WAYS OF LOOKING AT MOVIES 13cannot be taken for granted simply because it is by
definition obvious. Although explicit meaning is on
the surface of a film for all to observe, it is unlikely
that every viewer or writer will remember and
acknowledge every part of that meaning. Because
movies are rich in plot detail, a good analysis must
begin by taking into account the breadth and diver-
sity of what has been explicitly presented. For
example, we cannot fully appreciate the significance
of Juno’s defiant dumping of a blue slushy into her
stepmother’s beloved urn unless we have noticed
and noted her dishonest denial when accused ear-
lier of vomiting a similar substance into the same
precious vessel. Our ability to discern a movie’s
explicit meanings is directly dependent on our abil-
ity to notice such associations and relationships.
Viewer Expectations
The discerning analyst must also be aware of the
role expectations play in how movies are made,
marketed, and received. Our experience of nearly
every movie we see is shaped by what we have been
told about that movie beforehand by previews,
commercials, reviews, interviews, and word of
mouth. After hearing your friends rave endlessly
about Juno, you may have been underwhelmed by
the actual movie. Or you might have been surprised
and charmed by a film you entered with low expec-
tations, based on the inevitable backlash that fol-
lowed the movie’s surprise success. Even the most
general knowledge affects how we react to any
given film. We go to see blockbusters because we
crave an elaborate special-effects extravaganza.
We can still appreciate a summer movie’s relatively
simpleminded storytelling, as long as it delivers the
promised spectacle. On the other hand, you might
revile a high-quality tragedy if you bought your
ticket expecting a lighthearted comedy.
Of course, the influence of expectation extends
beyond the kind of anticipation generated by a
movie’s promotion. As we discussed earlier, we all
harbor essential expectations concerning a film’s
form and organization. And most filmmakers give
us what we expect: a relatively standardized cine-
matic language, seamless continuity, and a narra-
tive organized like virtually every other fiction film
we’ve ever seen. For example, years of watching
movies has taught us to expect a clearly motivated
protagonist to pursue a goal, confronting obstacles
and antagonists along the way toward a clear (and
usually satisfying) resolution. Sure enough, that’s
what we get in most commercial films.
We’ll delve more deeply into narrative in the
chapters that follow. For now, what’s important is
that you understand how your experience—and,
thus, your interpretation—of any movie is affected
by how the particular film manipulates these
expected patterns. An analysis might note a film’s
failure to successfully exploit the standard struc-
tures or another movie’s masterful subversion of
expectations to surprise or mislead its audience. A
more experimental approach might deliberately
confound our presumption of continuity or narra-
tive. The viewer must be alert to these expected
patterns in order to fully appreciate the signifi-
cance of that deviation.
Expectations specific to a particular performer
or filmmaker can also alter the way we perceive a
movie. For example, any fan of actor Michael Cera’s
previous performances as an endearingly awkward
adolescent in the film Superbad (Greg Mottola,
2007) and television series Arrested Development
(2003–2006) will watch Junowith a built-in affec-
tion for Paulie Bleeker, Juno’s sort-of boyfriend.
This predetermined fondness does more than help
us like the movie; it dramatically changes the way
we approach a character type (the high-school ath-
lete who impregnates his teenage classmate) that
our expectations might otherwise lead us to dis-
trust. Ironically, audience expectations of Cera’s
sweetness may have contributed to the disappoint-
ing box-office performance of Scott Pilgrim vs. the
Wo r l d(2010, Edgar Wright). Some critics proposed
that viewers were uncomfortable seeing Cera play
the somewhat vain and self-centered title character.
Viewers who know director Guillermo del Toro’s
commercial action/horror movies Mimic(1997), Blade
II(2002), and Hellboy(2004) might be surprised by
the sophisticated political and philosophical
metaphor of Pan’s Labyrinth(2006) or The Devil’s
Backbone(2001). Yet all five films feature fantastic
and macabre creatures as well as social commentary.
An active awareness of an audience’s various