Prof. Michael Goldberg
BLS 464: Topics in Advanced Cinema Studies: The Western
Summer 2003

Midterm Exam Study Guide

The midterm will be divided into two sections.

Section I: The first section will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to do ideological interpretation of a Western that has been viewed by the class by incorporating formalist analysis and insights from the reading. This section will be worth 70% of your grade. You will be shown a clip from the second part of the course three times and will be given the opportunity to write down notes of what you observed between each showing. You will then write an argumentative essay answering the question posed to you.

Sample Question:
How does the scene between Dunson and Tess comment on the role of women as active agents wwthin the Western?

Think about the question carefully before your watch the scene the first time. You will be given about 5 minutes to jot down notes about the readings. When you first view the scene, try to look at the large picture. What are the main narrative moments? How does the scene develop, how is it structured, and what are the most obvious technical elements? After viewing the scene, start by writing down your findings, but then try to develop a quick thesis concerning the ideological message. When you view the scene the next time through, keep this thesis in mind as you take notes. You may end up changing your thesis but this strategy will give you something to focus on. The third time through, look for those elements that address your thesis (whether in agreement or not). Remember, like the essay assignment, you should only include formalist elements in your exam essaythat support your argument. This means you may find more elements than you include in your essay. You will not be given any credit for formalist analysis that does not support the argument. You will need a strong thesis statement explicitly about the ideological message of the film in order to write a successful exam essay, and you should take 5-10 minutes to organize your essay before you start writing.

Section II. The second section will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your comprehension of the required assigned reading. This section will be worth 30% of your grade. You will be given the choice of five questions and you will be required to answer three of these questions. Each response should be between 4-8 sentences.

Most people will take between 60-90 minutes to finish the exam. There will be an additional 20-25 minutes required to view the scene and take notes.

We will spend the first 40 minutes of class reviewing the research assignment.