The visual meaning in The Third Manis of great importance for understanding the film. Discuss‘Through the contents of the image and the resources of montage, the cinema has at its disposal a whole arsenal of means whereby to impose its interpretation of

The visual meaning in The Third Man
is of great importance for understanding the film. Discuss

‘Through the contents of the image and the resources of montage, the cinema has at its disposal a whole arsenal of means whereby to impose its interpretation of an event on the spectator.’ Whether a viewer is consciously aware of the creative and technical decisions involved in a particular film or not, it is without doubt that these choices strongly affect that viewer’s interpretation of the work. On the simplest level, visual technique is used to convey the narrative of the film. This is achieved through the structure of the shot, mise en scène; as well as the order and pacing of successive shots, montage. On a secondary level, visual technique can be used to ‘set the scene’ and to create an atmosphere which enhances the viewer’s involvement with the film. Finally, on a tertiary level, the film image holds connotative meanings, that is, the structure of scene and montage ca...