective point of view.
d. manipulate the viewer’s perception and understanding.
e. confuse the viewer.
25. Which Soviet filmmaker is considered as important and innovative as D. W. Griffith?
a. Lev Kuleshov d. Vsevolod I. Pudovkin
b. Sergei Eisenstein e. Konstantin Stanislavsky
c. Dziga Vertov
26. Which film by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein is considered his most influential and important?
a. Battleship Potemkin (1925) d. Strike (1925)
b. Alexander Nevsky (1938) e. Que Viva México (1930–1932)
c. Mother (1926)
27. Which famous director in 1931 failed to complete Que Viva México, an epic account of Mexico’s
history, leaving a large Marxist influence on subsequent Mexican cinema?
a. D. W. Griffith d. Josef von Sternberg
b. Sergei Eisenstein e. Germaine Dulac
c. Orson Welles
28. The Jazz Singer (1927) is historically significant because it featured several scenes with
a. slow motion. d. a musical score.
b. montage. e. color.
c. synchronous dialogue.
29. Why would the original release of Baby Face (1933) have run into problems with the Breen Office had
it been released after July 1, 1934?
a. It featured scenes of excessive violence.
b. its negative depiction of religion
c. The female protagonist was a stereotype.
d. It featured nudity.
e. the overt sexual behavior of its female protagonist
30. In 1934, Joseph Breen became the head of the ________, which was created in 1934 by the Motion
Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) to self-regulate movie content.
a. Hays Office
b. Production Code Administration
c. New York State Censorship Board
d. Motion Picture Association of America
e. Studio Censorship Bureau
31. Which first-time filmmaker created a masterpiece that broke many of the cinematic conventions of
Hollywood’s golden age?
a. Victor Fleming d. Orson Welles
b. Alfred E. Green e. Bryan Foy
c. Alan Crosland
32. Cinematographer Gregg Toland achieved a high degree of cinematic realism in Citizen Kane (1941)
through the use of lighting, deep-space composition, and
a. framing. d. location-shooting.
b. editing. e. soft focus.
c. deep-focus cinematography.
33. What historical event led to the revitalization of Italian cinema and the emergence of the Italian
neorealism movement?
a. the defeat and eventual execution of Benito Mussolini
b. the commercial success of Italian films during World War II
c. the founding of an Italian national film school
d. the artistic superiority of French films
e. the proliferation of large and lavish Italian production facilities
34. Italian neorealist films used actual locations, natural lighting, deep-space cinematography, and
________ to maintain an air of realism.
a. complex working methods d. storylines about the upper class
b. nonprofessional actors e. Italian cinematic conventions
c. short takes
35. How did the Italian government influence the decline of Italian neorealism?
a. It reduced taxes on foreign movies.
b. It subsidized Hollywood films.
c. It encouraged the proliferation of foreign films.
d. It subsidized domestic films that focused on postwar Italy’s prosperity.
e. It banned movies that were critical of the government.
36. One of the driving forces behind the emergence of the French New Wave movement was ________,
which seeks to make individuals more responsible for their actions.
a. naturalism d. surrealism
b. nihilism e. existentialism
c. expressionism
37. French filmmaker Alexandre Astruc’s insistence that directors use the camera as personally as a
novelist uses a pen was the inspiration for what eventually became
a. montage. d. kino-pravda.
b. French expressionism. e. poetic realism.
c. the auteur theory.
38. What element of filmmaking does Truffaut’s adoration of such directors as Jean Renoir, Alfred
Hitchcock, and Orson Welles seem to negate?
a. dialogue d. mise-en-scène
b. collaboration e. acting
c. lighting
39. French New Wave filmmaker Claude Chabrol studied the films of what Hollywood director to learn
the effect of suspense?
a. Alfred Hitchcock d. Fritz Lang
b. Orson Welles e. John Ford
c. Howard Hawks
40. Why do Jean-Luc Godard’s French New Wave films from the early 1960s still look modern to today’s
audiences?
a. He used advanced motion picture cameras.
b. French New Wave techniques are still used by contemporary filmmakers.
c. Many of the films’ subjects remain topical.
d. He used highly sensitive color film stock.
e. Actors were trained in a naturalistic style.
41. Filmmaking that seeks to express the identity of the filmmaker’s country is called a ________ cinema.
a. new wave d. cultural
b. political e. national
c. patriotic
42. Many of the new wave movements pursued by postwar European filmmakers stressed
a. continuity in editing. d. psychological truth.
b. Hollywood filmmaking styles. e. complex political ideology.
c. social realism.
43. Inspired by the Free Cinema movement, ________ was the first major British film to explore
homosexuality in contemporary English society.
a. Victim (1961) d. The Servant (1963)
b. Room at the Top (1959) e. Kes (1969)
c. We Are the Lambeth Boys (1958)
44. Free Cinema, Dogme 95, Das neue Kino, and other new wave movements sought to break from
cinematic conventions, revitalize filmmaking, and
a. increase profits.
b. reduce the influence of the director.
c. nationalize filmmaking.
d. explore cinema as a subject in itself.
e. shock audiences.
45. Which of the following was NOT a requirement for Danish filmmakers who agreed to “The Vow of
Chastity”?
a. All shooting must take place on location.
b. No use of flashbacks is allowed.
c. Plots must never revolve around murder.
d. The camera must remain stationary.
e. The film must be shot on Academy 35mm color film stock.
46. Prior to 1990, East German film production remained under the control of
a. West Germany. d. France.
b. the Soviet Union. e. Great Britain.
c. Hollywood studios.
47. The founders of the Das neue Kino movement believed that revitalization of the German cinema
required recognizing both the divisive effects of Germany’s Nazi past and
a. German nationalism.
b. French avant-garde cinema.
c. the importance of East German filmmakers.
d. commercial exploitation.
e. postwar Germany as a divided country.
48. Films of Japan’s Nuberu Bagu movement include what two notable characteristics?
a. romance and murder
b. humor and self-reflection
c. brutality and nihilism
d. violence and comedy
e. nationalism and black and white imagery
49. Following the death of Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976, films of the People’s
Republic of China have
a. adhered more closely to communist ideology.
b. taken on traditionally taboo subjects.
c. directly challenged authority.
d. featured action-driven plots with an emphasis on martial arts.
e. focused less on individuals and more on the community.
50. The formal characteristics of wuxia and kung fu styles of Hong Kong filmmaking include spectacular
studio settings and
a. disjointed editing techniques. d. desaturated color palette.
b. foreign-born actors. e. static imagery.
c. naturalistic lighting.
51. Hong Kong director John Woo’s carefully choreographed scenes of violent action were inspired by the
violent films of
a. Orson Welles. d. Jean-Luc Godard.
b. John Ford and Howard Hawks. e. Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah.
c. the Wachowskis.
52. Which Taiwanese director has had success in both his native country and Hollywood?
a. Hsaio-hsien Hou d. Ang Lee
b. Edward Yang e. Stan Lai
c. Tsai Ming-liang
53. If a socially provocative film produced in Chennai, India, is successful with audiences in southern
India, why might it never find success with Mumbai audiences in the north?
a. The Indian distribution system is too restrictive.
b. Mumbai audiences are not interested in Indian cinema.
c. Mumbai audiences speak a different dialect and prefer Bollywood-produced musicals.
d. Regional censorship boards may ban it.
e. The storylines may be too complex for Mumbai audiences.
54. Which Italian neorealist film directly inspired Satyajit Ray to make the Apu Trilogy, a series of films
that chronicles the everyday life of an Indian family?
a. Umberto (1952) d. Rome, Open City (1945)
b. The Bicycle Thieves (1948) e. Shoeshine (1946)
c. Ossessione (1943)
55. Although Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, and Satyajit Ray are all Bengalese filmmakers with international
success, what distinguishes Ghatak’s and Sen’s films from Ray’s?
a. Their works are not considered part of the “new Indian cinema.”
b. Their films focus on the individual over the political.
c. Their films reflect their political views.
d. Their films avoid socially provocative subjects.
e. Their films were not accepted by Western audiences.
56. A pre-sound era consisting of experiments with cinematic technique and subject matter, followed by a
golden age of popular filmmaking that lapses into the state-funded production of sociopolitical film is
a historical pattern largely applicable to what cinema region?
a. Latin America d. Germany and Austria
b. Middle East and North Africa e. China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
c. United States and Canada
57. How did independent movie producers of the 1960s, looking to hire film artists, benefit from the
collapse of the studio system?
a. They were able to hire artists from anywhere in the world.
b. Artists’ salaries were more affordable.
c. Competition from television created a labor surplus.
d. Audiences shied away from studio pictures.
e. Independent financing became less complex.
58. What effect did the reception of Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise (1984) have on independent
film production?
a. It made it more difficult for independent films to find audiences.
b. It diverted financing from studio pictures.
c. It ushered in an era of minimalist films.
d. It revitalized the foreign film market in the united states.
e. It encouraged independent film production.
59. The framing, lighting, and experimental use of color utilized by emerging cinematographers of the
New American Cinema were drawn from ________ filmmaking techniques.
a. classic Hollywood d. European
b. naturalistic e. Soviet
c. French New Wave
60. Which movie is considered the masterpiece of the Italian neorealism movement?
a. Luchino Visconti’s Ossessione (1943)
b. Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, Open City (1945)
c. Vittorio De Sica’s Shoeshine (1946)
d. Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thieves (1948)
e. Jean–Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s L’Enfant (2005)
61. Which Japanese film features four different points of view and is credited with the birth of Japan’s
golden age of cinema?
a. The Life of Oharu (1952) d. Ikuru (1952)
b. Seven Samurai (1954) e. Late Spring (1954)
c. Rashomon (1950)
ESSAY
1. In addition to movies, what other artifacts might film historians use in their research?
2. Explain the similarities and differences between aesthetic and economic approaches to studying film
history?
3. Describe the basic components of Thomas Edison’s Black Maria, considered the first motion picture
studio.
4. Citing the works of Thomas Edison, William Laurie Dickson, and others, explain how historic
milestones such as the invention of movies are seldom the result of a single inventor or development.
1894. It used plastic film stock mass produced by George Eastman in 1889. To view the first motion
pictures, Edison and Dickson developed a peephole device, the Kinetoscope. Almost at the same time,
5. How did D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) influence the evolution of the feature film and
help develop “classical Hollywood cinema”?
6. What key factors led to the demise of the German expressionistic film movement?
7. Explain what Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein meant by “montage of attractions” and how this
approach differed from the classical Hollywood style.
8. Why did most films produced during Hollywood’s golden age lack the cinematic innovations that
swept Europe?
9. What are the key stylistic characteristics of the highly influential yet short-lived Italian neorealism film
movement?
10. Why is Breathless (1960) by Jean-Luc Godard considered a definitive catalog of the French New
Wave movement that reinforces auteur theory?
11. Although new wave movements of the postwar era embraced freedom of expression by breaking from
cinematic conventions, why does the Danish Dogme 95 movement seem more restrictive than other
movements of the period?
12. What was the intended purpose of the Oberhausen Manifesto, and how did it ultimately contribute to
the rebirth of German cinema?
13. In what ways does Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (1985) reflect Japanese culture, tradition, and attitudes?
14. With the exception of Satyajit Ray and a few others, many of India’s filmmakers remain virtually
unknown in the United States. What is it about Ray and his work that brings international recognition
and sets it apart from the works of lesser-known Indian filmmakers?
15. Explain the factors and changes that transformed Hollywood in the postwar period and brought about
the New American Cinema.