The plan as a way of expression

Abstract

When we look at a painting, say, a Rembrandt portrait, we do not wonder what is to the left or right of the sitter; we do not wonder what she is looking at; we presume that everything we need to know has been put into the picture – into the frame – by the artist. Performing language of the screen has the same criteria – we presume that everything we need to know is there, and that those things, which are not on the screen are unimportant or irrelevant. This means that if a performer in the film does wonderful things that are not seen, then it is if he had not done them!