Understanding a film (Themes, Symbolism etc.)

[CraigL]

Public audiences don't pay to watch a film, they pay to be entertained by being sucked into a story. What you appear to be saying, although I don't think you meant it that way, is to turn off and thereby ignore that element of filmmaking most responsible for sucking you in, so you are able to concentrate on the cinematography. If this is what you meant, it's shockingly bad advice for a filmmaker!!!

It's not at all. Isolating an element of anything is the best way to see how that element contributes to the whole. That is a good way to understand anything.

As the OP was specifically asking about cinematography, it's obvious that we wouldn't turn the sound off as suggested elsewhere. And also obviously, to understand how all the elements work together requires all of them to be present. Once you've analysed the cinematography and lighting separately, then it's easier to go back and see how the other pieces fit in and work together.

CraigL