GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS
FILM STUDIES
AS/Advanced
JANUARY 2013
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
Statistical Information
The Examiner’s Report may refer in general terms to statistical outcomes. Statistical
information on candidates’ performances in all examination components (whether internally
or externally assessed) is provided when results are issued.
Annual Statistical Report
The annual Statistical Report (issued in the second half of the Autumn Term) gives overall
outcomes of all examinations administered by WJEC.
Unit
Page
FM2
1
FM4
8
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FILM STUDIES
General Certificate of Education
January 2013
Advanced Subsidiary
Principal Examiner (FM2):
Assistant (FM2):
Chief Examiner:
Jill Poppy
Steve Robson
Patrick Phillips
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
FM2
Entry
1496
Max Mark
120
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
97
84
72
60
48
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
1
Mean Mark
73.1
FM2
BRITISH AND AMERICAN CINEMA
General Comments
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The paper was accessible and comparable with previous years.
Most candidates were able to write three substantial answers.
There were quite a number of Level 4 responses with one or two candidates getting full
marks.
The resource material in Section A was sometimes repeated in candidates’ responses
and not used as a prompt for debate.
Candidates without their own case study material were disadvantaged.
Many candidates knew their chosen films well and were able to make good textual
references.
Context was sometimes very well taught but often it was superficial and reductive.
Some candidates limited their achievement by offering prepared responses without
engaging directly with the question
Some centres prepare candidates for two topics with one set of films. This appears to
have confused some candidates in the examination itself and may thus be a risky
strategy.
There were some rubric issues.
Candidates could be reminded to fill in the boxes at the front of the examination paper,
which is helpful to examiners.
Difficulties encountered by candidates in the examination could be overcome by centres
spending time on exam technique, and on practising how to answer questions.
SECTION A: BRITISH AND AMERICAN FILM
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Section A showed a little more explicit teaching and better-prepared case studies from
candidates but more candidates could show this.
Question 1 by far the most popular. Most did it well but some did tend to stray away from
the question too much.
Question 2 was attempted by fewer candidates with some unable to go beyond the
stimulus. Some candidates struggled to identify any types or sources of film reviews
other than those in the resource materials.
Most candidates use the resource materials in answering the question but a lot still need
to add their own examples. Better candidates developed their use of examples to show
clear evidence of learning.
Some supportive materials will be published by the board this year?
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2
Q.1
There were many engaged and well-developed answers to this question.
 Most candidates were able to identify the key points suggested by the resource
materials and use them in their answers to the questions.
 Most candidates were able to provide evidence of having studied stars and
provide useful examples to develop their answers to the question.
 Weaker candidates tended to describe the resource material and limit their
responses to the resources provided, exhibiting little understanding of Stars or
providing any examples beyond those referred to in the resource materials.
 Many weaker responses made little attempt to answer the question by moving
away from the subject of ‘producers’ and, even, ‘stars’ very quickly to download a
prepared essay on ‘what makes a successful film?’ This approach is to be
discouraged and some candidates need to be reminded that they must answer
the question.
 Better answers were able to make use of the resource material to engage in a
wider discussion of the importance of stars for US and UK film producers. These
candidates were able to identify a range of factors that may be important to film
producers; such as genre, franchising, technology, etc whilst also showing
consideration of the subject of film stars.
 Some candidates conveyed, well, how stars may still be important in the
production, distribution and exhibition of films. Most, in this mid-range, tended to
utilise examples of film stars to avoid simplistic and generalised discussions.
 Some candidates critically engaged with the stimulus, focused well on the
question and showed good or very good knowledge and understanding of film
stars and institutional issues. Some supported their arguments by reference to
historical comparisons, the use of the studio system and the role of stars within it
was particularly well used at times.
 Some candidates made very good distinctions between the importance of stars to
UK, as opposed to US, producers.
Q.2
This question was less popular than Q1 and generally not answered as well.
 Some candidates struggled to identify any forms of ‘reviews’ other than those
mentioned in the resource materials and could not provide any examples of their
own or any evidence of having studied the role of reviews in the reception of films
by audiences.
 Those candidates who provided better responses tended to be able to provide
their own, sometimes drawn from personal experiences, examples of specific film
reviews and discuss their importance and impact upon audiences, in some cases
themselves.
 Many were able to use the resource materials very productively and some
develop the key issues identified in the materials by relating them to other
franchises and forms of cinema.
 Some of the best answers were able to contextualise the importance of reviews
to US in comparison with UK cinema or compare the impact of reviews upon
mainstream audiences compared to ‘indie’ film fans.
 Some candidates were able to show how reviews are a part of the
distribution/exhibition system and relate their importance to other influences upon
audience choices.
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3
SECTION B: BRITISH FILM TOPICS
General Comments
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There were some excellent Level 4 responses with candidates offering insightful
contextual background, understanding of genre and hybridity, messages and values and
ideas of ‘Britishness’.
These responses all offered sound, direct and meaningful textual references.
Some centres were disadvantaged by choosing too many films for their topic, which
meant their response could only be superficial.
A significant number chose the wrong topic for their chosen films.
Some centres had clearly studied films appropriate for more than one section, which may
confuse candidates in the exam
The best responses were able to discuss the history and development of the chosen
genre and, where appropriate, narrative theory.
British Film and Genre
Q.3&4 Question 3 was the more popular with most answers looking at 28 Days later and
The Descent. In Question 4 British features were often listed without much critical
analysis, e.g., ‘swearing a lot is a British thing’.
Responses using 28 Days Later and Children of Men struggled to pinpoint
Britishness beyond landmarks and taxi cabs. These and messages and values were
often discussed and then labelled ‘British’.
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Dog Soldiers, Creep and Dracula Prince of Darkness were also popular choices
Where candidates opted for Shaun of the Dead with 28 Days Later the best
responses acknowledged generic hybridity and were able to pinpoint moments in
the film text to support their observations.
28 Days Later and Eden Lake: good work on narrative, ensemble cast, big
budget, themes of xenophobia. Textual examinations illustrated social realism,
class, role reversal and lack of typical Hollywood character types.
There were some interesting responses on the use of sound in horror with Eden
Lake as a focus.
Shaun of the Dead and Withnail and I demonstrated an insightful examination of
codes and conventions and representations of British Society, gender and
culture, typically British character and narrative resolutions.
Life of Brian and Withnail and I: sexuality and religion, use of slapstick. This was
a popular and successful pairing for comedy.
Dracula 1957 and The Wickerman 1973, examined generic qualities through
codes and conventions.
Dog Soldiers/Dracula and The Descent demonstrated a good knowledge of genre
and its history and the films Dracula inspired. Candidates looked at mise en
scène (props and setting in particular)
British Film and Stars
Q.5&6 There were very few responses on this section. There was some good work on Ewan
McGregor and gender issues using Trainspotting and Miss Potter, with some
contextual reference.
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4
British Film and Production Companies
Q.7&8
There were some interesting responses on Working Title going beyond
‘romcoms’ in an engaging way.
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Candidates selected: Atonement, Elizabeth, Bridget Jones’s Diary.
These responses dealt very well with audience looking at the USA,
messages and values, class divisions, hierarchies, setting and family life.
The theme of repression was well documented in Hot Fuzz and Bridget
Jones but little explanation about why this might be considered typically
British.
Unlike other sections where an in depth study of two films is advised this
section often benefits from an exploration of a range of texts to illustrate
range and diversity in identity.
British Film: Cultural Study
Q.9&10
Some centres have been very well taught about 60s context, questioning
values and looking at the representation of generations through characters.
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Sometimes candidates presented too much learned contextual
information, which needed to be related to the question.
Other observations on the 60s were reductive.
Some centres selected too many texts for this section, which did not
support an in depth examination.
Some candidates struggled to use the historical period as the setting.
The exploration of freedom was inextricably linked to the debate on
repression.
Alfie was a popular text and was used well with Performance to explore
repression and sexuality, female behaviour, societal values and the
conservatism of Alfie himself.
Other texts used well with excellent textual reference: A Hard Day’s
Night/Darling/If
There was some good work on Thatcher’s Britain; context had been well
taught with Meantime, Rita Sue and Bob Too! and Last of England.
British Film: Social-Political Study – Living with Crime
Q.11&12
This section was well taught with Sweet 16 and Bullet Boy the most popular
texts. There were some very mature analyses of choices (or lack of )
available, with explorations of cultural background, economic struggles and
representation of stereotypes.
 Some responses usefully considered gender as well as class and setting
as contributing to choices available to key characters.
 Some good level 4 answers here supported by excellent textual
references.
 ‘Conflicting’ tended to be a problem for some candidates.
 Harry Brown/Bullet Boy: good on influences for masculinity, e.g., army
and gangs. Also for cultural observations, victims of circumstance and
gender. Bullet Boy offered debates on friends, peer group, female roles.
 Attack the Block: hybridity, e.g., comedy and action and social
commentary.
 This section was particularly affected by the candidates describing too
many films – The Long Good Friday, Layer Cake, Trainspotting, The
Sweeney.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
5
British Film: Identity Study – Borders and Belonging
Q.13&14
This section offered some excellent close textual readings although some
candidates tended to describe rather than analyse with descriptive sequences
intended to build a case for the representation of authority or belonging.
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Yasmin/Four Lions/Dirty Pretty Things: insightful examination of two
worlds, costume seen as ‘us’ and ‘them’.
Yasmin/This is England: ‘belonging’ explored effectively through costume,
actions, performance.
Last Resort/Gypo/ It’s a Free World: authority explored through police and
other characters.
Ghosts, Last Resort, This is England, Shifty, Dirty Pretty Things
SECTION C: AMERICAN FILM – COMPARATIVE STUDY
General Comments
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There was some very good work on messages and values and textual references.
Some examiners found that the requirement to focus on one sequence in Question 15
was a challenge to some candidates.
The sequences selected could have been in explored in greater depth.
A tendency to describe disadvantaged some candidates as did insufficient contextual
information, particularly in Question 16, which asked directly for context.
For both questions where an older film from 40s or 50s was coupled with a more recent
release too many candidates seemed happy to make sweeping and unsubstantiated
assertions about the cultural and political norms of the earlier decades which weakened
their responses.
Similarly there are often over-generalisations about the role of women. Sometimes films
made within a decade or so of each other fail to offer candidates enough scope to
compare and contrast messages and values.
Q.15&16
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Twilight/Let Me In: Good work on women and chastity but a difficult choice
when discussing or differentiating context. A good example of films
candidates like but which they can’t write about easily.
Get Rich or Die Trying 2005/ White Heat 1949: Good on representations
of women reflected in the times.
Goodfellas/Public Enemy/Scarface: Gang culture within context. Violence,
crime, patriarchy and the family.
Roaring Twenties/Goodfellas: Examination of rewriting genre, messages
and values, iconography, changing audiences and responses. Good on
value systems, e.g., ‘honest American’, circumstances which push you
into crime. Comparisons of how you ‘pay the price for your choices’.
Angels with Dirty Faces/Donnie Brasco: Developing genre, context in
terms of moral codes and honour.
Rebel without a Cause/Little Miss Sunshine/American Beauty: context,
messages and values, adolescence, rebellion. Dysfunctional families.
Very good comparisons.
North by North West/The Bourne Identity/Source Code: threats, cold war,
communism, post 9/11.
King Kong 1933/2003: illustrations of American Society. Representation,
racism, prohibition, capitalism. Some excellent contextual comparison.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
6
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The Searchers/The Missing 2003/Unforgiven: very good work on detailed
textual references and representations. Evolution of the Western with
sound knowledge and understanding. Themes of flawed hero, comparison
of protagonists.
Deer Hunter/The Hurt Locker: examination of context and war.
Scream/Halloween: good on context and development. Good on texts but
sometimes insufficient societal context and lack of awareness of
postmodern rewriting of genre.
Halloween 78 and 03: worked well with candidates making good analytical
use of need to explain back story.
It’s a Wonderful Life/The Truman Show: interesting comparisons of
religious/Christian themes. Some crudely drawn historical context.
War of the Worlds/Independence Day: comparison of cold war and pre
9/11 atmosphere of bullishness. Good work here.
Disturbia/Rear Window: interesting comparisons of gender representation.
Precious/Milk Seven/Sin City/Pulp Fiction: integrated identity of Sin City
as a multi -stranded narrative. Meaningful comparisons of key theme of
corruption.
Night of the Hunter/ Shining: messages and values, weak on context.
Sound on messages and values.
Gattaca 97/Bladerunner1982/Taxi Driver: good on context, technology.
Fear – eugenics, identity.
Grapes of Wrath/ O Brother Where Art Thou?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1953 & 1976
Laura 1944, Brick 2005
Mean Girls/Breakfast Club/ Donnie Darko: technology, ideology in context,
cult status, teenage angst.
The Departed 2006/The Untouchables 1987: love and determination.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
7
FILM STUDIES
General Certificate of Education
January 2013
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
Principal Examiner (FM4):
Chief Examiner:
Patrick Phillips
Patrick Phillips
Unit Statistics
The following statistics include all candidates entered for the unit, whether or not they
'cashed in' for an award. The attention of centres is drawn to the fact that the statistics listed
should be viewed strictly within the context of this unit and that differences will undoubtedly
occur between one year and the next and also between subjects in the same year.
Unit
FM4
Entry
415
Max Mark
100
Grade Ranges
A
B
C
D
E
80
70
60
50
40
N.B. The marks given above are raw marks and not uniform marks.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
8
Mean Mark
58.5
FM4
VARIETIES OF FILM EXPERIENCE: ISSUES AND DEBATES
General Comments
In England, this was the last opportunity to take FM4 in January (the Welsh Government is
still to confirm whether a January assessment is to be made available for candidates in
Wales). Indeed the question has often been raised of the desirability or otherwise of
entering first time candidates for the January sitting of FM4, especially given the often
repeated recommendation that FM4 benefits from candidates reflecting on all aspects of
learning through the two years of AS and A2 study. The overall performance was not as high
as in the summer sitting, especially in the higher grade areas. This does therefore suggest
that a longer period of consolidation is required to develop the kind of understanding,
appreciation and critical engagement required for higher grade performance.
The majority of candidates appeared well taught in as much as they had adequate
knowledge of appropriate films and a basic subject-specific framework. However, the ability
to adapt this knowledge to the particular requirements of the question asked was often quite
limited. Regimented learning is never a good thing and has been particularly discouraged in
A2 Film Studies. What is desirable is training in how to work with a question, recognising the
key area of debate, pursuing an argument and communicating a sense of open enquiry.
In all three sections of this paper, candidates were able to write at length and provide much
descriptive detail. Section C, which invites debate, produced some engaged answers, but in
Sections A and B, there was too much descriptive detail lacking real purpose. For example,
question 6 asked about ‘realistic representation’ and question 12 asked about ‘manipulation’.
In both cases, the majority of candidates struggled to adopt any kind of conceptual approach
and, as a consequence, produced answers that either implied the self-evident or were overly
assertive.
As a written examination requiring essay-style answers, candidates with the necessary
writing skills are likely to respond more successfully, and in a more focused way, to
questions set.
SECTION A: WORLD CINEMA TOPICS
It is strongly recommended that candidates ensure that they supplement the minimum two
films to answer broader-based questions about context. This is true of all four topics, but
particularly Aspects of National Cinema. On the other hand, questions that focus on
cinematic technique and stylistic elements, including reference to specific micro features, are
often best answered by candidates restricting their response to the two principal films they
have studied to enable them to discuss films in the necessary detail. In preparing
candidates, it is useful to train them to recognise the textual and contextual question for each
topic and to appreciate the different kinds of demand of each.
The choice of films for study in this section tended to reflect recommendations made in the
Notes for Guidance and elsewhere. Centres are reminded, as always, that English
Language films may not be chosen for the two principal films in Section A and may only be
studied as a third, supplementary film. Correspondingly, examiners anticipate that an
examination response will be based on the two principal films and not on the English
language supplementary film.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
9
SECTION B: SPECTATORSHIP TOPICS
As is often the case with this section, candidates have a better knowledge of their chosen
film form such as documentary than they do of spectatorship. It is vital to recognise that
success in this section requires the candidate to demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of
spectatorship issues by reference to a particular form of film – and that the form of film is not
studied for itself.
Two questions that proved especially challenging were question 12 on the spectator
pleasures of documentary film and question 16 on the significance of prior knowledge of a
film in relation to spectatorship. In both cases, candidates were required to reflect on and
respond relevantly to the question; a prepared answer to quite different questions was not
required! Overall, spectatorship was inadequately thought through by many candidates –
and this is one area where teaching needs to be highly focused.
SECTION C: SINGLE FILM: CLOSE CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Some of the most enthusiastic and committed work was to be found in this section. As is
usually the case, candidates were generally more convincing when choosing the film-specific
question rather than question 17 or question18. In this examination, question 17 asked
about “wider Film Studies” as contributing to increased appreciation of the close study film.
This led in some cases to a very diffuse approach. Question18 required candidates to
identify specific reviewers and critics – and name them.
Fight Club remains very popular and successful in drawing out candidates, although many
candidates found it difficult to sustain an answer to the proposition that the film is confusing
in its political and social messages. A contentious and negative comment on Vertigo was
endorsed in a surprisingly large number of answers, though most often with the development
of a coherent argument.
Other films offered included Modern Times, Battle of Algiers, Talk to Her and Morvern Caller.
Each, as usual, produced well-informed responses – but ones that could often have been
much more highly rewarded with a more careful, considered and direct response to the
question asked.
GCE Film Studies Examiners Report - January 2013 JF
08 03 13
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