FILM REVIEWS

Genre:
The film review is a popular way for critics to assess a film’s overall quality and determine
whether or not they think the film is worth recommending. Film reviews differ from
scholarly film articles in that they encompass personal and idiosyncratic reactions to and
evaluations of a film, as well as objective analysis of the film’s formal techniques and
thematic content.
Preparing to Write the Review:
Film reviews tend to be fairly short (approximately 600 to 1200 words), they require a lot of
preparation before you begin writing. Prior to viewing the film, you may want to get a sense
of the bodies of work by the director, writer or individual actor. For instance, you may watch
other films by the same director or writer in order to get a sense of each individual style. This
will enable you to contextualize the film and determine whether it works as a continuation
and/or disruption within the broad trends of the director’s or writer’s work.
Writing a film review often requires multiple viewings of the film. Plan to watch the film two
or even three times. During the first viewing, surrender yourself to the cinematic experience;
in other words, get lost in the narrative and enjoy the film without worrying about the
argument you will eventually cultivate. During your second viewing, try distancing yourself
from the plot and instead focus on interesting elements of the film that you can highlight in
the review.
You may separate these elements into two broad categories:
1. Formal techniques such as cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, lighting, diegetic
and non-diegetic sound, genre, or narratology, and
2. Thematic content that resonates with issues such as history, race, gender, sexuality,
class, or the environment.
After watching the film a second time, take careful notes on the formal and
thematic elements of the film. Then attempt to create a central idea for your review
that brings together the film’s formal and thematic elements. If your second viewing
does not yield a strong central claim for the review or if you need to take more notes,
you may have to watch the film or parts of the film a third time.
Writing the Film Review:
 Although there is not a set formula to follow when writing a film review, the genre does
have certain common elements that most film reviews include.
i. Introduction - In the opening of your review, provide some basic information about
the film. You may include film’s name, year, director, screenwriter, and major actors. - Your
introduction, which may be longer than one paragraph, should also begin to evaluate the film,
and it should allude to the central concept of the review. A film review does not have to contain a
thesis or main claim, but it should focus on a central analysis and assessment.
ii. Plot Summary - Remember that many readers of film reviews have not yet seen the
film. While you want to provide some plot summary, keep this brief and avoid specific details
that would spoil the viewing for others.
iii. Description - While the plot summary will give the reader a general sense of what the
film is about, also include a more detailed description of your particular cinematic experience
watching the film. This may include your personal impression of what the film looks, feels, and
sounds like. In other words, what stands out in your mind when you think about this particular
film?
iv. Analysis - In order to explain your impression of the film, consider how well the film
utilizes formal techniques and thematic content. How do the film’s formal techniques (such as
cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène, lighting, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, genre, or
narrative) affect the way the film looks, feels, and sounds to you? How does the thematic content
(such as history, race, gender, sexuality, class, or the environment) affect your experience and
interpretation? Also, do the formal techniques work to forward the thematic content?
v. Conclusion/Evaluation - The closing of your film review should remind the reader of
your general thoughts and impressions of the film. You may also implicitly or explicitly state
whether or not you recommend the film. Make sure to remind the reader of why the film is or is
not worth seeing.
Sample of film review:
Film: Kati Patang (1971)
Director: Shakti Samata
Writer: Vrajendra Gaur, Gulshan Nanda
Cast: Rajesh Khanna, Asha Parekh, Prem Chopra

Story line: Madhavi "Madhu" is an orphan living with her maternal uncle, who arranges her
marriage with someone she does not know. Blinded in love with Kailash, she runs away on the
day of the marriage. She discovers Kailash with another woman, Shabnam. Heartbroken and
dejected, she returns to her uncle, who had committed suicide from the humiliation. Realising
that she has no one in life, Madhavi decides to leave town and head somewhere. She meets her
childhood friend Poonam, who tells her about her husband's untimely demise in an accident and
that she is on her way, along with her baby boy Munna, to stay with her in-laws whom she has
never met before. Poonam manages to compel Madhu to accompany her as her plight is pitiful.
En route, Poonam and Madhu catch up until the train derails and end up in a government
hospital. Poonam has lost her limbs. She knows that her end is near, so she makes Madhu
promise that she will assume Poonam's identity, bring Munna up and continue life in Poonam's
in-law's house. Madhu has no choice but to give in to a dying mother's wish. In the downpour on
the way, the cabbie attempts to rob her but Kamal, a forest ranger, rescues her and gives her
shelter until the sky is clear the next day. To her utter surprise, she learns that Kamal is the very
man with whom her marriage was arranged.
The story revolves between Kamal and Madhavi and finally as usual Hindi style of movie that
ends happy ending Kamal marrying Madhavi. The story is very interesting and the acting skill of
all the lead actors makes the movie more interesting and a super hit.
Book: Animal Farm (107 Pages)
Author: George Orwell
Publisher: Secker and Warburg, London, England.

George Orwell, the penname of Eric Arthur Blair, is one of the most prominent English
writers of 20th century (Ash). He is best known for his fable Animal Farm was first published
in 17th August, 1945. Orwell is generally considered to be a “political writer”. However, his
political views conformed to neither communism nor capitalism, which were the major
political ideologies that governed the world politics in the first half of the 20th century. He has
a unique understanding of socialism that contradicts the Stalinist Communism of his age and
capitalist ideology in general. His idea of socialism is based on a classless, egalitarian society
in which the state has the responsibility to provide its citizens with equal rights and equal
opportunities

In the form of allegory, the novel talks about some animals in a farm owned by
Mr. Jones, and old boar (Old Major) who has a dream has the desire to tell his dream to the
other animals in the farm with the hope of encouraging them to make a revolution against
the farmer Jones, as the he made them to live in a miserable life full of suppression and
oppression, hunger, inequality and slavery. He tells them of the tyranny of the farmer who does
not provide bread and does not allow them to be free. Moreover, Old Major reminds them of
how he slaughters them. So, he made them to think of a revolution one day in order to become
free and rule themselves as the only cause of hunger and slavery in the farm is Man, that is why
they need to remove him from power then everything will be good and animals will live in
tranquility and will eventually have an egalitarian society.

The best way of allegorically defining the story by personifying animals as humans and the
readers doesn’t feel boring till the end of the story.