What concept explains the emotional response of viewers to visual elements?

The correct answer focuses on visual rhetoric, which is a concept that delves into how visual elements in film can evoke emotional responses from viewers. Visual rhetoric encompasses the use of imagery, color, composition, and symbolism to communicate messages and elicit feelings. For example, a somber color palette can instill feelings of sadness or tension, while bright colors may create a sense of joy or excitement. By employing visual techniques, filmmakers can manipulate the audience's emotions and enhance their overall experience of the film.

Understanding this concept helps to recognize how films engage viewers beyond dialogue and narrative, highlighting the importance of visuals in storytelling. The other choices, while important aspects of cinema, do not specifically focus on the emotional impact of visual elements in the same way. Film theory provides a broad framework for analyzing films, and character development and plot structure focus more on narrative and story mechanics rather than the direct emotional influence of visual components.