1. FM4 – INTRO TO
WORLD CINEMA
Urban Stories: Power, Poverty & Conflict

2. The focus of FM4
 FM4 is a Synoptic Unit worth 50% of
your A2 Grade
 Learning from other units (FM1, FM2 &
FM3) of the course are revisited and
applied in new ways and new areas of
study
 Skills of textual analysis learnt during the
FM1 unit will be invaluable when
approaching the study of FM4 - you will
be required to analysis and explore
individual sequences
 Knowledge of the film industry from FM2

3. FM4
 The FM4 Examination module is split in to three
distinct sections:
 Section A – WORLD CINEMA
 Section B – SPECTATORSHIP TOPICS
 Section C – SINGLE FILM – CRITICAL STUDY
 SECTION A – World Cinema
 “This section is focused on an engagement with a
prescribed world Cinema topic... In terms of broader
production, social and historical contexts and
underpinning them.”
WJEC

4. What „WJEC‟ say
AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and AO2 Apply knowledge and
understanding of film as an understanding, including some of
audio-visual the common
form of creative expression together critical approaches that characterise the
with its contexts of production subject, when exploring and
and reception and of the diversity in analysing films and when evaluating
filmmaking across different their own creative projects to
historical periods and locations. show how meanings and responses are
generated.
A03 Demonstrate the ability A04 Demonstrate the ability
to devise film projects to undertake, apply and
creatively, applying present research into
appropriate planning and film topics.
production skills effectively.

5. FM4 – Section A – WORLD CINEMA
 We will study two focus films:
 La Haine – France
 City of God – Brazil
 “The challenge of this topic is to compare
and contrast films which may come from very
different social and cultural contexts”
 WJEC Specification

6. URBAN STORIES – Power, Poverty
& Conflict
 These films have been chosen as
they deal with similar issues and are
set in similar environments
 The environment plays a vital part in
the understanding of the film
 We must also be aware of the films
context and the resulting portrayal of
Power, Poverty and Conflict in those
environments
 This will make up a large section of
our course and you will be required to
research the contexts of each film

7. World Cinema?
 You each have to write two words
that sum up your opinions and
feelings towards world cinema
 Once you have done this, fold the
paper over and pass it to the
person next to you until everyone
in the class has done so
 Whilst you are waiting think about
two words that best describe your
feelings world cinema

8. Myths of World Cinema

9. World Cinema
 What is World Cinema?
 A term used in English speaking countries to
refer to films or film industries of non-English
speaking countries
 Working in pairs, you have two minutes to
note down all of the world cinema titles you
have seen – can you beat the other
groups?
 What was (un)enjoyable about these
films?

10. Examples of „World Cinema‟
 Task
 Watch the following trailers and make a list
of features that are unique to the films
national cinema
 E.g.
 British working class settings in British films
 What similarities are there to any
Hollywood films you have seen?

11. Examples of World Cinema
Lagaan: Once Hana-Bi (Fire Police Story
Upon a Time in Works) (1985)
India (2001) (1997)

12. World Cinema
 Each nation has a unique cinematic style
 Whereas Hollywood tends to produces films aimed
at a Global audience, National Film Industries tend
to produce films for smaller, local audiences
 As a result the films:
 Themes
 Genres
 Representations
 Contexts
Are specific to that nation and appeal to the local
audiences

13. Language of Cinema
 This could make it difficult for „foreign‟ audiences
to understand the films
 But by using the universal „Language of
Cinema‟ audiences around the world can follow
and appreciate the story being told, even if they
are unfamiliar with the style or context of the film
What do you
think the
Language of
Cinema
refers to?

14. Language of Cinema
 The Language of Cinema refers to the technical
elements of filmmaking employed in the telling of
a story
 This includes:
 Editing techniques
 Camera shots and Angles
 Narrative Structures
 Generic Conventions
 Mise-en-scene
 Lighting

15. Language of Cinema
 If we understand the cinematic language (Micro
Elements from FM1) then we can understand a film
regardless of its origins.
 Just like in English language films the camera and
editing are used to create meaning.
 E.g.
 A high angle shot implies the weakness and
vulnerability of the subject – this is also true in World
Cinema
 Just as a montage is used to show a passage of
time in Rocky IV, the same technique is used in
Bollywood, Hong Kong and Japan etc

16. „National Cinema‟
 Films from different cultures contain themes,
symbols and character types that are unique to
those cultures.
 But the these elements also have universal –
Jet Li plays ‘Mother India’
Wong Fei Hung to western
appeal – a typical „hero‟ audiences she is
character to a matriarchal
western leader, but to
audiences, but to Indian‟s she is a
the chinese he is literal
a symbol of embodiment of
national identify the nation,
and the struggles signifying the
against British importance of
occupation family and
community in

17. Case Studies
 We are now going to complete two short case
studies looking at the following:
 Narrative
 Language of Cinema
 Audience responses
 Representations

18. Once Upon A Time In China 3 (1993)
 Dir: Tsui Hark
 Stars:
 JetLi
 Rosamund
Kwan
 John Wakefield
Jet Li play‟s a real
life Kung Fu
Master called
„Wong Fei Hung‟
(The “Chinese
Robin Hood”)

19. Once Upon a Time In China Part 3
 What elements of this film are
„national‟ – unique to the country that
produced them?
 Can you identify any themes?
 What elements of this film belong to
the „Language of Cinema‟?
 How is this film successful in
appealing to both local and national
audiences?
 Think of representations and Propp‟s

20. Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India
(2001)
 Dir:
Ashutosh
Gowakiker
 Stars:
 Aamir Khan
 Gracey Sing
Lagaan refers to a
 Paul
tax imposed on
Blackthorne
Indian communities
during the late 19th
Century when
Indian was under

21. Lagaan – Clip 1
 How has the cinematic language
been used to inform us of who is the
antagonist and who is the
protagonist?
 How do representations and
stereotypes help us identify the
characters and their roles within the
film?
 What does the track forward and
close up tell us about the character
of Bhuvan?

22. Clips 1 & 2
 Are the narrative structures of the
sequences recognisable?
 Explain your answer
 What is the function of the musical
sequence?
 Do you find the representation of White
British people surprising?
 Note down the possible reactions to these
representations of both White British people
and Indian people – think of Propp‟s

23. Universal Appeals
 Whilst both films focus on national heroes and
their nations own historical events, audience
around the world can follow the story with little
confusion.
 We may not understand all the references to
cultural events or grasp the significance of
some events but we will still understand that
these events are important, at least within the
story
 The cinematic language is a universal one
and as a result we can appreciate and
understand films from all around the world
 The only difference between national cinemas
is the context in which they were produced
and some of the themes

24. Summary
 What is „World Cinema‟?
 What is meant by the term
 Language of Cinema?
 What benefits does the „Language of Cinema‟
give filmmakers and audiences?