What are reviews? This is a genre in journalism, which includes the analysis of a literary (artistic, cinematic, theatrical) work in writing, contains a review and a critical assessment of the reviewer. The task of the author of the review is to objectively describe the advantages and disadvantages of the work being analyzed, its style, the skill of the writer or director in portraying the characters. Quotations are provided to substantiate your point of view. It is characterized by small volume and conciseness.
Review feature
To understand what a review is and how to write it, you need to learn about the main characteristics of this genre:
- The review should contain a deep analysis of the work and its assessment.
- Depending on the purpose of writing, different styles can be used: journalistic, non-fiction or scientific.
- The type of speech is reasoning.
- The review is written according to a certain plan in a restrainedtone, unlike a review, which can be written in free form.
There are several basic principles for peer review:
- This genre is characterized by a deep analysis of the text, argumentation with reference to the content of the work, brief conclusions about its main idea.
- The quality of the analysis carried out depends on the level and abilities of the reviewer.
- The reviewer should express his thoughts rationally and logically, without using emotionally charged replicas.
- The advantages of the reviewer are: erudition, high level of training, language culture, analytical thinking.
Review writing plan
What should a review look like? A sample writing or work plan should contain:
- Required introduction with the data of the reviewed work: who is the creator, what problem it is devoted to, why this topic is relevant. It is important to correctly define the goal and objectives that the author sets for himself.
- The main part addresses questions about what is the focus of the work, what is emphasized. The reviewer evaluates the content and form of the literary text.
- Next, you should go to the description of the shortcomings of the work, reveal the shortcomings of its author.
- In conclusion, a generalized analysis of the work is given, the main conclusions are made.
What is a book review?
Trying to answer the question of what is a book reviewdifferent from other types, you need to determine the main purpose of writing such works. For a literary work, criticism and an objective assessment are very important, especially for new products that the average reader does not know anything about yet. It is reviews that allow you to evaluate a book before buying. They can be in-house (written for the editor) or out-of-print (post-published). Do not confuse these works with reviews, where there is only a personal relationship to the work.
There are several common mistakes in writing a book review:
- Replacing the analysis of the plot with its brief retelling.
- Lack of argumentation and citations when evaluating the work.
- Overloading minor details at the expense of main content.
- Focus on the ideological features, not the aesthetics of the text.
When evaluating a work of art, one should also pay attention to the credibility and novelty of the text's problems. It is important that space is allocated in the work for discussing human value and the principles of building a society.
What is a movie review?
To write a review of a cinematic work, it is reviewed at least twice. After the first viewing, impressions of the script, acting and special effects are recorded on paper. It is better to start work immediately, with fresh sensations. Then you need to look for information about the director, the performers of the main roles, their main achievements and awards.
If we are not talking about the premiere,you can refer to other reviews, compare them with each other. This will allow you to write an interesting and original text without repeating what has already been said. The second viewing is needed to streamline your feelings and give an objective assessment of the cinematic work. Separately, it is worth mentioning the musical accompaniment of the film and sharing information about the authors of the soundtrack.
Film Review Plan
To understand what film reviews are and how best to write them, you need to plan ahead with the following points:
- Summary of the film.
- Reviewer experience.
- Assessment of acting, character development, directing and camera work.
- Recommendations to let readers know if this movie is worth watching.
A few more explanations of what reviews are and what tasks they should perform: the author needs to describe the pros and cons of the picture, point out the symbolism of certain episodes that are difficult for the average viewer to understand on their own. Separately, you can write about the landscapes and interiors against which the events take place, about the work of the costume designer and the accuracy in the transfer of details, especially if the movie is historical.
Before publishing your work, it is advisable to re-read it aloud 1-2 times, with breaks of 20-30 minutes, which will make it possible to avoid many mistakes and correct the style of the text. These small guidelines will help future authors understand what reviews are and allow them to makea memorable and useful analysis of a literary or cinematic work.