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EnglandFilm Studies

Critical approaches and film theory

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you choose and combine critical approaches in OCR Film Studies essays, and how do auteur and narrative work as critical tools across the course?

Auteur, narrative and choosing critical approaches. How auteur and narrative work as critical approaches, how to match an approach to the question and the set film, combining approaches, and reaching the judgement the higher-tariff levels-of-response essays reward.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to using critical approaches in essays. Covers how auteur and narrative work as critical approaches, matching an approach to the question and the set film, combining approaches, and reaching the judgement the higher-tariff levels-of-response essays reward.
16 min answer →

How do ideology and representation work together in OCR Film Studies, and how do you analyse how films represent social groups and carry values?

Ideology and representation in film. How films represent social groups (gender, ethnicity, class, nation), the values and ideology that representations carry, stereotypes and countertypes, and applying ideology and representation as critical approaches to set films.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to ideology and representation. Covers how films represent social groups (gender, ethnicity, class, nation), the values and ideology representations carry, stereotypes and countertypes, and applying ideology and representation as critical approaches to set films.
16 min answer →

What is spectatorship theory in OCR Film Studies, and how do you apply alignment, allegiance, identification and the gaze to set films?

Spectatorship theory. How films position and are received by audiences (alignment, allegiance, identification, the gaze, active and passive spectatorship, preferred and oppositional readings), and applying spectatorship as a critical approach across set films.
An OCR A-Level Film Studies guide to spectatorship theory. Covers how films position and are received by audiences (alignment, allegiance, identification, the gaze, active and passive spectatorship, preferred and oppositional readings), and applying spectatorship as a critical approach across set films.
16 min answer →