write a essay (1500words)

TOPICS IN MUSIC AND CINEMA: WESTERN MEDIEVALISM IN FILM

MUSC 2016.03 / FILM 2016.03

Analysis Paper: Depictions of Joan of Arc

AIMS

• to analyse how two contrasting film trailers present the Middle Ages • explain how sound (music, dialogue, and sound effects) shapes those presentations • cultivate analytical skills in relation to sound • hone critical thinking skills

To complete this paper, you must read a biography of Joan of Arc (included on Brightspace), and watch and analyse in detail two trailers: I: READINGS (pdfs provided in the "Paper" folder on Brightspace): Required: A straightforward history of the life of Joan of Arc:

• Michaud-Fréjaville, Françoise. "JOAN OF ARC, ST. (c.1412-1431)." In Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia. Edited by Katharina M. Wilson, and Nadia Margolis. ABC-CLIO, 2004.

Optional: An article about varied representations of Joan of Arc in literature, which might help you think about Joan of Arc's reception in film:

• Deborah McGrady. "Joan of Arc and the Literary Imagination." In The Cambridge Companion to French Literature. Edited by John D. Lyons. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015, 18-33.

II: THE TRAILERS (links included in the "Paper" folder on Brightspace): These are very short, so watch numerous times and take detailed notes about the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound (music, dialogue, and sound effects): The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Luc Besson, 1999) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbMOQIs45s Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (Bruno Dumont, 2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_IDOL42IIs

In your analysis, consider the following elements and their interaction:

1. genre 2. narrative 3. shot types and camera angles 4. credits and intertitles 5. dialogue and/or voiceover 6. sound effects 7. diegetic and non-diegetic music (type of music and how it is used) 8. mise en scène (costumes, landscape, setting, placement of characters within the setting

etc.) 9. lighting and colour palette 10. editing (particularly the pacing and what it projects about the sense of time and place)

Use the technique of masking both ways to analyse fully what is happening:

1. close your eyes and focus only on the sound; 2. turn off the sound and focus only on the visual elements.

In your paper, compare and contrast the way in which Joan of Arc is presented through visual and aural elements and the kind of world in which she lived. Your analysis paper should be 1500 words. This is NOT a research paper; if you use other sources, however, they must be properly cited. Criteria for assessment:

• evidence of familiarity with the two trailers • evidence of familiarity with the life of Joan of Arc (from the required encyclopedia entry) • evidence of engagement with the ten elements listed above • correct application of film and music terminology • quality of thought and observations • originality and creativity of critical interpretation • scholarly writing style, clarity in presenting ideas, correct citation of sources (if

applicable), general presentation Due Date: March 11, 2019, by 10 p.m. Please submit your paper online via Brightspace. Late papers are subject to deductions of 5% per day.