This study examines the cross-cultural use of color in cinema by analyzing El cuerpo (2012) and three remakes from India (Bollywood and South Indian) and South Korea. Using quantitative methods, it compares Hue, Saturation, and Value to explore how filmmakers adapt color to local aesthetics while preserving the narrative. Results show that Hue—especially red tones—varies most, with the South Indian version differing most from the original. Saturation and Value show fewer differences. These findings support theories of cultural proximity and hybridization, suggesting that color is a key stylistic element in cultural adaptation. This study offers a novel approach to analyzing remakes as culturally mediated texts and highlights the value of visual style as an area of divergence in global cinema.
A characteristic of Ruben Östlund’s films is their focus on social behavior and interaction at moments when social scripts are disrupted by instinctual behavior or conflicting concerns. Such disruptions create dilemmas within a given social situation, most often leading to embarrassment. The article examines the nature of (comic) embarrassment as the dominant social emotion in Östlund’s films, typically arising from a contrast between a desired projection of the self and one’s actual behavior within a social setting. Often, though, the durative observational style provides secondary characters and the audience with forms of vicarious embarrassment not necessarily shared by the main characters. It is argued that Östlund utilizes embarrassment in both playful and transgressive ways, which prompts ambiguity about how viewers may react to and interpret his films, but also has the potential to be a cinema of engagement.
Abstract Empirical studies on cinematographers’ creative processes remain limited, likely due to theoretical gaps. Drawing from the embodied mind theory, we hypothesize that cinematographers in action holistically simulate the characters’ situatedness in the diegetic world and, in doing so, translate it into the future viewers’ experience. We report initial findings from semi-structured interviews with cinematographers after shooting a dramatic scene with a handheld camera. Two main approaches were identified in the interview data related to participating cinematographers’ embodied decision-making processes. We describe detailed themes identified within each of these two approaches and adopt image schematic structures as a provisional explanation of how the cinematographers’ consideration of the actors and viewers’ experience is reflected in their creative decision-making processes. We envision future research building on these findings.
Abstract Television seriality demands sustained cognitive engagement, as viewers form hypotheses to navigate complex narratives. This article argues that beyond moment-to-moment (micro) and ultimate outcome (macro) predictions, medium-term “mesoscopic hypotheses” dominate spectator activity. These concern the unfolding, intersection, and temporary resolution of plotlines and character arcs. We propose a three-level (micro–meso–macro) model of engagement, showing through series like Grey's Anatomy , Breaking Bad , and Game of Thrones how viewers focus on the “middle game.” Genres shape distinct hypothesis patterns, while fan speculation amplifies mesoscopic focus. This framework clarifies how serial narratives sustain pleasure and interest without definitive closure.
Abstract With a focus on cinematic subjectivity, this article examines how The Father (2020) uses its formal elements to create spatial, temporal, and narrative disruptions that replicate the effects of the cognitive deterioration experienced by people living with dementia. In doing so, it differs from most screen representations of mental disorders that show symptoms from the perspective of an observer rather than the person experiencing them, consequently objectifying them as “other.” By constructing a subjective portrayal of dementia, The Father —a puzzle film with a few pieces missing—crafts an immersive experience aligning the audience's perceptions with those of its protagonist, offering insight into the lived experience of dementia symptoms and thus the possibility of an affective, experiential understanding of this disease.
