DIRECTIONS: You will write a THREE PAGE, double-spaced MINI research paper on on

DIRECTIONS: You will write a THREE PAGE, double-spaced MINI research paper on one of the topics outlined below. Please cite all of your sources accordingly (in any research format, e.g. APA, Chicago Style, Turabian, etc, as long as you stay consistent to ONE format throughout). Once you have completed this assignment, please send it to me here on CANVAS. The due date for your paper is the last day of class. Bonne chance à vous.
Possibility #1: Select at least one film from at least three different decades (you can select more, should you wish), of similar and/or different genres (e.g. 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, 2000s, etc, however do not watch no more than four films from four different decades…..yes, you can use films we watched in class, but do not use more than two of the in-class films in your discussion). After watching the three or four movies that you choose, please compare and contrast them in terms of cinematic style and montages used as well as giving an analysis of the various film techniques and theories applied by the filmmaker.
Possibility #2: Similar to the above question, you could examine several Blaxploitation films by subject, gender, theme (etc).
Possibility #3: Similar to what is listed in #1, you could examine several films by the filmmaker Spike Lee (there are so many angles to study Mr. Lee’s films all of which would be great topics for a paper), or you might study other filmmakers who are far less critically-acclaimed, such as the contemporary producer Tyler Perry.
Possibility #4: You could look at foreign-language films from around the African Diaspora (France, Brazil, the Caribbean, etc)
Possibility #5: A self-chosen subject / topic of your personal interest in regards to a particular subject. Talk with Professor Scooter so he can help you get started. In your paper, you could examine, compare, analyse, and contrast your films from a gender perspective according to their themes, cinematic theories, historical / cultural interpretations, and much more.
Possibility #6: You could focus on other subjects as a paper theme, such as (but not limited to):
– Gender
– Class
– Thematic matter (family life, crime, science fiction, etc)
– Racism in film
– Empowerment in film
– And so forth.
PS: Here are some basic research questions (some of the many possibilities) to get you to start thinking about your film(s) and how you might approach it (them):
· What were the major factors (e.g., technological, economic, ideological, cultural, artistic) that contributed to the creation of the film? How did they do so?
· What are the film’s themes, and how are they manifested in terms of women?
· What is the film’s relationship to its genre at that time?
· How did critics respond to the film when it first appeared, and how has the critical response changed over time?
· How does the film reflect or attack the socio-cultural context out of which it emerged?
· What does the film seem to be saying about such issues as race, ethnicity, politics, class, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, age, and / or ability?
· How is the film similar to, and different from, other films made by the same director, studio or subject?
· If the film features a reasonably well-known star (e.g., Richard Pryor, Pam Grier, etc), how does the film support (or, in some cases, contradict) that actor’s “star image?”
NOTE: There are many other types of questions / topics that you can explore as well. By all means, please feel free to come up with your own. Your task is to demonstrate your opinions vis-à-vis your observation and interpretation of the films that you choose as well as demonstrating your understanding of cinematic narratives in general.
The usual paper info: You must include a bibliography at the end of your paper. Your bibliography must consist of at least four sources (books, newspaper and magazine articles, websites, etc.) that were useful to you in your research. Please do NOT include the following items in your bibliography in order to reach the source minimum: the film itself and “wiki” sites such as Wikipedia. That said, you are certainly welcome (and encouraged) to use these items as starting places for your research. I start with Wikipedia all of them time (look at the bottom of a page for “references”).
Length: The paper should be 3 pages in length (not including the bibliography) and must be typed, double-spaced. Please note that you MUST include citations (either endnotes or MLA/APA/Turabian/Chicago style parenthetical cites) within the text of your paper — the bibliography alone will not be enough. The reader of your paper (i.e. moi) should not have to guess where your sources leave off and your own observations begin. Please follow this general guideline whenever you present a point of information in your paper: If it is not your own observation and is not general knowledge, you should provide a citation for it. This guideline applies not only to direct quotations but also paraphrased material. In other words, you should give a citation if you put someone else’s observation, factual material (etc), into your own words. Your paper will most definitely contain a clear, purposeful thesis by organising your key points and arguments into separate sections, each with its own claim and set of supporting evidence. Your paper will also make considerable and accurate use of cinematic vocabulary. To emphasise your thesis, you will show that you have a keen understanding of the theoretical concepts of your chosen films by using and giving examples highlighting specific scenes, themes, etc. Your paper should follow a “purpose / evidence / conclusion” structure and include a thesis statement that will guide your writing and research. Your thesis statement, which should appear no later than your paper’s second paragraph, should emerge from a research question that relates to the history / culture / theme of that particular film or films. Importantly, no matter your topic, your paper must discuss the film(s) within some historical, social, and / or cultural context — a paper that simply discusses the film’s (or films’) plot, characters, cinematography, etc., without connecting these items to a broader historical framework will not be sufficient.