FILM AND THEATRE STUDIES

For this reflection piece, answer me this question: how can we argue about a film’s merits? That is to say, are judgments about films — e.g., “such-and-such a film is good, bad, immoral, beautiful, skillful, effective, heartbreaking, stinging, scorching, chilling, terrible, the worst, idiotic, clumsy, stupid, appallingly awful, etc., etc.” — are such judgments simply subjective, just preferences, or can we disagree and rationally argue about our disagreements? How can we give reasons for our judgments, and what kinds of reasons can we give? Be sure to draw from the readings (Giannetti, McDannell, and Wright) in your explanation of how we can, or cannot, argue our judgments about films. Moreover, be sure to give illustrative examples from Crimes and Misdemeanors, The Seventh Seal, and/or The Passion of the Christ.