Length and Due Dates

Length: 4 pages, formatted as described in the “Essays” section of the syllabus
First Draft Due:  Friday, February 15 by 3:00 p.m. in hard copy at Padelford A305 or as email text (no attachments)
Final Draft Due: Tuesday, February 26, at the beginning of class

Topics

You may write on one of the following topics:

1. Compare and contrast the function of the ambiguous ending in two of the following films: Jeux Interdits, Les Quatre Cents Coups, Salaam Bombay! and Kids.  What do the narrative and style of these endings suggest about the resolution of issues raised by the films?  To view clips of the endings, go to the Essays page.

2. Both Meet Me in St. Louis and Jeux Interdits feature children who play morbid, or even “forbidden,” games.  Why do these films connect death and game-playing?  How do the narrative and cinematic techniques used to depict morbid games shape our reading of what these games mean?

3. In class discussion, I’ve suggested that “child on the street” film constitutes a genre.  What are the narrative, stylistic, thematic, and ideological elements that connect films such as Les Quatre Cents Coups, Salaam Bombay! and Kids?  In your response, you will need to discuss at least two films.  You may also draw upon Bordwell and Thompson’s discussion of genre in Film Art (pages 94-100).

4. Compare and contrast the child’s relationship with his mother in Aparajito and Les Quatre Cents Coups.  How does this relationship function within the films, and how is depicted on both narrative and stylistic levels?

5. Compare and contrast the representation of child and adult worlds in two of the following films: Jeux Interdits, Salaam Bombay!, Les Quatre Cents Coups, and Aparajito.  How are the two worlds distinguished in terms of narrative and cinematic style?  What is the child’s position in both worlds?

Guidelines and Expectations

1. Although each essay topic lists films for discussion and asks you to respond to specific questions, you will need to develop an argument and support that argument with evidence from the films.  In developing your argument, you may want to read the postings on our class discussion board for ideas.  You can also discuss your ideas-in-progress with me.

2. Let your argument dictate the organizational format of your essay.  Just because the films have a particular narrative order does not mean that your essay must follow that order. 

3. Remember that you are writing to an audience who has viewed the films.  Therefore, you do not need to summarize the plot.  Instead, you should incorporate summary, paraphrase, quotation, or description of images into an analysis.  Each reference to the film should support your argument. 

4. When describing a film's plot or stylistic techniques, use the present tense (for example, "Tootie gleefully describes her doll’s funeral," or "Chaipau appears in close-up as he surveys the empty circus grounds").

Grading and Late Penalities

I will use this scale to evaluate your essay.  Failure to submit a first draft will result in a .5 deduction in the final grade for the essay.  Late final drafts will receive a .3 grade deduction per day late, including weekends and holidays.

Sample Essay

Although written for a class focusing on race in U.S. cinema, this essay offers a model comparative analysis of how technical elements function in two films.  The writer developed an argument about how white mediators move between racial spheres defined by mise-en-scene.  Throughout the essay, the writer supports her argument with specific references to details of costume and setting and descriptions of narrative events.  She also uses an effective organizational format, examining both films in terms of mise-en-scene before shifting to compare the film's narratives and the white mediators' actions.