Cinema and Film Theory

The first reading, "Semiotics of Cinema", talks about how the sequence of shots generates meaning.  I liked how Lotman compares film with writing - how the order of shots are similar to the placement of a word in a sentence.  I'm not very knowledgeable about films, but comparing it with writing made it easier for me to understand.

Another part I really enjoyed about the reading was how Lotman says that the viewers “bring to the films…a great deal of outside information that helps us interpret what we see.  And the more we know, the more we see.”  I really agree with this statement because all viewers have different interpretations of a film.  No one sees the film in the same way because everyone relates to him or her differently through his or her own experiences.  I personally don’t believe in authors’ intentions because no matter how hard an author tries to convey a message through their artwork, in the end the actual interpretations are by the viewers.

Lotman ties his interpretation theory with the fact that even an individual will perceive a film (or novel, or art) differently the second time they view it.  I especially related his statement with Christopher Nolan’s Inception - how even after the sixth time watching the film, I still notice things I haven’t noticed before.  It’s like going into a treasure cove and discovering new treasure each time.      

Also, I really liked reading the part about people “skimming off” parts of the film they do not understand.  I instantly thought of the “truth vs. reality” lessons I’ve had in class.  Everyone’s truth may not be reality, but it is reality to him or her.  In fact, each individual’s truth and reality differ from everyone else’s.

During the montage reading, I enjoyed the part where Eisenstein defines montage as a “collision”.  I agree that there has to be something “dramatic” to catch attention.  I also thought Eisenstein’s comment that “‘cutting up’ images of reality to set up emotions” is quite interesting.

One part I especially agreed with was that society definitely affects and shapes cinema and other forms of art.  It ties in with the first reading and how it said that viewers are the ones who ultimately determine the meaning behind a film.  The director’s experiences and personality also affects decisions he or she makes about the film.

My best friend is majoring in film and the reading allowed me to understand film/cinema a bit more.  Now, I have something to share with her next time we hang out!