Rethinking the Rating System

What information do we really get from a rating system, be it out of five, ten or one hundred? To many it’s simply a measure of whether this film is worth watching or not, but such a rating depends on a plethora of subjective factors of preference and motivation. Here, rating a film 5/5 gives us very little information—did you engage with it emotionally? Was it technically innovative? Did it create a lasting impact in you, remaining in your consciousness for days mustering new themes and interest?

We suggest a new rating system, rated out of thirteen, that can identify exactly these elements providing a rating based on discrete criteria, contrasting the vague and somewhat arbitrary nature of the 5-star, /10 or /100 systems. We split the criteria into three sections rating the emotional response, technical mastery/innovation and the response in the viewer, both immediate and over time. We hope that this new system can bring about a truly meaningful way of rating works of film, allowing one to see clearly where a particular film shines.

The system promotes values that pushing cinema in new directions awarding films which masterfully adhere to standards, but favouring those which stand out in their formal and sensational content.

Film is more than fiction or documentary, and thus these criteria can be applied to any and all types of film.

The criteria are as follows:

A. Dionysian (emotional) /4

1. Thematic content (narrative or otherwise) /1

2. Engagement to performance or subject /1

3. Emotional impact /1

4. Lasting emotional impact /1

B. Apollonian (intellectual/formal) /6

5. Structural interest /1

6. Visual interest/mise-en-scene /1

7. Visual nuance /1

8. Editing interest /1

9. Sonic interest /1

10. Relevance to wider issues/themes /1

C. Reaction

11. Immediate reaction /1

12. Continued reaction /1

13. Growth of reaction /1

~ Leo & Iman