In the middle of chapter two, there is a section that is titled, Subject Matter and Meaning. In this section, the author says that "the previously mentioned preliminary question should remind you that the images you see are the product of certain influences and conditions, not just the world seen through the frame" (T. Corrigan, 2015, pg. 24) This means that the images that you view in a film are not just what is being shown. The things that you see are a result of previous actions or situations. The certain image that you see in a film or video is not just the image you are viewing, it is also the past. What I mean when I say this is that the present is only there because of the past. If the past was different or changed at all, then the present image you see would be different as well.
The author also states that you need to be prepared with a questioning mind while analyzing a movie. This means that you can't go into a movie, as a critic, and expect one thing to result from the film. If you were to do that, then you would criticize every little thing in the movie that is not what you original thought of the film was. As a critic, you need to go into a movie with a "open mind", so to speak, and start from scratch while criticizing a film


Corrigan, Timothy, and Graham Corrigan. A Short Guide to Writing about Film. 9th ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.