Just last night, while I was watching Wolf Kingdom, it hit me that I honestly have no clue how to actually analyze a movie. Look, I love movies. I love writing about what I see and feel, but every single time I open one of those threads about what we've watched, I freeze up. It’s because beyond saying "I liked it" or "it wasn't boring," I don't know anything else to say.😕
I'm a total amateur here, just eager to learn. But since we're all still on this PDF together, I figured this thread should be a place where people who actually know their stuff—the cinephiles or industry types—could help us little amateurs grasp the essential concepts needed for a decent critique.
What would someone with actual experience and film knowledge tell an average viewer? How do you actually watch and analyze a film? What segments should you look at, and which terms do I need to master?
Also, if there are any confusing terms you want explained, please post them here. Hopefully, someone will be willing to help out.
Not long ago, Menzies was on an ABC program claiming that movies are meant to be watched and enjoyed, not subjected to endless dissection. He used Westerners versus Easterners as an example, saying a Westerner takes a flower, cuts it up, and analyzes its components in a hundred different ways. An Easterner just picks up the flower and smells it. He said this right after some local film critic hit him with his tenth philosophical, pseudo-intellectual question.
Laura Palmer25 said:I tried my best to ignore this stale topic, but I just couldn't help myself after watching this film on PBS last night.
For about forty minutes, the movie promises to turn into something decent, but then it descends into a complete mess. You lose track of who’s paying the bills, who’s connected to whom—it’s impossible to tell if you should be laughing or actually taking the plot seriously. It reminded me of some old sitcom, then maybe an old war drama, and suddenly it hit me: this was probably commissioned by Dutch TV to celebrate Victory Day over fascism... because if it wasn't, I have no idea what else this disaster could be! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a confusing WW2 film. There’s more gunfire than in movies about Dillinger, even though the action doesn't even take place at the front lines, just in various cities! You have the lead, this misguided Jewish woman, strutting around like Marlena Dietrich while seducing German officers, and SS officers negotiating over coffee with the Resistance movement about who they're going to execute tomorrow... look, I know things weren't easy for the Dutch, just like they weren't for the Russians, but there's such a thing as going too far. By the end, I felt like I was watching some frivolous cabaret show rather than a serious drama.
Hands down the worst Verhoeven film ever. This isn't a comeback; it's a total freefall.
SPOILER: The wildest part for me was when they go to prison to break their people out, fall straight into a trap, and somehow only the traitor makes it out alive. Honestly, it wouldn't have surprised me if he wasn't just faking his hatred for the Nazis (and later, of course, making a deal) during the whole skirmish, and if they hadn't fired hundreds of rounds at him and his friends (they only hit the friends, obviously). Just... damn, how realistic.
Nicholas Edwards4 said:I guess there's that one great movie starring Kurt Russell, you know, where they take his wife away from him out in some desolate stretch of the American wilderness... it’s probably one of the better ones, if I'm being honest. I haven't actually sat down to watch whatever it was you mentioned, I guess.
I make it a point to steer clear of those subpar American TV dramas that air on PBS on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 PM. You know the type—something like Jane Doe: Fighting for my Children (I'm just making up the title, but you get the vibe). Lately, I’ve also been dodging those movies about natural disasters—floods, storms, earthquakes, all that nonsense. Ever since a few high-budget blockbusters hit that trope, there's been a massive wave of cheap knockoffs, usually masquerading as miniseries. And don't even get me started on romantic comedies; out of every hundred, I might catch one, and even then, it'll probably be on TV.
Anthony Smith3 said:Seriously though... what kind of movies are you even watching, man?? There’s gotta be something in this world you actually find interesting.👍
I watch movies mainly because, every once in a while, a true masterpiece actually drops. I'm talking about gems like High School Musical 3, or those classic rom-coms, or even something like a blonde from Harvard. It keeps me watching.
The opening holds some promise. That scene where he breaks into the house of that collaborator working with the Nazis? Now, that was actually pretty gripping. But honestly, after about thirty minutes in, the whole thing just starts sliding downhill.
There are plenty of good and even great ones out there, but these three are absolute classics... I haven't actually sat down to watch a few of the others you mentioned (warrior time, the guardhouse, Son of Nobody, and a couple of those other titles)
So, just curious—how much of an American film is the guardhouse, really?
It really reminds me of "The Liberator," and honestly, it holds its own. My only gripe is that the ending still feels a bit fuzzy to me—that final shot where they spot the truck (🤔)... was that supposed to be their salvation or what? 🤔
Well, if that truck belongs to the US Army, let's just hope it means they're saved.
This movie isn't anything special. Honestly, there are a million just like it out there. It’s basically just a collection of recycled tropes stolen from The Exorcist, a pretty lead actress, her even prettier best friend, blah, blah, blah... Save yourself the time and watch something else.
I’ve only ever sat through one single film by Uwe Boll, and honestly? It wasn't half bad. Tunnel Rats. Look, it’s certainly no cinematic masterpiece, but I’ve waded through much worse absolute garbage just in the last few months, let alone his entire filmography. I did happen to glance at the ratings for his other stuff, though, and... LOL. Thank God I didn't waste my time on any of those.