Individual Film Assignment

Guide Sheet

I. Foundation [5 points]

A. Title/date of release

B. Director

C. Cast

1. Main characters/protagonists, antagonists

2. Secondary characters

D. Plot summary

II. Theme(s) of film [5 points]

III. Type of film? (Either? Or? Both?) [10 points]

A. Genre-- to which genre does the film belong and explain your reasoning

B. Aesthetic—to which school of aesthetics does the film belong and explain your reasoning

IV. Thesis statement [15 points]

A. Show your critical thinking skills

B. Show your knowledge of American film history, technique, artistry

V. Ten examples to defend your thesis statement [30 points]

A. How each example relates to theme

B. Why each example relates to theme

VI. Explanation of why this film is considered one of the “greats” [20 points]

A. Think about the artistic aspects of the film

B. Consider the reasoning behind why this film would be worthy of studying

VII. Theme song? Why do you choose this song? [5 points]

VIII. Organization, format, grammar, syntax. [10 points]

A. Think about presentation

B. Think about format

C. Think about overall writing skills