how to build comprehensive film-viewing habits

I went to film school with the intent of becoming a film critic. I found that what I learned in literature, history and humanities classes actually gave me more of a background in discovering and learning aesthetics and theory behind film. Some of the most important ways I learned to watch film was through reading books. For me, it was very hard to embark on the personal style of viewing film such as you are interested in without having an outlet for discussion. Classes are perfect for that. I suggest also finding a film center or art house in your area that may have a film club. It's very much like discussing literature, and when you have people to speak with right after viewing a film, you can hear their perspectives and add to your own. [quote] My worries are that: (1) i will try to consider too many elements too quickly and as a result be frustrated by the experience and fail to work toward my goals; and (2) that i won't figure out an effective means (set of questions, criteria) for arriving at a thoughtful personal interpretation of the film (i'm not good or practiced at 'cracking' hidden themes and symbolism in literature, particularly poetry).[/quote] Don't be worried. One of the best things about film (or literature or art for that matter) is what you bring to it. When you end up in that class in the fall, others will contribute and enhance what you already have. Just by being an adult you have absorbed a lot of symbolic archetypes that appear in film -- just because you may not right away catch that the particular framing of a shot recalls Ozu or somesuch isn't where you need to be right away. That comes with a continued journey of film viewing, reviewing and discussion. Watch the film with a notebook. jot notes without looking at the page as you watch. immediately after the film is over, jot your last remaining thoughts. Take a break, have a smoke, then start chatting. I have had some damned near religious experiences with film in this way. Rewatching a film later will bring even more to the forefront. A few recommended texts to begin you on your path: "I Lost it at the Movies" and "Going Steady" by Pauline Kael. I wanted to be her when I grew up and reading her essays are inspirational and divine. Watch a film in one of these, read the essay she worte about it, then watch the film again. "A Third Face" by Sam Fuller (foreword by Martin Scorsese). A pioneer in masculine filmmaking, his life, times and a damned fine book. You learn a lot about how films get made, how they get changed by the studios, and it give you a bit of a swagger. "Filmmakers Handbook" by Edward Pincus is a great way to learn some of the technical stuff. I also recommend "American Cinematographer" magazine as a way to learn this too. They're not super-technical manuals, but they give you the craft behind the art. One other note: don't feel that you need to watch "serious film" in order to discover a deeper love of film. Some delicious popcorn flicks can give as much of a platter to feast from as the most highbrow French nouveau "masterpiece." I hope something in this ramble is of use!

Ditto on the Bordwell and Thompson, above, plus http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0070064458/qid=1119132201/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/104-4677159-4279944?v=glance&s=books&n=507846. One of these works' strengths is that between them, you'll pick up a strong foundation of stylistic concepts and the vocabulary to discuss them. Also, I hope you haven't already seen many Billy Wilder movies. The summer I went through his work was a lot of fun, and I wish you the same!

I have a master's degree in film, and I promise you that your ambitious are already far, far beyond the scope of the introductory class you are about to take. Hopefully it won't bore you to tears. My mind is like yours in some ways...when I get interested in something, I can't really tackle it without trying to see the really, really big picture (so to speak). One thing that was invaluable for me in that sense was starting with the old stuff...the really old stuff, like the Lumiere brothers, early Bunuel, the earliest version of The Great Train Robbery, and the beautiful Sunrise (1927). And then there's Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd. This stuff is interesting, not just because it's good, but because to watch it is to explore the creation of a great many movie tropes that we now take for granted. Then watch the Scorcese documentary. Then watch the films referenced in the Scorcese documentary, and then watch the movies that were nominated for Academy Awards during the first couple of decades that the Academy even existed. Then get the Truffaut/Hitchcock book and let it be your guide as you watch all the Hitchcock. Then come up with a new plan for the next stage of your film self-education.

I'm a screenwriter. When I decided that I really wanted to be serious about pursuing this career, I took all the "Greatest Films" lists I could find, glommed them together, and generated a new list of every film that appeared on 3 or more lists. I ended up with about 100 films that represented some sort of very rough consensus of significant films. And then--and this is important--I watched them in chronological order, over the course of several months. . Wathing them in chronological order was the single greatest aspect of my film education to date--and I says this as somebody who has a master's degree in screenwriting. What makes a chronological organization more helpful than (say) organizing by director or genre is that it gives you a control group. For example, Chaplin films tend to celebrate the triumph of a powerless underdog--but that's a common trope of most films of the era. Seeing the films in chronological context lets you figure out what was unique and special about Chaplin. Bingo was more or less saying the same thing, but I want to emphasize that it's not enough to just watch (say) films of the 1930s--if you really watch them year by year, you will start noticing differences between a film from 1933 and one from 1937. Anybody who wants to see my chronological viewing list is welcome to e-mail me for it, by the way.

i don't know how often people come back into the 'ask metafilter' archives, but i do want to thank everyone for these responses...i haven't marked any as best because i've pulled suggestions from all of them! i went to the used bookstore this weekend (and luckily they have a large film section..a benefit of living in San Francisco, i guess)...and picked up the hitchcock/truffaut (which i opened to browse sunday afternoon, and ended up reading almost the entire book), and the 'short history of the movies,' along with another book i've been reading this week 'how to read a film' by james monaco, which i got because it was cheap and used and is an overview of technical/interpretive/historical aspects, and i like it so far...next on the list are the bordwell/thompson books above (one has a 'viewer's guide' i'm curious about)...and the scorsese documentaries sound awesome as well... in looking at the resources and seeing how many directions there are to go in, i think i've calmed a bit about putting too much pressure on 'getting' everthing when i watch a film...just the little bit i've picked up so far has made me a more engaged viewer, and i'm very excited about the journey to come...i thought maybe the best viewing approach would be to take casual notes, as suggested, and start recording what i'm watching into a database with some basic info, impressions, and observations, and over time the questions i want to ask should emerge... ...i've decided to expand my fall school plans, and in addition to the intro film studies course i want to add film history and film production courses as well... thanks again, everybody! this thread really has inspired me!

Without knowing more details, the best advice I can give you is to follow: • directors or production artists • or artistic genres created by directors Directors tend to create work with common themes, even if the content is varied. One easy example is http://www.indelibleinc.com/kubrick/, whose work embodies several key themes about the strengths and weaknesses of humanity. Other popular examples include http://www.geocities.com/the_magic_works_of_i_b/, http://davidfincher.cjb.net/, http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~muffin/, http://classicmoviefavorites.com/berkeley/... Web sites may be good starting points for organzing viewing of a director's oevre on the basis of thematic similarites. The input of fans and film critics can help, here. On the second point, organizing viewing along an ideological basis is perhaps a bit clearer. One example of what I mean is http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-dog1.htm, which aims at creating films with a narrow and confining set of rules. Or http://global.yesasia.com/en/mc/-/M8ky23x3vZ/featureArticle.aspx/articleId-31/section-videos/code-c/version-all/. Lots of examples along this line...

It sounds like you're trying to optimize the experience and, to my mind, loading up your plan beyond the fun zone. Even if you watch a bunch of movies and don't "discover" everything in them, it's not like you're wasting your time. The analysis you're talking about takes practice; no one is great at it right out of the gate. Your plan sounds a bit like an experiment design, and I wonder whether that sets you up to be distracted from the actual subject at hand - getting you so preoccupied with how you will record and evaluate that you can't just watch a movie. If you want to fast-track some of the "engaged viewing" techniques you're talking about, consider seeing originals and remakes back to back, or originals and adaptations. Series of films can also be useful, since they'll generally involve different directors, and you can compare different treatments of the same subject matter and also explore other works by the same directors. These methods can help you "control" your "subjects" and help call out comparisons and contrasts. I've done the schedule you're talking about - 1 or 2 films a day (now down to 3 or 4 a week) - and it's pretty amazing how well that sheer volume pushes you toward more engaged viewing all by itself, so maybe all you need to do at this point is just kick back and watch. I use Netflix, mostly so I can "add it to my list" and never forget about something I think I might like to see. It's unusual that they don't have something (fanatics join Greencine as well, anyway), and they do a little bit of matching that can help you learn about connections between films. Mixing venues, as you describe, would never have worked for me, and I wonder if you run a risk that sourcing movies that way skews you toward box-office stuff rather than canonical stuff or that it just makes the logistics too much of a pain.

how interesting, rothko! my new desire to study film arises from a current fascination with lars von trier (itself renewed by a recent metafilter conversation) and the reading i have been doing about him and dogme 95!

i'm really enjoying the thoughtful and detailed responses here; unfortunately, i'm heading out of town for an overnight trip and will be delayed in checking everything out and responding to it. you guys are awesome!