In an article that came out several years ago, 1986, to be exact, William Costanzo discussed how film can be taught as a new method of helping students learn more about composing papers and becoming writers. So what does this have to do with defamiliarization? Well, my fellow blogger, let me explain. The purpose in me choosing to read this paper (in addition to learning how to analyze films as written texts) is that I finally have some narrowed direction, even more narrowed than my post from the other day hinted at, concerning this particular blog. Since movies can be related to texts (written texts that is), then defamiliarization can be applied to analyzing different films. In fact, Constanzo says the following in the posted article about films being written texts: “…we can use them more directly and more productively by treating film, television, and writing as analogous forms of composition” (Constanzo 79). So, that being said, films can be analyzed as texts or prose and seen as being a work that defamiliarizes us or leaves us in the same state of thought, thus, showing itself to be a piece of art or failing to show itself to be that. Shklovsky frequently used the prose of Leo Tolstoy to drive home his theory of defamiliarization. Well, following his example, my hope is the apply similar techniques to recent films, whether it be through the cinematography, depiction of settings, story line, characters, or other various components of film that may defamiliarize us to our habitualized perceptions of the way we view things, especially in the arena of film. I hope I am able to inform, and you are able to enjoy. Peace.
Link to: Film as Composition
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