Writing an academic essay about fiction or non-fiction, or even a film, can be tricky in terms of how they’re written.
- They’re always written in present tense, as if the action is continuing.
- They never use “I” unless your instructor allows it.
- They always have a thesis statement because they’re trying to examine a specific issue or make a specific point about something in the text.
Literary Analysis Essay
Film Analysis Essay
This information comes mostly from an article by Jacob Dillon for the Raindance Film Festival in London.
1. Introduction
The introductory part of a film analysis essay contains some fundamental information about the movie, like the film title, release date, and director’s name. In other words, the reader should get familiar with some background information about the film. It would be good to research the filmmaker because it can reveal significant insights related to the movie which you can use in your analysis.
Also, you should point out the central theme or ideas in the movie, explaining the reason why it was made. Don’t hesitate to say what do you think; it’s quite desirable to express your point of view.
The last thing your introduction should include is your thesis statement and basically, explain what will be your focus.
2. Summary
After presenting the main facts about the film, it’s time to go deeper into analysis and summarise it.
The trick to making it more powerful is always to assume that your professor hasn’t seen the movie unless your professor tells you otherwise. In that way, you won’t leave out some important information. The best way to make sure you’ve covered everything in your summary is to answer great five Ws – who, what, when, where, why, and how, as well.
Likewise, you can discuss anything related to your opinion, structure or style. Just remember that you need to support anything you say with examples or quotes from the film itself. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a viable comment.
3. Analysis
This is the core of your essay that involves your critical analysis of the film and impressions about it but supported by claims from the movie or any other relevant material.
Also, films are complex artwork that include many creative elements which are all connected and have their reason of existence. That’s why you should pay attention closely to these elements and analyze them too.
- Writing
A good script has a logical sequence of events, completion of scenes, characters development, and dialogs. So, these are the elements you should analyze when it comes to the scenario.
After watching the film, try to reproduce the plot mentally and see if you understood the logic of events and the motives of the actors. If it’s difficult to explain or find reasons for some scene, then it isn’t such a great scenario.
- Directing
The director is responsible for every aspect of the movie process, such as scenario execution, selection of the plans, and even tasks for actors.
In this part of the analysis, you can focus on the fact how the director realized the script or compare this film to his other films. It will help you understand better his way of directing and come up to some conclusions relevant to your thesis and analysis.
- Acting
Casting is another significant element to take into consideration in your film analysis essay. Actors bring the script and director’s idea into reality.
Therefore, after watching the movie, think if the actors are realistic and if they portray the role of their character effectively? More importantly, consider how their acting corresponds to the main idea of the film and your thesis statement.
- Musical elements
This represents an important element of every movie. It sets the mood and enhances some actions or sceneries of the film.
That’s why you should try to evaluate how music reflects the mood of the film or the impact it has on what is happening on the screen. Is it supportive or distracting?
- Visual elements (check the end for more about how to analyze these elements)
Visual elements, like special effects, costumes, and make-up, also have a considerable role in the overall movie impact. They need to reflect the atmosphere of the film. It is especially important for historical movies because visual elements need to evoke a specific era.
Therefore, pay attention to costumes and special effects and analyse their impact on the film.
However, make sure you analyse only the elements that are related to your thesis statement, that can support it or help you make your point. Otherwise, you risk drifting away from the main argument.
4.Conclusion
In the end, re-state your thesis and offer a summary of the previously mentioned concepts in a new and more decisive way, making a case for your analysis.
Besides, you can recommend to your reader to watch this film or to avoid it completely.
Final words about visual analysis
What obviously sets film apart is the fact that it moves: the screen is a frame and within it, the filmmakers put every bit of information and technique at their disposal to create both story and effect. What we see in that frame is called mise-en-scene, a fancy French term for put in place. It includes character elements like wardrobe and makeup, lighting, types of shots, editing, set decoration, on-set music, and so on.
The truth is, as much as we value the script and directing and musical score, it’s the visual elements that turn all of that into a memorable film.
This video will give you a way to really analyze these visual elements.
