The “Fourth” Wall: Cinema & Audience Engagement
I analyzed how breaking the fourth wall has evolved into a powerful cinematic tool for reshaping storytelling and redefining audience roles.
The project explored both its historical roots and its contemporary psychological effects, linking theory with practice.
Research Scope
Traced the concept back to Diderot’s 1758 theory and its theatrical origins.
Followed its transformation into cinema, where direct address became a tool for experimentation and narrative disruption.
Studied six core concepts, including the presence effect and Mulvey’s gaze theory, to reveal its impact on viewer perception.
Analytical Framework
Direct Gaze & Verbal Address: explored how these techniques heighten involvement and collapse the boundary between fiction and reality.
Manipulation of Looking: applied Mulvey’s critique of Hollywood’s cinematic gaze to show how fourth wall breaks resist traditional power structures.
Psychological Impact: examined how the presence effect intensifies emotional connection and engagement.
Case Studies
Highlighted contemporary examples such as WandaVision (2021), which demonstrates how fourth wall breaks shift audiences from passive observers to active participants.
Connected these with earlier experimental and mainstream uses of the device across film history.
