Boggs: Chapters 1-3

The Art of Watching Films
By: Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie
Chapters 1-3


"The most challenging part of our task...: We must become almost totally immersed in the experience of a film and at the same time maintain a high degree of objectivity and critical detachment." (5)


"I don't want to film a 'slice of life' because people can get that at home, in the street, or even in front of the movie theater. They don't have to pay money to see a slice of life. And I avoid out-and-out fantasy because people should be able to identify with the characters. Making a film means, first of all, to tell a story. That story can be an improbable one, but it should never be banal. It must be dramatic and human. What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out?" Alfred Hitchcock (39)


Italian neorealism is a national film movement characterized by stories set within the poor and working classes, frequently using nonprofessional actors. Italian neorealist films content with the difficult conditions of post-WWII Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions of everyday life.


Leitmotif- the repetition of a single phrase or idea by a character until it becomes almost a trademark for that character. In music, the repetition of a single musical theme to announce the reappearance of a certain character.


I'm really enjoying this text so far. Well known American films are used as examples throughout, which helps keep me engaged and interested. After having only read three chapters, I already feel as though I am watching more objectively.