"Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium."
It involves reviewing films and analyzing them in critical ways.
Film Theory: This topic studies the critical evaluation of the elements of film and the techniques used in filmmaking, such as mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound design.
Genre Theory: This topic examines the conventions of different genres such as drama, horror, comedy, action, or documentary, and the cultural and historical contexts that influenced them.
Narrative Theory: This topic explores the storytelling techniques used in films, such as plot structure, character development, dialogue, and themes, and how they create meaning.
Authorship and Auteur theory: This topic discusses the idea that certain directors or writers have a distinctive personal style or vision that can be observed across their work.
Representation Theory: This topic examines the way films depict various groups or identities, such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, or disability, and how they can reinforce or challenge cultural stereotypes.
Reception Theory: This topic studies the audience's interpretation and evaluation of films and how their perceptions are influenced by factors such as social, economic, and political contexts.
Historical Context of Film Criticism: This topic explores the evolution of film criticism from its early days to contemporary practices and how it reflects changes in the art and industry of filmmaking.
Critical Approaches to Screen Analysis: This topic discusses different critical methods and theoretical perspectives used to analyze films and interpret their meaning.
Ethics and Criticism: This topic examines the ethical implications of film criticism, such as the responsibility of the critic, the impact of critical discourse on the public, and the issue of bias and objectivity.
The Business and Industry of Film: This topic explores the economic and industrial aspects of filmmaking, including the role of studios, producers, distributors, and exhibitors, and their impact on the artistic quality of films.
Emerging Trends and Technologies in Film: This topic discusses the contemporary developments in filmmaking and criticism, such as digital filmmaking, online distribution, streaming services, and audience engagement through social media.
International and Global Perspectives in Film Criticism: This topic examines the diversity of film cultures, styles, and traditions around the world and the critical discourse that emerges from different global contexts.
Review: A written piece that offers an overview of the film in terms of its themes, technical aspects, performances, and overall quality. It usually includes a recommendation or rating.
Analysis: An in-depth examination of a film's elements, such as narrative structure, cinematography, editing, sound design, or symbolism. It provides insights into the film's meaning, intent or cultural significance.
Genre criticism: A critical assessment of a film's genre conventions, expectations, and conventions. It compares the film to other examples within the same genre and explores how it subverts or reinforces established patterns.
Theory: A theoretical approach that uses a particular method, framework, or perspective to interpret and critique a film. It may draw on cultural studies, psychoanalytic theory, feminist theory, or other theoretical disciplines.
Historical criticism: An examination of a film in relation to its historical context. It considers the film's production, reception, and impact on the culture of its time, as well as the attitudes and values that shaped it.
Comparative criticism: An analysis that compares two or more films or different versions of the same story. It highlights similarities, differences, and variations in their themes, style, performances, or reception.
Auteur criticism: A critical approach that focuses on the director as the primary creative force behind a film. It examines the director's style, recurring themes or motifs, and how they shape the film's overall meaning.
Textual criticism: An analysis that examines the film as a cultural artifact, considering its historical context, production, and reception. It aims to uncover the underlying meanings of the film and the messages it conveys.
Reception and audience studies: A critical approach that investigates how audiences respond to a film. It considers how the film is marketed, consumed, and interpreted by different audiences, and what cultural or social factors influence those responses.
Screenwriting criticism: A critical approach that focuses on the writing of the script and the structure of the film. It examines how the narrative is created, how the characters are developed, and how the dialogue is written.
"In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism [...] and academic criticism."
"...that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines, and other popular mass-media outlets."
"...by film scholars who are informed by film theory and are published in academic journals."
"Academic film criticism rarely takes the form of a review; instead, it is more likely to analyze the film and its place in the history of its genre or in the whole of film history."
"Film criticism is a type of writing that perceives films as possible achievements and wishes to convey their differences."
"...as well as the films being made in a level of quality that is satisfactory or unsatisfactory."
"Journalistic criticism resides in standard structures such as newspapers... critics are normally commissionaires who affect culture."
"The judgments and choices of critics have the effect of influencing what audience members perceive about objects that are supplied to them."
"Critics are also able to influence how the audience members choose to think about objects that are supplied to them."
"...film criticism is rich in having digital devices that allow films to be analyzed through visual and auditory methods."
"Academic criticism is able to primarily make interpretations of films from the viewpoint of directors."
"...interpretations place emphasis on parallels that films have with previous works that were deemed to be of high quality."
"Academic film criticism rarely takes the form of a review."
"...published in academic journals."
"Journal articles pertaining to films served as representatives for the film critics who desired to increase the amount of communication about movies."
"...critics have the effect of influencing what audience members perceive about objects that are supplied to them."
"Critics are also able to influence how the audience members choose to think about objects that are supplied to them."
"...it is more likely to analyze the film and its place in the history of its genre or in the whole of film history."
"Academic film criticism perceives films as possible achievements and wishes to convey their differences."