For each of the two papers, you will be responsible for watching a film and write a 3 to 5 page essay in which you respond to prompts which will be provided for each paper (this means at least 3 pages including the “My Criteria for Quality in Film” page and no longer than 5 pages). These assignments are reaction papers, not plot summaries or research papers. The key element here is that you will be telling the instructor what you have to say about the film, not what others have said.
In a 100-level course, you would perhaps be asked to write about what you saw on the screen. In a 200-level course, you would be asked to say what you think about what you saw. In this 300-level course, you are expected to explain why you think the way you do about the film, and to justify your explanation
Assignment for Film Two
Part 1: View a feature film made between 1970 – 2000 you have not seen before (or will see later in this class) by a great director or featuring a great actor or actress.
Create a outline and just as you did in the first paper, comment on the specific film you saw. Pay particular attention to the screenplay, camerawork (cinematography) the editing (montage) and the sound (this can include the music). You may also address special effects. Again, as you did in the first paper, talk about what you like, and what you dislike, about what you saw? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike? Is the film a good film, or is it not?
Part 2: Now that you have commented on the specific film you viewed, see if you can draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main actors or actresses. Be sure to comment on the overall impression you had of the film, including how you see it as an example of the its genre and time period. Remember, this is not a research paper. I am interested in what you have to say, not in what you can learn by reading up on the film or the filmmaker.
Part 3: Go back to the “My Criteria for Quality in Film” page. Based on your viewing of this week’s film, add Five new general conclusions. These statements should be numbered (6) through (10). Be sure to include entire page, including all of your previous criteria statements.
