Thursday, February 3, 2011

True Grit -- The Paper


We are going to ease back into our writing with a short criticism, one that actually borders on a review. Follow the structural guidelines of this assignment as they are outlined below. I do not care if you do not like this assignment. You will oblige me. I reckon that I can be offering you time in class to complete this mission.

Paragraph One: An introduction, something that establishes your like or dislike for the film while opening with an interesting, maybe personal (?), anecdotal connection to the film or one of its elements.

Thesis:

1. narrow and focused
2. debatable
3. preview not only the purpose, but the general structure of the piece

Try something simple like: True Grit deserves its spot among 2010's best films because...

Or, what how something simple like a subordinate clause can make a thesis sound less elementary:

With its fine performances and nuanced screenplay, True Grit deserves a spot among 2010's best films.

These theses (ewww) fit the criteria and allow for a logical progression of the paper.

Paragraph Two: Brief synopsis of the film (name actors as well as characters). It is ok to pick interesting plot points instead of major ones and you DO NOT need to reveal info or include spoilers! Remember the thinking is that a criticism reader has already seen the film.

Paragraphs Three - Six: Explain why the reason(s) you gave in your thesis is valid. Do this by using as many specfic references to the film as possible. Feel free to provide 3rd party credibility as well as your own observation. Remember that preference is the weakest form of rhetoric.

Last Paragraph: End the dang thing. Do it quickly and provocatively. Feel free to circle around to the anecdotal info in your opener or make some sort of comment connecting the film to life itself.
You are welcome to create your own, but it should reflect not only whether or not the film is good, but why. Remember that as a rule, theses (ewww) are:

No comments:

Post a Comment