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Chapter One

Understanding the Film



What is film?

.



What is film?

Film is unlimited not only in its choice of subject

matter but also in the scope of its approach to

that material. The motion picture has progressed step by step

from drawings, to photographs, to projected

images, to sound, to color, to wide screen, to 3-D.

people enjoy having wide selections of entertainment forms, yet film still has its artistic

charm and appeals to people of different ages

from all walks of life.



Film History

大劫案》 of 1903.

D. W. Griffith’s famous Birth o f Nat ion (《一个

国家的诞生》, 1915 ) was the first major feature film made in the US.

The decade 1921~1931 was called the “gold

period of silent films” The US was the first

country to turn film into a popular form of entertainment and an important industry.

The first full-length “story” film was The Train

Robbery 《火车



Film History

Thanks to the innovations in technique, content,and structural forms, Hollywood's film makingculminated for the first time during the 1930s

and the 1940s, and many distinguished filmscame into being, such as Cit izen Kane , Great Dictator , Water loo Bridge , Gone wi th the Wind , Rebecca , Casablanca , etc.

In the 1950s American movies experienced anall time low.

In the 1960s Hollywood began to adjust herself to the competing situation by cooperating withtelevision, producing motion pictures and other

things for TV.



Film History

From 1970s on, Hollywood combined the newtechnology of video tape and DVD with film-making, which helped keep it in the competition

of cultural consumption. American film artistsshot films, like Jaw , Star Wars , and Superman and won the box office and audience as well.

Hollywood began to adapt herself to the

demand of the buyer's market, for example,many a film has been shot to reflect the currentissues of American society, since peoplestarted to meditate on tradition and materialism.



Film History

These were ethical films: Wall Street ,Philadelphia , Bridges of Madison County ;film on political issues: JFK , One Flew Over

the Cuckoo’s Nest ; war-theme films: Born on the Fourth of Ju ly , Schindler’s List , Saving Private Ryan ; recreation of American image:Rookie , Patton , Forrest Gump .

The audience also enjoyed the visual andpsychological stimulation from the science films like

Star Wars , Alien ; horror film like Silence of the

Lambs ; Scream The Omen , and disaster films like

Twister , Volcano , Earthquake , etc.



Film History

A young generation of directors were inclined tocreate profound themes, lifelike depictions, naturalcasting and to try out new technology. The 1997’s

270-million-dollar-cost Titanic , which won 11academic awards, was directed by JamesCameron and satisfied the audience's demand for psychological comprehension and sensualstimulation.

Another factor cannot be ignored, the actingexcellence of the actors and actresses, especiallythose modern types such as Dustin Hoffman, TomHanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise,Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas, etc .



Movie Awards

1. Oscar Prize: Oscar is a name of the annual

awards, in the form of small statuettes, that

have been given by the American AcademyOf Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since

1927 for more than 30 categories involving

every stage of film making during the year. Itis the most influential movie prize for those

who contribute a great deal to film art.



Why is it called Oscar?

In 1931, when a secretary saidthe figure looked like her uncleOscar, it got this nickname.

Hollywood has another legendabout how it got the nickname.It said that Betty Davis coinedthe term when she took a goodlook at the statuette andremarked how much the backside looked like her firsthusband, Herman Oscar Nelson.



Countries from all over the world value the

Academy Awards, so that every film artist from

near and far assemble in Hollywood tocelebrate the award ceremony. Undoubtedly it

promoted the advancement and innovation of

film art, the film artists’ enthusiasm and

diligence, the exchange and cooperation of allthe countries. The Oscar has also elevated

Hollywood to a more special position in the

world of film making.

Oscar Prize



2. Palme d’ Or (Gold Palm): The Cannes International

Film Festival opened on September 20,1946 in

France after receiving the approval of the provisional

government. 18 countries were represented on thefirst Festival, and all the delegates were automatically

jury members. The Cannes Festival awards every

year Palme d’ Or to the best film of the competition.

The Palme d’ Or is the most attractive and prestigious

award of the Festival.

Movie Awards



3. The Golden Globe Award: It beganfrom 1943. The Hollywood ForeignPress Association awards its GoldenGlobes to honor achievements in film

and television during the calendar year. The HFPA currently presentsawards in the following motion picturecategories: Picture (Drama andMusical or Comedy), Actor (Dramaand Musical or Comedy), Actress(Drama and Musical or Comedy),Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress,Director, Screenplay, Original Score,Original Song, Foreign Film and theCecil B. DeMille Award.

Movie Awards



Hollywood

Hollywood is the center of the UnitedStates motion picture and television

industries. It situates in the northwest of Los Angeles, California.



Hollywood

Today Hollywood is not only the center of themotion picture industry, but also of the television,film and recording industries of America.

Most of the famous motion pictures corporationsof those days, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbiaand Warner Brothers are still very much inbusiness.

Now Hollywood is no longer the heart of theworld's motion picture industry. Still, about 80%of all American TV entertainment comes fromHollywood.



Ratings System

The rating system of rating motion pictures wasintroduced by the Motion Picture Association of

America on Oct. 7, 1968, and went into effect on

Nov. 1. There are four categories of ratings:

G indicates the film is for general audiences of allages.

PG means parental guidance suggested. This isa film which clearly needs to be examined aboutby parents before they let their younger childrenattend. Parents are warned against sending their children to PG-rated movies unseen.



R means children under 17s are restricted and

require accompanying parent or guardian. This

is an adult film in some of its aspects and

treatment so for as language, violence, or

nudity, sexuality or other content is concerned.

X means no one under 17 can be admitted.

This is an adult film and no children are allowedto attend. It should be noted, however, that X

does not necessarily mean obscene or

pornographic in terms of sex or violence.

Ratings System



Genre of Films Musicals 音乐片

Ethical Films 伦理片

Crime Films 犯罪片

Detective Films 侦探片

Love Films 爱情片



Genre of Films Disaster Films 灾难片

History Films 历史片

Suspense Thrillers 惊险悬念片

War Films 战争片

Sci-Fi Films 科幻片

Animated Cartoon 动画片

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