Movie- Meek’s Cutoff By Kelly Richardt 2010
Reading 1 – lines of sight in the western by Joanna Hearne
Reading 2- Maya Deren, “Cinematography- The Creative Use of Reality Reading 2-Maya Deren, “Cinematography- The Creative Use of Reality”
I have attached the readings pdf
Guidelines
A critical essay falls between a theoretical essay and movie review. Unlike a movie review, this kind
of essay presumes that the reader has seen or is at least familiar with the film being discussed,
although the reader might not have thought extensively about it. Therefore, you might want to take
the time to remind your reader of key themes and elements of the plot. However, a lengthy retelling
of the story is neither needed nor acceptable. Your essay should be more focused and specific than a
review as your role is to reveal to your reader some subtleties or complexities that might have
escaped them upon watching the film. To do so, you may write about a short sequence or scene(s).
In your essay, you are asked to put into practice the work we have done in class by analyzing the
formal and technical elements of the film to support your argument regarding its subject matter and
meaning. A good analysis will make use of precise vocabulary and terminology. For this assignment
you should write 1,500 words on one film and at least two readings from the required or supplemental
reading lists. Additional research is not needed nor recommended.
Your essay should be double spaced, 12–point Times New Roman font, and should conform to
MLA style guidelines for research essays. Please refer to the Essay Rubric in the Modules for a
detailed grading rubric. Below are four potential approaches on which you can base your argument.
You are more than welcome to invent your own essay topic, but please clear it with me first (over
email or office hours) so I can make sure it will allow you to succeed.
Potential Approaches
Writing About Mise–en–Scène
Mise–en–scène roughly translates to “what is put in the scene” or what is put before the camera. This
approach asks you to reflect on all the properties of the cinematic image that exists independently of
camera position, camera movement, and editing—although all these elements find themselves united
in a single image. Explain to your reader how and why the lighting, costumes, sets, quality of acting,
and other shapes, and characters are key in understanding the themes you have identified.
Writing About Cinematography
In cinema, it is the camera that films a mise–en–scène. When you watch a film, you not only see the
setting, actors, and lighting, but how all these elements are recorded and then projected. The
composition of the film image influences the way you see a scene or elements within it. The shot is
the single image you see on screen before its cuts to a different image. A single shot can include a
variety of action and movement, and the frame that contains the image may even move. Explain to
your reader how the two primary dimensions of a shot—its photographic qualities and its moving
frame—are key in understanding the themes you have identified. You may reflect on tone, film
speed, and the various perspectives created by the image.
A critical essay falls between a theoretical essay and movie review. Unlike a movie review, this kind
of essay presumes that the reader has seen or is at least familiar with the film being discussed,
although the reader might not have thought extensively about it. Therefore, you might want to take
the time to remind your reader of key themes and elements of the plot. However, a lengthy retelling
of the story is neither needed nor acceptable. Your essay should be more focused and specific than a
review as your role is to reveal to your reader some subtleties or complexities that might have
escaped them upon watching the film. To do so, you may write about a short sequence or scene(s).
In your essay, you are asked to put into practice the work we have done in class by analyzing the
formal and technical elements of the film to support your argument regarding its subject matter and
meaning. A good analysis will make use of precise vocabulary and terminology. For this assignment
you should write 1,500 words on one film and at least two readings from the required or supplemental
reading lists. Additional research is not needed nor recommended.
Your essay should be double spaced, 12–point Times New Roman font, and should conform to
MLA style guidelines for research essays. Please refer to the Essay Rubric in the Modules for a
detailed grading rubric. Below are four potential approaches on which you can base your argument.
You are more than welcome to invent your own essay topic, but please clear it with me first (over
email or office hours) so I can make sure it will allow you to succeed.
Potential Approaches
Writing About Mise–en–Scène
Mise–en–scène roughly translates to “what is put in the scene” or what is put before the camera. This
approach asks you to reflect on all the properties of the cinematic image that exists independently of
camera position, camera movement, and editing—although all these elements find themselves united
in a single image. Explain to your reader how and why the lighting, costumes, sets, quality of acting,
and other shapes, and characters are key in understanding the themes you have identified.
Writing About Cinematography
In cinema, it is the camera that films a mise–en–scène. When you watch a film, you not only see the
setting, actors, and lighting, but how all these elements are recorded and then projected. The
composition of the film image influences the way you see a scene or elements within it. The shot is
the single image you see on screen before its cuts to a different image. A single shot can include a
variety of action and movement, and the frame that contains the image may even move. Explain to
your reader how the two primary dimensions of a shot—its photographic qualities and its moving
frame—are key in understanding the themes you have identified. You may reflect on tone, film
speed, and the various perspectives created by the image.
Writing About Editing
In the simplest sense, editing is the linking of two different pieces of film—two different shots.
Usually, the editing follows some logic of development (remember the Kuleshov effect) or is meant
to make a statement of some sort. The break between two images is a cut. A shot can be held on
screen for any length of time, resulting in the editing pace or rhythm. In the larger sense, editing
refers to how shots are built into larger pieces of a movie and, hence, larger units of meaning.
Explain to your reader what that meaning is. In other words, explain how and why elements of the
film’s editing are key in understanding or making sense of the themes you have identified.
Writing About Sound
We do not only watch movies; we also listen to them. In theory, sound can be used and edited with
as much complexity and intelligence as images can. Sound has many dimensions and uses in film. It
can be described according to pitch, loudness, or timbre. We refer to direct sound to describe what
has been recorded with the image and to post–dubbed sound to describe sound and dialogue added
later in the studio. There are many other qualities to sound such as whether it is diegetic or not,
onscreen or offscreen, natural or artificially produced. Film sound can take the form of dialogue,
music, or noise. Film sound can have a multitude of relations to the image and the narrative. Use
this to explain to your reader how and why the film’s sound is key in understanding the themes you
have identified.
In the simplest sense, editing is the linking of two different pieces of film—two different shots.
Usually, the editing follows some logic of development (remember the Kuleshov effect) or is meant
to make a statement of some sort. The break between two images is a cut. A shot can be held on
screen for any length of time, resulting in the editing pace or rhythm. In the larger sense, editing
refers to how shots are built into larger pieces of a movie and, hence, larger units of meaning.
Explain to your reader what that meaning is. In other words, explain how and why elements of the
film’s editing are key in understanding or making sense of the themes you have identified.
Writing About Sound
We do not only watch movies; we also listen to them. In theory, sound can be used and edited with
as much complexity and intelligence as images can. Sound has many dimensions and uses in film. It
can be described according to pitch, loudness, or timbre. We refer to direct sound to describe what
has been recorded with the image and to post–dubbed sound to describe sound and dialogue added
later in the studio. There are many other qualities to sound such as whether it is diegetic or not,
onscreen or offscreen, natural or artificially produced. Film sound can take the form of dialogue,
music, or noise. Film sound can have a multitude of relations to the image and the narrative. Use
this to explain to your reader how and why the film’s sound is key in understanding the themes you
have identified.