The motion picture experience is highly engaging. Its hypnotic illusion of movement entices the viewer and lowers critical resistance. The accuracy of the film image is hypnotic, even if the images are produced through a nonhuman scientific process. Films give the audience a strong sense of being present, even though they are made up of pictures of real people and things. This perception is reinforced by the underlying message of the film, that the audience is not experiencing real life events.
There are two basic types of movies: those with a commercial agenda and those with an artistic message. In both cases, the movie is a work of art intended to entertain or teach. The word movie has a dual connotation, a commercial and artistic one. In the American language, the term movie refers to both motion pictures and cinema. The former is used by movie-goers, while the latter is commonly used by non-native speakers and those familiar with American culture.
Film theory can be divided into several categories: psychoanalytic, structuralist, and feminist. Psychoanalytic film theory, for example, is influenced by Wittgenstein and analyzes film vocabulary and its relationship with life. Structuralism, on the other hand, examines the relationship between film and language. Ultimately, film theory is about the meaning of life and how it translates to the real world. But it also has other purposes. Some films, such as classic novels or lectures, serve as propaganda.