For the first 3-4-page paper, I’d like you to research the critical reception of a film and provide your own analysis of the movie.  As our text states, the purpose of a good critical essay is “not so much to convince . . . readers to like or dislike the film but to add to their understanding of it.”  A good way to organize the paper is to begin by placing the film in the context of other critical reviews (what have critics been saying about the movie?) and then narrow down your focus and state your own interpretive thesis.

 

As our book further states, “the focus of the [critical] essay is far more specific than that of a review, since the writer hopes to reveal subtleties or complexities that may have escaped viewers on the first or even second viewing.”  Don’t try to write about everything.  Decide what aspect of the film you want to focus on (an ideology, a theme, a character, a relationship, an element of the film’s visual style, the camera movement, etc.) and then formulate a debatable interpretation that displays your independent thought.

 

Assume your audience knows the film; thus, a lengthy summary is unnecessary.  You only need to provide specific, concrete evidence from the film that supports your claims and analysis.

 

Incorporate a minimum of three reviews into your essay, but please read more than three reviews to get a solid understanding of the film’s critical reception.  The following location is a good place to find movie reviews:

 

www.imdb.com

 

After you type in the name of a movie at IMDB, click the link that says “More” above the title, then click “External Reviews.”  It should take you to a lengthy list of reviews.  You will find more reviews if you choose a film released in the internet era.  Some reviews, of course, will be better than others.  Use reviews from fairly established sources, such as The Washington Post, The Village Voice, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, etc.