•Focus
of the Final Film Critique
•Throughout
this course, you have been compiling a blog and writing essays that analyze
various elements of film such as theme, cinematic techniques, and genre. It is
now time to combine those elements into a comprehensive analysis of one movie.
•You
will be completing this assignment in two stages: for the first stage (1500 to
1800 words), you will analyze an entire movie; in the second stage (300 to 600
words), you will reflect on how you analyzed the movie as well as how your
ability to analyze film in general has evolved.
•You
are encouraged to incorporate writing from your Week Two Assignment and your
Week Three Assignment if (a) you have reflected on the instructor’s feedback,
(b) you have revised the relevant parts of the essays accordingly, and (c) the
essays discuss the same film that you discuss here.
•Stage
1: Analysis
•For
this stage, you will be analyzing a movie selected from the AFI's 10 Top 10
list. The film you choose can be one that you have previously analyzed in this
course. The analysis portion of your paper should be 1500 to 1800 words in
length. You should analyze the film through the lens of one of the broad
theories you have learned about in class (auteur theory, genre theory,
formalist theory). Your analysis must address four main areas (contextual
information, story / plot, aesthetic
•choices,
and social/personal impact) and how these areas work together to develop the
theme of the movie. As you
•construct
your analysis, assume that your reader is not familiar with this film. Use your
analysis to explain why your reader why they should watch this film.
•In
addition to the film you are analyzing, you must use three scholarly sources to
support your arguments. List these sources on your references page and provide
in-text citations for quoted, paraphrased, or summarized content in the body of
your paper. Cite your sources according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford
Writing Center.
•Your
analysis must address these four components:
•Contextual
Information – In this area, you will provide some of the basic identifying
information of the film.
This includes:
•§
Title
•§
Director, cinematographer, major actors/actresses. Be sure to describe
their roles in the overall design process.
•§
Year of release
•§
Type of film (blockbuster, indie, documentary, etc.)
•§
Genre
–Story/Plot
– In this area, you should offer a brief summary of the film, and then show how
it was deployed in the narrative structure of the film. Explain the difference
between the film’s story and its plot. This area can be addressed as a separate
paragraph, or can be threaded throughout your analysis of the film.
–Aesthetic
Choices – In this area, you will assess the efficacy of specific techniques and
design elements employed in the film as they apply to the overarching narrative
and theme of the film. These elements include:
•§
Mise en
scène (lighting, sound, composition of frame, costuming)
•§
Editing (cuts and transitions, shots used, angles)
•§
Technology (Analyze the impact of any notable technological effects: film
stock, targeted release venue,
special effects, etc.)
–Social/Personal
Impact – In this area, you will critically address the following
questions:
•§
What impact did this film have on society (politically or culturally,
positive or negative)? The impact can be as major as inspiring political or
social changes or as minor as inspiring the production of toys or
lunchboxes.
•§
How did society affect this film (i.e., what currents in society led to
the creation of the film)?
•If
you are unable to find any information about the social impact of the film,
explain the personal impact it has had on you.
Note: Not every bullet point
under the four listed components will necessarily apply to your movie. However,
you will still need to discuss each of the four main components thoroughly,
which means that you may need to explain a concept even if it can‟t
be directly applied to your movie.
Your paper should be organized around a
thesis statement that clarifies what you will attempt to accomplish in your
paper, and how you will proceed. Additionally, you must conclude with a
restatement of the thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
Stage 2: Reflection
After completing your movie analysis, you will reflect on the analysis process
and how you have learned to more thoroughly analyze film as well as how
rigorous study of film enhances your development as a student and thinker. In
this 300- to 600-word reflection, review your initial post from the “Post Your
Introduction” discussion in Week One, and consider how your ability to analyze
movies has changed or grown. Append your reflection to the analysis portion of
your paper. Your reflection should be personal and exploratory in nature.
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