Description:
Students are expected to prepare a critical review (1000- 1500 words) ofone of the following films:Advertising at the Edge of the Apocalypse(2017);Ninth Floor(2015); Dont Look Up (2022); Crip Camp (2021).
The review should: a) analyze the film through the lens of specific course readings assigned (naming and citing which reading(s) you are referencing). This requires you explain specific ideas from the readings and not just the readings main arguments/ themes; b) engage key discussions, and/or assess what the film is attempting (and/or how it is doing so) in terms of key elements such as content, racial and gender codings, argumentation, cultural significance, and/or method. To be discussed in detail in class.
Formal requirements:
- Word count: 1000-1550 words excluding bibliography.
- Double-space text, 12 pt, Times New Roman.
- Use MLA or Chicago citation and document formatting conventions. If you must use another citation convention, please be consistent!
- Avoid lengthy direct quotations.
This assignment is designed to build on the lessons learned from the first film review assignment. The key difference between the first review and this review: 1) length: this review is longer at 1000-1500 words; 2) sources: you can use ANY course materials to develop your analysis; 3) optional use of outside sources: you may wish to bring in outside sources to analyze the film. This is fine, so long as the passages you cite are not from reviews of the film. If you do cite a review of the film it should ONLY be for contextual information or information on reception, and not for analysis.
The purpose of this assignment is to help students further develop their critical engagement with cultural products and, as such, this review should be analytical/theoretical in nature. As with the first assignment, while students should engage the central argument and main point of the film, these responses are not meant to be merely summaries of the film.
Rather they should: a) analyze the film through the lens of specific course readings assigned throughout the course (naming and citing which reading(s) you are referencing). Your review should examine how the film addresses/ relates/ troubles ideas such as those raised in our discussions throughout the course. b) engage key discussions, and/or assess what the particular film is attempting (and/or how it is doing so) in terms of key elements such as content, racial and gender codings, argumentation, cultural significance, and/or method.
Writing the Film Review (same as previous assignment)
1) Introduction– In the opening of your review, provide some basic information about the film. Consider the following questions: Who is the filmmaker? What does the film set out to do? How does it do so? Your introduction, which may be longer than one paragraph, should also begin to evaluate the film, and it should allude to the central concept of the review. A film review does not have to contain a thesis or main claim, but it should focus on a central analysis and assessment.
2) Description– In roughly a paragraph include a more detailed description of your particular cinematic experience watching the film. This may include your personal impression of what the film looks, feels, and sounds like. In other words, what stands out in your mind when you think about this particular film?
3) Analysis– How does the thematic content (such as history, race, beauty, gender, sexuality, class, or the ability) affect your experience and interpretation? Also, do the formal techniques work to forward the thematic content? Consider the way in which the footage is spliced together. Does it flow from shot to shot? Does the organization of the film enhances or disrupt the narrative and plot? How does the content of the documentary fit into course themes? Is it important for understanding inequality? How does the film comment on, reinforce, or even critique social and political issues at the time it was released, including questions of inequality and the media?
