CRITICAL ANALYSISESSAY (1,000 words)

Having developed a greater understanding about film and aspects of the film art, and its influence on society and culture, the students will conclude their Film Appreciation journey exercising their analytical and critical skills, writing a critical analysis of a film selected from the list below. In this essay, the students should explore formal aspects of the film and its influence on society and culture.

• Choose and watch ONE of the films listed below (the student must rent the film):
• Do the Right Thing (1989), directed by Spike Lee
• All About My Mother (1999), directed by Pedro Almodvar
• Monsoon Wedding (2001), directed by Mira Nair
• The Lives of Others (2006), directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
• Son of Saul (2015), directed by Lszl Nemes
• Atlantics (2019), directed by Mati Diop
• Parasite (2019), directed by Bong Joon Ho
• Promising Young Woman (2020), Emerald Fennell
• Nomadland (2020), directed by Chlo Zhao
• The Power of the Dog (2021), directed by Jane Campion
• Critically analyze and explain how film elements communicate context.
• This essay-analysis should be based on the filmmakers’ intentions to communicate such ideas.
• Research content about the film chosen to find the filmmakers’ intentions.
• The students MUST cite at least TWO scholarly sources (articles and interviews about the film may be used as sources).
• The textbook and the course content materials do NOT count as those sources, but the students are encouraged to use them (textbook and course content materials) in addition to other sources.
• Wikipedia and IMBD are NOT scholarly sources.
• The students MUST discuss at least TWO film elements and the context they communicate.
• Discuss the film element along with the context it communicates in the same paragraph, do NOT write a paragraph for the film element and a separate paragraph for context, these ideas should be connected.
• For the film elements, consider: story, mise-en-scne, cinematography, video editing and sound design, acting performance. Revise all modules of the course to use the proper terms and techniques.
• For the contexts communicated, consider the filmmakers’ intentions, as learned in the research done for the assignment.
• Explain the film’s influence on society and culture (develop on this information in your essay’s conclusion paragraph).
• The Critical Analysis-Essay has a minimum of 1,000 words.
• The Critical Analysis-Essay must be typewritten in 12-point font, double-spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs, and with 1-inch margins.
• Use MLA guidelines in formatting the essay. Clearly indicate the sources in the essay (i.e. “According to [title of the resource]…”, “As discussed in [title of the resource]…”), and use the for the in-text citations and work cited.

The critical analysis is an argumentative essay. The students should develop their ideas for the film providing support for their arguments, information that confirms the ideas presented. Include detailed descriptions presenting and supporting these ideas.

The students ought to develop on the topic proposed showing knowledge and familiarity with the course materials, the ability to discuss such content, and demonstrating an appreciation of the film experience.

Essay Structure Suggestion

First, write a thesis: what is your essay about, and what do you want to say about the film? The answer for these questions, and the reasons and examples you give will help you structure your essay. Broadly speaking, your essay should have an introduction, where you provide background information about the work to be discussed and present your thesis; a body, where you discuss the reasons and argument for your thesis; and a conclusion, where you re-state your thesis and present a final reflection on the ideas presented.