So far, the readings and quizzes have emphasized the elements of cinema and their terminology, and the lectures and screening reports have emphasized the narrative function of these various elements. For this assignment, we would like you to look closely at a scene or an element in a film and explore its relationship to the whole. Choose one of the films on the syllabus (see list below). You have two options:
A. Choose a scene that interests you, that puzzles you, or that you find especially compelling. Choose a scene you think is particularly rich, that has resonance with the rest of the film. For example, our analysis of the “You Were Meant for Me” scene in Singin’ in the Rain demonstrated not only that it echoed many of the ideas present in the rest of the film, but that the structure and mise-en-scene told us a lot about the status of Don and Kathy’s relationship. Similarly, you’ll want to pick a scene and pay close attention to what happens and how it happens. How do cinematography, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene in this scene together express the theme(s), narrative, or character psychology in the film? All four elements will be present (except in a silent film), but some may be more important than others. Indeed, each of these elements are broad categories; choose specific, salient techniques within them. You’ll have to decide what is worth paying attention to.
B. Choose a particular element (any salient technique(s) within mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, sound) and follow it through the film, noting how it contributes to the development of the narrative and ideas in the movie. For example, our discussion of Black Girl demonstrated how the sound design contributed to our understanding of Diouana’s situation. In the same way, you’ll want to pick an element and track its narrative function in the film. How does the use of this element express theme(s), narrative, or character psychology in the film? The element may be as broad as “sound” or as narrow as “figure expression and movement.” You may not, however, pick the following elements: color in Written on the Wind, costume and setting in DDLJ, cinematography in Wadjda or Under the Shadow, editing in Battleship Potemkin, or sound in Black Girl.
Remember: films give us ideas. They are about ideas. What idea(s) did you get from one of these films? What scene or element seems to best exemplify or lead you to that idea? Tell us about it. But also remember: cinema is a visual/aural medium. When you’re describing a scene, ask yourself, “Could my description just as easily apply to a scene in a novel?” That is, are you describing what happened, without discussion of how (visually and aurally) it happens? If the answer is “yes,” then you are doing it incorrectly. Don’t bother telling us the story—we’ve seen the film. Focus on describing the specifically cinematic elements of the film and demonstrating how they relate to the idea(s) you’re interested in.
Specifically, this paper is an extension of the skills developed in the screening reports, which emphasized the (metaphorical) connection between some visual or aural element that you can see or hear and the ideas of the film or some aspect of character psychology. You do not receive credit for stating this connection. You receive credit for explaining the connection. So explain the logic behind your choice of technique(s). If, every time we see a process shot, the characters experience a sense of intoxication, good. But how do specific properties/aspects of the process shot relate to specific properties/aspects of “intoxication”?
The paper should run between 1500 and 2000 words (4-5 pages, double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point font). Please include a word count at the end of your essay. Number your pages. Within this limited space it is best, as always, to focus the argument carefully. Excellent papers will make their argument clear from the beginning and then support the thesis with specific examples. Again, mere description of scenes does not support an argument; demonstrating how a particular technique or moment supports a theme or function does help a thesis. If you have doubts about the tenability of a choice, please feel free to speak with the professor. One final helpful hint: the best papers will not sprout overnight.
One last bit of advice: no outside research is necessary for this assignment. In fact, we expressly forbid it. Violations of the school’s Academic Integrity policy (e.g., using AI, copying and pasting from a web site, paraphrasing another person’s ideas without giving them credit, contract cheating, etc.) on this assignment will likely result in a “0” for the assignment, failure of the course, and University sanctions.