Film Essays and Analysis
Children of Men: Dropping Us Into Crisis - Alfonso Cuarón reimagined how to capture the intensity of war when he crafted his 2006 dystopian masterpiece Children of Men. Here's how. Essay by Mark Serravalle.
Cameo Killed the Superhero Movie - Is superhero cinema too reliant upon cameos? Is it taking away from the storytelling? After 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', everyone's doing it. Essay by Ibrahim Azam.
Dennis Hopper’s Last Movies: ‘Homeless’, ‘Pashmy Dream’ - Dennis Hopper had a career that surfed high art and low culture effortlessly, his last movies 'Homeless' and 'Pashmy Dream' interesting notes to go out on. Essay by Stephen Lee Naish.
I’m With Terry: Marlon Brando’s Method Performance in ‘On the Waterfront’ - How Marlon Brando's Method acting enhanced 'On the Waterfront' and added nuance and sympathy to his character Terry. Essay by Jacob Davis.
A Career-Saving Change: Katharine Hepburn’s Natural Performance in ‘The Philadelphia Story’ - Katharine Hepburn saved her career through adapting a new acting style in 1940 rom-com 'The Philadelphia Story'. This essay explores how and why she did it. By Jacob Davis.
What Novelists Are For: ‘Atonement’ at 15 - Joe Wright's Oscar-winning period drama 'Atonement' is 15, and it remains an affecting film about stories and the very act of filmmaking. Essay by Margaret Roarty.
Schindler’s List, Inglourious Basterds: Cementing and Reclaiming History in Cinema - Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List' and Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds' prove that populist approaches can deal with horrific events with subtlety and introspection. Essay by Robert Mitchell.
That Kind of Man: What L.A Confidential Taught Me About Masculinity - Curtis Hanson's all-star crime drama 'L.A. Confidential' is 25, and it remains a concise analysis and presentation of masculinity. One that hit Craig Gent in a particularly personal way.
How ‘The Night of The Hunter’ Highlights Religious Manipulation for Personal Gain - Charles Laughton's 1965 horror film 'The Night of the Hunter' presents Robert Mitchum's preacher as a man who "manipulates people through their religious beliefs". Essay by Nicole Sanacore.
The Closure of Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh International Film Festival: What It Means to Me - The instant closures of Edinburgh Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival will have profound effects on wider culture, as explained in this personal essay from Mark Carnochan.