Part 1: Once you’ve watched your feature-length fiction film made between 1940 – 1970, write about…
The film’s genre: what genre (or genres) does it represent? What are some of the genre characteristics–as outlined in the learning resources–that you can identify in the film? Does it play with or deviate from these characteristics in any interesting ways?
The specific techniques used in the film: What are some examples of…
The camerawork (cinematography): i.e. camera angles, camera movement, framing, etc.
The editing: i.e. intercutting, montage, etc.
The sound (including music, sound effects, etc.)
The film’s quality: What did you like? What did you dislike? (Be sure to clearly express why you like the things you like or dislike with concrete examples)
Part 2: Draw some conclusions about the work of the director and one of the lead actors or actresses.
For example, let’s say you watched the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.
What did you think about David Lean’s work as a filmmaker here? Explain your answer: were there specific choices you thought were especially brilliant? Did some of his choices not work for you?
Did you like Peter O’Toole in the role of Lawrence? Why, or why not?
End with your overall impression of the film, including how you see it as an example of its genre and time period. Considering its craft (use of cinematic techniques) and the context of its production (the time period when it was made), is the film a successful work of cinema? (Note: This is not the same as whether or not you liked it; it is entirely possible to like a film that is objectively not very good)
PARTS ONE AND TWO SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS A SINGLE, 3-5 page ESSAY!
Part 3: On a separate page, under the heading “My Criteria for Quality in Film,” propose four general statements indicative of your personal taste in movies.
These statements should be numbered (1) through (4), and they should be written as complete sentences or as a short paragraph.
For example, if you commented in your essay that you liked the acting because it was realistic and you liked the script because it had a happy ending, you could propose these two statements as criteria for quality:
“(1) Excellent movies feature realistic acting,” and
“(2) A movie is more likely to be good if it ends happily.”
