Film Analysis - Art History Movie Course

The large project for this class will be an analysis of a film of your choice.  It is worth thirty percent of the final grade. You can choose any American film you like, excepting the ones we view in the course, and the selection of the film is naturally very important. The paper should focus on technical aspects of the film, the historical context in which it produced, what it tells you about the period in which it was produced, and the cultural significance of the film.  The final product will be a formal review of a film of your choice of ten pages (typed double spaced) length due on Dec. 9.

(Not a narration of plot!)
talk about the style, look, theme, camera angles, message of the film.
Why the film came out at that particular time.
Actors and Performances.

I was thinking of the movies:
Maltese Falcon
Clockwork Orange
Millers Crossing

If you have a movie in mind that you think would be great for this project please let me know.


Below are the movies we are unable to choose for this project.

Week One-Oct. 24- 29

Feature Film of the Week-The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith, 1916

Wed. Oct. 26- Face to Face meeting, film to be screened by students individually online    

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Oct. 31

Django Unchained, Quention Tarantinto, 2013

Glory, Edward Zwick, 1989

Gone with the Wind, David O Selznick, 1939

Lincoln, Steven Spielberg, 2012

Week Two- Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

Feature Film of the Week-The Grapes of Wrath, John Ford, 1940    

Wednesday Nov. 2:  F2f lecture on the context of the 1930’s and film screening

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Nov. 7

Bonnie and Clyde, Arthur Penn,1967

Cinderella Man, Ron Howard, 2005

O Brother Where Art Thou, Cohen Brothers, 1998

Sullivan’ Travels, Peter Sturges, 1941

Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Frank Capra, 1939

Week Three- Nov. 6- 12

Feature Film of the Week-Casablanca, 1941    

Wednesday, Nov. 9: Lecture on the Golden Age of Hollywood and Film Screening

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Nov. 14

Stagecoach, John Ford, 1939

Citizen Kane, Orson Welles, 1942

To Have and Have Not, Howard Hawks, 1944

If not selected in Week One: Gone with the Wind, David O Selznick, 1939

Week Four-Nov. 13- 19

Feature Film of the Week-The Manchurian Candidate, 1962    

Wednesday Nov. 16- F2F Lecture on Cold War America and Film Screening

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Nov. 21

The Manchurian Candidate, Johnathan Demme, 2004

JFK, Oliver Stone, 1991

Dr Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick, 1963

Fail Safe, Sidney Lumet,1964

The Thing, Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks, 1951

Matinee, Joe Dante, 1991

Week Five- Nov. 20- 26

Feature Film of the Week-Easy Rider, Peter Fonda, 1969    

Wednesday, Nov. 23- F2F lecture on America in the 1960’s and Film Screening

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Nov. 28

High Plains Drifter, Clint Eastwood, 1972

The Wild Bunch, Sam Peckinpah, 1969

Little Big Man, Arthur Penn, 1970

The Graduate, Mike Nichols, 1967

If not selected in week two- Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

Week Six- Nov 27- Dec. 3

Feature Film of the Week-American Graffiti, George Lukas, 1973    

Wednesday, Nov. 30 lecture on nostalgia and the 1970’s, plus film screening

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Dec. 5

Rebel Without a Cause, Nicholas Ray, 1955

Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater, 1993

National Lampoon’s Animal House, John Landis, 1978

Hot Tub Time Machine, Steve Pink, 2010

Field of Dreams, Phil Alden Robinson, 1989

If not selected in Week Four: Matinee

Week Seven- Dec. 4- 10

Feature Film of the Week- Wall Street, Oliver Stone (1987)

Wednesday, Dec. 7- Lecture on the 1980’s and Film screening

Supplemental Film Choices: Presentation(s) due Dec. 12

Top Gun , Tony Scott, 1986

Red Dawn, John Milius, 1984

Heartbreak Ridge, Clint Eastwood, 1986

Back to the Future,Robert Zemeckis, 1985