Movies and body language etc.

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Two or Three Questions:

1) Can you read body language on movies and TV programmes? Or do you read other things such as what is being said, sound track music, lighting, camera angles and props? (Did A level Media Studies so am used to many of the tricks they use to portray things lol)

b) If you can read body language in movies can you read body language in live social situations as well or not?

c) If you can read them on movies but not in live situations why do you think this is?

2) Have you ever put the tv on mute to see if you can read the body language whilst trying not to read anything else (such as props, camera angles, lighting and so on).

3) Are movie portrayals of Autism generally accurate?

Edited: on a side note, when watching actors in a movie do you watch the eyes more or the mouth? (I can probably tell you more about their dental work than their eye colour most of the time).

Also in regards to eye contact in real life situations do you:

Force eye contact because that is what you are supposed to do?
Look in the direction of the eyes but actually look in such as way that you are actually looking past them or not really focusing on them?
Look at the mouth
Prefer to stare at the lamp, chair or other piece of furniture sitting on the other side of the room?

1) I can read body language some in movies and tv but I mostly rely on whats being said.

b) My ability to read live situations is worse than movies or tv.

c) I think its because in movies its strictly observation. I'm not involved so I only have to process their body language without having to try an keep up my end of the conversation.

2) I havent, but I might try it now to compare.

3) I dont know.

I watch a persons mouth more than anything in movies. If i'm aware of it like in an interview or something, I will try to force eye contact but the majority of the time i'm looking past them or at something else entirely. I notice i'm generally staring at objects or not focused on anything in particular while talking to people. I've caught myself staring at the wall while talking to my supervisor .

I assume I'm going at reading body language in movies but I haven't checked without the sound. Probably I'm good at reading narrative structure. In person I've never noticed being bad at reading body language, so I think I'm good at it.

I can read it better on there than in real life because I see patterns.


I can read it better in movies. In real life not so much.



I used to wonder that for years and thought I was too in my own world to notice and if I pay more attention, I will be able to read it. But I hear that body language is exaggerated in movies so of course it makes it easier.




Yes, my teacher did this once and she wanted us all to guess what is going on in the movie. All I saw were people talking and moving around. I wasn't sure what was going on.

Maybe. Every autistic person is different and there is always an autistic person out there who is like that



I look at their faces and bodies and not pay attention to the details in the background or else I will miss what is going on in the movie. I can still see stuff around them but I am not studying the background seeing what stuff they have. But after seeing the movie, I can start looking in the background to see what I notice. I also shift back and forth from the people to the background because looking at the characters only is boring.




All of the above.

I usually don't have a problem understanding body language in film. Since fictional characters have clearly defined motives and act logically toward their goals, they make so much more sense than real people.

There was one instance where body language became an issue for me. I saw the move Martha Marcy May Marlene because I usually like weird artsy movies, but throughout the entire film I was confused and bored. Later I read some positive reviews that said the entire story is told through the actress' eyes and how the movie is all about paranoia and trauma, which I just didn't see. I wonder if there are some movies which just aren't accessible to aspies.