Just in case Lockwood hasn't taught it yet, this is the Kuleshov Effect. This comes from the Soviet Theory of montage. I heard you all are working on silent films so keep this is mind. You don't need dialog or much action to control what you want your audience to feel or think. These are the examples how shots and editing can be used reveal underlying plot lines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuleshov_Effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_montage_theory
Ex. Kuleshov Effect
Ex. Soviet Montage Theory
The French being French