A Field In England: the appeal of arthouse film

Through both coursework and exam preparation we have studied and researched arthouse film in some depth.

Understanding the audience appeal in terms of arthouse film is a vital part of this - and you'll need to discuss this in both your MEST1 Section B exam AND your MEST2 1,500 word evaluation.

Complete the following tasks to improve your understanding of art house film and the possible audience pleasures(surveillance, divergence, personal identification and personal relationships) that the genre offers:

1. Read Beyond Hollywood: Reading Arthouse Cinema. This is in MM45 on page 24 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article.

2. What are some of the suggested audience pleasures for arthouse film?

It suggests that audiences find pleasure in the artistic state rather than a commercial character of movie. 
This is due to it being enjoyed due to a difficulty to analyse, lack of narrative closure, intertexual understanding and cultural capital/class/competence in reading the film (the idea of being high brow and therefore superior) 

3. Why do some audiences struggle with arthouse film? Refer to some media theory here (there are some important media theories discussed in the article itself).

This is because art house movies don't typically allow the application of todorovs narrative theory of equilibrium. This is because typically the ending of Hollywood because a new equilibrium isn't usually in art house movies, it usually ends without proper closure of narrative or a resorted 'happy' narrative.  

4. To what extent is arthouse film only for the middle classes and older audiences? Why might this be the case?

I think its a very vast amount. This is because of various aspects such as the intertexual references which are usually more classical thus connoting an older audience but also an extremely well educated audience. The audience also has to be less mainstream as what mainstream audiences are used to are holloywood movies which are almost polar opposite to art house movies. Mainstreamers are usually younger thus lining out the young audience again. 

5. What type of audience would A Field In England appeal to?

The typical art house movie audience, those who prefer the harder to read movies with many intertexual references such as the director techniques used. This would also appeal to the more historically interested audience eg. reformers and stugglers (whom are also older) A middle class audience is very likely due to the art house cinema concept in general.