The film: Chicago 7
does it accurately portray the event or time period it attempts to recreate?
In this research paper, the professor wants a Scene Analysis & Annotated Bibliography included in the 6 pages format. The format the professor wants will be attached below with both as well as a B paper.
Essay #4: Film and the Reconstruction of History
Can the medium of film ever truly capture and reflect the past? Or are present-day historical films more a reflection of the present? To what extent are historical films biased by our current attitudes and beliefs? Is it possible for a film to represent an objective view of history? These are some of the larger questions well be addressing in this next assignment.
Assignment: Select a historical film (produced since 1995) that attempts to retell or recapture a historical period, event, or personage, and write a focused, purposeful research paper in which you argue whether the film truly captures the past: in your opinion, based on your research, does it accurately portray the event or time period it attempts to recreate? Your essay should also make some larger point about why the accuracies/inaccuracies in the film are important, significant, or meaningful. (Note: Youll most likely want to focus on a particular type of accuracy or inaccuracyyou wont want to cover everything in the film, so try to find some way to unify and connect the ideas in your essay.)
Research: You will also find and incorporate into your essay at least FOUR outside sources that explore the historical accuracy of the film or that give you some insight into the event or time period the film attempts to recreate (film reviews, newspaper/magazine accounts of the event/time period, books about the event/time period). These sources will be documented using MLA guidelines. You must use at least one book source, one periodical source (magazine, newspaper, scholarly journal), and one (legitimate) web source (Id prefer it if you did not use Wikipedia, though thats a good place to look for other sources).
Purpose/Audience: Your purpose is to enlighten your audiences regarding the historical accuracy of a particular filmbut Id like you to take your ideas further than this. Here are two major suggestions to infuse purpose and insight into your essay:
1. If you find through your research that the film IS historically accurate, and thats what youd like to argue, then you have to first prove it; then, you should probably reflect on what the film reveals about the past (beliefs, values, traditions, etc.) and/or why this period or event is important to learn about and study. (Be careful with this one, thoughits a bit more difficult to come up with interesting things to say about a historically accurate film)
2. If you find through your research that significant changes were made, that the film IS NOT historically accurate, then after proving this (with your research), you should reflect on why these changes were made and/or what these changes revealabout our culture, about the audiences beliefs, values, hopes, desires, obsessions, prejudices, preconceptions?
In other words, Id like you to do more than just prove that the film is accurate or notId also like you to make some overall point about the significance and importance of your findings. This will help give your essay purposeit gives you a reason to prove that the film is either accurate or not.
Suggestions: This is a thesis-driven essay, so I want you to make a claim about the film and its historical accuracy. Be sure to watch the film, possibly several times. Youll want to take careful notes, paying close attention to the films plot (since you may need to give your readers a brief summary to give them an idea of the context of the film), specific characters and how they are portrayed (how do they speak? what do they say to one another?), particular scenes (most likely, youll want to focus on a few scenes that you can describe and analyze to help you prove your point), and the setting (when and where does the film take place?). The body of your essay will most likely be structured around a few key scenes that youll compare directly to researchthe paper should not merely be a plot summary, though, so keep it brief.
On this essay, youll be working on the following skills:
constructing a unified, focused argument/thesis;
supporting your thesis with carefully cited research, using appropriate MLA guidelines;
developing a coherent, insightful purpose for writing about your particular film;
and, finally (as usual), organizing your essay in a logical manner and editing carefully for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Annotated Bibliography Due: Thursday, December 8th
Scene Analysis Due: Tuesday, December 8th
Final Draft Due: Thursday, December, 10th
Format: 4 to 6 pages (not including Works Cited), typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, edited, MLA- style documentation
