Topic for Essay Three: Film Analysis

“This Is Your Life, And It Is Ending One Minute At A Time”: For your third essay, you will write a 750-minimum-word critical analysis about a film. Of course, you choose which film you want to focus on, as well as the aspects of the film that pique your interest; but, if you are so inclined, I recommend either Fight Club orBlack Swan. This is an open-ended assignment that will allow you to develop an original argument that will hopefully be fleshed out in your film analysis essay. However, I am not requiring you to write about either film. You can choose an alternative topic for this discussion.
Alternative Choices for Critical Analysis
This is a list of alternative choices for critical analysis. You can of course choose your own replacement assignment, but I recommend choosing one from this list because each of these films is packed with symbolism and deep meaning. If you are unfamiliar with these films, you can get a synopsis of each film at the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) by clicking on the link associated with each film’s title:
• The Thin Red Line (1998), directed by Terrence Malick
• The Sweet Hereafter (1997), directed by Atom Egoyan
• The Ice Storm (1997), directed by Ang Lee
• Angels & Insects (1995), directed by Philip Haas
• The Beast of War (1988), directed by Kevin Reynolds
• Green Snake (1993), directed by Hark Tsui (Unknown MPAA rating. Possibly “R”)
• The World’s End (2013), directed by Edgar Wright.
Take Note: Five of these alternative choices deal with a variety of intense themes (i.e., love, war, hatred, insanity, sex, and death), but great drama, by its very nature, will always give the audience a more deeply cathartic experience than exposure to a more shallow piece of work. Green Snake is a Chinese fantasy film, and The World’s End is a British sci-fi comedy, and yet both films have highly apparent themes of Apollonian and Dionysian symbolism.
If you are looking for a PG or PG-13 film worthy of a critical analysis, you might be interested in the following selections:
• Wings of Desire (1987), directed by Wim Wenders
• Citizen Kane (1941), directed by Orson Welles
• An Education (2009), directed by Lone Scherfig
• The Lady from the Sea (1974), directed by Basil Coleman (This is a film version of a play by Henrik Ibsen).
Of course, you are not required to use Apollonian or Dionysian symbolism as the basis for your analysis. For your choice of film, you get to choose your symbolic approach; however, the Apollonian/Dionysian paradigm is readily applicable to a surprising number art forms, especially film. Thus, I have seen students apply Apollonian/Dionysian symbolism to such movies as House of Sand and Fog The Departed, and The Sorcerer and the White Snake, which is a 2009 adaptation of the Chinese legend of Madame White Snake.
Please note: This essay is harder than you might think. This is not a film “book report.” I do not want an endless, bone-dry retelling of the plot. Assume that your reader has already seen the film and understands the narrative; in fact, imagine that your reader is a friend who watched the movie with you, but he or she is puzzled about the film’s final message, if any. Here is where you step in: your job is to make an argument about that deeper meaning–an argument that will go beyond the obvious. As always, the royal road to a story’s deeper meaning is paved by a focused analysis of characterization, symbolism, and theme.
Consider the following elements:
1. Protagonist and Antagonist: Analyze the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. Yes, there is indeed a conflict on literal level (all stories have a conflict)–but could the conflict perhaps be symbolic of a larger issue? Furthermore, how are the major and secondary characters depicted on screen? Do their physical characteristics represent something about them?
2. Symbolism and Theme: As you know should know, an image can have a meaning beyond its literal existence. As you watch your movie, take notes on any possible universal or contextual symbols being depicted. Also consider whether the film has a a consistent unifying symbol. Quite often, the film’s deeper meaning or message (i.e., its theme) is revealed through its use of symbolism. In some ways, a story’s theme is similar to an implicit thesis statement. By the end of the story, you get a sense of its deeper meaning, even if that meaning was not spelled out explicitly. Examples of a story’s theme could be as follows: “the dangers of self deception,” “the tragedy of hubris,” or “the triumph of the human spirit.” The following sample thesis statement attempts to analyze the theme ofThe Thin Red Line:
“In the movie The Thin Red Line, the protagonist’s struggle to remain righteous and compassionate even during the battle of Guadalcanal affirms the triumph of human spirituality even in the most inhumane conditions.”
Incorporating Literary and Film Criticism: You are allowed to bring up observations from published critics as long as these quotes advance your argument rather than supplant them. Always incorporate outside sources using MLA citation.

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