This essay represents an expansion of the scope of the shot and sequence-level analyses. Draw together facts about a film to argue for the existence of the overall theme of that film.

Some Specifications

In 800-1000 words, perform two basic tasks: collect repeated elements (facts about the film) and organize them into an argument for the existence of the films stance towards a theme. Elements that you include in your writing could include analysis of two or more specific shots and their relevant details, the way that the film juxtaposes various images between its cuts, repeated facts about the characters or subject, quirks of the dialogue—basically the field is open to any of the various parts of films that have been covered in class discussion or the text. However, your writing needs to both draw these disparate repetitions into a unified, single theme within your unified, singular writing, as well as take care to employ some of the vocabulary we have been using to discuss elements in film.

You may use any film produced before 1985; I expect you to use a film we have not viewed in class, though it is acceptable to use films discussed in the textbook. Make sure that in the introductory comments for your paper, you briefly describe the film to ensure that the argument you will make can be connected to the rest of that film.

This is a rather difficult project, and I suggest that you start with the odds and ends you see repeated in a film and then move towards analyzing their repetition in terms of a theme. It might be easiest to start out by noticing that certain elements are repeated, especially odd ones that kind of stick out, and then trying to ask the question “why did those elements stick out?” or “why would someone bother to repeat that thing there?”

You’ll find a helpful definition of the term theme here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28literature%29

Of most interest to you would be the distinction between theme and motif: “Themes differ from motifs in that themes are ideas conveyed by a text, while motifs are repeated symbols that represent those ideas. Simply having repeated symbolism related to chess, does not make the story's theme the similarity of life to chess.” The wiki gives some good examples of themes, but some of its examples are flawed; I advise you to move towards the ones which are contestable statements rather than simply facts about the film's contents.

The grading rubric is as follows: mechanical and stylistic correctness, 30%; uniqueness and validity of observations, 30%; thoroughness and attention to motif-level elements 40%.