Summary
- Forrest gump is a movie all about his life. He is a weird but very interesting guy.
Film Analysis
| Film Title | Forrest Gump |
| Year | 1984 |
| Director | Robert Zemckis |
| Country | USA |
| Genre | Comedy-Drama |
| If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why? | Nothing, It is my favorite move of all time |
Film information can be found at imdb.com
As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
Ask yourself the following questions:
| TOPIC | YOUR NOTES |
| 1. Who is the protagonist? | Forrest Gump |
| 2. Who is the antagonist? | The hardships in his life |
| 3. What is the conflict? | Everything he goes through |
| 4. What is the theme or central, unifying concept? (summarize in one or two words) | Life story |
| 5. How is the story told (linear, non-linear, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, at regular intervals) | Flashbacks |
| 6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)? | He is talking to people at the bus stop about his life |
| 7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing, characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such reactions? | There were many emotions showed during the film by different sounds |
| 8. Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions? | It is realistic because it is based off of a normal life setting |
| 9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character? | They are costumed in the way fashion was based in the timeline of the flashback |
| 10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood? | The lighting looked very natural |
| 11. How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically? | THe camera angle didn’t really change anything. |
| 12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music? | There isn’t any music in the film. |
| 13. How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture? | It just shows the life of forrest and what he had to go through |
| 14. Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film. Use credible sources and cite sources.Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015. | It was given a 95% popcorn score on rotten tomatoes. |
| 15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.Explain why you chose this scene. | The very first scene. It is the beginning of him telling about his life. |
| 16. In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film: | |
| a. Screenwriting: | The script is just a normal conversation with some narration within it. |
| b. Sound Design: | There is some white noise in the background when nobody is talking to add some effect |
| c. Camera Movements/Angles: | There weren’t to many special angles shown in the film. |
| d. Light Setup: | The light setup made it look like natural light the entire time |
| e. Soundtrack/Score: | There wasn’t much music or none at all. |
| 18. What’s the socio-cultural context of this film? | It shows that no matter how weird someone may be that they can have a normal life and do normal things. |
This worksheet was developed with ideas from many IB Film teachers, thus should remain in the Creative Commons