Samford University
CA102 Kirby
Spring 2014
Flim Evaluation Paper
This assignment is designed to help you and your group members
establish and apply criteria
for effective evaluation of information and entertainment provided
through
an audiovisual medium. The purpose is to help you make informed
judgments,
interpret symbols, clarify values, and convince others of your
position.
In the process you can become a more informed consumer of one form of
today's
media--film.
Analytical considerations for film criticism.
You should respond to at least some of these
considerations from each
category.
Aesthetic considerations. These are the basics of film
as art, the things people win Oscars for: acting (believable,
actor
is appropriate to the part), directing (quality, connection to
director’s
other films), screenplay (scene selection, dialog), cinematography and
technical aspects, and of course the musical score. You also may
need to consider
genre, setting (often closely
associated
with cinematography), or symbolism (usually associated with theme).
Social and psychological
considerations. Issues of character development and
interaction are frequently the most essential themes in a film.
What does the film say about personal goals and values, the
relationship between the individual and society, etc.?
Cultural considerations. How does the film comment on
why
we do the things we do—why we eat, dress, play, talk, and live the
way
we do? How does it comment on the day to day assumptions we make
about other people, those like us and those different from us?
Historical considerations. If the film is historical or
futuristic, could
it nevertheless represent real or potential
events, and why? What do we learn from thinking about the
historical "accuracy" of a film?
You will be expected to make some sense of your personal response to
the movie, to draw conclusions about the meaning and value of that
experience
and then pass that on to your audience. Remember that for many of
the most famous and influential films, reasonable people disagree about
both the meaning of the film and its quality as a work of art.
Make
sure to construct a logical argument, support it with facts, respond to
objections, and persuade your audience of your interpretation. To
help make your evaluation more meaningful, also consider these
questions
(which may overlap somewhat with the considerations given above):
• What were the movie's merits? Its inadequacies?
• Did the movie evoke an emotional response? Explain.
• What did it say about the human condition?
• Is this movie worth seeing today? Why or why not?
• What does the movie say to the Samford community?
• How would it play to the Samford community?
Format for papers
Your paper should be 1200-1500 words long, 4-5 typed double-spaced
pages, and must make effective use of three scholarly or top-tier media
sources.
Evaluation criteria--make sure your paper does the following:
1. Has a thesis that is clearly stated and appropriately qualified
2. Establishes and applies criteria for effective evaluation
3. Offers reasons and supporting evidence for the judgment
4. Provides basic information about the movie and principles involved
in its
making
5. Assesses the movie's realism or historical accuracy
Annotated bibliography - You
must submit an annotated bibliography of
five representative professional reviews and articles of academic
criticism
on your film (these would not include anything from the zillion
"Pookey-Doo's Movie Reviews" sites across the Internet). These
should be brief evaluative annotations of about 50 words.