These Response Journals are not REVIEWS.

I am not necessarily interested in whether or not you enjoyed a particular film.  Remember, you are trying to answer the question “why is this film considered important?”.  However, if it does connect with you on a personal level (or completely alienates you), I think that would make great addition to your response.

Here is an abridged excerpt from the article written by David Birdwell on the differences between film studies and casual film conversation.  It provides a great stencil for your writing:

“How does film studies, as an academic discipline, accord with the more common ways of talking and thinking about films?

Ordinary discourse about cinema centers on evaluative talk.  “That movie was great!  I loved it.”. This conversation tends to be ahistorical in the sense that this or that movie is no seen as part of a tradition or long-range trend.  Typical talk about movies isn’t vey analytical.  It’s doesn’t explore how the parts of the film relate to one another; it doesn’t dissect strategies or plotting or aspects of style’ it doesn’t examine the ideological maneuvers the film might execute.

Film studies is an effort to understand films and the processes through which they’re made and consumed.  Film studies is best defined as:  A process of posing and trying to answer questions in a systematic way, one that is open to discussion and criticism.

Film studies centers on questions that require explanationsas answers.”

(The full essay: http://www.davidbordwell.net/essays/studying.php (Links to an external site.)) in case you still haven’t read it 🙂

Response Journal #1:  

Using either Broken Blossoms OR The Gold Rush, I want you to simply answer the question:

“Why is this film considered important?”

You may define “Important” in any TWO or more of the following ways:

–For an individual filmmaker (lead actor, writer, producer, or director)

-From an industrial/economic perspective:  Was it successful? Innovative?

-Artistically/Aesthetically:  Costumes, locations/sets, lighting, sound?

-Technologically: Camera work, special effects?

-Socially/Culturally/Politically:  How does it reflect, influence the landscape of it’s period?

And remember-I’m not interested in reading a long synopsis of the plot of the film.  Anyone can do that without honestly even seeing the film.

Instead, determine which aspects from the list above will directly support your thesis of why the film is important

·       Feel free to highlight specific moments from the film that reflect your ideas

·       Offer research – AND CITE IT at the end of your paper

·       Include notes/discussions from class lecture

·       Create a systematic well supported criticism of the film.

·       Does it continue to be an influential film today?  How? Where do see it’s influence?

Using a basic 4-5 paragraph paper format works well.