English Language Arts B10
advertisement
English Language Arts B10 Module 3: Decisions Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 105 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 106 Lesson 12 Objectives As a student of language arts and communication processes, in Lesson Twelve of English Language Arts B10, you will have an opportunity to: identify some personal values. review Macbeth’s decision-making process. understand that Macbeth is a tragic hero. examine the nature of characters: Macbeth, Banquo, and Lady Macbeth. understand character analysis. examine how dramatic foil is used to develop characters. examine atmosphere, motif, and symbolism in Macbeth. view Macbeth and respond to content, interpretation, and media techniques. build vocabulary. English Language Arts B10 Page 107 Lesson 12 Decisions Maturity Adulthood brings special problems and rewards. Maturity usually comes in adulthood; however, maturity is also an attitude at any age. Some people in their maturity exhibit virtues gained through experience, such as integrity, dedication to high ideals, and courage. For others, however, maturity may bring a dedication to some of humankind’s enduring vices, such as envy, cruelty, and greed. In Lesson Twelve you will view a film whose main character lets the dark side of his nature control him and his decisions. The film you will watch in this lesson is Macbeth. Maturity in decision making is very important. If you make decisions based solely on the opinions of others, then, you are not respecting your own values and you do not have the opportunity to contribute to your maturing process. Consider your values; when you are old, which of these things would you like to have achieved in your life? to have been a loving parent to have fallen in love to have been skilled at your job to have worked for world peace to have a comfortable home to have plenty of friends to have made some new discovery or improvement in your area of work or expertise to have helped people you don’t know to have spoken out against injustice to have helped your friends to have traveled to other countries to have always eaten healthy food to have studied the subjects you are interested in to have met famous people English Language Arts B10 Page 108 Lesson 12 Ambition Perhaps you have heard someone being told, “You have no ambition; you’ll never accomplish anything.” Lack of ambition can truly be a handicap in life; people who do not set objectives for themselves may drift through life, aimless, and unhappy. People who achieve goals do not usually do so through chance; at some time in their lives they consciously decided to pursue their goals. Such people are usually praised for their ambition. What is ambition? It has been said that ambition is “the powerful source of good or evil.” It spurs people to great accomplishments in the arts, sciences, medicine, sports, and any other field you can mention. Just as ambition can result in great achievements, so too can it cause great suffering. It has motivated many of the world’s villains and caused many wars. Ambition is a strong desire to achieve some objective or goal. The good or evil nature of ambition is partly determined by the moral worth of the objective. If a noble objective is accomplished by ignoble means, what then? Does the end justify the means? In the film you will watch, the main character is Macbeth. His ambition clouds his judgement so that he sets aside his moral values in pursuit of his goal. The goal becomes more important than the people in his life, and his own integrity. His achievement of being king is marred by evil and destruction. English Language Arts B10 Page 109 Lesson 12 Feature Films Feature films are similar to works of fiction: short stories and novels. Some films are even based on poems or songs. Just as there are all types of stories in fictional writing, there are all types of movies. Movies can be classified in genres, just like literature. You are probably familiar with most of them: musicals, dramas, comedies, westerns, action pictures, war movies, disaster movies, horror movies, children’s movies, animated films. Many studios produce teen movies with teenage protagonists specifically targeted to teenage viewers. These are often released during the summer to draw teens with time to fill and money to spend. How do you decide what type of movie you want to see? The term film refers to a movie or movies considered as a group. The term movie comes from the phrase moving pictures. There is no agreement upon who invented motion pictures, yet another term for the same thing. The motion picture industry is the result of many people working in Europe, North America, and now all over the world. Motion pictures have been with us since the latter part of the 19th century. English Language Arts B10 Page 110 Lesson 12 Activity A: A Movie I Liked – A Movie I Did Not Like All of us have seen movies we really liked and movies we have not liked. In the following space write one paragraph about a movie you liked and one paragraph about a movie you did not like. The movies you write about may be ones you have seen recently in a theatre, or ones you have watched at home on a DVD or video. The movies might also be ones that you have watched in the past few years. Read the following before writing your paragraphs. Introductory sentence must establish the topic and grab the attention of your reader. Title of the movie needs to be included. Underline the movie’s title. If you remember the director’s name, the names of any of the actors, and so on, these should be included as these details add interest. Two specific reasons why you liked a movie or did not like a movie. An effective conclusion is needed to close your paragraph. (8) Paragraph One – A Movie I Liked _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 111 Lesson 12 Paragraph Two – A Movie I Did Not Like (8) _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Evaluation Both paragraphs will be evaluated according to the following criteria. Introductory sentence establishes the topic and grabs the reader’s attention. Title of movie has been included and underlined. Two specific reasons why you liked (in paragraph one) and why you disliked (in paragraph two) the two movies. An effective conclusion that closes your paragraph. Sentences are clear and complete. Punctuation and spelling are correct. Handwriting is easy to read. English Language Arts B10 Page 112 Lesson 12 Behind the Scenes Editing in Films Time in novels or short stories is very flexible, particularly when it comes to moving backwards and forwards. Changes have to be made, however, when converting written words into moving pictures. Films can only show the here and now, the present tense, what is happening on the screen as we watch it. Unless a film shows things deliberately speeded up or slowed down (slow motion or fast motion), what we see on the screen exists in real time. An action on the screen takes as long as the action in real life. If this is the case, how can a film which lasts a couple of hours tell a story which covers several days, months or even years? The answer is editing. Editing is a major part of putting a film together after it has been photographed. In broad terms, it involves deciding what goes in and what is left out. Have you ever heard an actor moaning about his big scene being left on the cutting room floor? A film is made up of hundreds of moving pictures called shots. A shot, sometimes called a take, is what is recorded each time the film runs through the camera. The editor’s job, with the director, is to arrange these shots into a good length and order. Although we may not always be aware of the editing, a filmed narrative is a long series of edited highlights. We see the parts of the story that matter, while the less important or interesting material is left out. This is much the same process effective writers go through when editing written material. Filmmakers usually control time by cutting out unimportant action, so that the story can be told in a couple of hours of screen time. The effect is that the story moves forward in time at different rates: some events are shown briefly or not at all, and others are played out in full. Sources of sound in film Sound has always been important in films, even during the movie’s so-called silent era. During those days virtually all films were shown with mood music played live on a piano or organ in the theatre. Some of the larger movie theatres had an orchestra to play specially composed music for the films. In 1927 with Warner Brothers’ The Jazz Singer, sound became a permanent part of filmmaking. English Language Arts B10 Page 113 Lesson 12 There are three basic types of sound in film. speech or dialogue noise or sound effects music Speech If characters in a film are talking, we expect to hear what they say. Dialogue is recorded during filming, through a microphone held out of camera range at the end of a boom. Quite often, dialogue recorded during the original filming is re-recorded in a dubbing studio. The actors watch themselves on the screen while they listen to the sound through headphones. By joining up sections of film into a continuous loop, each shot can be shown over and over again, while the actors practise speaking their lines in time with the original lip movements. They then record the new dialogue in place of the old. A soliloquy is a dramatic device in a play in which a character reveals his or her thoughts to the audience but not to the other characters by speaking as if to himself or herself. Shakespearean plays have a number of soliloquies. The dubbing studio is also the place where voiceovers are recorded. In place of soliloquies in Macbeth Orson Welles uses voiceovers. These would have been added after the filming was done. Have you ever seen a movie where the dubbing of dialogue has not been done very well? What was your reaction? English Language Arts B10 Page 114 Lesson 12 Noise/Sound Effects The proper name for noise in films is sound effects or SFX, as they are known in a shooting script. This covers anything that cannot be described as speech or music – for example, a gun shot, footsteps, a door closing, or the sound of wind. Just as dialogue is often added later, so too are sound effects. This is the job of the Foley artist. These audio specialists are a very important part of the film making team. All sounds in a film, from the ringing of a telephone to horses thundering down a valley, are created by the Foley artist. Music Music is used for various purposes in films. As the opening credits are shown, music is often used to set up the atmosphere of the film. The music that accompanies the credits may have a haunting mysterious tone to create a feeling of magic, mystery, or a quest for something. Lively cheerful music suggests a mainly happy film with, perhaps, some lively action. Loud music, using a lot of percussion, tends to suggest strong conflict, as in crime or war movies. What kind of music did Welles select for Macbeth? Music is often used to underline dialogue. Expressions of wistfulness, love, anger, and other emotions can be enhanced by the use of appropriate music. Music may be used to indicate an character’s inner, unspoken emotions. Music may enhance the mood of a scene, whether it be an exciting championship game, a tense situation at a family dinner table, or a courageous cavalry charge. English Language Arts B10 Page 115 Lesson 12 Conventions, Clichés, and Inexplicable Moments in the Movies The reason we can identify some types of films by their music is because the composer has written exactly what we expect to hear. We have become used to hearing certain styles of music played during particular types of film. Can you think of any examples? Sometimes conventions get used too often and turn into clichés (Lesson Four). A cliché of any type tend to make us think –not that again- every time we hear or see it in a movie or a television show. How many of the following clichés have you seen in the movies? Guns never need reloading. Trained assassins cannot hit the good guy. Plate-glass doors shatter like church windows. Heroes shake off punches that could kill a horse. These clichés often occur in movies. The motion picture industry has developed a catalogue of script shortcuts and conveniences designed to efficiently advance the plot but which often insult and infuriate even the casual moviegoer. Some clichés have been around as long as movies have: the six-gun that seems to hold an endless supply of bullets; gunshots in the arms and legs that merely wing a hero without causing pain, infection, or even bleeding. Other clichés are relatively new. All windowpanes, even thermal glass in high rise office buildings, tend to be as delicate as spun sugar and shatter spectacularly when someone is tossed into one. Clichés abound in movies but there are also plenty of inexplicable movie moments such as in screen fights where two men will slug each other with no apparent damage. No one ever gets a concussion or even a loose tooth. Have you ever noticed when facing a gang, the hero fights only one enemy at a time? The others dance around menacingly waiting their turns. Another example is a man will show no effect while taking a vicious beating but he will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds. English Language Arts B10 Page 116 Lesson 12 Activity B: Movie Moments From your own experience, describe five movie clichés or inexplicable movie moments. Try to be as specific as possible. Use sentence form. Name the movie or genre. (10) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. English Language Arts B10 Page 117 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 118 Lesson 12 The Director In film making today, the director controls most of what viewers see, from selecting the script to filming and editing. This certainly applies to the film you will watch in this lesson. The video version that you will be viewing, made by Republic Pictures in 1948, was produced and directed by Orson Welles. Welles played the main character, Macbeth, as well. However, he did not have as much freedom and money as a director such as Steven Spielberg does in the present time. Orson Welles (director and producer of the 1935 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play Macbeth) English Language Arts B10 Page 119 Lesson 12 Activity C: Who is Orson Welles? In his day, especially in his younger years, Orson Welles was very famous. Film buffs, film makers, and film historians still hold him in high esteem. In this activity you will be a researcher again. (9) Using your research skills, find four interesting facts about Orson Welles. Provide the source of your information using the appropriate documentation format. If you need help with this, refer to Lesson Eleven. Use sentence form to answer. 1. Fact concerning Orson Welles’ private life: (Note: Make sure that this is a significant fact. Do not pick an insignificant fact such as the person had six toes on his or her left foot.) _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Source: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. Fact concerning Welles’ theatrical career: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Source: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 120 Lesson 12 3. Fact concerning Welles’ radio career: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Source: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. Fact concerning Welles’ movie career: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Source: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 5. Give the title of the movie for which Welles is most famous. _______________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 121 Lesson 12 Macbeth – the film A tight twenty-one day shooting schedule on the back lot of Republic Pictures and a minuscule budget drastically restricted Welles. In keeping with the film-noir approach so popular in the postwar years, the director opted for a stark, barren atmosphere. A sense of gloom hovers over this fabricated Scotland; fog drifts in endlessly, while dirty animals dash across the courtyard. Rock formations are threateningly jagged; trees appear twisted and misshapen and constant drizzle descends from foreboding darkness. Our first image of Macbeth’s castle suggests the home of Count Dracula. The castle seems a natural extension of the horrific landscape. Welles adapted the original play written by William Shakespeare to fit the medium of film. He shortened the story by taking out what he felt was unnecessary. If you try to follow the words in the movie by reading along with a text of the play, you may become confused. Welles also switched some of the scenes for effect, eliminated some of the characters, such as Duncan’s second son, and reworked some of the other characters. Film noir (literally a French term meaning black cinema) refers to a kind of urban American genre that sprang up after World War II. Film noirs revolve around a despairing world where there is no escape from mean city streets, loneliness, and death. Stylistically, film noir emphasizes low key and high contrast lighting, and a strong atmosphere of dread and paranoia. You will view Macbeth for entertainment but you will also act as a critic, a viewer who analyzes and evaluates the film. As an inexperienced film critic or reviewer, you will likely want to watch the film more than once: the first time for enjoyment and to get the gist of the story, the subsequent times to assess the film for its various components. Before viewing the film read the following background information about the main characters. Macbeth Banquo Lady Macbeth English Language Arts B10 Page 122 Lesson 12 Macbeth Macbeth, in Shakespeare’s play and in Orson Welles’ film, is a tragic hero. He is a highly respected man of great stature, as well as a loyal warrior. He is also ambitious to be king. Shakespearean tragedy centres on a person of high rank and high moral values who has some defect or fault in his/her character. The audience, at first, respects this character. Then, the fault or defect leads the character to commit a sin so serious that he/she must die as a result. In order for the audience to become involved with the tragic hero, Macbeth, they must feel sorry about his downfall and sympathize with him. At first glance, Macbeth does not seem like a sympathetic figure. He kills a king and says that he has “no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’er leaps itself and falls on the other.” Macbeth’s decision making is based on his interpretation of events and people, on his values, and on his personal identity. The term regicide means the killing of a king. With each decision that Macbeth makes, he allows his desire for more and more power to govern his actions, but he also allows himself to be influenced by others. Among these influences is Macbeth’s belief in fate, the supernatural, and the power of the witches. The prophecy that he is to become king changes Macbeth’s life, and launches him on a course of evil his subjects. A Shakespearean audience would have been fascinated by, and somewhat fearful of, the supernatural forces which feed Macbeth’s ambition, but which also punish him. Macbeth’s beliefs were not unusual; many of these beliefs prevailed in the 17 th century when the play was written. In both Macbeth’s time (11th century) and Shakespeare’s time (17th century) a person’s position in society was established by the social order and the hierarchy of power, authority, respect, and allegiance to the monarchy. Position was determined by birth, or reward for service, and loyalty to the person above one. It was the belief at the time that kings had a divine right to rule, and that they only need answer to God. Men were loyal to others above them in rank, and women were subservient to men. Life for the average person was governed by death, war, and the powerful influence of those above – the nobility. English Language Arts B10 Page 123 Lesson 12 In 17th century England people were superstitious; they believed that witches could predict the future and influence the lives of people who asked their advice. Macbeth’s belief in the power of the supernatural is understandable even today. Some people regularly read their horoscope in the newspaper. Other people consult psychics for a reading on their future, and they plan their lives accordingly. Some of us have enjoyed reading the message in a fortune cookie. What do you think of these practices? Is there someone whom you consult for advice on how to conduct your life? Do you sometimes feel that outside forces control your life? To what degree should we consider others in the decisions we make about our lives? Macbeth’s generalship and valour are the qualities which first impress us in the play. It is largely through Macbeth that King Duncan’s enemies are overcome. On the other hand, Macbeth is a kind, sensitive man and his fears plaque him. Lady Macbeth is aware that Macbeth would hesitate to kill his king because he believes that if he commits evil murder then he will be made to pay for it. He fears the consequences of evil and he hesitates. However, Macbeth’s treachery towards King Duncan, who trusted him, indicates that his ambition has overcome his kindness and sensitivity. The king goes to Macbeth’s castle. Although Macbeth is his host, his kinsman, and his loyal subject, he does murder King Duncan. Macbeth’s greatest characteristic is his strong imagination. This is seen throughout the whole movie. He imagines he sees a blood-stained dagger before he kills King Duncan. He imagines he hears voices. In the film you will see how Macbeth’s fears and his imagination overpower him to commit more evil acts. He has his friend Banquo murdered because he fears Banquo’s virtue. He fears the prediction that Banquo’s line will become kings. He has Macduff’s wife and children murdered because he fears Macduff. The strength of a character may also evolve from contrasting the characters within a play. This is called dramatic foil. For example, the weaknesses in Macbeth’s character contrast with the strengths in Banquo’s character. Banquo is a foil to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s devotion to her husband’s ambition contrasts with Lady Macduff’s fear of her husband’s impulsive actions to leave his family unprotected. English Language Arts B10 Page 124 Lesson 12 Banquo The character of Banquo is a great contrast to the character of Macbeth. Banquo is a brave soldier, and helps Macbeth to crush the rebellion. Banquo hears the prophecies of the witches, but he is suspicious of them. Unlike Macbeth, he neither fears them nor begs them for their favours. Banquo shows no jealousy when the king showers honours upon Macbeth. Any ambitious ideas he has are overcome by his honesty and loyalty to his king. The first time we meet Banquo and Macbeth in the movie we see a contrast in their costumes. Banquo wears a tartan cloak which symbolizes his allegiance to his country and king. Macbeth, on the other hand, wears a plain black cloak. Macbeth tempts Banquo with honours if he will consent to talk further about how he will become king. Banquo replies that he will talk with Macbeth so long as his allegiance to his king is not in question. After the king’s murder, Banquo exhibits great caution in all he says and does. He is suspicious of Macbeth. He is afraid that Macbeth is guilty of the king’s murder, but he waits to make sure and, as a result, is put to death himself. Banquo’s ghost continues to haunt Macbeth. Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth’s great strength of will is apparent when we first see her in the film. She is more resolute than her husband. While he hesitates she never wavers. By her almost superhuman will, she tries to repress her womanly nature so that she can influence her husband to kill King Duncan. Not only has she strength of will, but Lady Macbeth has initiative and energy. She plans how the murder is to be carried out; she drugs the grooms and lays their daggers ready; she gives the prearranged signal for the opportune time to commit the murder. English Language Arts B10 Page 125 Lesson 12 Lady Macbeth is a devoted wife. Her whole ambition is for her husband. She, herself, does not desire the crown for herself, but for him. However, when Macbeth almost draws back from committing the crime of killing Duncan, she shows her power by compelling him to proceed with their plans. Her presence of mind is very focused when she discovers that Macbeth, after having murdered King Duncan, has not smeared the grooms with blood. When he refuses to return to do so, she goes back herself. Lady Macbeth is loved and honoured by her husband and by others. King Duncan gives her a diamond as a sign of respect. Duncan greets her as “honour’d hostess” and “fair and noble hostess.” Macbeth comments on Lady Macbeth’s courage when he seems so indecisive regarding the foul business. He tells her to “bring forth menchildren only.” At the banquet she concerns herself with the needs and comforts of her guests. It is Lady Macbeth who quickly covers for Macbeth when he sees the ghost of Banquo at the table. When she must dismiss the guests because of Macbeth’s ramblings, she remembers her social graces in spite of the tension. “A good night to all!” she says politely. Her character contrasts with the character of Lady Macduff. When Lady Macbeth appears with Lady Macduff for the first time, Lady Macduff is accompanied by one of her children, establishing her role as mother. She chides Macduff for abandoning her and their children. She is fearful for her safety. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, continues to protect her husband and their evil deeds. As Macbeth commits further violence and destruction, Lady Macbeth’s mind is filled with remorse, and fear. Eventually she goes mad and commits suicide. The Atmosphere of Macbeth Things are not as they seem. Macbeth is neither a loyal subject to the king nor an honourable warrior. Banquo, who is lower in rank, is more loyal to the king. His children will become kings. Lady Macbeth’s devotion to her husband’s traitorous acts of evil contrast with Lady Macduff’s questioning of her husband’s actions, fearful that he is a traitor. English Language Arts B10 Page 126 Lesson 12 The film opens with clouds, bubbling potions, and chanting, indistinguishable hags on a deserted heath. The witches, the lonely heath, and gloomy castles contribute to the terror and fear that pervades everyone in the movie. The contrast of night and day, and sleep and sleeplessness also contribute to the atmosphere. Nature also responds and acts out this fear and terror. People in Shakespeare’s time believed that unnatural events in nature either foreshadowed or paralleled evil acts committed by people. Thunderstorms and lightning, a delicate flying martlet, and a shrieking owl are part of the evil atmosphere. The morning light does not appear when Duncan’s murder is discovered; instead there is an eclipse. The morning is in darkness. The symbolism reinforces the atmosphere. The sight, the feel, and the smell of blood is on everything. Never has there been so much blood; nor does it run freely or wash away. There is blood and darkness in scene after scene, and evil dominates. As you watch the film, note the number of times the words blood and dark night are used. The words foul, fair, night, and darkness are often repeated. Another symbol in the play is the sleeplessness. This adds to the atmosphere of evil as Shakespeare suggests that sleep is the privilege of the good and virtuous, and the reward of the innocent. The final sign of a disordered world is the death of sleep. English Language Arts B10 Page 127 Lesson 12 There is also the fear that stalks Macbeth from the beginning. Fear mixes with ambition when the witches call him “king hereafter,” and fear reduces him to a maniac when he sees Banquo’s ghost. However, he is lulled into a feeling of false security when he consults with the witches a second time. He is desperate to know what the future holds. 1. Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife. 2. Be bloody bold and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. 3. Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him. After these three prophecies Macbeth feels himself safe. Macduff has fled to England and can do him no harm. Why then does Macbeth murder Macduff’s wife and family? English Language Arts B10 Page 128 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 129 Lesson 12 Activity D: Watching the Film As mentioned earlier, you will act as a film reviewer later on in this lesson. As you watch the movie for the second or third time, use the following questions to help you prepare your film review. It is not necessary to use complete sentences to answer these questions. (7) 1. The Basics a. Who directed the film? __________________________________________________ b. Who are the main actors in the film? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ c. Who wrote the original play? __________________________________________________ d. Who adapted the original play for the movie? __________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 130 Lesson 12 e. Who produced the film? __________________________________________________ f. What is the general story line? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ (7) 2. Summary a. Identify the main characters. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ b. Describe the general setting. Include time and place. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 131 Lesson 12 c. Summarize the plot and conflicts of the first third or half of the film. Do not reveal too much because a movie review can spoil the pleasure of watching a movie if too much information or too many details are given. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ (6) 3. Evaluation a. Rate the movie. How many stars out of five would you give it? __________________________________________________ b. Was the storyline moving, sentimental, tragic, uplifting, realistic, improbable, predictable, or surprising? Give a concrete example to illustrate your opinion. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 132 Lesson 12 c. Were the two main characters sympathetic, unsympathetic, convincing, stereotypical, flat, or complex? Give a concrete example to illustrate your opinion. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ d. Was the acting of Macbeth and his wife natural, awkward, or exaggerated? Was the movie well cast? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ e. What ideas or themes most impressed you? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ f. Overall, what most or least impressed you about this movie? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 133 Lesson 12 (1) 4. Recommendation a. Do you recommend this movie or not? __________________________________________________ b. If you do recommend it, who do you think would enjoy this film? If you do not recommend it, who should avoid this movie? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 134 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 135 Lesson 12 Activity E: Who Are the Actors Most movie watchers like to know who the actors are. As a film reviewer it is important for you to know who played what part in Macbeth. (12) Matching: In the space provided in front of each item in Column A, write the letter of the correct answer from Column B. Column A Column B ____ 1. Orson Welles a. Fleance ____ 2. Jeanette Nolan b. Malcolm ____ 3. Dan O’Herlihy c. Ross ____ 4. Roddy McDowall d. A Holy Father ____ 5. Edgar Barrier e. Macbeth ____ 6. Alan Napier f. Lady Macduff ____ 7. Erskine Sanford g. Banquo ____ 8. John Dierkes h. Siward ____ 9. Keene Curtis i. Lady Macbeth ____ 10. Peggy Webber j. Macduff ____ 11. Lionel Braham k. Duncan ____ 12. Jerry Farber l. Lennox English Language Arts B10 Page 136 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 137 Lesson 12 Movie Review How do you choose a movie to see? Many people read reviews before they spend their hard earned dollars at the theatre or video store. Movie reviews are often found in newspapers and magazines. These days they are also to be found on the Internet. Film reviewers have three main responsibilities: to report the essential facts about the film. to place the film in context for readers. to express some personal opinions about the film and its subject. Before you write your film review in Activity E, read the following instructions. First paragraph Your opening paragraph needs to catch your reader’s attention. You need a hook to lure your reader into reading the rest of the review. There are several ways to do this. For example: describe a scene, incident, or bit of dialogue from the film. make a comparison to another movie. connect the film to something happening in society today. connect the film to something happening in your life or to something that has happened to you or someone you know. state the main theme or one of the minor themes of the movie. describe the setting. Note: For the remaining three paragraphs you will need to go back to Activity D to look at the notes you made while watching Macbeth. Second Paragraph This paragraph will provide your reader with the basics of the film. Re-read your notes you made in the basics portion of Activity D. Third Paragraph In this paragraph you will use the information you gathered in the summary portion of your notes. Remember not to give too much information away about the plot. English Language Arts B10 Page 138 Lesson 12 Fourth Paragraph In the final paragraph rate the movie and give your recommendation. Remember to provide concrete examples to illustrate your opinion. Title Give your review a title that is interesting and appropriate. English Language Arts B10 Page 139 Lesson 12 Activity F: Movie Review As a film reviewer, write a film review of the movie, Macbeth, for newspaper readers who are teenagers and adults. (20) _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ English Language Arts B10 Page 140 Lesson 12 Evaluation of Film Review Your film review will be evaluated according to the criteria listed below Teacher’s Comments Elements of the Review The title is interesting and appropriate. The review contains four wellstructured paragraphs. The introduction catches the reader’s attention. The second paragraph provides the basics of the film. The third paragraph provides a brief summary of the first third or half of the film. The fourth paragraph gives a clear evaluation of the film. Support has been provided for the evaluation. The fourth paragraph contains a recommendation. The review is well organized. The writing flows smoothly from the paragraphs. The review is free of spelling and punctuation errors. The overall appearance of the review is pleasing. English Language Arts B10 Page 141 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 142 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 143 Lesson 12 In Conclusion More and more of Shakespeare’s plays are being produced as modern movies. Interest in live performances of his works is ongoing. Literary scholars continue to analyze and decipher the complexities of Shakespeare’s characters, their thoughts and their deeds. The lesson of Macbeth is timeless. Power gained by evil means destroys both the guilty and the innocent. Macbeth shows us that pivotal decisions can cause a chain reaction in future consequences and future decisions. Decision-making is a valued part of life, no matter what stage of being. The story of Macbeth tells us to consider our values, beliefs, and ethics when making decisions. The play emphasizes that we must choose wisely those to whom we go for guidance. Only those people whom we admire and respect for all the right reasons should we invite to influence our decisions. After you have worked through this lesson and completed the assignment, are you able to answer the following questions? If not, you may wish to review the concepts presented in Lesson 12. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? What are some of your personal values? What is editing in a film? Are there conventions and clichés in movies? Who makes the majority of choices in the making of a film? What is film noir? How is Macbeth a tragic hero? How is dramatic foil used to develop characters in a play? Is atmosphere important in Macbeth? What is a film review? English Language Arts B10 Page 144 Lesson 12 English Language Arts B10 Page 145 Lesson 12
