PURPOSES OF THESE PAGES
Films can provide entertainment, an opportunity for intellectual reflection, and a means to understand the depths of the human heart. But it has become harder to find films that provide all of these things. Often, critical praise and box office reports are poor indicators of quality.

These pages were designed with the following purposes in mind: (1) to provide a guide to quality films; and (2) to provide resources for both popular and academic criticism of films. Links to sites supporting other critical perspectives are not necessarily endorsements on my part of the views expressed at these sites; they simply express views I feel deserve more attention.

In addition, I have supplied some comments on films and some alternative groupings of films. The structure of social narratives intrigues me, as does the phenomenology of film and the structure of film. There are many sites dedicated to similar topics and many scholars spend their full time on such topics; these pages may be a useful starting place for further research. Seven Mistakes of Film Criticism is a popular page. I recommend everyone read the excerpt from the Magic Mountain. The entire topic of the relationship between the thematic content of films and globalization is probably still an under-explored area. - A. D. Birch, Ph.D.

THE STRUCTURE OF FILM NARRATIVE
Diagram interface for 15 additional pages that explore the relationships of elements involved in the production and viewing of films. A combination of ideas from Plato and Aristotle, with some common sense about narrative structures. Click on each node to show pages. The interface is a little temperamental, and it can be difficult to get the "little hand" to pop up for each node, but there are 15 pages accessible through the diagram. The diagram is meant to indicate the built-in transcendental nature of film narrative structure as well as the common-sense interrelationships among the various sources of meaning (interpretive contexts) available in contemporary life. In progress.

BEST OF 2012

The Avengers - Witty, often funny, yet filled with great, thought-provoking one-liners. Among the many themes/ideas packed into single lines:

• There is only one God
• Evil people never win -- they lack conviction
• People keep an emotional/moral ledger that they need to balance (wipe out the "red")
• An unruly people can never be ruled
• Germany will "never forget"

The Hunger Games - A study on reality TV and the interplay of media and individual choice in constructing personality. The use of cinema verite (hand held camera that takes us out of mode of "distant" viewing of the narrative and places us "there" in the moment) is annoying at first, but it becomes clear that conceptual artists of the film mean to make a statement about the tenuous divisions between reality and fabrication, real emotion and put-on emotion, deep love and on-camera love. Not about adventure and sick killing sprees of blood-thirsty young, as some popular media would have it, but about how human sentiments are constructed out of the raw material of media-enhanced human interactions. A cautionary tale of social and political control and individual defiance in the vein of The Truman Show or Rollerball -- films that derive from the allegory of Plato's Cave -- that leaves you pulling for a "real" life outside the Cave. Required viewing for all film aficionados. Oscar bound. The image captures the stunned, hurt, and confused state of the heroine at the start of the film.

John Carter - An interplanetary love story. Emotionally, a poetic expression of redemption through love – overcoming loss in the past through hope. Politically, a hymn to the value of fighting for a for a cause greater than one's self. Psychologically, multiple, simultaneous tales about how rule-breakers and loners can survive and thrive. Captures the heart of Burroughs's master work, started in 1912, the 11-book Mars series. John Carter is the prototype for Superman: weakened gravity on another planet makes him stronger than anyone else. In the series, Carter is himself an immortal warrior who primarily loves fighting. Yet, he is also a peace-maker who eventually unifies the waring races of Mars. Some of the most fascinating aspects of the film are those that will be invisible to the audience: the changes made to Burroughs's original story. Gone are the vicious Indians who torture and kill Carter's friend. Gone is the mysterious, and never fully explained, transmission of mind/body to Mars. Disney's rewrite makes Carter a reluctant recruit in fighting Indians, introduces “Therns” as Interplanetary agents who enable and control mind/body transportation. These enhancements to Burroughs's conceptual framework improve the story and make it more relevant for contemporary audiences. Visually, the story remains true to Burroughs's ideas, as developed through the original drawings in some of the printed versions of the books, and as expertly crafted by Marvel in its comic book series. This is a great film on many levels. Look for Oscar nominations in technical areas in 2012. Sample art from Marvel's issue #1 of the John Carter series, copyright 1977 by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., below.

BEST OF 2011

Like many other recent years in film, not a particularly good year.

Midnight in Paris - One of Woody Allen's finest, although not his greatest. Reverses the standard Hollywood technique of putting message in the subtext by overtly discussing and critiquing a philosophy of life.

Hugo - Most over-rated film of 2011. Nice homage to film history. Sacha Coen is outstanding, but the story lacks depth.

The Artist - Best aesthetics of 2011. Restores values of original screen aspect ratio. A meditation on the meaning of conventions in acting and how the human face communicates emotions.

The King's Speech - Among the very best of 2011. Excellent acting combines with good story to produce a great effect.

Drive - Not seen. But probably of great interest for those who like to see innovations in plot and thematic structure, since it apparently provides, in the words of Roger Ebert, "a rebuke" to the action/thriller films that it looks like on the surface.

Real Steel - Rocky meets the world of robots and avatars. One of the best stories of 2011, a great example of how contemporary social problems are addressed through the thematic subtexts. In this case, the epidemic of fatherless children and children from broken homes. A great story idea and well-executed, although weakened by the completely unconvincing performance by Evangeline Lilly as the would-be mother. In many ways, a better and more meaningful story than The Artist.

Thor - Another of Marvel's most popular characters. Like Captain America, this film provides the backstory for the character, establishing his inner conflict (estrangement from his father) as well as his new-found cause (protecting mere mortals). In the Marvel universe, Thor has been created and destroyed more than a dozen times. This Thor represents just one psychological type. The evil Loki is a stand-in for the disruptive/destructive forces recognized in Norse mythology – a trope use in many films, including the Star Wars sextet.

Captain America - Classic plot structure, utilizing escalating difficulties for hero and final villian/hero confrontation. Basic plot is true to the first issue of Marvel's comic in 1941. A well-crafted film throughout, with good performances by excellent cast.

IMAGE PROCESSING IN THE VISUAL ARTS
Image Processing in the Visual Arts - Entering the Imagosphere. Slide show with sound commentary. Uses examples from wide variety of visual arts, including Michelangelo and Marvel Comics. Note: This is a prototype; the "speech" is more or less spontaneous. There are a few cases where the last item on the slide is not fully explained. I was limited to 60 seconds per slide. The sound starts simultaneously with each slide. Disable popup blockers if you do not hear sound. Feedback welcome for this experimental talk. If you use any of the material here in a paper or presentation, let me know.

HOW TO VIEW A FILM
This section would be longer, but for the fact that it is now virtually impossible to view a film in the United States, since most theaters are populated with people who are CONSTANTLY TALKING. The only solution I know is to try to go when no one else does. Try the last show on Sunday.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS SITE?
Feel free to contact me if you have a comment or question regarding any material on this site. I welcome your suggestions for additional links.