| Brainstorming Time
Compare your list to mine
I make a list of all the aspects of the film I like or even simply notice, with no censorship or judgment at this point.
If you have seen the film, see how your list compares to mine:
Black and white cinematography
Film Noir genre conventions
Voice-over narration
Flashback structure
Reversed time structure (starts at end and goes backwards)
Portrayal of mental disorder
Use of tattoos
Use of mirrors
Two actors who are both also in The Matrix
Amazing performance by Guy Pearce
Importance of memory, fake memory, planted memory, like in Inception
Obsession with revenge, like in The Dark Knight
Fine line between good and evil, like in The Dark Knight
Okay, that is enough to go on. There is plenty of material with which to begin the journey.
I also need to keep a couple very important things in mind before I open an Internet browser and start looking around.
Film Theory or Film History
I have to explore a topic cinematically
Questions that explore the story of a film or a film's themes (like the last three bullet points on my list) are not usually going to work, unless I explore how those themes are explored in Film language.
If the points you are making could just as easily be said about a novel, or a short story, then it is usually best to steer clear of them.
This does not mean my last three points get crossed off the list, but I do need to tread carefully.
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