Final Essay Paper

FILM 2400: Film Theory
Final Essay (due March 2)
7-10 pages (double-spaced, 12pts Times New Roman) + Works Cited Page (following MLA style)
Sources: You are required to use at least 5 print sources in your paper. Four of these sources MUST be articles from our textbook; the fifth one can be either an article from the textbook OR an external source. You cannot use any Internet sources (unless the source is a valid online academic journal). In addition to the 5 print sources, you are required to make reference to at least 2 of the films screened in class. Total: 7 sources.

1. What is formalist film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by formalist theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of formalist theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the formalist theory readings).

2. What is realist film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by formalist theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of realist theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the realist theory readings).

3. What is authorship film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by authorship theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of authorship theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the authorship theory readings).

4. What is genre film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by genre theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of genre theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the genre theory readings).

5. What is the theory of ideology? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by ideology theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of ideology theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the ideology theory readings).

6. What is structuralist film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by structuralist theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of structuralist theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the structuralist theory readings).

7. What is semiotic film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by semiotic theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of semiotic theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the semiotic theory readings).

8. What is psychoanalytic film theory? What are its premises? What are its objectives? What are some of the tensions/contradictions within this theory? What are the advantages of this theory (e.g. how does it contribute to our understanding of film or what can it tell us about film that other theories can’t; what aspects of film that remain ignored in other film theories are illuminated or explained by psychoanalytic theory)? On the other hand, what are the disadvantages of psychoanalytic theory (e.g. is it applicable to all films; does it ignore certain important aspects of film that other theories deal with in greater detail or more successfully)? In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the psychoanalytic theory readings).

9. How does cinema differ from the other arts: 1) photography; 2) theatre; 3) painting; 4) literature? What are some of the problems with the ‘medium specificity argument’ underlying comparative or inter-art analyses? (NOTE: If you choose this question, you will have to read one of the optional articles on the syllabus: Carroll, Noël. “Philosophical Problems of Classical Film Theory: The Specificity Theory”, Braudy and Cohen 332-338). In your discussion of these questions you should make references to at least 2 of the films screened in class (the films you choose to reference don’t have to be the ones screened in conjunction with the inter-art readings).