The effects of violent portrayals in the media have been well established and documented in the field of psychology. The research conducted in this area often report results that correspond with the widespread critical notion that these depictions of violence are harmful in their effect for samples of children, adolescents, and adults, usually due to the repeatedly observed result of increased aggression among these samples when exposed to these violent acts. The methodological protocol for most of these studies is to utilize film clips, instead of films in their entirety, and to create a "synthetic" narrative situation around these violent acts that directs the sample audience to perceive that the act was justified or unjustified. Limitations both in the methodology and in the literature in this area of psychological research become evident in their disregard of the large library of research and theory that exists in film studies, most of which can be grounded in psychological theory that discusses a semiotic structure in relation to thought processes as theorized by Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, and Slavoj Zizek. Film studies have recognized that the cognitive psychological reactions of audiences to any given film are directed by the actual, full-length, narrative structure as intended by the director. Features, such as music, voice-over narration, metaphors, close-ups, etc., are tools used to create a narrative story which ultimately defines a context, mostly subjectively, for a viewer. This study makes notes of these limitations and utilizes a methodology that exposes participants to one of four defined contexts of violence, Unrealistic Context of Violence, Romanticized Context of Violence, Social-Consequential Context of Violence, and Nonviolent all of which projected the film in its entirety. A more integrative approach was taken to response questionnaires, which utilized both subjective and objective response categories. The purpose of this methodology is to support the notion that an intended narrative will guide the audience to a response based on how it defines a context through stylistic components. This type of narrative cannot, and has not in previous studies, be synthetically created by an experimenter to create a context that is to be applied to a film clip. Results of this study will be used to discuss the implications they have on censorship and future psychological research.

The "roadkill" films are part of a sub-genre of the more popular road film genre. Recently there has been a large number of extremely violent films featuring couples on the run. The reason behind the emergence and popularity of the "roadkill" genre can be understood through an aesthetic analysis. Chapter one examines the aesthetics and affective characteristics of the extreme violence within this sub-genre of film. This chapter refers to the works of Leo Bersani and Ulysse Dutoit, as well as Rene Girard. Chapter two explores the postmodern aesthetic of the roadside iconography by using authors such as Jean Baudrillard and Robert Venturi. The third chapter considers the aesthetics of contemporary youth as well as the soundtracks of four of the main "roadkill" films: Kalifornia, Love and a.45, Natural Born Killers, and True Romance. By considering the aesthetic elements of the "roadkill" film, one can understand the timely emergence of this genre.

Thesis (M.A.)--Saint Mary's University, 2009. / Includes abstract and appendices. Supervisor: Michele Byers. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-153).

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Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The cinematic communication process starts with the creative enunciation by the filmmaker and ends with the viewer's subjective perception of the film. This thesis represents a theoretical and experiential investigation of this process and entails critical and self-reflexive discussions of stylistic approaches to filmic representation. The focus of this representation falls on on-screen violence. This study is a practice-led process, and therefore the fields of research are applied to my own work, namely the filmmaking process of a feature film entitled Preek. The research was prompted by my need to take an academic stance on the filmmaking process, instead of a mere practical one, and to form an intellectual awareness of the filmmaker and viewer dynamic. As a practicing filmmaker interested in the mimetic quality of film representations, it was necessary for me to form a conscious apprehension of how a film may be understood as a reflection on reality on the one hand, and an expression formulated through the filmmakers creative decisions on the other. The representation of violence in film was investigated by the way of critical readings of selected films, framed by both contemporary and classical film theory. Through contemporary film theory, I investigated the viewer's perception and identification with the film's diegesis, and particularly with its characters. The „classic‟ film theories of the realists and formalists allowed me to discern two stylistic approaches to the representation of violence in film, and to explore the emotional affect and cathartic release these approaches may elicit from viewers. These discussions were then applied to my own film Preek, in order to critically understand the relationship between filmmaker and viewer. The research and the application thereof, indicated that the stylistic approach to the representation of violence and its intensity in a film, unveils the filmmaker's motivation for communicating through the film medium. The arguments showed that I represented the violence in Preek in such a way that it may result in a traumatic affect on the viewer rather than an appreciation of its aesthetic value, and that this affect is the result of an engagement with the film's diegesis, due to the viewer's own identificatory participation. The research concluded that the viewer's subjective identification with the film forms a triangular relationship and communication between filmmaker, film and viewer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kinematiese kommunikasieproses begin met die kreatiewe uitdrukking van die filmmaker, en eindig met die kyker se subjektiewe waarneming van die film. Hierdie tesis verteenwoordig 'n teoretiese en ervaringsgerigte ondersoek van die kinematiese kommunikasieproses, en behels kritiese en self-reflektiewe argumente van stilistiese benaderings tot filmiese uitbeelding. Die fokus van hierdie uitbeelding is op geweld gerig. Die navorsing is 'n prakties-georiënteerde studie en daarom word die navorsing op my eie werk toegepas, naamlik die filmmaak-proses van die vollengte film, Preek. Die navorsing was aangespoor deur my behoefte daaraan om die filmmaak-proses vanuit 'n akademiese oogpunt te benader, in pleks daarvan om 'n suiwer praktiese posisie teenoor die filmmaak-proses in te neem. Vervolgens is die navorsing aangespoor deur my behoefte daaraan om intellektuele bewustheid oor die dinamika tussen die filmmaker en kyker te skep. As 'n praktiserende filmmaker wat geïnteresseerd is in die mimetiese eienskap van film-uitbeeldings, was dit vir my belangrik om 'n duidelike begrip te ontwikkel van die manier waarop film verstaan kan word, eertstens as 'n weerspieëling van realiteit, en tweedens as ‟n uitdrukking wat deur die kreatiewe besluite van die filmmaker gevorm is. Die verteenwoordiging van geweld in films is ondersoek deur middel van die kritiese beskouing van uitgesoekte films wat deur beide kontemporêre en klassieke film-teorie gevorm is. Ek het deur kontemporêre film teorie die kyker se waarneming en vereenselwiging met die film se diegesis en veral die film se karakters, ondersoek. Die klasieke film teorieë van die realiste en formaliste het my in staat gestel om tussen twee stilistiese benaderings tot die uitbeelding van geweld in film te onderskei, en om die emosionele effek en katartiese vrystelling wat hierdie benaderings by die kyker kan ontlok, te verken. Hierdie besprekings is gevolglik toegepas op my film, Preek, ten einde 'n kritiese begrip van die verhouding tussen filmmaker en kyker te vorm. Die navorsing en die toepassing daarvan het getoon dat die stilistiese benadering tot die uitbeelding van geweld, asook die intensiteit daarvan in film, die filmmaker se motivering tot kommunikasie deur die film-medium ontbloot. Die argumente het getoon dat ek die geweld in Preek op so 'n manier uitgebeeld het dat dit 'n traumatise affect op die kyker kan hê, in pleks van 'n waardering vir estetiese. Die argumente het verder aangedui dat hierdie effek die resultaat is van ‟n betrokkenheid by die film se diegesis, en dat dit te danke is aan die kyker se deelname aan vereenselwiging. Die navorsing het die slotsom gekom dat die kyker se subjektiewe identifikasie met die film 'n drieledige verhouding tussen filmmaker, film en die kyker vorm.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2005. / "August 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-246). Online version available on the World Wide Web. Library also has microfilm. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [2005]. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2009. / Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 452 p. : col. ill. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral--Åbo akademi, 2009. / Extra t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references (p. 248-253). Also available online.

Thesis (M.A.)--Liberty University, 2007.