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Film: The Blind Side
For the final project, you will analyze a feature film tha
Film: The Blind Side
For the final project, you will analyze a feature film that has something to do with intercultural communication. As discussed in class, “culture” can be defined broadly and may include many types of things such as ethnicity, religion, race, family size, geographical location, generation, gender, and sexual orientation.
In a 5-7 page Word doc, describe how intercultural communication (using only those aspects that are meaningful to the film and that you wish to discuss) works in this film. Be sure that you are addressing the film as a film – something that has been created and edited for very specific purposes. Too often students talk about a film as if it were a piece of real life they were observing. Certainly, that is what a filmmaker wants, but for this assignment, I want you to look at not just the characters and the dialogue, but also the staging, lighting, camera angles, editing, etc. How did the director(s) and writer(s) specifically shape this film, and what does that shaping say about intercultural communication? For additional perspective on these aspects, consider bell hooks’ commentary from Week 3.
What you choose to examine in the film is up to you; however, some aspects of the dialogue and characterization you might look at include patterns of family interaction, expectations regarding marriage, music preferences, food preferences, style of dress, values,
sense of humor, political affiliation, behavior in public places, propensity toward competitiveness, ambition, gender roles, and conversational style. In addition to the specific aspects you select, also analyze nonverbal elements of how it was filmed, such as lighting, staging, the angle of the camera shots on characters (looking down at them, looking up at them), what type of actor is chosen to portray that character, etc.
After explaining what happens in the scenes you chose from the film, ask yourself questions about it. Here are examples of questions you might ask: In what ways are culture and identity communicated in the scene? What makes this intercultural? How are stereotypes used to communicate who the characters are? How does the script and/or choices by the director shape your perception of the scene? What is the relationship between identity and context for the characters? Do any identities undergo change? How are we “told” by the directors to view certain characters? By what means does the director try to get us to perceive the character in that way? What social forces, religions/traditions/values/norms have shaped these characters? To which culture or cultural assumptions does the film appeal? Whose social interests (in terms of social positions) are represented in this film? How are cultural spaces constructed? Are there conflicts of culture? How is power implicated in the social positions represented in the film? And so on…
Keep in mind that you are not expected to address every question listed here and that you might come up with your own questions. The point is to think critically about what is conveyed about culture in the movie you select. You will decide what aspects are most relevant to discuss for a thoughtful analysis; however, the following must be done to receive full credit on the assignment:
✓ Include a one to two paragraph summary of the film (keep it brief, please!)
✓ Examine film techniques used by the director to “talk about” culture and identity
✓ Discuss verbal and nonverbal communication as they relate to intercultural communication
✓ Convey insight and understanding of intercultural communication by incorporating concepts learned in class, demonstrate what you have learned in this analysis
✓ Include a minimum of 3 scholarly references in your analysis (one can be the course textbook, the other 2 must be outside sources that talk about culture — Wikipedia and sources giving just a synopsis or review of the movie do not count). When using material from a reference source, you must include in-text citations. Points will be deducted if they are missing. Additional sources are always welcome.
✓ Cite all references appropriately within the paper and in the Works Cited page, and consistently use APA or MLA style (for example, do NOT simply list the URL
✓ Finally, the paper must be 5 to 7 pages in length (the reference page is additional and no title page, please), clearly organized and well-written with minimum grammar and spelling errors
✓ Submit the paper to this assignment no later than the deadline
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