| activity eight The Western -- How does a lone male hero tame the chaos of the frontier? (A) Read Gabler, Life the Movie, introduction and chapter 1. Select a quote from the reading and explain its significance and implications in one paragraph. Bring Gabler, Life the Movie to class with the quote you selected marked. (B) Read Belton, American Cinema/American Culture, 4th ed., chaps 11, 13 (Westerns, Cold War) [3d ed., chaps 11, 13], Schnittjer’s notes on selected social and intellectual aspects of the modern North American situation, and Schnittjer on ‘selected forces of cultural change’ in notes on film & culture. In your own words write a paragraph explaining how the social and intellectual forces of the middle decades of the twentieth century are reflected in and shaped by Western movies. (C) View The Searchers, and any other one movie of the student’s choice from list 9. As you view these films pay attention to the things related to the required reading. (1) What does the Searchers say about hate and racist tendencies and American culture? Robert Pippin notes the mysteries posed by the movie: Why does Ethan seek to kill Debbie? And, why does Ethan deal with Debbie as he does? Read Pippin Hollywood Westerns and American Myth (2009), 128-129 (see class page) and select one of his four suggested interpretations, or offer your own alternative, and show how it best explains Ethan. (2) Select one scene from the film of your choice and write a paragraph on the significance and implications of the scene as it relates to Westerns. (To receive full credit your paragraph(s) on the scene needs to interact with at least one aspect of the ‘to read film’ unit, namely, camera, staging, light, sound, editing, story, ending, connotation, or intertextuality.) Complete reading report 8 on class page which will include places to put the paragraph(s) on the items mentioned above. Copyright © ScriptureWorkshop.com |