my final essay

Final Essay

Please write an essay (7 pages double-spaced [4 in German]) about one of the topics below:

Berlin after the Fall of the Wall: Compare and analyze at least two of the following three films: Run Lola Run, Goodbye Lenin and The Edukators. Consider film techniques, sound as well as moral and gender implications in the films and claims regarding society.

or:              Being Trapped: Analyze at least two of the following four films: The Experiment, The Lives of Others, The Wave and Funny Games. What film techniques are used to convey the directors’ message? Consider the use of camera angles, space, light and sound. Describe the claims regarding society, ethics and media.

or:              Minorities in German Film: Discuss Head On and The Edge of Heaven. Please consider the use of camera techniques, light, sound and space and the effects that the filmmaker tries to accomplish. How is the situation of minorities described and what is the relationship between people of different ethnic/religious backgrounds? What are the moral statements and how is the life of minorities described in these films?

The essay is due on Wednesday, May 4, by 11:30 AM. Please send it to me as an e-mail attachment as doc or docx file, use the MLA format and include a works cited list. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Do not forget to choose a title and the beginning paragraph should end with a clearly discernible main thesis statement, which you should then support with your following arguments. In other words, “I am going to compare film x and y” is not a thesis statement. Instead, clearly phrase your main point of argumentation. Please avoid long summaries and repetitions and describe the content only if it is necessary for your argument. It is important that you focus on your own ideas and conclusions. Review the texts by Gemünden, Lifton and Corrigan’s suggestions on how to write a critical/theoretical essay.

Find and quote from at least two secondary academic sources that we have not used in class and that directly address the films you write about and use footnotes. Do not quote Wikipedia since it is not a reliable source.