University of California Los Angeles History of Poverty Discussion

I’m working on a film writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Watch the three videos listed below, which provide a very brief overview of both the history of poverty in the United States and the invention/evolution of photography and moving image technology.

1. Poverty: Riis, Hine, & Early Photography (Links to an external site.)
2. Early Film & Poverty: Footage from Ellis Island (1905) (Links to an external site.)
3. Poverty Films 1930s-1960s (Links to an external site.)

Once you have viewed and listened to these three videos, choose a short clip (about a minute or so in length) from the third video (Poverty Films 1930s-1960s). Write a short response paper (about one double-spaced page, or 250 words) in which you do the following:

1) describe the poverty you see depicted on screen in your chose clip;

2) discuss the ways in which poverty is depicted and what kind of argument is being made by the filmmaker;

3) discuss key film techniques you notice (mise-en-scene, lighting, framing/camera angles, etc.).

4) comment on what you believe to be the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the representation of poverty in your chosen clip. Consider how you think audiences, then and now, would react to the clip. You can use first person as you write your response.

Be sure to refer to where the clip appears in the film (minutes and seconds). For example, “The scene found in 22:12-23:18…”