Reference no: EM132279042
Paper Assignment
Your assignment is to write a paper (4-6 pages) examining a movie, miniseries, short subject, or fictional book's portrayal of a particular time in American history, and with the help of at least two (2) outside sources critically analyze the film. In four to six pages, the paper should attempt to address the following issues of the film:
1. When was the film made?
2. What era does it portray?
3. What themes are present in the movie, and how well does it convey them?
4. What can the movie tell about the era in which it was made?
5. What can the film tell us about the popular perception of the era that is being portrayed?
6. How accurate is the movie, compared with the information obtained in your source material?
7. How successful is the movie in conveying its chosen subject?
8. How can history as a backdrop to tell a story, and how can events be used in order to facilitate the telling of a story or push a modern message?
There are any number of ways this assignment can be done. The most straightforward way might be simply selecting one movie and two secondary sources, but, it is also perfectly acceptable (if not encouraged) that students can select an early movie and a later movie about similar events or themes, to discuss changing perceptions.
So, for instance, if one were interested in the retelling of the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944, one might watch The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998), and compare how a thirty-six-year difference shapes the telling of a similar story. Another option might be to choose movies such as Mississippi Burning (1988) and Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) to describe the Civil Rights movement.
For fictional movies in the list, such as On the Beach, Fail Safe, Dr. Strangelove, or Wargames, the objective would be to examine more what these movies tell about Cold War society and fear, and examine how these movies are representative of the time and society that created them - with analysis of their historical accuracy focusing more on analysis of the society of the time.Please note: in all cases, you must use two secondary sources.
Within the paper, students should address the questions presented above, citing numerous examples from the film and contrasting that with similar examples from the relevant sources.
The paper should discuss the themes presented in the movie, their historical accuracy, and the effectiveness that the movie conveys them. To some degree, this paper is also a movie review going beyond the historical accuracy of a movie and describing how effectively the movie communicates with an audience.
As examples, papers over Lee Daniels' The Butler should describe the effectiveness that the movie shows the changing nature of the Civil Rights Movement or how effectively it shows white racism during the 1930s-1960s. Please note that the movie selected (should students wish to depart from the provided list) must be about AMERICAN history - hence any movie selected not on the list must be approved by the instructor.
Acceptable sources are scholarly works (they must include footnotes!) and journal articles obtained through the OSU Library system. If a website is to be used, you must obtain permission from the instructor to use a website! Any website used that is not approved will result in an automatic failing grade for the assignment. There will be NO approvals of websites such as Wikipedia, Answers.com, etc. Websites must be scholarly works to be approved, and only then at the discretion of the instructor.
If a student wishes to use a movie or short subject not on the approved list, they must seek the permission of the instructor.
However, there is a good sampling of movies and shorts on the list provided, many of which can be streamed from the internet (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and even YouTube carry full movies), purchased at movie stores, or rented through the OSU or Stillwater Library or Video Rental outlets (Hastings, Red Box, Blockbuster, etc).
Possible Movie/Miniseries Choices - This is not a complete list, and was last updated in 2013
1776 The Patriot
Revolution John Adams
The Alamo (1960) The Alamo (2004)
Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory Iron Horse
Union Pacific Gettysburg
Gods and Generals Glory
Lincoln Young Mr. Lincoln
North and South Blue and the Gray
Hell on Wheels The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Wyatt Earp
The Grapes of Wrath Truman
The Young Lions Sahara
Sergeant York Company K
All Quiet on the Western Front Fighting 69th
The Big Red One The Longest Day
Midway John Ford's The Battle of Midway
Guadalcanal Diary Wing and a Prayer
Saving Private Ryan A Bridge Too Far
Judgment at Nuremburg The Pacific
Pork Chop Hill Band of Brothers
The Right Stuff From the Earth to the Moon
October Sky The Help
Apollo 13 Forrest Gump
Mississippi Burning Ghosts of Mississippi
The Kennedys JFK
Fail Safe(either version) The Color Purple
On the Beach Goodnight and Good Luck
Thirteen Days Apocalypse Now
Full Metal Jacket Platoon
Dr. Strangelove The Day After
Wargames Charlie Wilson's War
42 The Conspirator
J. Edgar Gangs of New York
Black Hawk Down Public Enemies
Road to Perdition The Untouchables
We Were Soldiers Red Tails
Milk Frost/Nixon
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Battle for Haditha Chaplin
Aviator Hiroshima
Hyde Park on Hudson Argo
The Godfather Part I The Godfather Part II
Pearl Harbor Tora ToraTora
Patton Malcolm X
Tuskeegee Airmen Men of Honor
How the West Was Won Great Gatsby(either version)