Category: movie

Choose an opening scene from a movie from the list below. (I chose Shrek) Make sure it’s a movie you are familiar with as even though the focus of the paper will be on the opening scene, there needs to be some consideration of the film as a whole. Your writing should establish 2-4 of these: 
How visual tone is established
How characters are characterized visually (think appearance, acting, clothing, etc.) 
How themes are represented visually
The relationship between the setting and the narrative
The role editing in telling the narrative
An in depth breakdown of one of the visual elements (Lighting, Color, Framing, Setting, Angle, Zoom, Movement, etc.) and how it informs the rest of the film
The symbolism of an item, and how it’s established
How the visual elements engage with rhetorical appeals (ethos pathos logos)
If there’s something else you’d like to pursue, feel free to run it by me, but you must get approval. 
Source Requirements:
For this paper, you will be required to find at least ONE new source on your topic. The source MUST come from one of the library databases. The source can be scholarly or popular. The source should inform and support your close reading and assessment of the visual text. 
Structure:
Your analysis should have the following elements: 
Introduction: contextualize the visual elements, and give a brief summary. Make sure to end with a strong thesis statement. 
Body: aim to discuss specific visual details to support your analysis. Use specific examples and moments from the film.
Research: you’ll include one secondary source that supports your evaluation 
Conclusion

Watch the two films: Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection) directed by Lo Wei (1972) 
and Enter the Dragon directed by Robert Clouse (1973), then write an analytical paper.
You must cite from the two primary sources (movies); Example: In-Text Citation: (Enter the Dragon 29:45 – 32:37);
and you also need to cite from at least one of the secondary sources (readings uploaded) 

Instructions: In addition to the films that we have watched together in class, I have placed a number of additional German movies from the Weimar and Nazi period on reserve in the library. These films deal with many of the same themes as the ones that we have screened in class, and in many cases, they have the same directors.  In place of the two remaining short papers, you may choose to write one longer paper (5-7 pages) based on an analysis of one of these extra films.  As part of your analysis, you will be asked to compare the extra film to one or more of the films that we watched in class.  (You can find all of the movies that we have screened in class at the library, should you feel the need to watch them again before you write your paper.)
In your paper you should include some background information on the film that you have chosen.  When was it made?  Who was the director?  Does the film have some special importance in cinema history?  You can do this research online, but if you take information from the internet (or from a book), you should give me a citation.
The movie i am going to write about is The Last Laugh (1924) – This film, the story of a hotel doorman who is demoted to a washroom attendant, was made by F. W. Murnau, the same man who directed Nosferatu.  (And it stars Emil Jannings, from The Blue Angel.)  What can you tell about German society in the mid-1920s based on The Last Laugh?  For example, does the film have any lessons about social class and status?  Does it tell us anything about Weimar attitudes towards authority? (For example, why is the uniform so important to the doorman?)  Does the director have any political message or agenda?  The film famously makes almost no use of inter-titles or dialog—the story is carried by the pictures.  Do you think that this method is effective?  Is the ending a joke?  Or is the director making a point with the surprise twist?  Compare this movie to Nosferatu.  They would appear to be very different films: Nosferatu is an example of Expressionism, while The Last Laugh is considered one of the first films of the “New Objectivity,” a movement in the arts and filmmaking which stressed a more realistic depiction of the physical world.  Despite the difference in style, can you see similarities in either technique or subject matter between the two movies? (You may want to take another look at Nosferatu.)

– Clearly introduce the two films and state your main idea in a short sentence.
– Look closely at both films and talk about their story, characters, how they look, and what themes they explore.
– Talk about how the two films are similar and different. – Connect this to your main idea.
– Share your thoughts on the films. Think deeper and consider different ideas.
– Use at least 5 sources to support your ideas. Make sure they fit well with what you’re talking about.
– Write your citations correctly and keep them consistent throughout your paper.