Understand Hidden Meanings in Films

1. Welcome: Ever wonder why some movies stick with you long after the credits roll? Well, let's dive into the world of hidden meanings in film. Hi. My name is Pod otorovic. I'm a filmmaker screenwriter, and a film school teacher in Polish National Film School Wood. I've always been fascinated by how movies can say so much without actually saying it. It's like a secret language that I'm here to help you crack the code. In this course, we are going to explore how filmmakers sneak deeper messages into their work. We'll look at some great films like rival three colors, blue, and no country for old men. You learn to spot symbolism, understand character journeys, and see how visuals can tell the story all on their own. By the end, you'll be watching movies with new eyes and catching things you've never noticed before. Whether you're a movie buff or just curious about what goes on behind the scenes. This course has something for you. And who knows you might even get inspired to tell your own stories, hopefully see you in the class. 2. What is Hidden Meaning?: Hello, everyone, and welcome to our course on hidden meaning in films. I'm excited to explore this fascinating topic with you today. Let's start by asking ourselves, what is hidden meaning in film and why is it important? At its core, hidden meaning in film is about conveying ideas, emotions and themes that aren't explicitly stated or shown on screen. It's the subtext that lies beneath the surface of what we see and hear. Now, to help us understand the concept better, I want to share a quote from Daisy Hurst. She says, in the simplest terms, subtext is what lies beneath. Writing subtext in screenplay is all about conveying the underlying opinion, meaning or themes and metaphors sitting underneath everything within your story. This is done to enhance and straighten the depth of a story and give it an essential dramatic purpose. Now, this quote captures the essence of what we're discussing today. When we talk about hidden meaning, we're really talking about the layers of significance that a filmmaker weaves into their work. But why do filmmakers choose to hide the meaning rather than just state it outright. To answer this, let's consider the words of Christof Kilki renowned Polish filmmakers. He once said, we are making movies about things you cannot see. This profound statement gets to the heart of why hidden meaning is so crucial in film. Movies at their best explore the intangible aspects of human experience. The emotions, ideas, and the truth that can't be easily put into words or captured in straightforward. Images. Let's consider another insightful quote from Daisy Hurst. Drama, the real drama is so often about what lies in between what people say or do or the message behind the story you are trying to tell. If it is done so effectively, that subtext is inherent, and the audience doesn't even have to think about it. This is the key to writing subtext, layering your script with meaning, but not doing it heavily enough that your audience notices that you're doing it. That moment where dramatic storytelling conveys something to you without explicitly saying it and you get it, this can be the most satisfying thing about watching films on TV. Of quote, I know it was a long one. But what I meant to say is by hiding me, filmmakers create a more engaging experience for us, the viewers. They invite us to dig deeper to think critically and to connect with the story on a more personal level. It's like a conversation between the filmmaker and the audience where not everything is spelled out, but much is implied. Think about it. When someone tells you exactly what to think, it can feel didactic or even patronizing. But when you discover meaning for yourself, it becomes more powerful and more memorable. This is why the subtext and hidden meaning are so important in film. They allow filmmakers to. One, engage the audience more deeply. T, explore complex themes without being heavy handed, three, create a more realistic portray of human condition, four, add layers of meaning that reward multiple viewings of the same film. Now, it's important to note that not every movie has to have a hidden meaning. There are many films that are purely for entertainment. Most action films, for instance, don't have a deeper meaning. There's no point in looking for meaning in Jean Claude Van Dam movies. If there is a moral story in those kind of films, it's often so simplistic and obvious that there's no need for discussion. In these types of movies, the good guys always win, and the whole story is there to give you the pleasure of watching your favorite genre, whatever that genre may be. Other interesting aspect of H hidden meaning is that it doesn't have to be positive. You know those bad time stories when everything ends well and everyone lived happily ever after. As a filmmaker, creating a film for adult audiences, you're not obliged to make a happy ending or provide an uplifting hidden meaning. Many art house films are actually critique of the world we are living, and some of them are rather pessimistic. Take, for example, no country for old men, where the altars show us the world of chaos where following your own rules pays off, even if those rules are immoral, you want to read more about hidden meaning of no country for old men, I'll link an article I route about it at the end of this class. But going back to the main topic of this course, as we will progress through the course, we'll explore various techniques filmmakers use to convey hidden meaning. We'll learn how to spot these subtle cues and how they contribute to the overall message of the film. Remember that Understanding hidden meaning isn't just about analyzing films. It's about enriching your viewing experience and appreciating the artistry of great filmmaking. See you in the next class. 3. The Format of Hidden Meaning: In this class, we are going to explore the format of hidden meaning and how it manifests in different films. At its core, the hidden meaning of a film can often be distilled into a statement. This statement encapsulate the underlying message or theme that the filmmaker is trying to convey. It's important to understand that this statement can range from a simple one sentence idea to a more complex concept. Now, as a director, I have to tell you that a one line meaning statement is the most helpful thing when you're making a movie. On a film set, there are many things happening at once. And a director or director of photography or any other creator is constantly bombarded with questions. If you have the sentence that guides your directing, it's much easier to answer those questions. It's very handy if you can delude it to just a couple of words. However, it's not always possible to unify the hidden meaning of the film to such a concise form. Now, let's look at some examples to illustrate this. First, let's consider two films with a relatively straightforward hidden meaning. Rival by Denis Villeneu and three colors blue by kristov slowski. Despite being very different films in terms of genre, style, and plot, both of these movies convey a similar hidden mean, which can be expressed as life is worth living, even if it sometimes hurts. In a arrival, we see a linguist who gains the ability to perceive time non linearly. She chooses to have a child despite knowing the pain and loss she'll experience in the future, the film asks us, is the joy of life worth the inevitable pain that comes with it? Similarly, in three colors blue, we follow a woman who loses her husband and child in a car accident. Throughout the film, she struggles with her grief, but ultimately chooses to reconnect with the world and embrace life again. Despite the pain, she experienced. Both films, throughout their narratives and characters, journeys, argue that the beauty and richness of life are worth experiencing, even knowing that the pain and loss are inevitable part of the human experience. Now, let's look at the example of a more complex hidden mini. The Cohen Brother film No country for old man presents a more nuanced and multi faced statement. In a world engulfed in chaos, the only thing that will guide you is your own moral code, even if it's a crooked moral code. Now, this film portrays a world that seems to have descended into senseless violence. Each character operates according to their own set of rules. Luellen Moss breaks his own rules. He's a very decent guy, but he breaks his own moral code when he gets the opportunity to steal the money. Anton Shigerd adheres to a twisted sense of faith and personal philosophy, which is a very violent one. And then we have Sheriff Bell who clings to traditional values in the world that seems to have left them behind. It's crucial to note that while filmmakers embed these means in their works, the process of uncovering and interpreting them often involves personal reflection. Um, different viewers might derive slightly different meanings based on their own experiences and their own perspectives. When we analyze films for their hidden meanings, we're essentially trying to formulate these statement like ideas that encapsulate the core themes and messages of the film. This process involves looking at various elements of the film, like the plot, the character arcs, the dialogues, the visual symbolism, and more and synthesizing them into a coherent idea. In our next lesson, we'll delve deeper into the specific techniques pill maker use to convey these hidden meanings. But for now, I encourage you to think about some of your favorite films. Can you distill their hidden meaning into statements? Remember, there's often no single correct interpretation. The richness of film often lies in the variety of meanings we can derive from them. 4. Techniques and Analysis: In this lesson, we'll explore the techniques filmmakers use to convey hidden meaning, and how comparing the beginning and the end of the film can reveal its deeper message. First, let's understand a crucial concept. Every possible way you can express yourself in a film contributes to showing the hidden meaning. From the smallest detail to the grand elements like characters journey, everything should express this underlying message. It's a theme that repeats from the beginning till the end of the film, but it's in a different ways, right? And this repetition throughout variation is precisely what is called hidden moon. When a moral or a message is presented straightforwardly, it often becomes banal. The art of filmmaking lies in conveying this meaning subtly and deeply throughout the story. The most powerful way of conveying your meaning is throughout your hero's journey and how it ends. For screenwriters, this is something you discovered during the writing process. For film, analysts, critics, or simply movie lovers who want to understand and enjoy films more fully, you can find the biggest hints of the hidden meaning by comparing the beginning of the story to how it ends. Let's take, for example, three colors blue by Christoph Kloski. At the beginning of the film, we meet our main heroine with her family. After a tragic accident, her goal becomes to separate herself from the world emotionally. She wants to live her life feeling nothing. But as the story progresses throughout the second act, things happen, and she changes her mind. Ultimately embracing life once again. Now, the creators of blue wanted to tell this story in many beautiful ways, using not only screen writing techniques, but also visual symbols. Blue, typically the coldest color, represents our main characters desire to be emotionally cold towards the world, right? However, in this film, by the counterpoint, it also symbolizes her feelings. Her daughter's toys are blue, connecting the color to her deepest emotions. So in the broader context of three colors rilogy, blue represents the freedom. Kilski made these three French movies based on three main ideas of the French Revolution, liberty, equality, and fraternity. Now, blue specifically deals with unwanted freedom as our main heroine loses her family in a car crash, right? So here I mentioned just two examples of symbols that convey the hidden meaning to the viewer. Three colors blue is incredibly rich in symbolism that guides the audience in every possible way. In the script of the film, there are passages from the Bible that reinforce the theme. For instance, If I speak in tongues of men or of angels, but I do not have love. I'm only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. So to drive it home, in one of the scenes of this film, where the characters are writing music together, they are citing this part of the Bible. This passage underscores the film's message about emptiness of life without love and connection. And while we are at the scenes where main characters are writing music together, the music also plays a crucial role in conveying the hidden meaning of the story. The unfinished symphony that the protagonist works on throughout the film serves a metaphor for her emotional journey and reconnection with life. The most powerful tool that storytellers have in their arsenal to convey the statement of hidden meaning is how the story ends for the character. Whether it's a happy ending or a tragedy, it crystallizes the film's message. In three colors blue, I would argue that it ends happily for our main character. She begins the film with a negative mission of living life emotionless, but ends up by embracing life again. While the symbols, I've mentioned from three colors blue are quite clear indications of what the story meaning is. Symbols can also be very subtle as an example of this. Let's look at no country for old men. At the beginning of the film, you can see three windmills that symbolize each of the main characters. It's a very subtle detail that most audience members might overlook. Those who analyze the movie and watch it repeatedly will appreciate these little details. The windmills are distinctly different, just like the characters that they represent. This is a great example of showing your hidden meanings from the very first images your audience sees. Remember, as you watch films, pay attention to these details. Look at patterns, look at symbols, and how these characters change from the beginning to the end, doing so, you'll uncover the rich hidden meanings that make the cinema such a powerful art form. 5. Class project: So welcome to our final lesson on hidden meanings in films. We're going to wrap up the course with an exciting project, some additional resources, and a few closing thoughts. For our final project, we're going to explore the hidden meaning of the film rival. The core message of the film is, life is worth living, even if it sometimes hurts. Or task is to watch arrival and identify at least five ways the filmmakers conveys the hidden meaning throughout the story, visuals or symbols. After watching the film, list these elements in the project section. Share your findings with other students. There's no limit on how many elements you can identify. If you spot more than five, feel free to include them as well. Remember, there is no wrong answers as long as you can justify your interpretation. This exercise will help you apply the analytical skills we've developed throughout the course. Once you've completed this project, I encourage you to check out my other course, screenwriting, learn to write plot driven films by analyzing arrival. This course will give you an even deeper understanding of the film structure and themes. I'll link the course below. Further expand your understanding of hidden meaning in films, I'd like you to direct your attention to the article. I told you before in the class about the three windmills in no country for old men by Cohen Brothers. Link is in the public nose as well. Now, I understand that we've covered a lot of material. Feel free to approach this class step by step and revisit lessons as needed. All the links to the sources, and most will be attached in a public note, which will also direct you to my website, Cinema explained where you can see how this class fits into the overall curriculum on understanding films. If you've enjoyed this class, I'd greatly appreciate if you could leave a review. I read every review and discussion, and I provide feedback on all the projects that you guys create. It's always encouraging to see how you apply the knowledge you've gained. Don't forget to follow me here on Skillshare for more classes on, Understanding films, cinematography, or screenwriting or film analysis. You can also visit my website for additional resources and insights. I look forward to seeing your projects and hearing your thoughts on hidden meanings we've explored today. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey throughout the world of film symbolism. See you in another class.