Passive Film Watcher

As a lay movie watcher, I am a much more of a passive movie watcher than what we have discussed in class. When I go to the theater to see a new film, I normally go for entertainment. I choose the film based on the plot and the actors/actresses starring in the film. I rarely pay attention to the theatrical elements that are used. We had discussed mise en scene and montage in class on Thursday, and before that, I realized that I rarely take the time to appreciate the work of art that I’m viewing.

Though the elements of film are very important, I believe that if a film is produced in a quality manner, then there will not be any obvious pieces; they will all flow together. When one element does stick out, such as the transitions or music, then it is because of two reasons. One reason is that it was purposely done that way by the director to evoke certain emotions or set a certain mood. Another reason is because it might be a low budget film and there was not the right equipment or well-trained professionals working on the film to make it appear seamless.

This weekend, I watched the new-released movie, “Made of Honor.” I was instantaneously absorbed into the plot, consumed with the characters and their story. Their emotions were so vivid, the shooting so seamless, the music so perfectly inserted that I did not notice that this was just a film. I was sucked in to the plot, as if I was one of the characters in the story.

Though my habits speak otherwise, I know that how the film is delivered is just as important as what is being delivered. Different elements, such as casting, makeup, and costumes make a major difference in the presentation of a movie. If there is a famous actor or actress in a film, the audience will pre-judge a movie before they see it because they already know that they like the actor/actress’s work. For example, Patrick Dempsey, a star off of the famous TV show “Grey’s Anatomy”, was the main character in “Made of Honor”. Knowing this, I knew that this was going to be a great movie. The movie met my expectations, but having preconceived expectations made me as the viewer tailor the movie a certain way.

I noticed both during and after the movie that the scene transitions were seamless. They were constructed in such a way that my mind used closure to understand that we were moving through time and space to different scenes. However, this was an effortless act, because the transitions were so smooth that I did not have to think about it. Furthermore, I noticed that the music in the movie helped to set the mood. The music was never too loud or over powering and it always went perfectly with what was happening in the movie. If the music did not correlate well with the plot, then it would stick out like a sore thumb.

In general, I pay attention to montage more than I pay attention to mise en scene. I believe this is because if the lighting, sound, and camera movement are done correctly, then the audience shouldn’t notice them.