essay revision

For this film analysis paper, you may use parts or the entirety of any posts you have made on Yellowdig. Your Yellowdig discussion activity should be considered preparation and material for the paper. (To see only your own posts and comments on Yellowdig, select Filter—By Member, then enter your name). Yellowdig discussion questions are available on Blackboard by film in the content area, “Discussion Board Questions.”

Choose one of these two topics. You are not required to cite the textbook or additional readings, but if you do, please provide the bibliographic information for your source in a footnote. Italicize film titles. The first time you mention the title of a film, follow it with the director and release year in parentheses. For example: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941).

1. Both Citizen Kane and Memento employ unconventional (by Classical Hollywood standards) forms of narration. Develop an analysis of the distinctive narrative elements of one of these two films, or another film of your choice. Explain specifically how the film manipulates temporal order. How does the film’s plot arrange the chronology of its story, and what effects does this have in terms of the range of narration (that is, how much of the story information the viewer possesses in relation to characters in the film)? What effects does the film’s narrative style have upon the viewer’s expectations; for example, does it create suspense, surprise, or curiosity? Does the film encourage viewer identification with a particular character or characters, and if so, what devices (such as perceptual or mental subjectivity) does it employ in order to do so? Analyze at least two specific scenes in the film, with particular attention to visual and aural qualities of the scenes.

2. Both Citizen Kane and Memento employ a number of motifs, which Bordwell and Thompson define as “any significant repeated element that contributes to the overall form.” Motifs can function to suggest parallels among different characters, situations, or scenes in a film. They can help to convey larger themes and meanings of the film. Focus your analysis on two or more motifs in either of these films or another film of your choice. Provide a specific analysis of a minimum of two different scenes in which each motif appears, and explain what function it performs in each scene. Further, discuss what larger meanings of the film you believe these motifs help to convey.