Objective
Students will write a critical analysis essay related to Chapter 7: Movies and the Impact of Images
Exigence
Although American-made films may create a kind of global village, in which people around the world share a universal culture, there has long been concern about whether American films stifle local cultures worldwide, creating a cultural imperialism in which U.S. stories and images dominate. But what do we learn from American movies about people outside our own border? Consider a few movies to investigate this question.
Description
Describe the representations of foreign people and places in the 5-10 U.S. films you have seen most recently.
Analysis
Analyze the representations. Do the movie narratives treat the foreigners as friends or foes, fellow humans or strange curiosities? How are foreign environments treated—as friendly, alienating, or otherwise? Explicate your analytical observation as thorough as possible and be sure to reference the film and characters in your essay. Be sure to look for patterns in the films you investigate.
Interpretation
Interpret what these patterns mean. For example, does the language, skin color, or gender of the foreign characters make a difference? Is a foreign love interest “exotic,” but a foreign official “threatening”?
Evaluation
Evaluate the portrayal of international characters and places in American movies. Do American movies enable us to see the foreign characters as they might see themselves, or do we interpret them through an “American” gaze (or, more specifically, a white, middle-class, American male gaze)?
Engagement
Engage with the classmates by sharing with some of your observations/analysis via FLIPGRID.
