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.

WORKS CITED PAGE