Originally, this assignment is based on writing an essay on a movie we were suppose to watch. One of the movies we’resuppose to watch is called Some Like it Hot ( 1959 ) by Billy Wilder. Since because I am busy all day, I dont have any time to finish thi sessay for today. I believe one can finish this without watching the movie. Becuase of this, I will send you different links for summaries on the movie. Of course, if you would like to use your own sources to find the answers, you’re also free too.
Instructions –
There are three film options below, each with several questions. You choose one of these films and you are not required to answer all of the correlating questions. Please choose one or two or three questions to write about in your essay. You may also create your own thesis that explores something we are learning in this class with respect to your chosen film.
These are the questions you can choose from and you can either do 2 or 3.
1) What is Some Like It Hot exposing about American life in 1959?
2) Our book uses Some Like It Hot to describe the “journey” narrative format, which “takes characters into new, unexplored terrains.” Explain what these terrains are in this film.
3) Our book says, “…the star functions as a sociocultural barometer of sorts, giving expression to and providing symbolic solutions for specific fears, desires, anxieties, and/or dreams that haunt popular consciousness.” How does Marylin Monroe fit into this idea? Why in the 1950s? How does her role in this film fit into this idea?
4) How does the comedy work in Some Like It Hot? Use examples. Does Wilder bypass reality to heighten the comedy? Is irony used?
5) Names, genders, social standings … they can all change in Some Like It Hot. The screenwriters and actors had all changed their names in real life. The characters change or have changed their names within the diegesis. Some characters change persona and continue to shift who they are. How? Why? What meaning does this provide? Use examples!
6) What is the film’s closing line of dialogue? How do you interpret it? Why?
This is the the rubric for the assignment-
Each of the three questions should have its own paragraph. I suggest composing your reflections in a word document and then either copying and pasting the content into the discussion section, or attaching the document. When responding to a question, use specific examples/scenes from the film to help illustrate your response. You will not be able to see anyone else’s reflection paper until you have submitted one yourself. After you post your essay, you are also required to respond to two classmates’ reflections (I’ll get to this part in a moment!). The deadlines for reflection/responses are listed in the course itinerary below and also posted in the discussion area.
Your reflections will be graded on:
How well you respond to the questions
How well you apply the techniques, concepts and knowledge from your textbook to the film
The strength and specificity of your examples
Using correct grammar and separating your responses into three paragraphs (at least one paragraph per question)
A minimum of 400 words
After you have written your individual responses, post your document to D2L Discussions by the deadline. Make sure to check to see that it posts correctly.
Then, read your classmates’ responses. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Think of this like having a class discussion on the film. Each of your replies must be at least 150 words (for a total of 300 words).
Your responses to your classmates will be required to include (and will be graded on):
Elaborating on/analyzing ideas
Comparing/contrasting your own response with theirs
Minimum of 150 words each
Your responses to your classmates must also be completed by the essay reflection deadline.
There are the resources I have provided you for your writing on the movie-
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053291/plotsummary
https://www.gradesaver.com/some-like-it-hot/study-guide/summary
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-some-like-it-hot-1959
https://www.artpublikamag.com/post/the-making-of-billy-wilder-s-hilarious-comedy-some-like-it-hot-1959
This is a essay examplar from our class ( Some like It Hot) hopefully this helps you!
During the time that Some Like it Hot was released, our conceptions of social convention were wildly different than they are today. As it is with many film classics from the early years of filmmaking, it might not be readily clear how revolutionary the film was during its time, but Some Like it Hot’s commentary on sexuality and gender roles criticized the way we perform our identities, and during the 1950s, this was unheard of. By observing the groups of people around Joe and Jerry, we can clearly see how the adherence to social roles and hierarchy is harmful to them and the people around them. The depiction of the gangsters is a satirical representation of machismo, and the insight Joe and Jerry gain from presenting as women gives them insight into the negative treatment and misogyny women experience. This film, and its themes of fluidity and understanding, is relevant to modern society and our individual identities.
To best illustrate the character development that occurs over the duration of this film, the filmmakers utilized the journey format. This composition follows the characters on an adventure where they’re faced with challenges that can alter the course of their journey entirely. In this case, Joe and Jerry initially begin their expedition to Florida from Chicago to escape from a mob that is hunting them down. They change their focus after meeting Sugar on the train and choose to pursue the unknown: a life that’s free from the restrictions and rules they had in Chicago.
Sugar, played by Marilyn Monroe, is an example of the star system serving the interests and desires of audiences. Her character in this film was a gold digger and, self-proclaimed as, unintelligent. This is the role that Monroe had been typed as in her other films and had become the persona that audiences expected and enjoyed. In the 1950s, the star system was crucial in securing the interest of moviegoers and maintaining revenue. Monroe’s presence in this film alone assisted in making this film as popular and memorable as it is.
The comedy in Some Like it Hot derives from the unpredictable, sometimes unrealistic reactions of the characters, and the irony of Joe and Jerry’s performances. On the train, Sweet Sue tells the women that there’s two things she won’t tolerate from them: liquor and men. After she says this, Joe and Jerry (as Josephine and Daphne) promptly swear that they “wouldn’t be caught dead with men!” The irony is received by us, the audience, because we are aware of their façade, but no one else on the train is. Of course, the most striking example of the unpredictability of these characters is in the end when Jerry reveals to Osgood that he’s a man, and Osgood replies with his famous line.
The reaction of Osgood perfectly illustrates the idea put forth in the film that sexuality and identity are fluid. Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis, as well as a few filmmakers who created this story, have all undergone name changes in their real lives. Although this might appear simply as a fun fact, it reaffirms the position of the movie: the idea of people being ever-shifting and fluid.
I interpret the closing line by Osgood, “Nobody’s perfect,” as an end to and a rejection of the strict social roles laid forth in the beginning in the film. We can often have ideas in our mind of what it means to be a man or woman, and even if that role isn’t authentic to us, social pressures influence us to adhere to them anyway. This also applies to our perception and expectations of others. This line presents a way to view ourselves and those around us as individuals who are subject to change and growth.
