Psychological Manipulation in Film

Your film syllabus is actually just a cheat sheet for psychological manipulation. Take Fritz Lang’s

M. The killer isn't scary because of his face, but because of the

shadows and that creepy offscreen whistle. It’s all about what you don’t see.

Then you have The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, where color literally replaces acting. Those saturated

pink gas stations aren't realism, they're pure emotion. And don't trust documentaries.

The Atomic Café proves that putting happy music over nuclear explosions reveals the truth

better than narration ever could. Basically, if you can explain why a chair squeak

in Playtime matters more than the dialogue, you’re getting an A.