Film Analysis Terminology

noun a purgative medicine; a substance that promotes purging of the bowels; a cathartic agent

adjective providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions; causing catharsis

• The act of journaling can be cathartic and help individuals process their emotions.
• Crying can be really cathartic sometimes, you know?
• Watching that movie was so cathartic, I felt all my stress melt away.
• Cleaning out my closet was cathartic, it felt like I was letting go of the past.

adverb modifying an adjective or verb to indicate a certain degree or manner

• The results of the experiment were decidedly conclusive.
• She was decidedly not interested in joining the club.
• The party was decidedly lit last night.
• His mood was decidedly stormy after the argument.

adjective expressing disapproval or criticism

• Her deprecatory remarks towards her colleagues were not well received in the professional setting.
• I don't appreciate your deprecatory comments about my cooking skills.
• Stop being so deprecatory, it's not cool.
• His deprecatory attitude towards life is holding him back from achieving his goals.

verb to diminish the worth or value of something

• The presence of grammatical errors can detract from the overall quality of a research paper.
• Having too many distractions can detract from your ability to focus on studying.
• Don't let petty gossip detract you from achieving your goals.
• Her constant negativity seemed to detract from the positive energy in the room.

verb to have shown or predicted beforehand

• The outcome of the experiment was foreshown by the initial data analysis.
• I knew it was going to rain because the dark clouds foreshown a storm.
• The fortune teller foreshown that I would meet someone special soon.
• The cracks in the foundation foreshown the impending collapse of the building.

adjective using or characterized by irony; happening in the opposite way to what is expected

• It is ironic that the company promoting healthy eating was caught serving expired food.
• Isn't it ironic that the weather forecast said sunny skies but it's raining outside?
• It's so ironic that she said she hates drama but always starts it herself.
• The irony of his success is that he never wanted to be in the spotlight.

noun the quality of being biting or caustic in style or tone

adjective having a biting or caustic quality

• The critic's mordancy in his reviews often left the artists feeling disheartened.
• Her mordancy when joking around can sometimes be a bit too much.
• I can't handle his mordancy, it's just too harsh.
• The mordancy of his words cut through the tension in the room like a knife.

noun a method of treating mental disorders by investigating the conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind

• Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic approach that aims to bring unconscious thoughts and feelings to the conscious mind.
• I've been learning about psychoanalysis in my psychology class, it's really interesting.
• Some people think psychoanalysis is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but I find it helpful.
• In a way, psychoanalysis is like peeling back the layers of an onion to get to the core of a person's psyche.

noun a literary device coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe such a resolution

• The unexpected eucatastrophe at the end of the novel brought a sense of hope and redemption to the story.
• The eucatastrophe in the movie made everyone cheer and clap.
• That plot twist was a total eucatastrophe - it blew my mind!
• Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a eucatastrophe occurred and turned everything around for the better.

verb to make something more aesthetically pleasing or beautiful

• The artist sought to aestheticize everyday objects in her latest exhibit.
• I love how she aestheticizes her Instagram feed with filters and editing.
• He's always trying to aestheticize everything, it's kind of annoying.
• The writer has a unique ability to aestheticize even the most mundane experiences in his novels.