Exam Questions

BLADE RUNNER & CASABLANCA

• ‘New Hollywood allowed filmmakers more creative freedom than Classical Hollywood did’. Compare the two films you have studied in relation to this statement. (40)

• Compare how representations of ethnicity and/or gender are shaped by the historical contexts of the films you have studied. (40)

• ‘Film is a collaborative art form, so to focus on the contribution of one individual as the auteur is misleading.’ Compare the two films you have studied in relation to this statement.  (40)

• Compare how far the two films you have studied reflect the times they were made. (40)

• ‘Cinematography and editing are crucial in expressing a clear auteur signature.’ Compare the films you have studied in relation to this statement.  (40)

NO COUNTRY FOR old men & winter's bone

• Discuss how important cinematography is in creating a powerful response in the spectator. Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each of your chosen films. (40)

• ‘Film spectatorship is a passive experience’. How far do you agree with this statement in relation to each of the films you have studied? (40)

• ‘Ideological analysis is useful in explaining why particular visual elements and sounds are chosen by filmmakers.’ How far is this true of the films you have studied? (40)

• How important is sound in shaping spectator responses to the two films you have studied? Refer in detail to one or more sequences from each film. (40)

• Explore how far the two films you have studied demonstrate the filmmakers’ attempt to control the spectator’s response.  (40)

sightseers & Sweet Sixteen

• How useful has an ideological critical approach been in studying the narratives of your two chosen films? (40)

• Discuss how one or more specific narrative devices enhance the dramatic qualities of the films you have studied.  (40)

• Explore how both mise-en-scène and performance are used to establish important character information in key sequences from the films you have studied. (40)

• ‘Studying ideologies in a film can greatly change your understanding of the film.’ How far has this been your experience of studying each of your chosen films? (40)

• To what extent is ideological analysis useful in examining the closing sequences of each of the films you have studied? (40)

Pan's Labyrinth & city of god

• Explore how representations of gender are constructed visually to create meaning in one or more key sequences from each of the films you have studied. (40)

• Discuss how the films you have studied explore the political and social contexts of their settings. (40)

• ‘A film is intensified by its aesthetic.’ Discuss this statement in relation to a key sequence from each of the films you have studied. (40)

• How far do each of the films you have studied represent key characters in ways that challenge the audience’s expectations? (40)

• Explore how aspects of performance and mise-en-scène are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer. (40)

Pulp fiction

• Discuss the impact of two key experimental features of the narrative in your chosen film option. (20)

• ‘Experimental film is often the result of an auteur challenging established conventions with fresh ideas.’ With reference to your chosen film option, how far do you agree with this statement? (20)

• Discuss how either editing or cinematography contribute to the experimental nature of your film option. (20)

• How far can the experimental approach in your film option be attributed to an auteur director? (20)

• How far does the experimental narrative of your film option reinforce key themes? [20]

BUSTER KEATON shorts

• Explore how your film option might be considered as either a realist or an expressionist kind of cinema. Make reference to a particular sequence in your answer. (20)

• Discuss some of the ways in which an understanding of context has contributed to your appreciation of the silent film or films you have studied. (20)

• ‘It is often assumed that the techniques of silent cinema work against realism.’ How far do you agree with this statement in relation to your film option? (20)

• Discuss how far meaning is created through performance. Make reference to a specific sequence from your film option. (20)

• ‘Silent cinema encouraged filmmakers to use visual techniques in expressive ways.’ Explore this statement using a key sequence from your film option. (20)

AMY

• Explore how filmmakers use specific techniques to create an emotional impact. Refer to a key sequence from the film you have studied. (20)

• Discuss how the film you have studied supports and/or challenges one filmmaker’s theory. (20)

• How important is the creative use of digital technology in the documentary you have studied? (20)

• Explore how two documentary techniques are used in presenting the subject of your chosen film. Refer to one film-maker’s theory you have studied. (20)

• How is the documentary you have studied made more thought-provoking by specific creative choices made by the filmmakers? (20)