Francis Schaffer's Criteria for Judging a Work of Art
1. Technical Excellence
2. Integration of Content and Form: Has the artist used an appropriate form for the content he/she is attempting to portray?
3. Validity: Is the artist true to his/her vision?
4. Intellectual Content: What world-view comes through?

Suggested Questions for Film Discussion

1. What is the major premise of the film? What scenes, characters, events, lines of dialogue, etc. point to the importance of that theme?

2. Tell what scene most impressed you for whatever reason, and give that reason.

3. List the main characters and discuss each one. How did you respond to each? Why? With which, if any, did you identify? Why?

4. Is there a "hero/heroine" in the film and, if so, how does he/she serve as a role model? Is there a villain? How is he/she portrayed?

5. How were the following ideas portrayed in the work? How were the Christian views of these concepts treated? Authority Community Evil/Sin God Man Reality Redemption Religion

6. Did the work allow you to enter a worldview that is foreign to your own? Explain.

7. Discuss the plot. Were you drawn into it? How believable was it? Why?

8. Were there any special formal aspects of the film, and what difference did they make to understanding its themes or its world view?

9. What moral statements are made in the movie and do they agree with a Biblical morality? How do they disagree or agree?

10. Who are the major makers of this movie (director, producers, stars, script writers), and what are their worldviews? Why do you think they made this film?

11. How does this film fit into the body of work of these people?

Roger Ebert's Tips for Filmwatchers

When Roger Ebert was in Charlottesville for the Virginia Film Festival in October, 1992, he gave some tips to those who would watch films with a more discerning eye. The following is the report of that talk, with some of the tips, as recorded in Inside UVA, Nov 6, 1992.

"The more you know about any film, the more you know about all films," said Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert in opening remarks at a three-day workshop on "Citizen Kane," sponsored by the Virginia Festival of American Film Oct. 29-31. Using a sports metaphor to illustrate the benefits of understanding filmmaking, Mr. Ebert said, "You can go to a football game and enjoy all the colors, movement and excitement of the game without knowing all the rules …but if you do know the rules you'll enjoy the game more."

Filmmakers are guided by certain rules of cinematic composition and visual imagery, according to Mr. Ebert, including:

• The most important part of the screen is to the right of center and is referred to as the strong axis. It is there that objects seem to be most serendipitously located. Centering an object gives it a mug shot character. Placing it off-center makes the object seem more attractive.
  
• Foreground is more dominant than background. The top of the screen is stronger than the bottom.
  
• The closer the camera moves toward a person or object, the more involved the viewer becomes; the further away, the more detached.
  
• Natural movement proceeds left to right on the screen. Movement in the opposite direction is considered negative. Stronger characters in a scene are positioned to the right - weaker ones to the left. The main character could be positioned to the left, if he is not to stand out in the scene.
  
• Movement is dominant over rest. Movement within a scene reflects the meaning of the scene.

"The greatest tragedy in moviemaking today is the loss of black and white films due to television's demand for color. Black and white films are dreamlike and permit the viewer to reach a deeper psychological and emotional level. Color is too realistic and emphasizes surfaces rather than depth," said Mr. Ebert. Not only have filmmakers lost an important option, but the evaluation of actors' performances has been affected, as well. Their dramatic portrayals, rendered in color, create a more temporal impression. "For example, Jack Nicholson is a first-rate actor, but his performances do not have the resonance of Humphrey Bogart's performances in black and white films."

Proceed to material on "Visual Manipulation"