Students should write different types of academic papers and each is interesting after its own fashion. Thus, many people are fond of critical analysis of a movie. We all have some favorite movies and most of us think that they can plainly understand everything revealed in the movie. This paper type is your best chance to prove that you are an outstanding critic.
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Watch the Movie
Undoubtedly, your first step is to watch the movie. If you have some spare time, do it twice. Your first session should consist only of watching. The second session should include taking notes and recording the most important thoughts related to the piece.
Do Some Research
Although a critical analysis of a movie isn’t a scientific paper, you should research it too. Firstly, there are concrete points you should mention in your analysis. These are:
- The title;
- Year of production;
- The main cast;
Secondly, the analyzed piece may have some interesting facts to dwell upon. Perhaps it’s a historical movie and so, you’ll definitely find some captivating facts about the true events, marketing and post-marketing production, how the actors were chosen, and so on. This information can be beneficial for your critical analysis.
Take Notes
When you watch the movie, make sure you take notes. It’s important because you may forget about something very important after the movie is over. Your notes will help to avoid that mistake. You should also record them soon after the movie is over. Oftentimes, the first feelings after it’s over are the most emotional and fair. However, it may be also useful to take some time to analyze the whole piece. Perhaps you’ll come to other conclusions. Your notes will help to reevaluate the whole piece.
Create an Outline
Once you understand the main idea and have the necessary facts, begin the planning of your movie critique analysis. Create a good outline, which contains the main facts and writing stages of your paper. The standard structure is the introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion. Think about what facts should be mentioned in those parts and how to implement them. If you want to control your time, set deadlines for each stage of writing.
Craft a Thesis Statement
Your next step is to write a clear and strong thesis statement. Review your notes once again. Ask other people who watched it and read online critiques. Probably they’ll add some food to chew on and will help to form the final opinion. Afterward, all your body paragraphs should develop your thesis.
Things to Mention Step-by-Step
When it comes to writing, you should follow a certain structure. Your outline already provides the main writing sections. We’ll explain what must be mentioned in those sections. Make allowances for the following details:
- State the movie title and its central idea, director, cast, and your thesis statement.
- Body paragraph #1. Provide a short outline of the story.
- Body paragraph #2. Shed some light on the play of actors, settings, structure, design, style, sound supervision, etc.
- Body paragraph #3. Analyze a deeper meaning, some hidden symbolism, and similar features.
- Restate the main argument, provide a brief summary, and express your personal viewpoint.
We’d like to add several quick tips about how to enhance the readability of your paper.
- Keep it concise and simple;
- Choose the active voice;
- Avoid clichés and unknown words;
- Don’t make drastic transitions;
- Explain every point with adequate examples;
- Revise the text several times.
Choose the Right Type
You should know that there are different types of film analysis. They help to plan a strategy for your analysis. Make allowances for the next types:
- Semiotic analysis. This style demands to discover and describe hidden meaning. These may be symbolism, metaphors, analogies, and similar stuff. There are many movies with things that aren’t visible to most people. Your analysis will be very helpful if you explain those symbols.
- Narrative structure analysis. This approach provides all the elements of the story. You should add the beginning, confrontation, and resolution of the movie. If you choose this approach, you should obligatorily stick to these three phases and make smooth transitions between them.
- Contextual analysis. Using this method, you separate the movie into different pieces to offer a broader context. It requires a deeper understanding of the whole piece. This method makes the writer reveal some cultural, historical, and similar features.
- Mise-en-scene analysis. This style gives heed to the way the compositional elements are arranged in the movie. You’ll have to be very specific if you choose this style. Your analysis must be detailed and shed more light on the costumes, audio supervision, visual effects, and similar features. Moreover, you shouldn’t simply enumerate such elements. You should explain what stands behind them. Every element may reveal a deeper meaning.
If you should write a movie analysis essay, remember our tips for good. They are universal and perfectly suit whatever movie and theme you choose. Using them wisely, you’ll write a worthy paper that will earn the A+ grade.
