ENG 225 Week 5 Film Critique Final
Paper
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Focus of the Final Film Critique
Throughout this course, you have
been compiling a blog and writing essays that analyze various elements of film
such as theme, cinematic techniques, and genre. It is now time to combine those
elements into a comprehensive analysis of one movie.
You will be completing this
assignment in two stages: for the first stage (1500 to 1800 words), you will
analyze an entire movie; in the second stage (300 to 600 words), you will
reflect on how you analyzed the movie as well as how your ability to analyze
film in general has evolved.
You are encouraged to incorporate
writing from your Week Two Assignment and your Week Three Assignment if (a) you
have reflected on the instructor’s feedback, (b) you have revised the relevant
parts of the essays accordingly, and (c) the essays discuss the same film that
you discuss here.
Stage 1: Analysis
For this stage, you will be
analyzing a movie selected from the AFI’s 10 Top 10 list. The film you choose
can be one that you have previously analyzed in this course. The analysis
portion of your paper should be 1500 to 1800 words in length. You should
analyze the film through the lens of one of the broad theories you have learned
about in class (auteur theory, genre theory, formalist theory). Your analysis
must address four main areas (contextual information, story / plot, aesthetic
choices, and social/personal impact)
and how these areas work together to develop the theme of the movie. As you
construct your analysis, assume that
your reader is not familiar with this film. Use your analysis to explain why
your reader why they should watch this film.
In addition to the film you are
analyzing, you must use three scholarly sources to support your arguments. List
these sources on your references page and provide in-text citations for quoted,
paraphrased, or summarized content in the body of your paper. Cite your sources
according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Your analysis must address these
four components:
- Contextual Information – In this area, you will provide
some of the basic identifying information of the film.
This includes:
- Title
- Director, cinematographer, major
actors/actresses. Be sure to describe their roles in the overall design
process.
- Year of release
- Type of film (blockbuster, indie, documentary,
etc.)
- Genre
- Story/Plot – In this area,
you should offer a brief summary of the film, and then show how it was
deployed in the narrative structure of the film. Explain the difference
between the film’s story and its plot. This area can be addressed as a
separate paragraph, or can be threaded throughout your analysis of the
film.
- Aesthetic Choices – In this
area, you will assess the efficacy of specific techniques and design
elements employed in the film as they apply to the overarching narrative
and theme of the film. These elements include:
- Mise en scène
(lighting, sound, composition of frame, costuming)
- Editing (cuts and
transitions, shots used, angles)
- Technology (Analyze
the impact of any notable technological effects: film stock, targeted
release venue,
special effects, etc.)
- Social/Personal Impact – In
this area, you will critically address the following questions:
- What impact did this
film have on society (politically or culturally, positive or negative)?
The impact can be as major as inspiring political or social changes or
as minor as inspiring the production of toys or lunchboxes.
- How did society affect
this film (i.e., what currents in society led to the creation of the
film)?
- If you are unable to find
any information about the social impact of the film, explain the
personal impact it has had on you.
Note: Not every bullet point under the four listed components will
necessarily apply to your movie. However, you will still need to
discuss each of the four main components thoroughly, which means that
you may need to explain a concept even if it can‟t be directly applied
to your movie.
Your paper should be organized around a thesis statement that clarifies
what you will attempt to accomplish in your paper, and how you will
proceed. Additionally, you must conclude with a restatement of the
thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
Stage 2: Reflection
After completing your movie analysis, you will reflect on the analysis
process and how you have learned to more thoroughly analyze film as
well as how rigorous study of film enhances your development as a
student and thinker. In this 300- to 600-word reflection, review your
initial post from the “Post Your Introduction” discussion in Week One,
and consider how your ability to analyze movies has changed or grown.
Append your reflection to the analysis portion of your paper. Your
reflection should be personal and exploratory in nature.
