Tracing foregrounding in responses to film

Abstract

Though foregrounding theory was developed to understand responses to both literature and film, empirical research concentrated exclusively on reader response, until now. The present article examines whether `literariness' in film causes the same effects as those established for literature. In two experiments participants were shown one scene from Shakespeare film adaptations, either low or high in foregrounded elements. It was expected that showing these materials twice would reveal differences in levels of foregrounding effects. It was found that seeing high-foregrounding scenes twice was more enjoyable and made spectators perceive more significant aspects than the low-foregrounding versions of the same scenes did. A third experiment examined the extent to which a foregrounding effect requires spectators' awareness of a `background'. Participants in the experimental group were shown a conventional dinner scene (background) before they saw an unconventional one. The control group saw the same unconventional scene but first a (conventional) shootout scene. Results showed that the unconventional scene was considered more interesting and drew participants' attention more in the experimental group than in the control group. Also, the first group concentrated more on form aspects of the scene than the control group. These results present strong evidence that deviation leaves clear traces of foregrounding effects in spectators' responses.