GC Media Communication The In Between Discussion
Watch a movie of your choice: Compose a 5-8 slide Powerpoint Presentation discussing the theme/message of the movie:
What is the theme/message? State the theme/message in a concise sentence or two.
How obvious is the message, is it Neutral, Implicit or Explicit, cite examples to support your conclusions.
What is the tone or attitude toward the subject? Is the tone consistent or does it shift from scene to scene?
Most importantly, how do the film techniques (images, editing, acting, dialogue, plot…) work together to deliver the message and tone? Please think about all of the terms and techniques we learned this semester. Describe specific examples of film techniques communicating themes and or contributing to the overall message.
Proofread your paper and ensure it is free of typos, grammar, spelling and syntax errors.
You can do it on Word document and I will all the PowerPoint.
Message
• Message – what is the moral of the story,
what is the message the movie is conveying to
the audience.
Ideology
• Our attitudes towards things not just politics
but sex, work, power sharing, authority, family
and religion
• Body of ideas reflecting the social needs and
aspirations of an individual, group, class or
culture
• Overall Message of a movie
Theme
• A subject, concept or idea expressed in a
movie
• Several themes add up to a movies message
or ideology
For example: A writer may choose on the subject of war for a story and the
message of the story may be writer’s opinion that war is a curse on
humanity. Individual themes may be: the atrocities man can commit in
war, how traumatizing war is on soldiers and how innocent people’s lives
are destroyed by war. All of these themes come out in the character’s
behavior and reactions to events of the movie and then reinforced by the
film techniques used in telling the story.
Tone
• Tone – manner of presentation or attitude
toward material or toward the ideology
– The movies Mash and Good Morning Vietnam
dealt with war humorously and had fun with the
themes but still had somber and influential or
impactful moments expressing the negative
effects of war whereas Platoon, Casualties of War
and Full Metal Jacket took a serious, gritty look
into the atrocities of war.
– Tone can shift from scene to scene within a movie
3 degrees of ideological explicitness
(how obvious is the message?)
• Neutral – No discernable attitude towards subject
matter or any discernable ideology, no message
just entertainment or presents two sides equally.
– Or an even presentation of both sides of a message
• Implicit – Message and tone is noticeable but not
overt or obvious, nobody spells it out for us but
audience can deduce message
• Explicit – message, theme or moral is obvious
Left vs Right
• Democratic vs Hierarchical – everyone is equal
and deserves equality vs the smart, the strong
the rich deserve more
• Environment vs Heredity – nurture vs nature
• Relative vs Absolute – moral judgements must
reflect the circumstances vs if it’s wrong it’s
wrong
• Secular vs Religious – personal beliefs vs
cultural truths
Left vs Right
• Future vs Past – leftists view the past with
disdain because it was ignorant, class conflict
and exploitation of the weak, right view it as
tradition and ritualistic good
• Cooperation vs Competition
• Outsiders vs Insiders – value diversity and
questioning life vs respect for authority and
embracing the way things are
Left vs Right
• International vs Nationalistic – global
perspective of all mankind vs patriotism and
ethnocentrism and superiority over foreigners
• Sexual Freedom vs Marital Monogamy –
personal morality choices vs accepted rule and
the sanctity of marriage and family
