i love racking my brain when i watch a film but not to find "hidden" meaning. when one becomes familiar with style it becomes clear what is being said by virtue of how it is being said. it's not about discovery of secrets, watching good cinema is rewarding because it exercises the mind, much like a 5 mile jog exercises the body better than a few rounds of taebo in the morning. bunny, you like plot twists (in general) right? because they surprise and provide pleasure because you didn't expect them. well, actively analysing film technique as the movie unfolds is like having a plot twist every few seconds (in a good film) and it can be an immensely more satisfying experience. that's about the best way i can think of explaining the love of film form. once you open that little box of inestimably beautiful jewels nested in the corner of the cinematic preponderance of fool's gold, there's no turning back. it makes it very difficult to watch television! :) i hope this doesn't sound snobbish because it's not supposed to. i really am very passionate that film be studied formally in school, taught as grammar is taught to effectively understand language. film without form is like language without grammar, and the only reason we take grammar for granted (us lucky ones) is because it's second nature. most of the world reads film as if they were 8 year olds struggling with verbs, nouns, and adjectives. obviously, it's far more fun to read shakespeare (okay, fitzgerald. . .) when one knows the syntax of english. passionate rant complete. my apologies. . . :-/