Overview
This lecture introduces film theory, differentiates it from film analysis and history, and outlines the distinction between classical and contemporary film theory, using early examples to illustrate foundational questions in the field.
What Is Film Theory?
- Film theory is distinct from film history (concerned with historical change) and film analysis (focused on individual films).
- Film theory involves making broad, general claims about the medium of film as a whole.
- Theorists seek to explain the patterns, regularities, and principles of cinema, not just specific works.
Classical vs. Contemporary Film Theory
- Classical film theory (c. 1915–1960) asks “What is cinema?” and “What makes it a distinct or legitimate art form?”
- Contemporary film theory (1960s–present) focuses on “How does cinema produce meaning, perpetuate ideology, and address identities?”
- Classical film theory is motivated by enthusiasm for cinema’s artistic potential and uniqueness.
- Contemporary film theory is often motivated by suspicion of mainstream cinema's effects on society and identity.
Early Theoretical Attitudes and Examples
- Early names for film companies and devices (e.g., Vitagraph, Biograph, Cinematograph) reflect theoretical ideas about movement and life in film.
- Maxim Gorky’s 1896 description of the Lumière cinematograph illustrates the unique impact of film—highlighting its lifelike qualities, lack of color/sound, and its paradoxical reality.
- Gorky notes how film images seem more like a world than a photograph, yet their boundaries and sensory limitations make them strange and uncanny.
- The novelty of film includes capturing both staged action and unplanned real-life details, such as moving leaves in the background.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Film Theory — The study of general principles and patterns underlying the medium of film.
- Film Analysis/Criticism — The detailed study or evaluation of individual films.
- Film History — The study of how film and its context change over time.
- Classical Film Theory — Early film theory (1915–1960) focused on defining and legitimizing cinema as an art.
- Contemporary Film Theory — Later film theory (from the 1960s) concerned with meaning, ideology, and identity in cinema.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Read assigned classical film theory texts (e.g., MĂĽnsterberg, Arnheim) for Weeks 2 and 4.
- Consider how early encounters with cinema (like Gorky’s) raise theoretical questions about the medium.