INFORMATION FOR THE PAPER

The paper is due at the lastest the last day of class.

The paper can be written about any film with 2 exceptions. It can not be a film shown in class and it must be in English or a language you speak natively and have knowledge concerning the culture from which the film comes.

You should watch the entire film (several times) and decide on what the text and subtext of story are. You should then choose a sequence in the film which you think is a good sequence that carries out the text and sub text. (Hint this is often an opening sequence, a closing sequence or a "set piece" (high point/climactic moment).

Your paper should analyze the scene from the point of view of a film analyst (not someone writing an e-mail to their friend; not a review of the film; and not a synopsis of the film). The analysis should be done remembering that film is a VISUAL art. Do NOT attempt to analyze the film solely from what the characters say. You should discuss the variables like light, sets, costumes, imagery/symbolism and editing. You should talk about the subtext (please nothing as inane as "The subtext of this film is it is beter to be honest"). We have given a good deal of time to subtexts and how one arrives at them,

I am interested in the QUALITY of the paper, not the QUANTITY of pages. The only restriction is that the paper should not exceed 100 pages. Decide on what you feel is a reasonable analysis and write as much as you need to to cover the subject matter.

If you need help with the writing of the paper (and even if you think you don't) you should go visit the writing tutors in room 200 WEB across from the Film Department offices and make an appointment to go over the material with any of the people there. They are far kinder and gentler than I am.