1. I’d like you to think of one or two specific art forms or genres, such as painting, sculpture, dance, music, literature, etc., and compare them to film in regard to the impact of technology. Please write two or three thoughtful paragraphs. 2. Burn After Reading seems to have several targets for its satire. Focus on one or two of these targets and explain the nature of the satire and how the film pulls it off, noting specific scenes as exemplification 3.I’m giving you a difficult topic this week. We have just viewed our second film directed by the Coen brothers. (The first was Burn After Reading.) It’s obvious that these two films are very different, one a comedy and the other a suspense/crime drama. When we think of directors like Hitchcock, Altman, Huston, Woody Allen, Bergman, etc., we believe that we can see their signatures on each film, a notion that supports the “auteur theory.” Please create a thread and discuss whether or not you see such a signature on these two films. 4. There is a theory in the arts called “deconstructionism.” The basic idea is that a work of art begins to deconstruct, lose clarity of meaning and impact, due to the passage of time. Dr. Strangelove is a satire set in the 1960s. To what extent is the satire still potent, and to what extent is it lost? Give examples from the film and explain why some elements have endured and others have deconstructed. 5. With Devil in A Blue Dress, we witnessed great production design and also some fine acting, particularly that by Don Cheadle in the role of Mouse. But what about Jennifer Beals in the title role? My own thought is that she was the weak link. Please agree or disagree giving your reasons and concrete examples. 6. In general, with the advent of more aggressive editing techniques we see a trend toward faster internal structural time. Audiences have grown to expect this, and directors often comply with this expectation. However, with “About Schmidt,” director Alexander Payne deliberately slows down the internal structural time. I would like you to discuss : 1. why he does this 2. how he does this 3. how he maintains the audience’s interest despite the slow movement.
