Movie Analysis Assignment Sheet
Each movie we watch this semester will have its own review due date. Those dates are marked in the reading schedule on the syllabus.
We will view and discuss six movies this term. You are responsible for choosing four of these movies for doing analysis essays.
Two of your essays need to be written English essays and should be approximately 3-4 pages long.
Two of your essays need to be ASL vlogs and should be 5-6 minutes long.
It is entirely up to you which movie analysis essays you wish to do in written English and which you wish to do in ASL.
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General information:
Make your intended audience your peers here at Gallaudet.
Look for at least two themes in each movie that tie into the issues we have been reading about and discussing in class. Your overall task is to answer the following questions, “How does this movie present the religious tradition we’ve been studying?” and “How well does it make this presentation?”
Within this inquiry you can examine everything from how color, costuming, characterization, narrative technique, etc. are used to portray a message about a religious tradition. Be specific about what aspects of a religious tradition are being shown and how they are shown. You may also want to discuss what a movie does not show about a religious tradition and why those aspects may have been omitted.
Each movie review should identify two themes and explore them in depth. Be sure to cite material from the textbook and feel free to incorporate information from other sources as well. Don’t forget to include an introduction and conclusion.
Don’t use Wikipedia as a source! While there is usually good general information there, it can be changed by anyone at anytime. Go to scholarly sources for your research.
Avoid simply describing the plot of the movie. You don’t need to provide a synopsis of the whole film. Do describe scenes that you wish to discuss in relation to the themes and issues you will write about. Cite material from our class readings or research about the issues and themes addressed in that scene and discuss how the scene portrays that reality. Avoid comments like, “I liked the part where…” or “It was really good when…”
See the link in the Assignments section of Blackboard for a sample of an excellent critical movie review of the Japanese film “Spirited Away.” This film is by the same director and highlights some of the Shinto features in that film. You’ll see that you need not have seen the movie to understand what the writer is talking about. Pay particular attention to how the writer ties the various themes and scenes in the movie to a discussion of the influence of Shinto religion on the movie’s plot. This review is has a fancy layout with columns and pictures. You don’t have to do all that, just use it to get a sense of how a good movie analysis of religious themes is written.
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For written English critiques/reviews:
Length: 3-4 pages double spaced, standard font.
Submission process: Send your paper as a Word document to Blackboard. I will be using the commenting feature to provide feedback to you.
Citations: You may use MLA, Chicago, or APA for your citations. Whatever you use, use it correctly and consistently!
As always, make use of all the resources Gallaudet University provides for writing help! If you need help with any aspect of writing, choosing a topic, grammar reviews, organizing a paper, citations, etc. The Purdue OWL site has a TON of good tips:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
For ASL critiques/reviews:
Length: 5-6 minutes.
Submission Process: Upload your videos to YouTube. Be sure to make them unlisted or public, if they are private, I will not be able to see them for grading! Submit your link in Blackboard via copy/paste into the assignment box.
Citations: There’s no standard citation format for ASL videos. What I recommend is something similar to what styles suggest for “in line” citations. An in line citation would look something like this: “As Smith says in her book, Catching the Wave at the Movies on page 39, the director of this movie intentionally…” and a full citation according one of the written styles on a works cited list at the end.