For this “essay” block, you will examine ideologies, ethics, morals, values, and experiences as
they pertain to the American Dream as you interpret it, and as they are represented within film,
music, poetry, fiction, and/or creative nonfiction.
For the “essay” you will write an analysis/review of a film that you will select and watch.
Here is a list of possible films. If you choose to use another film, please get my approval at least
48 hours before the review’s due date:
•The Pursuit of Happyness (available for rent on Amazon Video)Rated PG
•An American Tail (available for rent on Amazon Video)
•The Great Gatsby (any version: the 1974 Version Staring Robert Redford is available on
Netflix, and the 2013 version staring Leonardo DiCaprio is ava
ilable for rent on Amazon
Video, and there is also a 1949 version, though I was unable to locate this online)PG and PG
•Mr. Smith Goes To Washington(available for rent on Amazon Video)
• Little Miss Sunshine (available for rent on Amazon Video) Citizen Kane
(available for rent on Amazon Video& on YouTube)
• Idiocracy(available for rent on Amazon Video)
•The Immigrant(available on Netflix)
•Spanglish(available for rent on Amazon Video) Rated PG
•The Border (available for rent on Amazon Video)
• Moscow On the Hudson (available for rent on Amazon Video)
•Alamo Bay(available for rent on Amazon Video) Rated R
As you view the film, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots and movement work to create
particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest
relationships, emphasize themes, or forward the narrative. In addition to camera angles, editing,
and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
However, with that in mind, the main purpose of this analysis is to compare and contrast the
film with our discussions on the American Dream. Think about the characters and the setting, the tone and overall
mood, the themes and motifs, and the narrative of the story. How does it compare to the American Dream narratives? To begin your review/analysis (your intro paragraph), offer your overall impression of the film while mentioning the movie’s title, director,
and key actors, then as you move into your body paragraphs, ask yourself the following
questions:
•How is the story in the film told? (Linear, with flashbacks, flash forwards, episodically)?
What “happens” in the plot of the film that is similar to “real life?” What is the basic argument of the film’s plot? What themes (an abstraction or generalization about life, humanity, and human/non-human interactions) underlie the plot? What does the film show about the people and their values? How does this differ from the values and ideologies we have explored, if at all?
•How does the film cue particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing, characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such reactions? Are these reactions similar to those we see in our real lives?
•What objects or settings serve symbolic functions in the film? What are the objects and/or settings, and what are their functions?
•What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attenti on within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image?
•How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film?
•Does the film follow or critique dominant ideologies? Does it reflect and shape particular
cultur
al tensions? If you think so, how so? If not, why not?
• If the resolution of the film teaches a lesson (they usually do), what is that lesson, and
how can you apply it to your own life?
Once you have answered these questions, you may add to the rev
iew any other thoughts or
feelings you have in regards to the film. Remember to “read the film,” don’t just watch it.
This essay/review must be 3 pages minimum
—
quality over quantity
MLA format: double spaced, 12pt font, with a works cited page if you cite any sourses
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