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Film Critique
This assignment is a 2-3 page single spaced paper reviewing a film with appropriate historical content. It must either be on a film depicting the period covered by the class and must have historical content relevant to the class or on a film assigned in class by the instructor.
Your central goal in writing this review is to critique the film. That means to give your opinions about the content. If you simply summarize the film you will get no credit. If you say things like “the movie is boring”, “there is not enough sex and violence”, “Mel Gibson is a hunk” or “Richard Geere is a dork” etc. you will get no credit. You are expected to give your critical opinion of the content not the cinematography or acting.
Make sure to choose a film that interests you. It would be a good idea to read the section of the text book which pertains to your movie, if possible. Use the present tense throughout the paper.
After you state an opinion you must support it with examples and evidence. You must convince me that your point of view is valid by giving me examples.
Follow this format exactly: Each section should be one paragraph
A. Introduction Identify title, date, and subject of the film. Put the events depicted in the film into historical context.
B. Thesis Identify the films central thesis or argument or the lack of one. This will take serious thought. Basically you are looking for the “moral of the story” or some point of view the film is trying to convince you of. Draw comparisons between this and the historiography in your text and other sources.
C. Summary Briefly describes the film. Compare the films version of events with history. You must do some research for this. Give examples and what sources you have consulted to make the comparison.
D. Point of View From whose vantage point is the director telling the story? Remember that you are not seeing the actual events but rather selected images of those events. Give evidence (examples) of