Last week, the Academy announced the Oscar nominations. As always, people have many opinions about who should win and shouldn’t. If you’re looking to join the conversation but want some background on the power of cinema, check out Filmish by Edward Ross, a visual history of the industry.
Comics as a Classroom Tool
While in college, this graphic novel helped me on several academic projects. The book proves that comics go beyond just entertainment. Comics like Bitch Planet, Watchmen, and Maus are excellent teaching tools. Filmish joins these books for its accessible, educational, and enjoyable dive into film rhetoric. Ross takes readers on a tour of film history, but it is his art that engages us the most. Ross’s illustrations are simple and make the subjects easy to comprehend. The art is also realistic so readers recognize the films Ross references. Given that cinema is a visual medium, a graphic novel is a fantastic approach to examine the history and power of film.
Bodies on Display
Throughout the book, Ross explains what makes film so powerful. A key component is the camera, which controls how we see the story. Certain shots can put a character in power or make them an object. In turn, the camera empowers some but objectifies, demonizes, and erases others. Often times the latter are people of color, women, and LGBTQ members. Ross also mentions that the body is explored in new ways in film. Films like The Fly and Texas Chainsaw Massacre show bodies going through horrific acts of violence and decay. Only film can dive into body horror at this level without putting well beings at risk. Actors and their bodies, in a sense, are tools that help carry the story of the film and the message.
The Message in the Media
Ross goes further in depth about how messages are created in film, whether they’re verbal, visual, or both. Sometimes the messages are intentional. Other times they are not, but they are always present. These messages can be about the world of the movie or can be applied to society as a whole. There are direct approaches to sending a message, as seen in The Great Dictator. There are subversive approaches to it, like how we frame the female body. Regardless, as Ross points out, these messages resonate with audiences, forming certain perceptions of the world. His analysis shows that film is impactful given that it aids in determining what is good or bad.
The Marriage Between Machine and Artist
Ross analyzes many aspects of film, but his most compelling analysis is on film’s relationship with technology. He explains that film transcends traditional theater because it is so reliant on technology. In turn, film constantly evolves. The transition from silent films to talkies, black and white to color, and practical effects to CGI exemplifies this. Ross also explains how, despite the reliance on technology, films often depict it in a negative way, like in Robocop. While sci-fi and horror movies expose the fears of society, Ross theorizes the negative representation of science is due to an internalized fear within the film industry.
To better understand his theory, pick up Filmish, Ross has boiled film theory down in this accessible book that is as fun to read as it is educational. The book features films like The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, and Blade Runner.
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