Past Paper Questions
Component 1 - Section A - [40 marks]
Auteur and Context
2019
‘The director is always the most important influence on a film.’
Compare how far your two chosen films support this statement.
Compare how far the two films you have studied reflect the times they were made.
2021
‘Film is a collaborative art form, so to focus on the contribution of one individual as the auteur is misleading.’ Compare the two films you have studied in relation to this statement.
‘An auteur’s signature is always apparent in the messages and values of the films they make.’ Compare the two films you have studied in relation to this statement.
2023
Compare how far the films you have studied show an auteur filmmaker’s influence. Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each film.
Compare how the films you have studied were shaped by their cultural and/or political contexts. Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each film.
2020
Compare some of the ways in which the look and style of the films you have studied reflect the influence of auteurs. Refer in detail to one sequence from each film.
‘New Hollywood allowed filmmakers more creative freedom than Classical Hollywood did’. Compare the two films you have studied in relation to this statement.
2022
‘Cinematography and editing are crucial in expressing a clear auteur signature.’ Compare the films you have studied in relation to this statement.
Compare how representations of ethnicity and/or gender are shaped by the historical contexts of the films you have studied.
2024
Compare how far the Hollywood films you have studied challenge the idea that films are created by auteurs.
‘The shift from Classical to New Hollywood production created a revolution in the use of cinematography and editing.’
Compare the films you have studied in relation to this statement, referring in detail to at least one sequence from each film.
Component 1 - Section B - [40 marks]
Ideology and Spectatorship
2019
Explore some of the reasons why spectators may respond in very different ways to the same character. Refer in detail to at least one character from each of your chosen films.
Discuss how important cinematography is in creating a powerful response in the spectator. Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each of your chosen films.
2021
‘Film spectatorship is a passive experience’. How far do you agree with this statement in relation to each of the films you have studied?
How important is sound in shaping spectator responses to the two films you have studied? Refer in detail to one or more sequences from each film.
2023
How useful is an ideological critical approach in explaining the impact of the films you have studied on the spectator?
How valuable is an ideological critical approach in analysing the use of mise-en-scène in the films you have studied? Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each film.
2020
Explore how far the two films you have studied demonstrate the filmmakers’ attempt to control the spectator’s response.
How important is mise-en-scène in generating spectator responses? Refer in detail to one sequence from each film you have studied.
2022
‘Ideological analysis is useful in explaining why particular visual elements and sounds are chosen by filmmakers.’ How far is this true of the films you have studied?
How useful is an ideological critical approach for understanding the way spectators are positioned by the films you have studied?
2024
‘The spectator’s own beliefs and attitudes affect how they respond to films.’ Explore this statement in relation to each of the films you have studied.
How important is sound in conveying a film’s ideological messages? Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each of the films you have studied.
Component 1 - Section C - [40 marks]
Ideology and Narrative
2019
How useful has an ideological critical approach been in studying the narratives of your two chosen films?
‘Analysing a film ideologically enhances our understanding.’ How far is this true of your two chosen films?
2021
How useful has an ideological critical approach been in analysing the films you have studied? Refer in detail to one or more sequences from each film.
‘The ideological analysis of a film is not very useful as it often reduces it to a simple checklist of messages and values.’ How far is this true in relation to the two films you have studied?
2023
Explore how editing and cinematography are used to reinforce important messages and values in at least one key sequence from each of the films you have studied.
‘Characters are the most important narrative device for telling stories in film.’ Explore this statement in relation to the films you have studied.
2020
To what extent is ideological analysis useful in examining the closing sequences of each of the films you have studied?
‘Studying ideologies in a film can greatly change your understanding of the film.’ How far has this been your experience of studying each of your chosen films?
2022
Discuss how one or more specific narrative devices enhance the dramatic qualities of the films you have studied.
Explore how both mise-en-scène and performance are used to establish important character information in key sequences from the films you have studied.
2024
How useful is an ideological critical approach when exploring the construction of one key character from each of the films you have studied?
‘Applying an ideological critical approach is essential for understanding why filmmakers use particular narrative structures.’ Explore this statement in relation to each of the films you have studied.
Component 2 - Section A - [40 marks]
Film Form and Context
2019
Explore how aspects of performance and mise-en-scène are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.
Discuss how aesthetics are used to communicate themes in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.
2021
‘A film is intensified by its aesthetic.’ Discuss this statement in relation to a key sequence from each of the films you have studied.
‘Social and cultural contextual studies are important when attempting to understand a film.’ Discuss this statement with reference to examples from the two films you have studied.
2023
Explore how cinematography and sound help to convey important themes in the films you have studied. Refer to key sequences from each film.
Discuss how one or two contextual factors have influenced the aesthetic of each of the films you have studied. Refer to key sequences from each film.
2020
How far do each of the films you have studied represent key characters in ways that challenge the audience’s expectations?
What are some of the ways in which visual style is important in each of the films you have studied? Refer to key sequences.
2022
Explore how representations of gender are constructed visually to create meaning in one or more key sequences from each of the films you have studied.
Discuss how the films you have studied explore the political and social contexts of their settings.
2024
Explore how far the films you have studied challenge stereotypical representations of gender. Refer in detail to at least one key sequence from each of the films you have studied.
‘A film’s aesthetic is the most important factor in creating meaning.’ Discuss this statement in relation to each of the films you have studied.
Component 2 - Section B - [20 marks]
Critical Debates and Filmmakers' Theories
2019
Explore how two documentary techniques are used in presenting the subject of your chosen film. Refer to one film-maker’s theory you have studied.
‘Digital technologies have expanded our sense of what a documentary can be.’ How far is this true in relation to your chosen film?
2021
Explore how the representation of a key character contributes to the meaning of the documentary you have studied.
How important is the creative use of digital technology in the documentary you have studied?
2023
Discuss how two documentary techniques are used to explore a key issue in the film you have studied.
How far are digital technologies important for capturing and manipulating reality in the film you have studied?
2020
How is the documentary you have studied made more thought-provoking by specific creative choices made by the filmmakers?
How far does your chosen documentary demonstrate elements of one or more filmmaker’s theories you have studied?
2022
Explore how filmmakers use specific techniques to create an emotional impact. Refer to a key sequence from the film you have studied.
Discuss how the film you have studied supports and/or challenges one filmmaker’s theory.
2024
Explore how key documentary techniques are used to attempt to manipulate the spectator in at least one key sequence from the film you have studied.
‘Applying a filmmaker’s theory provides new insight into how a documentary film is constructed.’ Explore this statement in relation to the film you have studied.
Component 2 - Section C - [20 marks]
Film Form, Context and Critical Debates
2019
‘Editing was central to the visual storytelling of silent cinema.’ Discuss this statement with reference to a particular sequence from your chosen film option.
Explore how your film option might be considered as either a realist or an expressionist kind of cinema. Make reference to a particular sequence in your answer.
2021
Discuss how far meaning is created through performance. Make reference to a specific sequence from your film option.
‘Silent film reveals filmmakers who employ exciting ideas and techniques.’ Discuss how far this is true of your film option.
2023
Explore how representations of gender reflect the times in which the film option you have studied was made.
Discuss how far mise-en-scène is used in realist and expressive ways in the film option you have studied.
2020
‘It is often assumed that the techniques of silent cinema work against realism.’ How far do you agree with this statement in relation to your film option?
Discuss some of the ways in which an understanding of context has contributed to your appreciation of the silent film or films you have studied.
2022
‘Silent cinema encouraged filmmakers to use visual techniques in expressive ways.’ Explore this statement using a key sequence from your film option.
Explore how your chosen film option responded to significant social change at the time the film/s were made. Refer to one key sequence.
2024
Examine how realist or expressive techniques create meaning in the film option you have studied. Refer to at least one key sequence.
Explore how masculinity is represented in interesting ways in the film option you have studied. Refer to at least one key sequence.
Component 2 - Section D - [20 marks]
Narrative and Auteur
2019
Discuss the impact of two key experimental features of the narrative in your chosen film option.
‘Experimental film is often the result of an auteur challenging established conventions with fresh ideas.’ With reference to your chosen film option, how far do you agree with this statement?
2021
How far can the experimental approach in your film option be attributed to an auteur director?
How far does the experimental narrative of your film option reinforce key themes?
2023
Explore how one or more key characters are constructed in experimental ways in the film option you have studied.
‘Experimental film auteurs create stylistically innovative films.’ Discuss this statement in relation to at least one key sequence from the film option you have studied.
2020
Discuss how either editing or cinematography contribute to the experimental nature of your film option.
‘An experimental narrative can be challenging and run the risk of audience rejection.’ Discuss this comment in relation to your film option.
2022
‘Experimental auteurs often demonstrate a free and playful approach to filmmaking.’ Explore this statement in relation to your film option.
Explore the experimental use of editing and sound in your film option.
2024
‘Experimental film gives an auteur the freedom to create their unique artistic vision.’ Explore this statement in relation to the film option you have studied.
Discuss how far the narrative of the film option you have studied could be considered ‘experimental’.