Understanding Movies
Paper Guidelines
For your final paper you will choose a character from a feature film and in an essay of 2-3 pages you are to write about the cinematic means used by the director to convey the characters change which occurs through the course of the narrative. In other words, your paper will note the visual and sound elements which at pivotal moments in the film convey that something has changed about the character. You should consider the inciting incident, various turning points, and the film’s final moments in your paper.
Your aim is to identify and discuss the Cinematic Language at work in how the character is portrayed, and provide your reading (analysis) of how cinematic language is used to convey the characters story or arc in the overall film.
Your paper should be two to three (2-3) typed pages long. Double-spaced. No more than one inch margins on all sides. No larger than 12 pt font. Times New Roman. Cover page is not part of the page count.
A good example for the assignment would be Martin Scorseses treatment of the character Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) in Goodfellas (1990). As discussed in class, there are many ways to describe the cinematic introduction of this character. The use of color, lighting, framing, slow motion, freeze-frame, first-person narration and music all come together to support that this is not only a key scene to the overall narrative, but that it sets up much about this characters journey. By breaking the chronology of the films timeline to place this event first, Scorsese also tells us much about how this will be a key event that will alter the lives of not only Henry Hill, but the other characters involved in the scene.
A discussion of the characters change would then go on to include Henrys boyhood dream to be part of the gangster world he sees across the street from his homehe watches through the window as shown through point of view shots. The inciting incident shows young Henry being admired by the crew for keeping his mouth shut after being arrested. The manner in which Scorseses fluid camera movement and lush mise-en-scene help to seduce both Henry and the viewer into this world might be analyzed. Later as the conflict deepens one might discuss how the pacing of the film increases through the editing and music, and how the camera work becomes more frenetica visual and aural shift that reflect Henrys paranoia that he may get whacked at any moment. And finally, one would describe how Scorsese reveals Henry living a very different life at the end.
Choose a film that uses interesting visual and sound techniques. Simply choosing a film because you like the story may leave you with too little to write about.
No. You cannot use the examples I gave above for your own paper. You cannot use one of the movies analyzed in detail in class or the textbook. You cannot use the topic from any sample paper I may provide. See me if you are unsure.
A list of films you cannot use is posted on Blackboard.
Your paper should demonstrate how well you understand the material and topics discussed in class. I expect you to show that you can use the course vocabulary to support your observations.
Be descriptive. Stating the director uses many lighting techniques to create a mood does not tell me what kind of lighting or what kind of mood.
If you are writing about Motif and the film uses repeated images of clocks, for instance, do
not just say that the director used 25 shots of a clock throughout the movieexplain how and
why the shots are significant, both cinematically and thematically.
Remember, I am not looking for three and a half pages telling me what happens in the
movie, and then one page of analysis. Do not spend more than two paragraphs providing a
synopsis!
Lastly, although this is not a research paper, if you do utilize outside sources, I expect you to
cite those sources using either MLA or APA style. Plagiarism will be dealt with in accordance
with the schools policy.
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