Objects and relationships
An instrument, a bicycle and gag props: three ways of linking relationships to access to an object.
What to watch for
Follow an object through movement and access. Compare practical use and relational meaning before assigning a fixed symbol.
The order below is an editorial suggestion, not a ranking. Entries provide years, references and documented runtimes.
Plan your sessions
- The Piano — 1993 · 120 min
- Bicycle Thieves — 1948 · 89 min
- City Lights — 1931 · 86 min
295 min — sum of documented film runtimes, excluding breaks and series.
Choose a first screening
These details describe documented editions in our selection. Original languages do not guarantee a service’s tracks or subtitles; check the entry and your edition before viewing.
| Work | Reference year | Cited edition runtime | Languages listed by source | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Piano | 1993 | 120 min | English, Māori | In The Piano, choose a sequence that develops the theme “Track who can touch, move or hear the instrument. Separate music performed in a scene from accompanying music. Describe conditions of an exchange to examine power without equating silence with no agency. Check edition content advice before group viewing.”. Which framing, editing or sound detail supports your interpretation? |
| Bicycle Thieves | 1948 | 89 min | Italian | When does the child’s presence make you see the father differently? |
| City Lights | 1931 | 86 min | English | In City Lights, choose a sequence that develops the theme “Separate what viewers see from what a character can perceive. Sound, touch or an object can organise misunderstanding without conversation. Compare changing gestures with Modern Times. The source’s language listing does not imply continuous spoken dialogue.”. Which framing, editing or sound detail supports your interpretation? |
1993The PianoPoster unavailable
The Piano
Jane Campion
1948Bicycle ThievesPoster unavailableBicycle Thieves
Vittorio De Sica
1931City LightsPoster unavailableCity Lights
Charles Chaplin