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- History of Film, Writing About Movies, Sample Outline on Laws of Gravity
Now that I have organized my research and analysis of the film, I have everything I need for my essay. It’s now time to order my research and analysis into an outline. This should act like a checklist for your own essay.
Here is my outline for my essay on Laws of Gravity (1992).
- Introduction
- discuss Williamsburg and Greenpoint, two gentrified Brooklyn neighborhoods today, where this crime drama takes place
- shot on location, in the streets, in the early 1990s
- I am familiar with the neighborhood: while watching this film, I often look for what “used to be” where a high-fashion boutique, a fast-casual salad chain restaurant, or a luxury high-rise condominium now stands.
- include my summary of the film
- Meaning of the Film
- include my evaluation of the film
- all of the men in the film have flaws
- the film is a portrayal of toxic masculinity with serious consequences for men and women alike
- Canby’s 1992 review notes how the physical fights in the film “give [the men] identity, importance and a momentary sense of direction”
- Jon’s character particularly exhibits three fatal flaws
- the film shows us how machismo combined with crime in this New York City neighborhood can escalate
- Methodology
- how will I explain my evaluation of the film
- "I will discuss Jon’s three fatal flaws…
- pride, propensity for violence, and poor decision making
- in three sequences from the film…
- that use cinematography and sound" to emphasize my evaluation of the film’s message
- Formal Style
- cinematography
- sound
- Nick Gomez, in Macaulay’s article about the film, describes his film as having “a certain kind of immediacy,” like a fuse has been lit, especially when Jon loses his temper
- when the screen goes black, it feels like an explosion has just gone off
- Jon Skips Court on a Minor Shoplifting Charge
- sequence analysis
- cinematography
- sound
- Jon Gets Arrested for Accosting Celia
- sequence analysis
- cinematography
- sound
- Jon Goes after Frankie at the Bar
- sequence analysis
- cinematography
- sound
- Conclusion: A Re-Evaluation
- The film takes a bleak view on crime
- The men in this environment, not just Jon, are fatally flawed
- The camerawork and on-location shooting adds realism to this story