Understanding Cinema: A Psychological Theory

Understanding Cinema analyzes the moving imagery of film and television from a psychological perspective. Per Persson asserts that spectators interpret, feel or make use of knowledge, assumptions, expectations and prejudices when viewing film. Persson explains how close-ups, editing conventions, character psychology and other cinematic techniques work, and how and why they affect the spectator. Utilizing examples from early and contemporary cinema, the book also analyzes the design of cinema conventions and their stylistic transformations through the evolution of film.

List of Illustrations

ix

Preface and Acknowledgments

xi

Understanding and Dispositions

1

(45)

Psychology: Understanding and Dispositions

6

(13)

Parameters of Dispositions

13

(6)

A Psychological Model of Reception

19

(27)

Discourse and Meaning

21

(5)

Level 0

26

(2)

Level 1

28

(1)

Level 2

29

(1)

Level 3

30

(2)

Level 4

32

(1)

Level 5

33

(1)

Some Specifications of the Model

34

(9)

Conclusions

43

(3)

Understanding Point-of-View Editing

46

(55)

Historical Context of Point-of-View Editing

48

(18)

Early Point-of-View as Attraction - Not as Spatial Articulation

50

(2)

Spatial Immersion Begins

52

(2)

Editing between Adjacent Places: Movement

54

(2)

Editing between Adjacent Places: Gazing

56

(7)

Functions of Point-of-View Editing

63

(3)

Deictic Gaze

66

(8)

The Structure of Deictic-Gaze Behavior

67

(1)

Development

68

(2)

Functions

70

(2)

Universality and the Question of Origin

72

(2)

How Does Point-of-View Editing Work?

74

(23)

Eight Hypotheses

75

(17)

Conclusions

92

(5)

Explaining the Presence of the Point-of-View Convention in Mainstream Cinema

97

(4)

Variable Framing and Personal Space

101

(42)

Personal Space

102

(7)

Personal-Space Invasions

105

(3)

Personal-Space Behavior: A Vehicle for Communication

108

(1)

Conclusions

108

(1)

Visual Media and Personal Space

109

(1)

Personal Space and Variable Framing

110

(31)

Early Cinema

110

(3)

Threatening Imagery of Early Cinema

113

(5)

Emblematic Shots: Marks of Intimacy and Emotional Repose

118

(3)

Variable Framing in Mainstream Narrative Cinema

121

(1)

``Closer-ups''

121

(6)

Analytical Editing: Exploiting Personal-Space Intimacy

127

(3)

The Important Foreground

130

(1)

Threat Revisited

131

(7)

Voyeurism

138

(3)

Conclusions

141

(2)

Character Psychology and Mental Attribution

143

(104)

Introduction

143

(6)

Textual Theories of Characters

144

(2)

Reception-Based Theories of Characters

146

(3)

The Psychology of Recognition and Alignment

149

(10)

Levels of Meaning

150

(2)

Level 0

152

(1)

Level 1

152

(1)

Level 2

152

(1)

Level 3

152

(1)

Level 4

153

(1)

Level 5

153

(1)

Level 6

154

(4)

Why Mental States?

158

(1)

``Subjective Access'' versus ``Mental Attribution''

158

(1)

Mental Attribution in Everyday Life

159

(23)

Ability with Body and Gesture Cues

159

(2)

Folk Psychology: Reasoning about Mental States

161

(2)

The Mind and Its Parts

163

(6)

Emotions and Their Causes

169

(4)

Deep Psychology

173

(1)

Additional Remarks

173

(1)

Folk Psychology is a Cultural Understanding

174

(2)

People with Different Folk Psychologies

176

(1)

Relativism versus Universality

177

(1)

Anthropomorphism: Intentional Stance and Psychological Causality

178

(3)

Instrumental Value of Folk Psychology

181

(1)

Folk Psychology - Normality

181

(1)

Mental Attribution Processes in Reception of Cinema

182

(38)

Some General Principles

183

(3)

The Minds of Cinematic Characters

186

(1)

Goals Bring Coherence to Events

186

(6)

Emotions are Important Motivators for Goals and Actions

192

(1)

Perceptions Inform Beliefs that Constrain Goals and Actions

193

(8)

The Emotions of Cinematic Characters

201

(1)

Positive/Negative Emotions

202

(2)

Surprise

204

(2)

Events Caused by Circumstance, Other, or Self

206

(3)

Appetitive/Aversive Emotions

209

(1)

Certain/Uncertain Events

210

(1)

Low/High Control Potential

211

(1)

Additional Remarks

211

(1)

Intradiegetic Attributions

211

(2)

Mental Attributions and Time

213

(3)

What is a Round/Flat Character?

216

(1)

Narrative Causality is Primarily a Psychological Causality

217

(3)

Text and Mental Attribution

220

(12)

Textual Techniques

220

(1)

Acting versus Situation

221

(1)

Creating Psychologically Rich Situations

222

(9)

Nonarbitrary Conventions

231

(1)

Good/Bad Conventions

232

(1)

The Narrativization and Psychologization of Early Cinema

232

(10)

Psychology as Complement?

236

(6)

Concluding Comments

242

(5)

The Case for a Psychological Theory of Cinema

247

(4)

Notes

251

(10)

References

261

(16)

Index

277

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Understanding Cinema: A Psychological Theory of Moving Imagery

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

Understanding Cinema: A Psychological Theory of Moving Imagery

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Digital License