Film

HUM 3280: Narrative Film

Dr. Perdigao

Fall 2021

Film Response #12

DUE: Tuesday, December 7th

on Canvas

Choose one of the following questions and construct a 1-2 page (250-500 word) typed response. Make sure that you do not approach the responses as a film review; instead, construct an argument about the film, focusing on its specific details (visual composition, narrative, characters, and themes), historical and cultural contexts, and placement in the history of film.

1. The Artist, along with Hugo, was an award-winning film of 2011 that returns to the silent film era for its subject. How does The Artist represent film history? How can we read it as a modern critical assessment (or reassessment) of early film? How does the film depict the evolution of the medium and the changing roles of the individuals within its world?

2. The Artist explores the making of films and a changing film industry, much like Sherlock Jr., Modern Times, and Singin’ in the Rain. What is the relationship between The Artist and these films that represent revolutionary times in film history? How does it take those storylines and adapt their terms to offer this return to the period and its contexts?

3. The Artist, while focusing on the developments within the film industry and the transition from silent to sound films, is also a film about the creation and recreation of identity, putting it in conversation with films like Citizen Kane, American Beauty, and even Memento. How does The Artist depict identity—both for the period represented in the film and as a reflection of its contemporary culture, in 2011?