Download - Persuasive writing about film revised
Essay 1 Film Review
PERSUASIVE WRITING
Who is your audience? • Assume that s/he has not yet seen the
film.
• Convince your reader either to see the movie or not.
• How many stars do you give the film?
AUDIENCE & PURPOSE
• What kind of background information does the reader need in order to understand the review?
1. Genre; type of film
2. Basic thematic information
3. Other relevant information
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:PLACE EARLY IN THE ESSAY
Place this information in a separate list, either at the beginning or end of your essay:
Title of film; director; year released
Principal Actors Major awards won - - if any. The amount of stars you have
given the film:
• Yes, you do want to provide a brief overview of the plot, but . . .
Don’t reveal the ending!Don’t spend more than 4-6
sentences telling the reader “what the movie is about.”
PLOT SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:PLACE EARLY IN THE ESSAY
• Remember: Criteria will vary depending upon the genre of the film.
Comedy vs Drama Action vs Sci-Fi Documentary vs Feature Film
FILM CRITERIA: THESIS/CLAIM
A. Realism--does the film conform to our view of reality? Does it seem to ring true to life as we live it, in its settings, conflicts, storylines, etc.?
B. Plausibility--does the action make sense within the world of the film? Esp. applicable to a non-realistic film, such as fantasy or action.
C. Coherence--does the film "hang together" and make sense in some unified way, even if the arrangement is complex? Esp. appropriate for narrative structure.
D. Aesthetic value--is the overall form of the film pleasing? Especially, appropriate for a focus on techniques.
SOME BASIC QUESTIONS USED TO FORM A JUDGMENT/ ARRIVE AT A
THESIS/CLAIM
E. Ethics--does the film affirm or reaffirm important social values?
F. Relevance--does the film seem relevant to our times and concerns? Does it deal with important social, political, or other types of issues?
G. Complexity & originality--does the film engage us beyond superficial concerns and make us think? Is it original in its story, structure, technique, or?
MORE QUESTIONS
• Why, exactly, do you like/dislike this film? Analyze your reasons.
Examine some of the following areas and relate them back to your thesis/claim. Plot Script Acting Main “message” Directing Visual elements including lighting, camera angles, etc. Sound track Other elements that may be important to a particular film
NOW, SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM:BODY OF THE ESSAY
• Provide specific evidence from the film to back up your argument.
• Example: Heather Ledger does a great job as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
• Evidence: Heath Ledger’s Joker is a shambling, hissing, lipsmacking lago in facial scars and clown makeup, and one of the scariest nihilists ever to slither into a summer popcorn film. (Ledger deserves all the posthumous accolades he’s received . . .) – Ross Douthat
PROVIDE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
• Address the Opposing Side (Those critics with whom you disagree.)
Although Roger Ebert says, “Ledger is magnificent . . .”While Roger Ebert’s observations about Heath Ledger’s acting are mostly valid . . .
DO NOT FORGET
Many critics found the movie _______________________.
While the movie is _____________, I would argue that _____________ because ___________.
Roger Ebert claims that______________________, and I have mixed feelings about this view. On the one hand, I agree that_____________________. On the other hand, I still insist that _______________________.
Though I concede that_______________________.
I still maintain that _______________________.
SOME MODELS FOR ADDRESSING THE
OPPOSITION
• Include at least two reviews that disagree with your point of view (at least in some ways.)
• You may include a third review, perhaps one that agrees with you.
• If you do any research about a particular film, please include the source of any information you provide. DO LIST ROTTEN TOMATOES OR THE INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE if you use information about the movie aside from: date of release, actors, year of release, awards. You do not need to cite this information for this essay.
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