Film Criticism vs Film Reviews
- what type of sources do you need for your assignment
- how to tell the difference between sources
| Film Criticism | Film Reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Authorship |
academics, scholars, experts in the field |
journalists, film buffs, generally non-academics |
| Who is the audience? | academics, scholars | general public |
| Purpose of writing |
analyzes plot, characters, themes, cinematic techniques; uses critical film theory, cultural or historical analysis; advances scholarly conversation about the film
|
describes plot, characters cast, director; rates the film; can be persuasive and based on opinion |
| Limitations |
may be difficult to understand; may not be for someone new to the field |
more descriptive than analytical; no citations or bibliography |
| Benefits |
more analytical than descriptive; contains citations / bibliographies |
informs the reader on whether to watch the movie; a good review is often entertaining |
| What type of publication? | scholarly journals and books | newspapers, magazines, movie rating sites |
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