50 Years at the Movies Assignment

Part 1: The movie montage or "trailer:" Should be between one and three minutes long. Piece should illustrate the best movies of your time period with specific evidence upon the two seminal films you locked in. Can be "narrative" in that it tells a story. Can be "abstract" in that the images are not linear but present a "feeling" for your time period. Aim should be a representation of your time period. Due date and rubric depend on Lockwood & Thomas.

Part 2: The poster: Again, should aim to be aesthetically pleasing and aim to capture the "spirit of your time period in cinema." Should reflect a theme that is reflective of the times.

Rubric: Originality, Artistic Quality, Overall neatness and presentation, Quality and relevance of the theme, Team's explanation of the elements contained within the piece and justification for choice (20 pts each)

Part 3: The Essays: This will actually be three different papers (each 2 - 4 pages). Each will present analysis of a particular film or genre and explain how it represents the socio-political, cultural, natural and/or scientifically significant conflicts and/or events of the given half or full decade. The writer will choose two to five films that stand as testament to the collective fears, aspirations, struggles, desires and/or trends of the American people during the given time period. Each paper will choose one film, establish a thesis and then prove how the film reflects the given idea or phenonmenon. Research is crucial here. Each paper must include one credible source (see Costal to check definition of "credible"). Example theses (eww): 

A. 30s: The Wizard of Oz as metaphor for Populism

"With its Emerald City, money-colored people and glitzy contrast to black and white farm life, The Wizard of Oz is a thinly veiled promotion of populism. 

B. 40s: 1940s musicals and war propaganda

"From White Christmas  to Anchors Away! the pro-war sentimentality and heroism of 1940s musicals were designed to promote enlistment in World War II."

C. 50s: 1950 science fiction as Cold War fear

"The martians, monsters and blobs that dominated the box office during the 50s, with their kooky technological weapons and grotesque features, preyed upon the fears of a society pre-occupied with the Cold War."

The paper and the poster are due Friday, March 4th.