Assignment for Film One (F1)

Task:

You are expected to explain why you think the way you do about the film, and to justify your explanation (using references to subjects found in the weekly content in the LEO classroom. You will be responsible for turning in these assignments to the proper assignment folder in LEO. Putting these assignments off until the last possible moment probably will not work very well.

Each of them requires you to view an additional film besides the ones you will be watching for the week’s discussion, so you should be sure to leave yourself enough time to view the necessary film, think about it, write a first draft, and then edit and revise. Part of your responsibility in this course is to make any and all arrangements necessary to allow you to view the films, think and write about them, and turn your assignments in by their respective due dates. Some of the films you watch may be available for streaming via Netflix or another online content provider; others may be available for checkout from your local public library, while others may need to be rented. Be sure to spell the names of directors, actors, screenwriters, and other people correctly (this can cause "points" to be taken off of the final grade for that paper).

Any name that is not listed in the credits that begin or end the film is a name you do not need to mention. The papers will be graded based on such elements as evidence that you are reading and viewing the material the course content, references and comparisons to other films you have seen (in or out of class and throughout your lifetime as a movie watcher), and especially to films you have previously written about; use of the film vocabulary introduced in class; clear presentation of your opinions; reasonable explanations and justifications to support those opinions; and college-level writing skills (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). Other criteria will be presented to you as appropriate. You are better off watching these films on the largest possible screen, and at the highest possible resolution. Paper OneAssignment for Film One (F1) Part 1: View a feature film made between 1940 - 1970 you have not seen before (or will see later in this class) by a great director.

If you would like to see an American film, consider seeing something directed by Frank Capra, George Cukor, John Ford, George Stevens, Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, or William Wyler. If you would like to try a foreign film, consider Ingmar Bergman (Swedish), Luis Buñuel (Spanish), Claude Chabrol (French), Federico Fellini (Italian), Akira Kurosawa (Japanese), Lina Wertmuller (German) or the British team known as “The Archers” made up of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

These are suggestions, but not a comprehensive list of possibilities. For a much more extensive list, you might want to visit http://www.filmsite.org/directors.html. (Note that many directors were active both before and after 1970. Make sure you see a pre-1970 film, make sure it's a film you have not seen before, and make sure it is a feature. Don't, for example, see Buñuel's UN CHIEN ANDALOU, which is a short, not a feature.) Comment on the specific film you saw. Pay particular attention to the camerawork (cinematography) the editing (montage) and the sound (this can include the music). What did you like, and what did you dislike, about what you saw? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike? Is the film a good film, or is it not? (Note: This is not the same question as whether or not you liked it. It is entirely possible to like a film that you are aware is not very good.) You should comment on the film both as a representative of its genre and as a film. Part 2: Now that you have commented on the specific film you viewed, see if you can draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main actors or actresses. For example let us say you watched the 2012 film Prometheus (no this is a not a film you can watch for this paper). Did you like Ridley Scott as a filmmaker? Did you like Michael Fassbender in the roll of an emotionless android? Why, or why not? Be sure to comment on the overall impression you had of the film, including how you see it as an example of the its genre and time period. Remember, this is not a research paper.