FINAL PAPER: Papers are due 12/17/21 at 11PM. The paper should be 8 – 10 typed pages; 1.5 pt, spaced. 4 typos per page will lower your grade. Please include citations and a bibliography in your paper (MLA format). You must use at least four scholarly film journal sources in your essay. There are many recommendations on the syllabus. Wikipedia and IMDB are not scholarly sources. Remember to put the year the film was made after the title of the film you are analyzing. Please refer to timecode in the film when referencing certain scenes to support your analysis (EX: 00:01:45 is one minute and 45 seconds into the film. 01:33:22 is one hour, thirty three minutes and twenty two seconds into the film). You do not have to tell the entire story of the film, however. I will have watched it. Just explain as much of the film as you need to give examples of the analysis you are making. Find specific scenes to talk about in the film to substantiate your points. Dont forget to discuss mise-en-scene. It is covered through a few of the subject areas below. As per your syllabus, please do not send pdfs. Film: The Kite Runner (2007) Marc Forster 1)Director: Do some research on the director and write about what may have affected the directors approach to this film. Did he have a relationship with a studio that put strict parameters on what kinds of films he could make? Did the director always work in one genre? Is he an Auteur? How does this film compare to his other films? Is it similar or different? Tell us a bit about his career trajectory and where this film stands within it. 2) Historical Context: What is the historical context for the film? What historical dynamics and events is this story set within? How do you see those playing out in the films narrative? 3) Cultural Context: What social and/or cultural elements were happening at the time that may have impacted production? What themes, cultural and otherwise, do you find in this film? Find specific scenes to talk about in the film to substantiate your points. 4) Characters/ Acting: Discuss the main characters in the film (remember: sometimes nature, ghosts, monsters, aliens, computers, houses, etc. CAN be characters in a film): Discuss the believability of the acting in the film. What specific choices do you see the actor making to make his/her character believable? (Think about Brando stroking the cat in The Godfather and the interesting juxtaposition of character that gave us, the audience. It made an otherwise monster of a man seem gentle; it gave him dimension). By extension, how do actors voices and non-verbal movements reflect and reinforce their character personae? What choices do you see the actor making? Do the characters live up to your expectations or do they surprise you as the film unfolds? Do the characters attain an immediate connection with you or one that develops over the course of the film? In your opinion and based on your observations, is there excellence in acting, and if so, what is it about the actors performance in the film that makes it “excellent”? 5) Cinematography: ? Discuss the photography of the film and explain how the film was photographed in terms of the following: ? Find several scenes to analyze in the following terms: From whose point of view (POV) was it photographed? Was it photographed from an omniscient point of view (POV) or one or several characters’ POV? ? Discuss visual themes, including the use of color, color contrasts, shape contrasts, in the photography. ? Do you see the use of a distinctive lighting scheme? ? Is there a special attention given to light, darkness, and/or shadow(s) ? Are there interesting shots and camera angles (canted angle, birds-eye views, over-the-shoulder) ?that bring us into or away from the action? ? Is this photographic style developed over the course of the film? ? 6) Editing ?Discuss the editing style in the film. ? Describe the rate and rhythm of cuts (edits): are there shifts in the pacing of shots? What ?dramatic purpose do these shifts serve? ? Are these rhythms re-visited or developed later in the film? ? What style or styles of editing were used? ? What kind of cuts and transitions were used? ? How did the editing affect your sense of time and the narrative? ? How did the editing affect your interpretation of the story? What associations did you make? ? 7) Sets, Costume & Props: Discuss the films set design and art direction, including: What elements and motifs uniquely identify the films setting and details? Are there props, costumes or set elements that become important later in the film? Analyze the costuming: to what extent does costuming define and differentiate the characters? 8) Sound Design/Music: Discuss the use of music and sound design in the film. Are there musical and sound rhythms established within the film? Are they diegetic or nondiegetic? Are these rhythms re-visited or developed later in the film? Are there “thematic” sounds or sound FX used? What character and significance does the music bring to the film? 9) Narrative Structure: What is the narrative structure as you see it? What are the acts and turning points? How does the narrative structure support the story and the themes? What kind of narrative is it? (Formalistic, Realistic etc.) 10) Summary: What has this filmmaker added to the world of cinema? Should others see the film? Make your case. What did you like about the film? What did you dislike about the film, if anything? What issues does the film present? What did you learn from this film? Did this film change your opinion about any of the issues it addressed?
