Write a 3-4 page analyzing and interpreting the plot and cinematic themes of a full-length feature film of your choice utilizing one of the three major Sociological theories (Conflict Theory, Functionalism, or Symbolic-Interactionism) as your interpretive lens. Make sure that you demonstrate in your how the main ideas of your chosen theory explain what’s going on in the film in terms of story, characters, themes, etc.
Category: Film
Movie Review
Write a 3-4 page analyzing and interpreting the plot and cinematic themes of a full-length feature film of your choice utilizing one of the three major Sociological theories (Conflict Theory, Functionalism, or Symbolic-Interactionism) as your interpretive lens. Make sure that you demonstrate in your how the main ideas of your chosen theory explain what’s going on in the film in terms of story, characters, themes, etc.
Racism and the racial disparity
Films are a reflection of American culture and that has been especially true of how the culture has dealt with race. This week we will see how American films for many years perpetuated the racism of the society at large, from the ground-breaking film techniques but extremely negative racial stereotypes in Birth of A Nation, to the demonization of our country’s enemies. We will also discuss how filmmakers have tried to address racism and the racial disparity in the film industry, providing new images and role models for our diverse society.
Week Five Tasks
Read/watch course resources for Week Five.
Watch two American feature films that explore race, with lead characters of different races, one made between 1945 and 1980, and one made in the last 20 years.
Participate in Discussion Week Five Topic.
Submit your topic for your final project by the end of the week.
Weekly Learning Objectives
This week, you will be able to:
Recall how film can be used to shape national identity.
Describe how race has been portrayed in American film and how this has changed since the early 20th century.Watch two feature-length fiction movies that explore race, has lead characters who are of different races, or has main characters who are not from a race from which you self-identify. If you need help choosing movies, contact the professor early in the week or before Week Six begins. One film should be from the last 20 years and the other film should be from between 1945 and 1980.
After reading this week’s material and watching the two movies, write a few paragraphs about what you have learned or what was confirmed for you. Be sure to:
Identify the main characters and their race, or the race they are portraying (for example if a white actor is playing a Native American).
Discuss how race, racial relations, stereotypes, and/or racism plays a part in the film.
Remember to include something about how the class material informed your response to this Topic.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061735/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235187/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PYICZnWpt4
Play response for “Athena”
After attending Theater’s production of Athena please submit a performance response/critique. (This is a slightly different assignment from last time, so
read it carefully!)
FORMAT: Response should be approximately 1 to 1.5 pages, double spaced, in 12 point font (Calibri, Times New Roman, or Helvetica), and with 1-inch
margins. Include a heading (Name, Instructor’s Name, Course Section #, Title of Play Streamed, Date Streamed) and create a title for the response (think
newspaper article title).
CONTENT: Responses should have an introduction and conclusion paragraph. The body of the paper should discuss one of the following two topics (below).
In either your intro or conclusion, you should still briefly address your thoughts on the overall effectiveness of the performance. (Keep in mind Goethe’s three
questions – What was the artist trying to do?, Were they successful?, Was it worth doing?)
You have two choices for your topic:
Option 1: Pick one character from the show and answer the following questions (in paragraph form) about the character and the actor portraying that
character. Please support your opinions with specific details from the production.
What did you find interesting or entertaining about this particular character?
In what ways do you feel the actor’s voice, movement, and physical acting (facial expression, body language, etc.) contributed to the character?
What was your favorite scene or moment that featured this character? Why?
Option 2: Pick one of the area of the following areas of technical theater: lighting, sound (effects and music), costumes, props, or set, and answer the
following questions (in paragraph form) about their use in the show. Please support your opinions with specific details from the production.
Did you find the design and implementation of this area for technical theater (whichever one you chose) effective in the production? Why or why not?
In what specific ways do you feel the design of your chosen area contributed to the telling of the story?
What was your favorite moment in the show that featured/highlighted this area of technical theater? (For example, favorite costume, favorite lighting effect,
etc.) Why?
It is important to fully develop and support your statements. They are your opinions, but it is vital that you explain your thought processes whether they are
positive or negative or a mix of both. You can be critical of things you found lacking and you can praise things that you enjoyed.
Here is some introduction to this drama
https://www.writerstheatre.org/athena
https://theatrehorizon.org/athena/
Transformation of the Nazi party from a marginal political and ideological force
1: How can we explain the transformation of the Nazi party from a marginal
political and ideological force that secured less than 03% of the national vote in
the federal elections in Germany in 1928 BUT by the summer of 1932 was able to
secure 37,4 % of the votes? What political, socio-economic, and ideological
reasons do Donny Gluckstein, Axel Fair-Schulz, and Chris Harman suggest
(explicitly and implicitly)?
2: How does the Nazi regime present itself in the propaganda film Triumph
of the Will? How are the themes of War and Peace, the Memory of WWI, Racism,
Anti-Semitism, Anti-Leftism, Capitalism & the Great Depression, the “People’s
Community” or Volksgemeinschaft, as well as issues of Class and Gender
navigated and presented in this film?
Actors whose careers span many films.
Charlie Chaplin and Humphrey Bogart achieved great success for their powerful screen personas. Consider contemporary examples of actors, male and female, who have maintained consistent and recognizable screen personas over a number of roles. Choose two different actors whose careers span many films. Explain what you believe is the purpose of using a familiar persona in a film and what the limits of such a practice might be.
I. Identify at least two contemporary actors who have maintained consistent and recognizable personas.
II. Using these actors’ films as examples, explain the advantage of using a persona actor in a film.
III. Explain what might be the limits of using a persona actor in a film.
Character Analysis on Toula Portokalos
Character Analysis on Toula Portokalos from My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Write a paper on how Toula Portokalos has grown for the better throughout the movie to better embrace her culture, family, and herself personally.
How minorities die within the first hour in horror films
How often do minorities die within the first hour in horror films ? In between the years 1980s to 2023. And how have their roles in horror films changed over time?
The intersection of aesthetic and technological film history
Focusing on the intersection of aesthetic and technological film history: synchronized sound. How did “the coming of sound” impact the way movies “made meaning”? incorporate readings in both • Corrigan, T. (2015) A Short Guide to Writing about Film (9th edn), Boston: Pearson. and Gomery, D. and Pafort-Overduin, C. (2011) Movie History: A Survey (2nd ed), New
York: Routledge.; and make sure you incorporate class screenings from both Duck Soup, Casablanca, and The Grand Illusion.
Social Classes and how American films represent them
Choose at least two American films that represents more than one class. One film should have been produced prior to 1960. One film should have been produced from 1980 to the present. They can be from any genre.
Answer the following questions:
What do you consider your own class standing to be and why?
Do you see class representation in the movies you watched in ways that match accurately your own experience of class? Explain your answer.
Do you see any stereotypes about class or certain members of a class in these movies?
Create a “Films Mentioned” section at the end of your paper and use the “Style Guide” found in the Syllabus content.