How to Watch a Movie -- Lesson #2

The Need for Us to View Films as Certain Perspectives

Back in Lesson #1 of my “How to Watch a Movie” series, we discussed what the fundamental nature of film is, what elements combine to make it its own unique medium.

And then we started to ask about its psychological effects. One of those supposed effects is Ebert’s claim that movies are “empathy machines,” devices that improve a human viewer’s capacity for feeling what other humans have or do feel.

As we go in this series, we’ll explore not just the psychological dimensions to film, but also the sociological and political as well. As well in Part 1, we discussed what might be the most important kind of shot in film, aesthetically and psychologically.

Now in this second lesson, let’s add to what we said about film’s effect on viewers, and what that means for you. As usual, quite a lot of what will be said applies to all video experiences, including mobile videos.

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