Term Paper
The term paper for this class will provide an opportunity to explore in detail one aspect of non-US cinema up to the 1960s. The paper is to be a combination of original essay and research as explained below. It should be 5-7 typed pages long, plus a Works Cited page. Pages must have 1 inch margins, be double spaced and in 12 point Times New Roman.
Paper is due on the last day of class before finals week.
Topic:
Select a time period (from the birth of cinema to 1960) and nation (not the USA) that you wish to study. Within this time period, you will be focusing on a specific film movement. The country may be one we have covered, or a country that we have not looked at.
In the first section of your paper (at least 2.5 pages), explore the aspect of the film movement that you wish to focus on. This can include stylistic elements, the impact of events outside of the industry, elements of the film industry itself, social trends etc. Note that if you look at a movement that we have covered, you will need to focus on aspects that we have not covered in class. Establish the elements that make that movement unique. This part of the paper will require you to perform research using academically sound sources.
Select one film which is part of the film movement discussed in the first part of your paper. The film should be representative of the movement, but need not be well known, or part of the ‘canon’ when we consider the film movement.
“The country i decided i want to focus on is Germany because I find it fascinating how Expressionism influenced the emotional and psychological complexity of movies made under the Weimar Republic.”
The second half of your paper (at least 2.5 pages) will demonstrate how the film you have selected represents, or otherwise, the research from the first half. It will consist of your own analysis (not based on research) of the film, demonstrating its engagement with the film movement that it is a part of. This will include both the form of the film (the visuals and sound, where appropriate), and the themes that the film explores.
As you work on your paper, consider the following:
- You should first do as much research on your subject as possible, developing a real familiarity with it. The SBCC library has many resources to assist you with this project; look for books and articles in the online databases.
- For the most recent films and topics, you will need to look at the online databases available on the SBCC Library website. Look at ProQuest and Project Muse. You can access these through Pipeline.
- One part (about 50%) of your paper should present what you have found to be the most interesting and important aspect of your subject. The remainder of your paper, growing out of the first, should be your own original analysis of one film that represents the topic you’re dealing with. This analysis should be based on careful multiple viewings of the film; you should screen the film you intend to analyze at least 2-3 times.
below are my sources id like to use!
- Book: John Smith’s The Cinema of Eisenstein
- Article by Dr. Anna Pavlova in the Journal of Russian Film Studies, 2020: Revolutionary Frames
- Soviet Cinema Archive: The Development of Early Russian Film (1920–1930) Battleship Potemkin
Thesis statement:
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) exemplifies the influence of German Expressionism through its use of stylized visuals, chiaroscuro lighting, and distorted architecture, which reflect the emotional and psychological turmoil of interwar Germany. By analyzing these elements within the context of Weimar-era cultural anxiety, this paper argues that *Metropolis* not only visualizes the fear of unchecked industrialization and class conflict but also sets a precedent for the visual language of modern dystopian and noir films.
Outline:
I. Introduction
– Brief background on the Weimar Republic and post-WWI German society
– Introduction to German Expressionism as an artistic response to social unrest
– Introduction to Metropolis and its significance
II. Historical & Artistic Context
– Overview of German Expressionism in art and film (distortion, light/dark contrast, emotional symbolism)
– The cultural and political atmosphere of Germany in the 1920s
– Influence of Expressionism on cinema during this time III. Expressionist Visual Style in Metropolis
– Analysis of distorted architecture and urban space in the film
– Use of chiaroscuro lighting and shadow to symbolize moral ambiguity and emotional tension
– Symbolic use of costumes, makeup, and set design IV. Thematic Analysis
– The divide between the working class and elites: visual metaphors of oppression and machinery
– Industrialization and dehumanization: the imagery of machines and labor
– Fear of technology: the robot Maria and the loss of humanity
– Emotional and psychological tension expressed through exaggerated visuals and performance V. Influence on Future Cinema
– Legacy of Metropolis in shaping visual conventions of dystopian and noir films
– Echoes of Expressionism in films like Blade Runner, Brazil, and film noir of the 1940s
– Metropolis as a cultural artifact reflecting and forecasting modern anxieties VI. Conclusion
– Restate thesis
– Reflection on the power of visual storytelling to communicate psychological and social unrest
– Final thoughts on the enduring legacy of German Expressionism
- The paper should reveal a general knowledge of your subject, a mastery of the film(s) you’re working on, and an ability to apply to the segment of the film you are examining the analytic tools needed to explain the films relationship to the class or group of films you have researched.
- If you are having trouble finding a film, remember that the Internet Archive (archive.org) contains many early films, from a variety of countries, that have passed out of copyright and can be watched or downloaded for free.
You must have a Works Cited page at the end of your paper, and you must cite the class textbook (if the movement is mentioned in it) and at least two other (non-web) articles or books. An article which comes from a journal, and which you source online, counts as a non-web source. You must have, in total, at least five academically sound sources.
We will be working on the paper in a series of steps over the course of the semester, each building on the one before. Each will contribute to the final paper grade.
Be sure to:
- Use correct spelling, grammar, and syntax;
- Describe and analyze the scene in detail;
- Build analysis through use of detail and researched information;
- Use terms and information from the textbook so as to show you understand them;
- Include an original title for your paper, and number each page;
- Remember that all papers need a thesis – form an argument and focus on it.
- Use the present tense and use characters’ (not actors’) names in your paper;
- Proofread.
- Use academically valid sources. These include peer-reviewed journals and books published by university presses. Remember that anyone can publish a book, and can publish a website with even greater ease.
Title: Metropolis and the Machinery of Fear: The Visual Language of German Expressionism in the Dystopian Imagination
Opening paragraph (feel free you change it up):
Following World War I, Germany was a shattered country attempting to heal from the trauma of the conflict and the fall of its imperial order, leaving it in a condition of political and social turmoil. German Expressionism was one of the most significant of the radical artistic styles that flourished during this turbulent time in the Weimar Republic. This movement aimed to depict the profound emotional and psychological currents of a society in crisis through its stylized distortion of reality. One of the most famous and significant movies to come out of this period is Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), which used visual methods that came to be associated with the Expressionist style. In addition to reflecting the concerns of interwar Germany, Metropolis also conveyed a fear of unbridled industrialization and the widening gap between social classes through its warped architecture, chiaroscuro lighting, and strange set designs. In order to portray a dystopian vision that both challenges the social and political realities of its day and establishes the visual vocabulary of contemporary dystopian and noir cinema, this essay will examine how Lang’s revolutionary film employs the expressive visual language of German Expressionism. This dissertation will contend that Metropolis is more than just a cinematic milestone; it is a vivid embodiment of the emotional and cultural turbulence of Weimar Germany, foreshadowing the worries of future generations. It will do this by analyzing the historical background of the film and its potent use of visual storytelling.
PAPER GUIDELINES FOR FILM ANALYSIS – A GENERAL GUIDE
Writing a paper involves three stages. All three are necessary to writing a paper that is original, clear, and cogently argued. This guideline will be helpful in analyzing your selected scene.
1. Preparation
Select a topic: If you stray significantly from the paper topics provided for the class, you must get my approval for your topic. In selecting the films and topics for your paper, realize that you will produce a much better paper if you write about films that you are interested in.
Watch the film or films you have selected several times, taking notes: If you find it difficult to unravel the film’s meaning, you might pay particular attention to the opening and closing sequences. Often beginnings and endings provide clues to the themes in a film. Think about camera movement and framing, editing, mise-en-scene, sound, point-of-view shots, narrative structure, etc. How do they contribute to our understanding of the characters or narrative development? How is the scene you have selected related to the overall theme?
Take stock of your ideas: Go over your notes, making a list of the ideas that seem particularly useful. Do any sequences stand out with regard to the topic you are writing on? Are there two or more sequences that are markedly similar to one another that you might compare? Think about interesting juxtapositions and metaphors or striking stylistic elements (do you notice a pattern of unusual point-of-view shots, montages, or camera angles?) How do these elements relate to the themes you plan to discuss? For example, I’m writing a paper on character relationships in Tsai Ming Liang’s work. I’ve noticed a pattern of color shifts that highlight the emotionless states of his characters, contrasted with a city that seems to have come to life. I work through the films, noting color changes in the film and the changing emotions depicted. Then I interpret the patterns that I find.
Formulate an argument: Your argument should allow you to tie together your observations and your research. It should be suited to the length of the paper; don’t make statements that you can’t support in the amount of space you have to write the paper or with the information you have at hand. Your argument should be based on your research and your analysis of the scene you have selected, not an evaluation of it. Do not write a film review (don’t say whether the film is good or bad).
Write an outline: Even if you don’t stick to it, it is helpful to have a plan before you start to write. The outline should include your thesis statement and the points you will make to support your thesis. Each point should be supported by examples from the film or films you are discussing. It probably won’t be possible for you to include all of your observations about the film in your paper. Select the examples that best support your argument.
2. Writing
Don’t use anything larger than 12-point font. Use one-inch margins.
Your writing must be your own and it must be original: Plagiarism will result in disciplinary action by the Dean of Students. You must indicate your sources, including readings, lectures, and discussions from this or other classes (see below for the form your citations should take). If your paper relies on extensive knowledge of a subject that you have gained outside of this class, you must discuss it with me. If you want to write on the same topic as you are writing on for another class, you must speak to me and the other professor about it. If you would like to revise a paper you have already written, you must speak to me about it. You are encouraged to discuss your ideas with other students, but your work must be your own.
Citations: You are expected to do research for your paper, so follow MLA style for all your citations. Extensive quotes, of three lines or more, should be indented and single-spaced. You should include your source whether you use direct quotes or summarize an argument. This includes information from the course reader, lectures, and discussions. Citations should include the author’s last name in parentheses followed by the page number. If you provide the author’s name in the text, you need only include the page number. At the end of the paper, you will need to include a list of works cited.
Examples:
“Since film noir is as much a style as it is a genre, the manner in which the wild passion of the fugitives is portrayed is more significant than the plot points which keep them on the run” (Silver and Brookover 262).
-or
Janey Place and Lowell Peterson describe the requirement of depth of field in film noir:
It was essential in many close or medium shots that focus be carried into the background so that all objects and characters in the frame be in sharp focus, giving equal weight to each. The world of the film is this made a closed universe, with each character seen as just another facet of an unheeding environment that will exist unchanged long after his death; and the interaction between man and the forces represented by noir environment is always clearly visible (67).
Works Cited
Edelman, Lee. “Plasticity, paternity, perversity: Freud’s ‘Falcon,’ Huston’s ‘Freud.’” American Imago v51.n1 (Spring 1994): pp. 69(36).
Silver, Alan and Linda Brookover. “What is This Thing Called Noir?” Alain Silver and James Ursini, eds. Film Noir Reader, 6th edition. New York: Limelight Editions, 2001: 243-260
Naremore, James. More Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
Avoid common errors: Two of the most common errors that students make when writing about film are 1) focusing exclusively on characters and narrative to the point of neglecting the manner in which meaning is conveyed filmicly (i.e. through editing, camera movement, sound, mise-en-scene, etc.) and 2) describing the film rather than formulating an argument about it. It isn’t enough simply to identify the point-of-view shots in a film. You need to think about how they function, that is, what effect they have, what meaning they may have.
Support your argument with examples from the film: Examples might include close readings of specific sequences or analyses of the manner in which certain elements recur throughout a film. For instance, an essay on the representation of women in Gilda might include a close analysis of the opening sequence as well as describing how point-of-view shots function throughout the film.
Correctly identify characters and film titles: The first time you refer to a film, include the director and year in which the film was released, e.g. Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947). Subsequent references to the film need only give the title, which should always be underlined. The first time you refer to a character, you may include the actor’s name in parentheses, e.g. Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum). But after that, use only the character’s name. (Jeff Bailey searches for Kathie Moffat. Robert Mitchum does not look for Janet Greer.) It’s terribly distracting, not to mention confusing, to read a paper in which characters are misidentified. If you can’t remember a character’s name or aren’t sure of the spelling, look it up. The Internet Movie Database (http://us.imdb.com) includes this information.
3. Editing
Be sure to read your paper carefully! It’s a good idea to ask a tutor or someone else to read the paper for you. Double-check the following:
Content: Have you made any assertions that are not supported with examples from the film? Have you made any sweeping generalizations that are beyond the scope of your paper? Eliminate evaluative statements (e.g. “Fritz Lang is a great director.” “Double Indemnity is an excellent film.”)
Organization: Have you presented your evidence in the best possible way? Does your introduction clearly state the argument? Do your paragraphs flow from one to the next, or are they disjointed and unrelated? Does each paragraph contribute to your paper’s thesis? The topic of each paragraph should be clearly stated in the first sentence or two and should be supported with specific examples from the film. Any information that does not directly relate to your paper’s argument should be confined to footnotes or endnotes, or eliminated altogether.
Style: Have you used inappropriate slang or colloquialisms? Are your verb tenses consistent? (Actions in a film should be described in the present tense, historical events in the past tense: Marion Crane is the only guest at the Bates motel. Many motels lost business when the interstate highways were built.) Have you chosen the best possible words to describe scenes in the films and to express your points? Are you certain of the meanings of the words you are using? Do you over-use particular words and phrases?
Spelling and Grammar: You will be marked down for errors in spelling and grammar. Most word processing programs will check your spelling and grammar for you. If you are uncertain about English grammar, arrange to meet with a writing tutor in the LRC.