DOI: 10.14714/CP77.1239 PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE Looking at the Big Picture: Adapting Film Theory to Examine Map Form, Meaning, and Aesthetic Ian Muehlenhaus James Madison University
[email protected] Film and maps have much more in common than is often believed. In this paper, it is argued that film offers cartographers many concepts that can be used to better understand map form, aesthetics, and meaning. After reviewing these concepts as taught in film studies and originally formulated by Kenneth Burke, this article explores how these concepts can be applied by cartographers in their map design and by map critics. Several examples of adapting these theories to understand maps are provided. The paper concludes by arguing that cartographers can only benefit by more whole-heartedly embracing and adapting film theory concepts and methods. Doing so will likely result in clearer communication, storytelling, and argu- mentation, as well as offer a more nuanced method for determining what makes certain maps memorable. KEYWORDS: map form; map meaning; map aesthetics; film theory INTRODUCTION At first glance, it may seem that the relationship be- address a variety of questions. First, in recent years inter- tween cinema and traditional cartography is tenuous at est in map aesthetics has resurfaced (Buckley et al. 2012; best. After all, until recently maps were largely represent- McCleary 2012). As will be shown shortly, in film stud- ed on paper—a static medium to say the least—and at its ies the concept of aesthetic is a component of film style core, cinema is all about “moving pictures.” Obviously, it is (i.e., eloquence), which in turn is dependent on film form.