I should have known that Mr. Klobuchar would have said it better than I could have

You should read this.

So, you donated blood. Nicely played.

But you missed class. You need to see me to do the following:

1. Set up a time to take your make-up quiz. This is a lot of fun for me.
2. Hand in your viewing guide for My Darling Clementine.
3. Hand in your viewing guide for Once Upon a Time in the West.

Also, a gentle reminder for everyone: your western essay is next Monday, October 29. We'll be writing your essay in class, but you need to watch and study another film before then. For the love of all good things, DO NOT forget about this.

The Western Essay: Monday, October 29

Overview

In this essay, you will explore the development of the Western genre. It will require you to view a film outside of class and draw on knowledge gained from the films we’ve viewed in class, as well as with the discussions and readings we’ve done. You must turn in notes of your viewing with the essay or you will lose points. Essays should be at least five well-developed paragraphs. Please see the attached rubric, which follows the Six Traits of Writing.

You may use one 4x6 note card to record any notes and an outline to prepare for the essay. You will turn in this note card with your essay, along with notes from your viewing.

The essay will be written in class on Monday, October 29. Be sure to have your note card and notes with you in class that day. If you know you are going to be gone on this day, you must talk to me beforehand to arrange a make-up time. If your absence is unexpected, you must email me on the day of the essay to arrange a make-up time. Otherwise, a grade deduction will occur.

Tips

End your introductory paragraph with your thesis statement, the argument about your film you’re going to prove in your essay. Here’s a simple, but effective model: My Darling Clementine fits the definition of a classic Western because of its portrayal of the decent cowboy hero, the “pure” woman, and the positives of the arrival of civilization in the Old West.

Each of your topic sentences should link directly to your thesis.

Use specific examples from the film – anything from a scene to a particular shot or line of dialogue – to help prove your thesis. Also, make sure to explain in your own words how your evidence proves the thesis.

Re-watch important scenes. Careful attention leads to careful notes, which leads to a strong essay. If you don’t study your film, you won’t do well.

Format

Underline or italicize film titles.

When citing your film for the first time in your essay, list the director and date of release in parentheses, e.g. Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992).

Refer to www.imdb.com for names and spellings of characters, actors, etc. There’s no excuse for not knowing a key fact about your film.

Options

1. Choose another classic Western and compare it to My Darling Clementine and elements of the classic Western, illustrating how your film fits the mould. Suggested films: Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939), Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948), Winchester ’73 (Anthony Mann, 1950), High Noon (Fred Zinnemann, 1952), Shane (George Stevens, 1953), The Searchers (Ford, 1956), Rio Bravo (Hawks, 1959), and Pale Rider (Clint Eastwood, 1985).

2. Choose a revisionist Western and demonstrate how the film takes the typical elements of the Western genre and revises them or comments on them. Suggested films: Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992), The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman, 1971), The Shootist (Don Siegel, 1976), and the so-called “spaghetti Westerns” of Sergio Leone [A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)].

3. Choose a parody Western and describe how the film makes fun of the characteristics of the typical Western. Suggested films: Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974), Cat Ballou (Elliot Silverstein, 1965), and Rustler’s Rhapsody (Hugh Wilson, 1985).

Two links

Many of you "forgot" to post on your blog with your response to the Time magazine article on westerns that we read in class. If you'd like to read it again (hint hint) you can find it here.

Also, Sarah F.'s grandpa's brother (that would be her great-uncle) is a pretty cool guy. Check out why.

Journal 3 is due next Tuesday!

Don't forget that your third journal entry is due next Tuesday, October 16.

Once again, if you've lost your All Important Goldenrod Assignment Sheet, here are the directions:

For topics 2 and 3, you must choose films from either of the following lists, and at least one of them must be either from before 1960 or a non-American film (and they can’t be from our class list): www.time.com/time/100movies/ (then click on “see the complete list”) or www.rogerebert.com/greatmovies.


Behind the Scenes. Due Oct. 16.

We often appreciate a movie more when we know how it was made. What went into its creation behind the scenes? How, for example, did the art director design the sets for Citizen Kane? How did the photographer achieve those striking camera movements and lighting effects? Where did the ideas for the screenplay come from, and what did each writer contribute to the script?

This assignment is an opportunity to look behind the scenes at a particular aspect of filmmaking that interests you. First, select a film you would like to learn more about from one of the previously mentioned lists. Then, choose one of the following topics and write on what you learn through research.

(Note: choosing one topic is preferable, but if you need to write about more than one to fulfill the 500-word requirement, that’s OK).

You must turn in at least one page of notes of your film with your journal. Whenever you introduce an idea that comes from your research, make sure to mention the source (use signal phrases like “According to Steven Spielberg’s commentary track,” or “According to an article by A.O. Scott in the New York Times.” If any of your sources are online, please link to them in your post and don’t be afraid to quote from them).

Hint: DVD commentary tracks and other extra features make excellent sources for this assignment.

A. Script Writing. Who was responsible for the film script? Where did the main idea originate? If the film is based on literature, consult the original text and compare it to the final film.

B. Photography. Who was the film’s chief cinematographer? What is he or she most noted for? Are there any technical innovations in camera work or lighting? How were they achieved?

C. Set design. Who was involved in selecting and creating the film’s sets? Were any special problems encountered in making the sets? How were they solved? How important are the sets in the final film?

D. Music. Does the film use familiar music or an original score? What musical decisions were made by the composer? What effects was the composer striving for? Are different melodies used for different characters or scenes? How do they contribute to the total film experience?

E. Direction. Some directors have a stronger hand than others in the making of a film. Directors may be interested in different elements of filmmaking. What role did the director have in producing the film you chose? What are the director’s hallmarks in this and other films?

F. Acting. Select two or three actors in the film and find out more about them. Why do you think they were chosen for the film? What other roles have they played? Are they versatile or stereotyped? What can you learn about their behavior on or off the set during the film’s production?

G. Reception. Do some research to find out how the film was received during its first release. What did the critics say? How did the general public respond? How do you account for the reception in its own time and today?

Citizen Kane Quizzes

The multiple choice portion of your quizzes are graded and entered--I just posted grades to Edline. I'll start working on the essay portion, which will be 20 points total (10 points each).

Tomorrow we start our study of film genres with The Western!