Saturday, November 10, 2012

Long-term assignment

Due: Nov. 27, your first class after Thanksgiving.

The object is to keep a log about a film, tracking what you notice and your responses as you move through the film. You may choose from among these films (do not choose one you've already seen):

Bonnie and Clyde
Bride of Frankenstein
Casablanca
Do the Right Thing
Dr. Strangelove
On the Waterfront
Pulp Fiction
Raging Bull
The Shawshank Redemption
Vertigo

(There will be other chances to write about a film entirely of your own choosing.)

The way the log should work is like so:

A. Opening scene.
Stop after the first scene and describe what you noticed: Opening titles; introduced characters; what is shown and discussed to start the film in motion; what questions do you have; does the movie tell you at the outset what the trajectory will be.

B. Approximately half an hour in.
Is the film following the trajectory you thought it would? What do you like so far? What's well done? What questions do you still have? What are you noticing about the visual style? The writing? The acting?

C. Approximately another half hour.
Same as above.

D. Conclusion.
When the film is finished: What's your initial reaction? Did the film go where you expected? Is the climax satisfactory? Do you still have outstanding questions?

Saturday, November 3, 2012

More on film noir (and plurals!)

If you enjoyed our foray in film noir with Double Indemnity, perhaps you'd be interested in the Film Noir Foundation:

http://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/home.html

And just so you know: Although we might describe a film as "film noir," and we call the whole genre "film noir," if you want to refer to several individual films, you say you've seen several "films noir." As in passerby/passersby or attorney general/attorneys general, the "s" doesn't go where you might think.