I’m not some sort of authority when it comes to art analysis. I’m a pretentious snob who gets off on ruining things for people and sounding smart. But like I’ve said before, everything ever created has different levels which can be looked into based on its context. When it comes to deciphering meaning out of art, I’ll show you my method.

Every medium of art has its own rules and when looking into film it’s helpful to see how film differs. The worth of a theater production is based almost solely on its cast -- a terribly written play can be redeemed with the right selection of people portraying it. Except for the Spider-Man musical, no one in hell can make that even remotely watchable. Literature is based around the author guiding the reader through a narrative through the arrangement of words. Even comics are based around the message told through a pattern of images arranged in a certain way. Similar to comics, film is based around a pattern of images arranged in a specific order -- except that those images are moving. This is referred to as mise en scène, which is French for “placing on stage.”

So when it comes to analyzing and intellectualizing film, it’s important to consider every aspect of what is being shown to you on screen. Unlike theater or literature, the observer is not taking an active part in the creation of the visual element. When you’re reading a book you have to conceptualize and imagine what is being described to you. Movies are much more specific. If I say the word underpants, a thousand different types of underpants can run through your mind. If I show you a pair of underwear, there is only one pair that we are talking about and it’s the one I’ve placed before your eyes. Film is objective, the image you are seeing is not accidental. You were intended to see a specific image, nothing else. This gives you a question to ask and probably the most important question to ask when trying to analyze film and that is: why this specific image?

I’ll give you an example. In the film based on the novel We Need To Talk About Kevin, there is a huge emphasis on the color red. Throughout the entirety of the film, the camera focuses specifically on a red ball, red tomato juice, red jam, and red paint splattered on the protagonist’s white home. Why this specific image of the color red? The film strongly implies a level of violence that has already happened that the audience has not seen. The film shows us that the heroine is eternally punishing herself and suffering from a strong feeling of guilt. The film constantly makes us wonder as to what extent this character is responsible for the implied violence that we know nothing about she is responsible for. The frequent use of red objects alludes to the metaphorical blood on her hands and the burden she wears for the crimes she feels she has committed.

And then there’s motifs, or recurring themes. If a movie keeps repeating a certain action or phrase, the movie is probably trying to nail an idea into your brain. Like the word “family” in The Godfather. Why is the word spoken by so many people in the movie? Well, the conflict around the film revolves around dual meaning of the word. In this case family can refer to the mafia business run by the patriarch and his descendents or it could refer to the literal relationships Michael Corleone cultivates in his struggle between being a moral citizen or defending the honor of the name Corleone. When characters say the word “family” the audience is asked to decipher what definition of “family” the character is using. It enforces the theme of law and violence versus love and power. The final scene especially reinforces this with its conflicting imagery.

Then you factor in other elements present in film; like music, editing, and sound. All of this is incorporated into mise en scène. If a movie made you feel a specific way or reminded you of something, odds are that it was intentional. In Spielberg's adaptation of

War of the Worlds, did the imagery of collapsing buildings and property damage remind you of footage from the 9/11 terrorist attacks? Maybe you felt that all of the prejudice the characters in the X-Men films faced was similar to that of the Civil Rights era and the alienation that the LGBT community faces in modern day? Did the violence in Alien feel uncomfortably sexual? Perhaps Neo’s frequent stance with his arms spread out make him look like Jesus Christ crucified on the cross? These movies went out of their way to make those connections to you. And if you want to know more, ask the million dollar question: why?