CONTEXTUALIZING THE NARRATIVE
A STEP TOWARDS CLASSROOM CINEPHILIA
This paper, presented at the
ATOM conference, Melbourne,
BORIS TRBIC
December 2003, concentrates on
one crucial aspect of teaching film
narratives in Unit 3 Media Studies.
It argues that, instead of solely
focusing on the discussion of
production and story elements as
essential aspects of film language,
teachers and students would
benefit from complementing film
analysis by contextualizing the
ISSUE 34 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION
cinematic narrative. This would
assist students in bridging gaps
in their film experience, establish-
ing the parameters of discussion
and providing various interpreta-
tive possibilities for their work on
selected narrative sequences.
86
Why contextualize the
cinematic narrative?
T
here are several important
aspects to this question. The
overwhelming majority of
secondary school students are more
familiar with film culture than any pre-
vious generation of Media students.
However, it is often easier for them
to contextualize a literary text than
cinematic narrative. This is because
the conventions of literary analysis
that follow them throughout primary
and secondary schooling provide a
firmly established ground for discus-
sion and interpretation of literary texts
and discussion of an author’s back-
ground, historical circumstances, ge-
neric conventions and literary trends
of the era. Media students are still
not provided with a similar scope of
tools for narrative deconstruction and
often lack a sense of orientation when
faced with the demanding task of film
analysis. Junior and Middle school
Media courses address this problem,
focusing on the work of selected
directors, specific film genres and
links with other Media. However, a
number of VCE Media educators still
find it extremely challenging to teach
various stages in film history, map
cinematic genres, styles and tradi-
tions or establish links with other arts
in order to initiate a discussion about
a film narrative.
Another problem is that there is still
a tendency to see Media as a non-
academic subject. Film and television
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texts are often considered a sup-
plementary rather than autonomous
educational resource in mainstream
secondary systems. They are fre-
quently seen as additional, auxiliary
materials, class time fillers and, at
worst, entertainment. Film apprecia-
tion is not fully recognized as a crucial
aspect of Media education. A second-
ary student is not commended for his/
her interest in film in the same way as
is an avid reader who spends his/her
time researching at the school library.
Student enthusiasm in Media courses
is often ascribed to the purchase and
development of new technologies,
appropriate to the hands-on approach
characteristic to those inclined to
practical work, rather than their pas-
sion, curiosity and/or intellectual inter-
est in film. Hence, the need to provide
a plethora of interpretative contexts
as tools for film analysis emerges as
one of the most demanding tasks on
a Media teacher’s busy agenda.
What constitutes a
Cinematic Context?
In order to contextualize a cinematic
narrative and establish the essential
parameters for the discussion of
production and story elements, the
teacher and student may need to
investigate the following aspects of a
selected film:
• Director’s opus
• Production period
• Genre/Style
• Links with other Arts and popular
culture
• Producer’s role and previous work
• Cast and crew and their work his-
tory with the director
• Film Distribution
• Reviews and reception with the
audience
Director’s Opus
Distributing timeline and
biofilmography
The most convenient place to start the
research is to establish the timeline
of the director’s work and distribute
his/her biofilmography to the stu-
dents. Observing a selected film in the
context of a director’s biofilmography
is essential for selecting appropri-
ate texts for film analysis, initiating
the discussion of the cinematic text,
placing it within the body of the direc-
tor’s work and providing a sense of
historical background to the students.
Discussing the work of Billy Wilder
and Robert Siodmak in the context of
the exodus of German and Austrian
directors to Hollywood is essential for
understanding the despair, discomfort
and sense of unease that influenced
the directors of American film noir.
Positioning the film within a
particular stage of the director’s
work
Investigating the place of the selected
film within the director’s body of work
is crucial for understanding stylis-
tic links with his/her past work and
forthcoming projects. The selected
film might represent a crucial moment
for one phase of a director’s work, or
emerge as an important link between
two significant stages. This enables
students to identify references to the
director’s previous cinematic narra-
tives or anticipate their forthcoming
concerns. Walter Hill’s The Driver
(1978), Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas
(1990) and Paul Verhoeven’s Robo-
Cop, (1987) for example, all herald
the filmmakers’ inclinations towards a
particular genre, visual style or type of
narrative that frequently resurface in
their work.
Placing emphasis on
production and story elements
typical for the director’s
work
Providing a number of
appropriate examples of a
director’s work can assist
students to identify specific
features and map stylis-
tic continuity that marks
various aspects of his/her
work. Students may benefit
from comparing the opening and
ISSUE 34 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION
closing sequences, visual style, pace
and juxtaposition of shots or musical
score that accompanies the narra-
tive. Hitchcock’s opening sequences,
Sergio Leone’s visual composition and
Tarantino’s use of musical score can
all be appropriately acknowledged
and identified as important aspects of
a filmmaker’s artistic signature.
Production period
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BAD AND THE UGLY • DEAD MAN
Investigating the characteristics
of a particular production
era and associated trends in
national cinematographies
Discussing the selected film narra-
tives, Media students need to re-
search the characteristics of a particu-
lar production period and associated
trends in national cinematographies.
Understanding the major trends and/
or any significant events that influ-
enced particular aspects of filmmak-
ing would assist students in assessing
how ‘typical’ is the selected film for its
production period. This is particularly
ISSUE 34 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION
important for identifying the most
significant trends in national cinemat-
ographies. Consider the emergence of
Expressionist film in Post-First World
War Germany, film noir in the 1930s
and 1940s Hollywood, wu xia pian
(martial arts) genre in the 1960s and
1970s Hong Kong, and neo-noir in the
1980s and 1990s Hollywood.
Establish links with the work
88 of other directors who may
have influenced the style of the
selected film
Establishing similarities and differenc-
es between the works of the selected
director/s and their contemporaries is
a step towards cinematic intertextual-
ity, interpreting films through other
films, understanding the importance
of different traditions, influences.
Researching this element of cin-
ematic context, students may wish to
explore the work of the major direc-
tors of the era whose style is similar
or compatible to the director’s work.
Viewing selected sequences may
provide evidence for establishing links
between two or more directors. This
may lead to a discussion of similarities
in character development, dialogue
and acting style, visual composition,
camera angles, editing cadences,
point of view and structuring of time
and identifying subtextual nuances,
quotes, homages or repetitions that
contribute to the specific style of the
director.
Genre/Style
The characteristics of genre/
style that can be identified in a
selected film
Positioning the selected narrative
within the boundaries of a specific
genre/style can provide an initial
sense of orientation for students,
however, it should not limit their
expectations or interpretative pos-
sibilities. Students may benefit from
searching for appropriate examples
or evidence that suggest that the
director adheres to a particular genre
or style. The geography of a western’s
setting, for example, differs from the
oblique and vertical lines character-
istic of the urban spaces of film noir.
The public spaces of science-fiction
films emphasize the central features of
futuristic societies in which these nar-
ratives are situated. The public spaces
in horror film, on the other hand, serve
to accentuate a sense of despair and
loneliness in its characters.
Identify the production and
story elements that significantly
contribute to placing the film
within a specific genre/style
Students would benefit from highlight-
ing the production and story elements
that are particularly important for
positioning the selected film within
a particular genre/style. They might
wish to explore the specific approach
of the director to this particular genre
or investigate the fashion in which
the director challenges the pre-ex-
isting generic conventions? In his
renowned ‘spaghetti western’, The
Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966),
Sergio Leone uses his characters to
address American cultural stereotypes
from an ‘outsider’s’ perspective.
Clint Eastwood, on the other hand,
in his revisionist western, Unforgiven
(1992), situates his protagonists in the
historical milieu, dissecting the social
and cultural values that shaped and
establish a sense of American identity.
Both Leone and Eastwood and their

‘working relationship’ re-
shaped the stylistic features
and generic conventions of
the western and set param-
eters for the future develop-
ment of the most authentic
of American film genres.
Links with Other Arts and
Popular Culture
Contextualizing a cinematic narrative
often includes a discussion of links
with other forms of art and popular
culture. Analysing a film adapta-
tion, for example, places significant
emphasis on the work of a particular
novelist and the filmmaker’s ability to
convey, recreate or relocate the fic-
tional world of the author on screen. A
student discussing Paul Verhoeven’s
Total Recall (1990), Ridley Scott’s
Blade Runner (1982) or Steven Spiel-
berg’s Minority Report (2002) may
benefit from researching the literature
of Philip K. Dick. Students discuss-
ing Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man (1995),
on the other hand, would need to
familiarize themselves with the poetry
of William Blake, but at the same time
gain awareness of Jarmusch’s inter-
pretation of Blake’s poetic motifs.
Researching the impact of popular
music, graphic novels, computer
games, the Internet, Manga anima-
tion and reality television shows on
a cinematic text, the student will be
prompted to maintain a line of inquiry
most appropriate to the art form that
influenced the selected film narra-
tive. Those discussing The Bird or
8 Mile (2002) may research Charlie
Parker’s revolutionary bee-bop and
explore Eminem’s emergence on the
1990s American rap-scene. They may
simultaneously investigate how these
film biographies differ from screen
adaptations of the lives of famous
composers, popular in the 1960s and
1970s. Exploring the poetics of the
graphic novel in Ghost World (Terry
Zwigoff, 2000) and Road to
Perdition (Sam Mendes, 2002)
could be complemented by
appropriate excerpts from film
adaptations of popular comics
spanning several decades of the
post-Second World War era.
Establishing links with other forms of
popular culture may be challenging
territory for a Media educator, but a
thoroughly enjoyable field for a stu-
dent familiar with Manga animation,
contemporary music and reality televi-
sion. A teacher may find it instructive
and stimulating to use the opportunity
to channel and facilitate the learn-
ing processes and articulate the vast
knowledge, energy and potential
generated by class discussions of
cinematic narratives.
Producer
Producer’s track record
Issues related to film production may
provide interesting information for Me-
dia students. Some frequently ignored
elements of cinematic context include
the creative profile of the producer/s,
their status within the film community,
the relationship between the producer
and the creative team, a film’s produc-
tion history and eventual difficulties
in financial backing. These elements
can often decisively influence the final
look of the cinematic narrative and
its desired impact on the audience.
Students may wish to begin with re-
searching the producer’s track record
and finding out what other films
have been produced by the same
company, individual or joint venture.
This may lead to a class discussion
about differences between Hollywood
blockbusters backed by big produc-
tion companies and films that find
their audiences amongst independent
movie-goers. What are the financial
expectations in Hollywood and what
are the demands, concessions and
compromises infringing the director’s
artistic autonomy when dealing with
big studios? Excerpts from David
Mamet’s play Speed-the-Plow and
film State and Main (2000) may serve
to illustrate the pressures of work-
ing in the Hollywood movie-making
business.
It is equally interesting to discuss the
artistic motives, challenges and diffi-
culties facing an independent com-
pany looking for its niche in the film
market. Teaching French and German
films, Media educators would find it
interesting to track the co-production
work of small companies and tel-
evision channels that mark
contemporary European
cinema and discuss the
implications of these joint
ventures on the final look of
the film.
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(SARAH JESSICA PARKER) AND WALT PRICE
(WILLIAM H. MACY) IN STATE AND MAIN
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The timing of a film’s
release
Another important question
is the timing of a film’s re-
lease. Was the film shelved,
for how long and why?
A teacher could provide
ideological, political and/or financial
reasons for shelving films in various
historical contexts and situations.
Elem Klimov’s Go and See (1985) was
ISSUE 34 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION
shelved for a number of years in the
Soviet Union, because it ignored the
official representations of the Second
World War as a class struggle and
war for liberation and focused on the
absurdity and suffering of its main
characters. Recent examples from
the United States include two films
shelved for a limited period of time
after the events of September 11.
Buffalo Soldiers (Gregor Jordan, 2001)
90 exposes the incompetence and cor-
ruption of the ‘good guys’ in the wake
of the fall of the Iron Curtain and The
Gangs of New York (Martin Scors-
ese, 2002) maps nineteenth century
New York as a turbulent and chaotic
place, questioning the pre-established
views of the American Civil War. Both
films were withheld from public gaze
because of the producers’ fear of col-
liding with the upsurge of nationalist
feelings that was dominating public
life in America.
Cast and crew and their work
history with the director
The work history of the cast and crew
and their relationship with the director
is often given some prominence in the
class discussions of cinematic nar-
ratives. Researching the filmography
of the cast and their relationship with
the director may precede the analysis
of character, dialogue and performing
style of actors appearing in a selected
film.
Some actors ‘specialize’ in certain
types of characters. Consider the
character stereotypes created by
Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney,
Barbara Stanwyck or Meg Ryan, Har-
rison Ford and Tom Cruise. Students
may wish to explore whether a certain
role was written with a particular actor
in mind and discuss how that affects
the film as a whole; the scripting style,
directorial choices, camera angles
and other aspects of film language.
Analysis of production and story
elements in a film narrative is directly
linked to the creative relationship
between the director and the produc-
tion crew. In spite of this, students
are rarely encouraged to research
the individual contributions of the
production team. When analysing
Alfred Hitchcock films, for example, a
student would hardly ever mention his
collaboration with Bernard Hermann,
even when extensively discussing the
impact of the musical score on the
audience. Students should be aware
that film is a collaborative process and
be encouraged to trace the ongoing
relationship between the director and
members of the production team. The
director of photography, art director,
editor and music composer can all
create a lasting impact on the final
‘look’ of the film. Presenting short se-
quences from their previous films, Me-
dia teachers may pinpoint the creative
patterns that exemplify the successful
collaboration of the production team
and the director.
Film Distribution
The profile of the distributor
Film distribution is hardly ever dis-
cussed in the analyses of film narra-
tives. However, the role of the dis-
tributor can significantly impact on the
‘life of the film’ within a wider commu-
nity. Research in this area may begin
with finding out who purchased the
rights for the film, outlining screening
locations, advertising strategies and
their impact on audiences’ expecta-
tions. Mainstream distributors and
independent art house cinemas have
different films on their repertoire and
use diverse promotion strategies,
catering for their clientele. Students
may look at the distinct patterns in

promoting Hollywood hits and popular
Australian films. Those analysing a
foreign language film may discuss
the ‘lack of appeal’ of foreign films to
commercial cinemas and the motiva-
tion of small distributors to cater for
limited sections of the audience.
How to approach different
versions of a film
It is worthwhile investigating whether
the film was shown to the audience in
its integral version. Looking at rating,
length, censorship and other issues
surrounding a film’s release, students
should find out if there was more than
one version of the narrative. They
should find out which version they
saw in class and compare it to the
director’s cut (if available) or to the
television release of the film to the
Australian audience.
Reception with the Audience
Students researching a film’s recep-
tion with the audience may initiate
their investigation by gathering box
office figures and reviews of the film.
This could be followed by class dis-
cussion about factors that commonly
contribute to the film’s box office
success. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
(2001, 2002, 2003) and Kill Bill Vol. 1
(2003) were heralded as Hollywood
blockbusters, using aggressive adver-
tising to raise audience expectations. this small register of context-building
The Castle (Rob Sitch, 1997) and Two guidelines could complement class
Hands (Gregor Jordan, 1999), on the discussions of selected films and
other hand, appealed to wide sections broaden the interpretative horizons of
of the domestic audience because of Media students. One would also hope
their specific, Australian flavour. The that, in the not too distant future, simi-
high profile of European and Asian lar ideas would facilitate the work of
films like Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, those who encourage film apprecia-
2001) Run Lola Run (Tom Tykwer, tion at Junior and Middle levels, open-
1998) or Hana-Bi (Takeshi Kitano, ing the doors to another challenge
1997), could be attributed to their facing Media curriculum—promoting
popularity with arthouse critics and classroom cinephilia.
cinema-goers.
Boris Trbic holds an MA in Media Stud-
Students could try to map out the ies and is a scriptwriter, film reviewer
target audience for their selected film and media teacher. •
and brainstorm questions they would
generate after the first test screenings.
They may benefit from investigat-
ing the cultural climate that contrib-
uted to the audience reception and
trace contemporary films that target
comparable sections of the audience
using similar plot, visual style, theme/s
or cast.
Finally, students may compare film
reviews and sections of books that
focus on audience response to the
selected narrative, to their personal
notes and discussions detailing initial
class reactions to the film.
This attempt to provide a basic
framework for contextualizing a film
narrative is first and foremost aimed
at assisting Media teachers in their
endeavours to provide students with
ISSUE 34 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION
background knowledge and analytical
tools necessary for understanding and
interpreting cinematic texts. It does
not intend to stretch the boundaries
of one of the most extensive units
of work in VCE Media Studies, nor
does it advocate the inclusion of
some elements of film context into
the comprehensive
list of production
and story elements.
One would hope that 91