ABSTRACT
As we saw in chapter 2, one of the major incentives for watching feature films is the emotional experience they offer. However, not all emotions will be welcomed by all filmgoers at any arbitrary point in the film. There are certain—largely unwritten—rules that limit the emotional effect produced by films. Together they form what might be called the pragmatics of the feature film. Like the rules that govern conversational speech acts, they are derived not so much from conventions as from a historical development within a particular context; in this sense they ultimately come to be seen as natural.
