Q&A Hero

Q: Following the death of Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976, films of the Peoples Republic of China have a. adhered more closely to communist ideology. b. taken on traditionally taboo subjects. c. directly challenged authority. d. featured action-driven plots with an emphasis on martial arts. e. focused less on individuals and more on the community.

Q: The formal characteristics of wuxia and kung fu styles of Hong Kong filmmaking include spectacular studio settings and a. disjointed editing techniques. d. desaturated color palette. b. foreign-born actors. e. static imagery. c. naturalistic lighting.

Q: Hong Kong director John Woos carefully choreographed scenes of violent action were inspired by the violent films of a. Orson Welles. d. Jean-Luc Godard. b. John Ford and Howard Hawks. e. Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah. c. the Wachowskis.

Q: Which Taiwanese director has had success in both his native country and Hollywood? a. Hsaio-hsien Hou d. Ang Lee b. Edward Yang e. Stan Lai c. Tsai Ming-liang

Q: If a socially provocative film produced in Chennai, India, is successful with audiences in southern India, why might it never find success with Mumbai audiences in the north? a. The Indian distribution system is too restrictive. b. Mumbai audiences are not interested in Indian cinema. c. Mumbai audiences speak a different dialect and prefer Bollywood-produced musicals. d. Regional censorship boards may ban it. e. The storylines may be too complex for Mumbai audiences.

Q: Which Italian neorealist film directly inspired Satyajit Ray to make the Apu Trilogy, a series of films that chronicles the everyday life of an Indian family? a. Umberto (1952) d. Rome, Open City (1945) b. The Bicycle Thieves (1948) e. Shoeshine (1946) c. Ossessione (1943)

Q: Although Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, and Satyajit Ray are all Bengalese filmmakers with international success, what distinguishes Ghataks and Sens films from Rays? a. Their works are not considered part of the new Indian cinema. b. Their films focus on the individual over the political. c. Their films reflect their political views. d. Their films avoid socially provocative subjects. e. Their films were not accepted by Western audiences.

Q: A pre-sound era consisting of experiments with cinematic technique and subject matter, followed by a golden age of popular filmmaking that lapses into the state-funded production of sociopolitical film is a historical pattern largely applicable to what cinema region? a. Latin America d. Germany and Austria b. Middle East and North Africa e. China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan c. United States and Canada

Q: How did independent movie producers of the 1960s, looking to hire film artists, benefit from the collapse of the studio system? a. They were able to hire artists from anywhere in the world. b. Artists salaries were more affordable. c. Competition from television created a labor surplus. d. Audiences shied away from studio pictures. e. Independent financing became less complex.

Q: The Jazz Singer (1927) is historically significant because it featured several scenes with a. slow motion. d. a musical score. b. montage. e. color. c. synchronous dialogue.

Q: Why would the original release of Baby Face (1933) have run into problems with the Breen Office had it been released after July 1, 1934? a. It featured scenes of excessive violence. b. its negative depiction of religion c. The female protagonist was a stereotype. d. It featured nudity. e. the overt sexual behavior of its female protagonist

Q: In 1934, Joseph Breen became the head of the ________, which was created in 1934 by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) to self-regulate movie content. a. Hays Office b. Production Code Administration c. New York State Censorship Board d. Motion Picture Association of America e. Studio Censorship Bureau

Q: Which first-time filmmaker created a masterpiece that broke many of the cinematic conventions of Hollywoods golden age? a. Victor Fleming d. Orson Welles b. Alfred E. Green e. Bryan Foy c. Alan Crosland

Q: Cinematographer Gregg Toland achieved a high degree of cinematic realism in Citizen Kane (1941) through the use of lighting, deep-space composition, and a. framing. d. location-shooting. b. editing. e. soft focus. c. deep-focus cinematography.

Q: What historical event led to the revitalization of Italian cinema and the emergence of the Italian neorealism movement? a. the defeat and eventual execution of Benito Mussolini b. the commercial success of Italian films during World War II c. the founding of an Italian national film school d. the artistic superiority of French films e. the proliferation of large and lavish Italian production facilities

Q: Italian neorealist films used actual locations, natural lighting, deep-space cinematography, and ________ to maintain an air of realism. a. complex working methods d. storylines about the upper class b. nonprofessional actors e. Italian cinematic conventions c. short takes

Q: How did the Italian government influence the decline of Italian neorealism? a. It reduced taxes on foreign movies. b. It subsidized Hollywood films. c. It encouraged the proliferation of foreign films. d. It subsidized domestic films that focused on postwar Italys prosperity. e. It banned movies that were critical of the government.

Q: One of the driving forces behind the emergence of the French New Wave movement was ________, which seeks to make individuals more responsible for their actions. a. naturalism d. surrealism b. nihilism e. existentialism c. expressionism

Q: French filmmaker Alexandre Astrucs insistence that directors use the camera as personally as a novelist uses a pen was the inspiration for what eventually became a. montage. d. kino-pravda. b. French expressionism. e. poetic realism. c. the auteur theory.

Q: What element of filmmaking does Truffauts adoration of such directors as Jean Renoir, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles seem to negate? a. dialogue d. mise-en-scne b. collaboration e. acting c. lighting

Q: French New Wave filmmaker Claude Chabrol studied the films of what Hollywood director to learn the effect of suspense? a. Alfred Hitchcock d. Fritz Lang b. Orson Welles e. John Ford c. Howard Hawks

Q: Why do Jean-Luc Godards French New Wave films from the early 1960s still look modern to todays audiences? a. He used advanced motion picture cameras. b. French New Wave techniques are still used by contemporary filmmakers. c. Many of the films subjects remain topical. d. He used highly sensitive color film stock. e. Actors were trained in a naturalistic style.

Q: Filmmaking that seeks to express the identity of the filmmakers country is called a ________ cinema. a. new wave d. cultural b. political e. national c. patriotic

Q: Which film by Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein is considered his most influential and important? a. Battleship Potemkin (1925) d. Strike (1925) b. Alexander Nevsky (1938) e. Que Viva Mxico (19301932) c. Mother (1926)

Q: Which famous director in 1931 failed to complete Que Viva Mxico, an epic account of Mexicos history, leaving a large Marxist influence on subsequent Mexican cinema? a. D. W. Griffith d. Josef von Sternberg b. Sergei Eisenstein e. Germaine Dulac c. Orson Welles

Q: The classical Hollywood style is built upon the principle of a. parallel action. d. invisibility. b. cinematic innovation. e. genre pictures. c. discontinuity.

Q: The transition from short films to feature-length movies led to an emphasis on the quality of a. mise-en-scne, cinematography, acting, and editing. b. movie stars and complex narratives. c. the structure of the screenplay. d. movie palaces and early sound systems. e. the characters dialogue.

Q: The most important and stylistically influential director during the early years of Hollywood filmmaking was a. Edwin S. Porter. d. King Vidor. b. D. W. Griffith. e. Alice Guy Blach. c. Erich von Stroheim.

Q: Although a commercial and groundbreaking success, why did The Birth of a Nation (1915) spark nationwide controversy upon its release? a. It was the longest film ever produced. b. It was the most expensive film ever produced. c. It featured a graphic reenactment of Lincolns assassination. d. Its content was overtly racist. e. It borrowed cinematic techniques developed by other filmmakers.

Q: German expressionist film reflected an atmosphere of ________ in postWorld War I Germany. a. despair and self-reflection b. national pride c. fascism d. revolution e. cynicism, alienation, and disillusionment

Q: Which film genre was most notably influenced by German expressionism? a. sci-fi d. film noir b. melodrama e. musical c. screwball

Q: In addition to differences in narrative, what distinguishes Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922) from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)? a. natural light versus artificial light b. long takes versus rapid cuts c. still versus moving cameras d. stylized versus naturalistic acting e. cinematic effects versus graphic effects

Q: The intent of dada and surrealism is to shock the viewer with the ________ juxtapositions of images. a. predictable d. seamless b. conventional e. logical c. unexpected

Q: Many films of the 1920s French avant-garde movement emphasized ________, which is based on the idea that a persons fate is determined by heredity and environment. a. naturalism d. Marxism b. free will e. radicalism c. surrealism

Q: Which dreamlike French avant-garde film was created by Spanish artists Luis Buuel and Salvador Dal? a. Ballet mcanique (1924) b. The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) c. An Andalusian Dog (1929) d. The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928) e. Viridiana (1961)

Q: The power of montage, as expressed by Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s, lies in its ability to a. create a seamless narrative. b. internalize a characters troubled emotions. c. elicit subjective point of view. d. manipulate the viewers perception and understanding. e. confuse the viewer.

Q: Which Soviet filmmaker is considered as important and innovative as D. W. Griffith? a. Lev Kuleshov d. Vsevolod I. Pudovkin b. Sergei Eisenstein e. Konstantin Stanislavsky c. Dziga Vertov

Q: The ________ was the first motion picture camera. a. fusil photographique d. magic lantern b. Cinmatographe e. Kinetograph c. Kinetoscope

Q: Not only could the Cinmatographe operate as a motion picture camera and film printer, it also served as a. a film studio. d. an editor. b. a projector. e. a peephole viewer. c. a sound recorder.

Q: The films of French magician and filmmaker Georges Mlis are best known for their innovative use of a. color film. d. special effects. b. crosscutting. e. flashbacks. c. close-ups.

Q: Who is credited with advancing the development of the narrative film and the production of the first Western? a. Thomas Edison d. Louis Lumire b. Georges Mlis e. G. A. Smith c. Edwin S. Porter

Q: Explain the effect of Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmanns use of sound effects in The Birds (1963).

Q: Explain why Orson Welles is considered to be the first sound designer in American film history.

Q: The four traditional approaches to film history are a. aesthetic, technological, economic, and social. b. technological, historical, financial, and international. c. pre-cinema, aesthetic, neo-cinema, and contemporary. d. geographical, social, cultural, and political. e. domestic, international, technological, and social.

Q: A term synonymous with the aesthetic approach to film history is the a. artistic approach. d. great director. b. narrative approach. e. auteur approach. c. masterpiece approach.

Q: Of all the arts, cinema seems to rely most heavily on a. cultural influences. d. marketing. b. artistic movements. e. technology. c. changing social attitudes.

Q: In addition to studying the studio system, historians who take the economic approach toward the film industry also take into account a. censorship and the rating system. d. lighting styles. b. on-screen stereotypes. e. screenwriters. c. directors and genres.

Q: The social approach to film history attempts to establish a link between motion pictures and a. technology and science. d. government, religion, and labor. b. the global marketplace. e. financial and critical success. c. character development.

Q: A device that projects an exterior image onto one side of a darkened room is called a a. lens. d. heliograph. b. camera obscura. e. silhouette projector. c. glass-plate.

Q: William Henry Fox Talbots greatest contribution to photography was a. glass-plate negatives. b. fixing an image on transparent material. c. mass production of photoreactive chemicals. d. the photosensitive copper plate. e. the camera lens.

Q: By drastically reducing ________, gelatin-covered paper made it possible for photographers to capture action spontaneously. a. copper d. hyposulfite thiosulfate b. sunlight e. the thickness of glass film c. exposure time

Q: The development of ________ served as the bridge between still photography and cinematography. a. series photography d. negative projection b. motion capture cameras e. heliography c. gelatin emulsion

Q: How does the music employed in The Crying Game (1992) help underscore the surprising turns in the story?

Q: How can music provide structural unity or coherence to a story?

Q: What unique challenges did The Hours (2002) create for Philip Glass, its musical composer, and how did he solve them?

Q: Which of the following is NOT an example of how sound is used as part of characterization? a. Horses whinny when a characters name is mentioned in Young Frankenstein (1974). b. Quint draws his fingernails across a chalkboard in Jaws (1975). c. A Javanese gamelan orchestra plays when Lester fantasizes about escaping to a better world in American Beauty (1999). d. A woman opens her mouth to scream and instead we hear a train whistle in The 39 Steps (1935). e. Bernstein sings as if he is having a good time in Citizen Kane (1943).

Q: Why is Ethan and Joel Coens use of silence in No Country for Old Men notable?

Q: Why is sound overlapped? a. to link and provide unity between disparate shots b. to fulfill an audiences expectation c. to convey a characters emotional state d. to underscore the theme of the movie e. to create rhythm beyond that created by the music

Q: How does the sound in an exclusive restaurant in The Player (1992) help to direct the audiences attention?

Q: What made Orson Welles famous overnight? a. his 1938 radio production of The War of the Worlds b. his Broadway adaptation of Julius Caesar c. his baritone voice in his performance as Charles Foster Kane d. his direction of Citizen Kane e. his modern adaptations of literary classics

Q: What was unusual about the sound production of Citizen Kane? a. Mixing of the sound effects occurred during preproduction. b. Dialogue was edited during production. c. No music was used. d. The music was composed before the rough cut of the film had been assembled. e. All the dialogue had to be looped.

Q: Which of the following film sounds are typically recorded during production? a. dialogue d. sound effects b. narration e. Foley sounds c. ambient sounds

Q: Explain the meaning of director Steven Spielbergs statement, The eye sees better when the sound is great.

Q: Provide an example of how music adds symbolic import and emotional impact to the footage we see on-screen.

Q: Tomlinson Holman said, Sound design is the art of getting the right sound in the right place at the right time. Explain this statement.

Q: How is pitch employed to shape our interpretation of the wizard in The Wizard of Oz (1939)?

Q: How does the sound design of the opening of Apocalypse Now (1979) shape the audiences perception of Captain Willard as well as set up the themes of the film?

Q: Explain how the use of nonfaithful sound when Charlie playfully points his fingers in the shape of a gun in Mean Streets (1973) contributes to our understanding of Charlies relationship with Teresa.

Q: How did Martin Scorsese and Frank Warner use sound to make the close-ups in the boxing ring of Raging Bull (1980) almost unbearable to watch and hear?

Q: Explain how the use of music in film may help to create irony. Provide a specific example from the text.

Q: How does the sound design of the opening scene in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) function? a. It intentionally thwarts the audiences spatial and temporal expectations. b. It answers fundamental questions about the narrative. c. It helps the audience distinguish the individual sounds and understand how they are arranged in relation to one another. d. The audio mise-en-scne emphasizes the camaraderie of three desperadoes. e. The various nondiegetic sounds help us understand Harmonicas point of view.

Q: Which of the following is NOT true of dialogue? a. It is a function of plot since it grows out of the characters situations. b. It is a product of acting since it involves an actors voice, gestures, and facial expressions. c. It is one of the primary ways of telling a story. d. It is recorded during production or rerecorded during postproduction. e. It is the speech of characters who must be visible on-screen.

Q: What is the primary function of the sound used in the opening scene of Love Me Tonight (1932)? a. It creates rhythm. d. It sets up audience expectations. b. It offers insight into the protagonist. e. It creates a sound bridge. c. It grounds the audience spatially.

Q: How does the ambient sound of wind when Tom Joad returns to his familys home in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) shape the audiences interpretation of the scene? a. The high intensity of the wind suggests a tornado is coming, and we fear for Toms safety. b. The low sound of the wind underscores Toms loneliness and isolation. c. The squealing of the wind suggests rising tension between Tom and his family. d. The light breeze of the wind suggests a peaceful reunion. e. The high frequency of the wind highlights how unnerved Tom is to return.

Q: How does the grand operatic music used in the Helicopter Attack scene in Apocalypse Now (1979) help to reveal Lieutenant Colonel Kilgores character? a. It underscores his megalomania. b. It highlights how meek he is. c. It suggests he has a grounded, stable personality. d. It emphasizes his pacifism. e. It suggests his calming influence.

Q: What is the principal difference between traditional sound effects and Foley sounds? a. Traditional sound effects are unique; Foley sounds can be taken from a prerecorded library. b. Traditional sound effects are created and recorded wild; Foley sounds are recorded in sync with the picture. c. Traditional sound effects call attention to their own artificiality; Foley sounds enhance verisimilitude. d. Traditional sound effects rely on a variety of props to simulate everyday sounds; Foley sounds are recorded from the natural sounds of real things. e. Traditional sound effects exaggerate reality; Foley sounds are naturalistic.

Q: Which of the following Foley sounds were used to create the dramatic illusion of a glove breaking a nose while in the boxing ring of Raging Bull (1980)? a. the whoosh of an arrow d. the cries of an infant b. a knife stabbing a watermelon e. train whistles c. a fist hitting a side of a car

Q: Before Danny Elfman, Mark Mothersbaugh, Randy Newman, and Jonny Greenwood became some of Hollywoods most prolific contemporary composers, they were a. DJs. d. radio hosts. b. rock musicians. e. music producers. c. symphony conductors.

Q: a. Othello and Desdemona may still be alive. b. Fate was the cause of Othello and Desdemonas deaths. c. Their deaths could have been avoided. d. Bad luck was responsible for their deaths. e. Othello is in heaven; Desdemona is in hell. ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: Page 334 TOP: Music

Q: How do the following directors use music to enhance the pace of a film? a. Ang Lee uses a Japanese folk song to create a dreamlike pace in Brokeback Mountain (2005). b. Tom Tykwer uses techno-music to match the surreal tempo in Run Lola Run (1998). c. Joe Wright uses Gregorian chant to bring an ethereal mood to Atonement (2007). d. John Curran uses Rage Against the Machine songs to accelerate the pace of We Dont Live Here Anymore (2004). e. Lana Wachowski uses music by Johann Sebastian Bach to slow the tempo of The Matrix (1999).