HISTORY OF FILM
How Movies Reflect Their Times
This class will introduce students to the notion of film as witness to its times; students will learn
to identify elements of film that represent attitudes and mores of the times in which they were
created.
You will have the opportunity to earn up to four (4) semester credits in this class by the
successful completion of eight written assignments. Beware:
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Please include examples from the film to illustrate each point you make in your essays.
To have examples, you will need to take careful notes (listing examples) during film and
discussion.
Always read the assignment carefully before viewing film so you know what to look for!
Your assignments will be as follows (for specifics go to the film’s page):
1. Analyze the PHYSICAL SETTINGS of City Lights.
2. Analyze the SOCIAL SETTINGS of Dead End.
3. Discuss the CHARACTER ARCS of four characters in Casablanca.
4. Discuss ARTISTIC AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS in The Best Years of Our
Lives.
5. Discuss ACTING STYLES – Compare Marlon Brando’s performance in On the
Waterfront to Joel McRae’s performance in Dead End, and Eva Marie Saint’s
performance to Silvia Sydney’s.
6. Discuss the issue of TIMELINESS in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
7. Discuss the appearance of the ANTI-HERO in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
8. Analyze the THEMES in Wall Street.
Each essay will be worth (up to) 30 points (for a total of 240 points).
Notes will be worth (up to) 20 points per entry (for a total of 160 points).
Total: 400 points or 4 credits.
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Extra Credit – worth (up to) 1 extra credit. Compare Dead End and Wall Street where
all of physical and social settings, characters, acting, artistic/technical (directing)
considerations, themes and timeliness are concerned. (Typed, double spaced, 12 point
Times New Roman.)
1.
The silent era (1885-1932)
City Lights, Charlie Chaplin
Other films: Birth of a Nation, D. W. Griffith; The General, Buster Kenton
Essay on Physical setting: When/where does the film take place? Describe as many
locations as you can from both a physical and societal point of view.
Clues:
Style of dress
Language used
Architecture
Music
Transportation
Foods
2.
Depression and Era of Social Conscience (1929-1941)
Dead End
Other films: The Philadelphia Story, Holiday, Bringing Up Baby, Flying Down to Rio,
Top Hat, Meet John Doe, Grapes of Wrath, Sullivan’s Travels
Essay on Social setting:
Describe the social setting of the neighborhood. What
class/subgroup do most of the inhabitants of the neighborhood belong to? What are
the visible traits that tell you who a character is? Go wide (as many characters as you
can) and go deep (as much about each as you can).
Clues:
Nationalities
Occupations
Family backgrounds
Education
Ethnicity/Religion
Main business of the town
Economic climate
Political climate
3.
The War Years (1940-1948) (WWII-’39 in Europe, ’41 in US – ’45)
Casablanca
Other films: Flying Tigers, 30 Seconds over Tokyo, Back to Bataan, Air Force
Essay on Characters:
How “real” do the characters appear to you? Who are your
favorite characters and what is it about them that appeals to you? Finally, describe the
character arcs of Rick, Ilsa, Victor and Captain Louis Renault. Three of them change.
Describe from where to where. Who does not change?
Clues:
Does the story feature very few STARS or an ENSEMBLE?
Are actors drop-dead gorgeous or “real looking”?
Are characters sympathetic or unsympathetic? Or a mixture of the two?
Are “character actors” featured?
Character ARC – Do any characters change during the course of the film?
4.
Early 50’s – Post-War/Social Awakenings
On the Waterfront, Elia Kazan
Essay on Acting:
How “believable” do you think the actors’ performances are? How
close to everyday truth? Compare Marlon Brando’s performance in this film to that of
Humphrey Bogart in Dead End (not Casablanca). Do a detailed analysis of each
character and then try to analyze what the factors are affecting your accessibility to the
character? That is, which are you allowed to get closer to and why do you suppose that
is? Which actor makes you care more about what happens to him? How does he do
that?
Clues:
Internal or external expression of feelings?
How much instrospection (self-searching) does the actor do?
Physical traits - exaggerated or within the realm of believable?
Vocal qualities – how quickly or slowly does the actor talk? Do you get
the sense the actor is thinking and trying to figure out how he feels
as he talks or is it just there?
Which performance seemed to you to be harder to create? Why?
5.
1950’s – Keeping Up With the Goldbergs
A Place in the Sun (1951)
Essay on Artistic/Technical considerations:
A story this large and star heavy requires a
masterful director. How much can you “feel” the presence of the director? Describe
and discuss as many of the technical choices the director makes as you can – both
camera and sound.
Clues:
Color/B&W? Did the director have a choice?
Is there a LOT of dialogue or VERY LITTLE dialogue?
Does the camera move? Which way(s)?
Does the director shoot from any interesting angles?
Close-ups used much? What about long shots?
How important is the director’s choice of locale (place) in this story?
Is the scenery featured heavily?
How and how much is music used?
Is sound used any other way that is out of the ordinary?
6.
Late 50’s, Early 60’s – Setting the Stage for the 60’s
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967)
Others: Splendor in the Grass, Peyton Place, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Wild One, To Kill a
Mockingbird, Inherit the Wind, Rebel Without a Cause
Essay on Timeliness: How does the film reflect the attitudes of the times in which it was
made? What institutions does the film pay homage to (or ridicule)? Does the film
reflect the attitudes of the whole world, whole country, neighborhood or any specific
subgroup? How does the director use irony? What is the role of the United Nations in
this film?
Clues:
Dialogue
Character/Minor (secondary) characters
Story
Irony, Irony, Irony!!!!
7.
Those “What About Me?” 70’s
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Others: Annie Hall, Play it Again Sam, Ordinary People,
Essay on the Anti-hero: What is an “anti-hero”, what American experience(s) did the antihero emerge from and how does Jack Nicholson’s character fit the mold of an antihero? Is this film a tragedy or a comedy? How do the filmmakers manage to give the
film an uplifting ending and what do you suppose is suggested by the ending where the
fate of all anti-heros is concerned?
Clues:
Institutions
Officers of the institution
Music
Family relationships
8.
Those “Gimme Money” 80’s (The Decade of Greed)
Wall Street
Essay on THEMES – What is the corporate culture of the business where Charlie Sheen
works? What is the/are the complicated moral questions that arise from the plot? What form
does the “moral compass” of the country take in this society? Who is the “hero” of the world
in which Charlie is trying to make his way? What are the themes – universal truths – that the
film is trying to tell us we are in danger of succumbing to as a society? Have we succumbed?
Caved? Folded? Sold our souls?
Clues:
Locales
Physical trappings (clothes, cars, houses)
Character moralities
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