MIDTERM FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES 154
Be A Social Sciences Movie Critic
Viewing a film with a critical eye is an essential skill as a social scientist. In many ways movies are a reflection of the world around us and serve as a good medium to educate, criticize and evaluate what we see around us. For this assignment you need to put on your sociological lens.
The Task:
Over the course of the past couple of weeks we have watched several films. Use the experience and skill gleaned from that in completing the review of The Negro Soldier - one of the films analyzed in chapter 8 of your text: Screening America. After re-viewing the films, write a social sciences movie review essay. The movie review essay is limited to 2 pages of 12 point font single OR double spaced. Your review should include but is not limited to the following:
1) You can select other issues, or raise other questions, as long as they are substantive in nature.
2) Do NOT write a paper that simply lists a bunch of answers to the above questions. A review should follow the general essay organizational form (instructions above). Make sure you include an introduction and conclusion that outlines and / or sums up the main points in your review. Show me you have thought about the film and made connections between the film and what you’ve learned in class.
THE NEGRO SOLDIER (1944) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRUeOObzY4o
SCREENING AMERICA WEBSITE
Be A Social Sciences Movie Critic
Viewing a film with a critical eye is an essential skill as a social scientist. In many ways movies are a reflection of the world around us and serve as a good medium to educate, criticize and evaluate what we see around us. For this assignment you need to put on your sociological lens.
The Task:
Over the course of the past couple of weeks we have watched several films. Use the experience and skill gleaned from that in completing the review of The Negro Soldier - one of the films analyzed in chapter 8 of your text: Screening America. After re-viewing the films, write a social sciences movie review essay. The movie review essay is limited to 2 pages of 12 point font single OR double spaced. Your review should include but is not limited to the following:
- offer a brief (VERY BRIEF) synopsis of the film (200 words max)
- a description of how the characters are portrayed and their significance to the film
- What groups or attitudes are represented by the various characters? What does the film achieve by this?
- describe the central themes / messages the film is trying to convey…….Here, you would want to back up your claim with evidence, so show a certain scene or interactions between characters that represents the theme you discussed
- What questions (social, political, historical, economic etc.) does this film raise?
- Were there any stereotypes in the movie? Were they intentional?
- How is this film linked to the course? ……be sure to incorporate social science terminology as much as possible
- Your overall general impression of the film. How did you like the film? What do you feel was strong about the film? What needed improvement?
1) You can select other issues, or raise other questions, as long as they are substantive in nature.
2) Do NOT write a paper that simply lists a bunch of answers to the above questions. A review should follow the general essay organizational form (instructions above). Make sure you include an introduction and conclusion that outlines and / or sums up the main points in your review. Show me you have thought about the film and made connections between the film and what you’ve learned in class.
THE NEGRO SOLDIER (1944) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRUeOObzY4o
SCREENING AMERICA WEBSITE