Cinematic Points of View

Rhetorical Analysis of Media

Pay Attention!

When viewing a film, pay attention to not only

what you see but also

how it is being shown and

why it is being shown that way…

Cinematic Points of View (POV)The different ways the movie camera sees

the subject which is taking place before it.

Not to be confused with literary points of view (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person, etc.)

Our Essential Questions:Cinematic POV

From what position and through what kind of eyes does the camera see the action?

What effect do the position of the camera and its particular ways of seeing the action have on our response to the action?

How is our response affected by changes in point of view? (We expect the filmmaker to take us from one vantage point to another.)

Watch for the changing POV and how you are affected by them…

2010 – Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Objective Point of View

Objective= Observer Considered to be the window an

audience can look through from the outside to watch the events in the film

The audience only watches and doesn’t participate

The audience is an impersonal observer

A static (non-moving) camera is used

Cinematic Point of View Spectrum

Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in

the film’s action

High Mid Low

Objective

Subjective Point of View

Provides the audience with the visual viewpoint and emotional intensity felt by a character participating in the action

This allows for the audience’s direct involvement, thus literally forcing the audience to become the characters and experience their emotions.

Generally, this viewpoint is created using a moving camera.

Cinematic Point of View Spectrum

Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in

the film’s action

High Mid Low

ObjectiveSubjective

Let’s see an example of Subjective POV…

1978 – John Carpenter

(Escape from New York, The Thing)

Indirect-Subjective Point of View

Doesn’t provide a participant’s point of view, but does bring the audience close to the action so that they feel involved and the visual experience is intense.

The audience knows they aren’t the character, but they feel with the character.

Example: A face contorted in pain makes the audience feel pain.

Quentin Tarrantino’s Kill Bill (2003-04) does this effectively…

Cinematic Point of View Spectrum

Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in

the film’s action

High Mid Low

ObjectiveSubjective Indirect-Subjective

Let’s see an example ofIndirect-Subjective POV…

1998 – Steven Spielberg

(Jaws, ET, Indiana Jones, Lincoln…

and EVERYTHING ELSE!)

Director’s Interpretive

Allows the director to manipulate the audience in subtle (or not-so-subtle) ways

The filmmaker chooses not only what to show but also how the audience will see it by using special angles, lenses, motions, etc.

The audience is aware that the director wants them to see the action in some unusual way.

Forces the audience to see a particular detail

And Kill Bill again from a different POV…

Cinematic Point of View Spectrum

Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in

the film’s action

Plus one other: Director’s Interpretative

High Mid Low

ObjectiveSubjective Indirect-Subjective

Let’s see an example ofDirector’s Interpretive POV…

2004 - Zach Braff(um, Scrubs?)

Can you identify the changing POV in the next clip?

2001 – Rob Cohen(xXx, Alex Cross)