Discuss film review and criticism in film.

M.K. Bhavnagar University

Name: Asmita Gond

SEM: 4(M.A English)

Bath Year: 2014- 2016

Roll no – 1

Enrollment No: 

Paper name:   Mass communication and media studies 

Assignment Topic:

Topic : Discuss film review and criticism in film.

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Beginning / History of the film:

The history of the film is beginning in the 1890s with the invention of the first motion picture cameras and the establishment of the first cinemas. Close up shots were introduced in 1900. The first use of animation in movies was in 1899. By 1914 continuity cinemas was the proceed towards the biggest establishment mode of commercial cinema.

S in this way cinemas were begin into vast beneficial way which was become a tool of entertainment. So before understanding the film review it is very important to know about what is film? And how it functions?

·       What is film?

A film also called a movie or motion picture it is a series of still images which , when shown on a screen creates the illusion, on moving images due to the phenomenon.

A film is created by photographing actual scenes with motion picture cameras. Film is coopered to be an important art from which is source of the entertainment and a powerful medium.

So film is medium of entertainment which is not possible without audience or we can say without criticism. Because no one film was get released without review and criticism. Sometimes films also run through the publicity but how and who were doing publicities? So it is easy to say that critics and reviewers of film were doing criticism and in this way films were running smoothly into the theaters. So film review is very important for films so let's understand what is film review?

·       What is film review?

The film review is a popular way for critics to access a film's over all qualities and determine whether or not they think the film is worth recommending.

A good movie review should entertain, persuade and inform providing an original opinion without giving a way too much of the plot. A great movie review can be a work of art in its own right.

So a film review is not only depends on story but it depends into the whole aspects from starting to end and from costume to place and set it can cover-ups all the aspects. So a film reviews cover-ups...

So into the film review above things are very important to review a film. Because those things were the base and the pioneer of any reviewer and film. So let's see how film reviews are conducted into similar way.

How to write film review?

The film review is not directly starts with the story but first it starts with the basic and surface layer that is from the title to deeper content also. So any film review has to do review according to staying into the limitation of the boundaries of audience as well as the movie makers. So let's understand one by one about the movie review, or we can say film review.

Traditionally film, reviews have been seen as a way to access the artistic merit and public appeal of movie. Film goes use reviews to view a particular film. As the number of film fans, following the advice of reviewers grew film companies saw profit diminish across a broader number of films. In order to counter this development, film studios increased marketing budget and avenues of marketing to development film studios creates more interest in a movie prior to the opening.

Steps to do a film review:

1.    Gather basic about the movie

2.    Take notes on the movie as you watch it

3.    Analyze the mechanics of the movie

4.    Watch the movie you have to selected once more

5.    Write review by covering up all the things related to the film.

So let's take one by one of all above things into a film review.

Gather basic facts about the movie.

In to collecting the basic facts it has to first see the title of the film because the title is important as that was the base of any movie.

If we take the example of the film ' Ram Leela' during that time that film was criticize severely because its title was related to religion and so biggest controversies were happened during the film ' Ram Leela.' So title and year is very important for the any film reviews.

If title will be hurt to any of the social or political aspect then it will be get banned also. Because in India we will find people who were full of emotional which will be never hurts so title is plays main role into any film.

Then comes the name of the director for example Rohit Shetty or Mohit Suri. Because every director has their own style and protocols and so director's name is important for the film review.

Then the names of the lead actors who were doing acting because lead actors has their own rite and regulations and who has to have as much of appropriate personality to fit into the acting and character which was he has to follow.

Take notes on the movies as you watch it.

A good movie reviewer is note down a smaller part or thing to bigger aspects into the review of movies. Like costumes, makeup, set design, music as well as location also. So these things were important for the movie reviews.

Notes of the movies:

·        Costumes

·        Make-up

·        St – design

·        Music

·        Location

Above things were very important which is the main part of any of the movie reviews. So let's see how these things are important?

If we talk about costumes so we can say that costumes are related to marketing into the business.

Because whatever costumes were use into the movies those were becomes fashion and so people are starts to buying such costumes and with it marketing will be started to happen.

But in this film costumes are use to show cultural and Indian values which should not be related to any types of human emotion and it should be perfect to the character and film. So it is important for any movie.

Make-up is related to the role of the characters. Make-up is very important because it gives a real image of any characters. Make up not only gives beauty but it converts character for his real role. And those things were important into the movie review.

Set design should be related to the theme of the film it is either village or city or we can say it is related to the theme of the movie. So in movie review critics are notices that how much money will be spent into the set design and how it will be functions into the movie.

Music related with musicians and singers so a good singer is taking more money and so music is important which the main part of the movie is. Because people like to watch movies because of the music and songs.

Now the location is related to the geographical areas that which types of location is used and why? So it concludes the notes of any film reviewer because location is related with the set and the theme of the film.

v Analyze the mechanics of the movie:

·        Direction

·        Cinematography

·        Editing

·        Costume design

·        Setting

·        Sound system

So above things shows mechanics of the any movies which is related to the construction of the whole movie. Because it is not an easy task to form a movie or a film.

Watch the movie you have selected once more:

This last step is very important for any reviewers because it should be not miss by anyone who is reviewing the film.

It means that a movie reviewer has to watch movie twice because no one thing should be remaining or no one thing will be creates another meaning so it is important to watch the movie twice or thrice to write a review.

So a reviewer should pay attention to the details you might have missed. And then give your opinions clearly about all the aspects of the movie.

So, above all the points and as produce a good film review which is important for any movie reviews and those steps deals with a good film review . Now let's dp and understand about the criticism into the film. And how it will conduct and that was the main part of movie review.

There has been a decline in the readership of many reviewers for the newspaper and other print publications. The vast majority of films critics on television and radio have all but disappear over the last thirty years. As well it can be observed that most of the discussion is focused on box office and business a film does. As if financial success were the only criterion needed to drifine artistic success.

Today art criticism in general does not hold the same place it once held with the general public.

Thus , we can say that film is mad for audience but during the film review a reviewer has to take care of each and eve small point which will not mad bad effect into the mind of the people.

What is film criticism?

A critic is anyone who expresses a value of judgment. Which is related with either good or bad and also positive and negative or balances factors? Since all criticism must be regarded as having a purpose, a critic may also be definable by his or her specific motivation.

So a critic can take any ways to do criticism into a film as its simplest, and for whatever reason a critic may a have either constructive or deconstructive intent.

So film criticism is also divided into various parts like academic , journalistic or social political etc. So let's understand in brief about the film criticism.

Criticism in film:

Film criticism is divided into two parts.

1.    Journalistic criticism and

2.    Academic criticism

So let's take introduction one by one the above two parts of criticism.

So these works are more often known as the film theory or film studies. These film critics try to come to understand why film works and how it works? What it means and what effect it has on people. Rather that critic for mass market publications their articles are published into scholarly journals that tend to be affiliated with university press: or sometimes in ups market of magazines.

So let's understand it one by one.

1.    Journalistic criticism:

Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and medium. The vast majority depend on film critics on television also radio have all qualities but it disappeared over the last thirty years.

Today arts criticism in the journal does not hold the same place it once held with the journal public. Maby critics analyze a film by its inexhaustibility or the range of its impact an appeal generations of fence beyond its original released date. And so a number of website allows internet users to submit movie review and scores. So that it becomes easy to put a healthy criticism into the any film. Also blogging has introduced the opportunities for a new wave of amateur film critics to have their opinion heard.

Also website like movie and blogger. Com is now blending the gap between movie blogs and movie review sites. So in this by using internet and mass media people can be able to do good movie reviews and criticism. So that it can reach over the people.

2. Academic criticism:

More often known as film theory or film studies, academic critique explores cinema beyond Journalistic film review.

These film critics try to examine why film works and how it works, ? What are its meaning and its effect into the people?

We can take the examples of the movies like...

1.    3 Idiots

2.    Arakshan

3.    Faltu etc.

These movies were related to education and it directly effects on the minds of the students as we found the suicide scene of the film 3 idiots many students has started to commit suicide. So these films were criticized by many critics because it is harmful for the society. So we can say that film criticism related to the ideas of vast image into Indian people towards the films.

Thus, in this way film review and criticism takes place into review any of the movies.

Conclusion:

Thus, we can say that film review and criticism is not only the way of criticizing any film but it needs some methods rules and regulations. 

It also needs hard work and minor observation because without it anybody can not be able to do criticism or film film reviews its negative effect will effects society as well as the people and film industries also.

Works Cited

<Wikipedia contributors. "Film criticism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 1 Apr. 2016.>.

<http://www.slideshare.net/bhatturvi/film-review-and-film-criticism>.

<https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/film-review-1.original.pdf>.

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Ngugi Wa Thiango’s ‘The grain of Wheat’ is the anti- colonial struggle as a national epic

M.K. Bhavnagar University

Name: Asmita Gond

SEM: 4(M.A English)

Bath Year: 2014- 2016

Roll no – 1

Enrollment No: pg14101017

Paper name:  The African Literature

Assignment Topic:

Ngugi Wa Thiango’s  ‘The grain of Wheat’ is the anti- colonial struggle as a national epic .

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Ngugi Wa Thiango was born on 5^th January 198 in Limuru , enya and was one of the few students from Limuru to attend the lit Alliance High school.  3. He is a Kenyan writer who wrote in English he wrote novels, plays, short stories and essay. He later on abandoned writing in English and began to write in is native Gikuyu and Swahili. He and his family were harassed for the anti- colonial work done by him. As a spokesman for his people and a chronicler of Kenya’s history, Ngugi is widely regarded as one of the most significant writers of East Africa. His first novel, Weep not, child was the   first English novel to be published by an East African , and his account of the Mau Mau – language novel to be published by a East African and his account of the Mau Emergency in Grain o Wheat. Additionally, Ngugi’s ‘CaitaaniMutharabaini’ is the first novel written in Gikuyu or Kenyan language in which the author intends to continue writing his creative works.

v  About the novel ‘ The grain of wheat’:

The novel ‘A grin of wheat’ is Ngugi wa Thiongo’s third novel. The novel has Marxist and Fanonian militant attitude.

The action of the novel focuses on the hero’s memory of the incidents of the ‘Mau Mau revolt, the movement began in 1946 Mau Mau rebellion an anti – colonial movement which historians says revolt an independence for the African nation. 

The novel stats into a small village and it give us detail about the physical, psychological and political impact of the revolt on small village people. The novel can be summarized as a “Collective act of recalling and reflecting on the past” that is a narration of nation.  We can also compare this novel with European and Latin American style – especially historical novel is a vehicle to construct a national conscience.

Plot of the novel ‘A grain of wheat:

‘A grain of wheat’ chronological the events leading up to Kenyan independence, or Uruhu, in a Kenyan village. Gikonyo and Mumbi are newlyweds in love when Gikonyo is sent to detention. When he comes back six years later,Mumbi has carried and given birth to his rival’s child. Instead of talking about their trials, a wall of anger separates them. Mumbi’s brother Kihika , a local hero, is captured and hanged and his comrades search for the betrayer. Mugo becomes a hero through leading a hunger strike in detention, and to town wants him to become a political leader. Mugo, though, struggles with guilt and ultimately confesses that he betrayed Kihika. So the whole novel shows the darker image of the African nation that how people and woman were get tortured by someone and how rivalry takes place into the unwanted relationships. So one let’s see that how the novel A grain of wheat is the national ant colonial struggle as a national epic.

·         A grain of wheat is the national anti colonial struggle as an national epic.

What is anti - colonialism:

Ant colonialism is a political straggle of colonized peoples against the specific ideology and practice of colonialism. Anti colonialism signifies the point at which the various forms of oppositions become articulated as a resistance to the operations o colonialism in political, economical and cultural institutions. I emphasize to reject colonial power and restore the local control. Paradoxically anti colonialism movements often articulated in the terms of a discourse of anti – colonial nationalism in which the form of the modern European nation – state was taken over and employed as a sign of resistance. It also sometimes related to racial liberation also.

So the actions of the novel is focuses  on the protagonists remembrance of the events of the ‘ Mau Mau’ revolt which Ngugi sees as the only historical moment which allows “the space to imagine the birth of a new Kenya.

What is ‘Mau Mau’ rebel?

The movement was violently suppressed and failed to capture widespread public support.

“Gang of freedom fighters called ‘Mau Mau'

The settler knew a lot about how to use African labor. But he could not see what the use of the labor and the production of money were beginning to bring about. He could not see the political changes.  

The fiercest opposition authorities came from the Kikuyu tribe who, 5o years earlier, had been evicted from their traditional areas to make way for the European farmers. By the end of the Second World War 3 000 European settlers owned 43,000 square kilometers of the most fertile land, only 6 percent of which they cultivated. The pore people were suppressed by them and they started rule over the people because of that the peasant has been forced to Mau  Mau rebellion a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960. The movement was violently suppressed and ailed to capture widespread public support.

“Gang of freedom fighters called Mau Mau “

The settlers knew a lot about how to use African labor. But he could not see what the use of that labor and the production of money were beginning to bring about. He could not see the political change. The construction of the nation in “A grain of wheat’ is shown as a narration. The narration does not relate the events of revolt directly most of the actions have an instruct network of speech – acts performed and unperformed, acknowledged and unacknowledged. Here we can see that  how the people peasants were forced to leave their land as well as their own identity also and with it traditional method of  extensive agriculture and did not have access to the new technology that make intensive agriculture viable. 

So we can say that the novel is an anti- national struggle and the action of the novel focuses on tre protagonists’ remembrance of the events of the Mau Mau revolt the birth of a new Kenya.

The novel is set in Thabai , an imaginary Gikuyu village of Kenyas white Highlands, in the days preceding and following 1 December 1963, the day Kenya got its independence.

·         What is Uhuru

The definition of the actual meaning of Uhuru is an open political and social question: the new Kenyan bourgeoisie sees it indeed as the possibility to replace the colonizer without changing the existing social, political and economical structure. Whereas for Gikuyu peasants Uruhu means a profound break with the colonial past, a rebirth which has to bring about the restitution of the white settlers who wants to rule over the others. So Uhuru is a struggle for the freedom and to get individuals own existence and identity. So Uruhu is the central question into the novel it also related with the national conscience.

·         What is National conscience

          The construction of the nation in A grain of wheat represented as a narration, refracted revolt through the conscience of its heroes and heroines: it is their narration which is represented and it is through their narration that those historical events are relived. The country side as a environment where human being can live in harmony with nature, where as the city is represented as a place of corruption and deceit ruled by that same escape its national duties and keeps at a distance rural masses. So we can say that relation between land and people is calling to nationalism and real identity of the people.

 The Author’s view centers on the gikuya but addresses the whole nation. He reflects his ideas of Kenya as a melting pot of all its various people. The African communities are placed at the centre. Kenya is delineated as the “country of black people” in the novel.

So in to the novel all the fragments were kept together is narrated by anonymous person whom Ngugi trust. This strategy makes the novel “a national epic”. This novel contains a different style; the narrator’s voice is only one among many voices so that this traditional storyteller can distance himself when there is a need. The storyteller narratives are keystones in the construction of the nation. The idea of Kenya is also described as the melting pot because the people were placed from their own identities and the nation is known as the “country of the black people” among the others. Because as we find into the novel black skin white mask about black people is that black is the sign of evil and white is the sign of something good it means that black people were treated as an animal it means that they were suppressed by the white people even in beauty as well as into the individual identities also. Gikuya peasants, people from rural community are chosen as heroes f the novels and of the narration of the nation.

Gokuya as the savior of the nation:

Gikuya peasants, people from rural community are chosen as heroes of the novels and of the narration as erodes of Ngugi endorses Fanon’s thesis on the central role of the peasant in the anti colonial struggle the author represents the romantic view of the relationship of land and people with reference to the nationalism. Its roots are in the pre-colonial tradition roots are in the pre-colonial tradition of Gikuya culture where the land was seen as mother lots of cultural elements are derived from European and African clash. The author represents them and gives them new meaning the writer…

1  Employs the narrative mode of African creature

2      Mix-up biblical and Gikuya mythologies

3.      Employs the techniques of detective stories.

4.      Finds interpretation for the plot

Here we will also find that in Grain of wheat the heroic character par Excellencies the late Kihiki who is guerilla leader with huge spirit. He lives in the memories of survivors. Though his life in center the modern Kenyan history is identified with the story of the resist, “once to colonization and of three development of the liberation movement. The author chooses Christianity as a knife to tear apart the society.

“They look beyond to laughing face of the White man and suddenly saw a long line of other red stranger who carried the Bible but the sword.”

   So we can say that the writer has adopted new ideas as it is to show his intention about the novel as a national epic by putting the effect of realism   of the African people.  Thus, we will find that Ngugi  does not intended just to narrate the colonial trauma but its beyond of the expectations of to reality of the life of a heron and nation.

As a hero  gikuaya  what they find is that the loss of to land promotes in the colonized community Ngugi uses the epic model and reshapes it o construct his mythical narration of the nation : the nation and narration is interwoven with each other and the story teller presents the story of the movement as a succession of battles waged by heroic leaders against the colonizers.

As one looks at the male characters in this novel, we find several heroes and perhaps one anti-hero. Mugo, Gikonyo, and especially Kihika are praised for their acts and words as they fought for Kenya’s freedom. Though they may not be quite similar to the Western heroes of old, still they stand for their cultural values and are loved and respected by others. Karanja does not fit into the mold of hero or anti-hero as well as other book characters, but nonetheless, he is never praised for his heroism and is hated for his betrayal and brutality toward his fellow native Africans. This novel helps Western readers understand the African sense of heroism as well as the realities of the human condition. No hero is really as pure as we’d like him to be but nonetheless they are still worthy of honor and devotion.

Narrating the past:

  Since history is “a continue in which the past, present and future are inextricably tied together, each helping mirror, to justify or condemn the other”

Ngugi deploys a narrative in which stories are successively intertwined: the first story from the past that the real cause of Kihika’s death is a betrayal by a turncoat during the Mau Mau rebellion is told on the commencement of the novel’s present moment, Sunday and in the next three days that precede the arrival of independence at Thursday midnight, Gikonyo would confide in Mugo on Monday, Mumbi to Mugo on Tuesday and finally on Wednesday , the foremost secret of the novel Mugo’s betrayal of Kihika would be known by Mumbi through his confession.

So we can see that how Ngugi demonstrates how an understanding of the past is the only way to overcome a crisis of repetition at to present 0 –future moments. As many critics pointy out the narrative structure of ‘A grain of wheat ‘markedly attempts to evoke the strong presence of the past. In a manner similar to the book of ne thousand and One Nights. The novel is formulated into a series of interpretation ans interrelated personal stories from the past.

As we will find that “sharing of personal histories and secrets, often through storytelling, is a critical condition for persona; and communal progress.” So as understanding of past can never is complete through any singular narrative, but it is sharing stories into the form of critical and urgent. By bringing juxtaposition Mumbi’s and Gikonyo’s stories, Ngugi depicts how such progress is its inception at the d of the novel. It is Jomo Kenyatta, who, significantly, is not even named thus increasing his mythical status. Here the storyteller’s narrative stops and gives way to the musings of Mugo but it is the point and through the conscience of the latter that we get to know Kihika.

If we talk about Tagore he had very deep religious caste of mind and profound humanism. He has both a patriot and profound humanism. He has both a patriot and a internationalist. In a poem Tagore sketches a moving picture of the nation he would like India to be the poet wishes to be awakened to a heaven when the mind can work knowledge in all freedom of choices which related with the ideas of nationalism. So we can say that ‘A grain of wheat ‘can be called impossible irony of nationalism in the words of Terry Ealgton Anti colonial nationalism. Is politically limited. Ant colonial nationalism was important to dismantle of imperialism of Ngugi’s character.

Conclusion:

By sum up I would like to say that the novel is not only indicates the nationalism but also it reflects the sign of national epic. The Kenyan writer offered a romantic view of a nation marching towards freedom. The sacrifice the natives gave did go in Vain. Mugo confesses and the community is overtaken. The novel gives us detail about the physical, psychological and political impact of the revolt on small village people. The novel can be summarized as a “collective act of recalling and reflecting on the past” that is a narrative of nation. The narrative is divided between the new national bourgeoisie and the peasants. And in this way we will say that the novel is an ant colonial struggle of national epic.

Works Cited

<Wikipedia contributors. "A Grain of Wheat." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.>.