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- History of Film, Film Research and Analysis
Prompt
Write a Film Research and Analysis essay about a suitable, historically important film that is listed in one of the twelve Letterboxd lists for this course.
Your analysis should address both of the following:
- the style of the film using the formal elements we studied and are listed in Writing About Movies, on pages 39–50:
- narrative
- mise-en-scène
- acting
- cinematography
- editing
- sound
the cultural meaning of the film, according to at least one of the following cultural dimensions, as described in chapter four of Writing About Movies:
- representation of socioeconomic status
- representation of gender
- representation of race, ethnicity, national origin
- representation of sexual orientation
- genre conventions
- aesthetic history
- auteurism
- social history
Use the writing exercises we’ve done throughout the semester to determine how you will analyze the film.
Essay
Write an essay, of at least 1,200 words, that analyzes the formal and cultural elements of the film you selected.
Your essay should include the following:
- an introduction
- a brief summary of the film
- a brief description of your evaluation of the film
- a one-paragraph description of your methodology for analyzing the film
- an analysis of three sequences from the film, focusing on:
- formal elements
- cultural dimensions
- incorporate at least three historical sources into your analysis of a sequence, including
- at least one secondary source
- at least one primary source
- a conclusion
Format your document according to the following specifications:
- upload a PDF document to the Film Research and Analysis assignment in Canvas
- select a typeface that is tasteful and reflects your personality
- include page numbers
- double-space your text
- feel free to include screenshots to illustrate your analysis
- cite your research according to either MLA or Chicago Manual of Style
- give your essay a title that foreshadows the subject of your essay: for example, “Pay Them: Rewarding the Sacrifice of Americans during the Great Depression in Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)”
- quote properly
- include a Works Cited section in the same document as your essay; do not make a separate document
The deadline is listed on Canvas.