CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

Airplane! Name:______

Director(s): Category:

Year:

Major Characters:

Ted Striker: Elaine:

Dr. RumackMcCroskey:

Minor Characters:

Capt. Clarence Oveur:Rex Kramer:

Plot

  1. The major plot of this film is a simple one. Detail the situation that constitutes this

plot. However, the subplot creates the conflict in the film. Identify the major

conflicts created by the subplot and discuss how the main plot is complicated by the

subplot.

  1. Discuss how the film makes use of high melodrama. Be sure to cite specific examples from the film (hint: do not neglect technical enhancements such asthe use of music, flash backs. etc.

Technical Concepts

  1. This film is a spoof on numerous different levels. Identify three films that are

spoofed. Comment on the effectiveness of the allusion to these other works.

a.

b.

c.

2. Not only does Airplane! Spoof specific films, it also pokes fun at different groups

of people. Identify three such groups and comment on what about them is being

spoofed.

a.

b.

c.

  1. This film makes use of several comedy concepts and terms studied in this class.

Please cite an example of each of the following:

a.slapstick:

b. black comedy:

c.break away furniture:

d.burlesque (let’s keep these answers tame):

Comedy Concepts:

  1. This film gives equal time to auditory as well as visual humor. It makes use of sight

gags as well as jokes. Discuss the balance of these in this film. Cite a detailed

example of each and focus on how they keep this film rolling at a high pace and how

they catch the audience off guard.

  1. A spoof naturally relies heavily on the viewer’s “pop cultural literacy.” Thus any

spoof risks becoming dated to the point where the audience does not recognize the

allusions to other films, current events and the pertinence of cameo appearances. Has

this happened to Airplane!? Is this knowledge necessary for the film to remain

humorous? Be sure to cite specific examples to back up your argument.

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

Some Like It Hot Name:______

Director(s): Category:

Year:

Principal characters & actors:

Joe (a.k.a. Josephine):Jerry (a.k.a. Daphne):

Sugar Kane:Spats Columbo:

Minor characters:

Plot:

1.What is the setting? What does the opening sequence convey about the time period? What are Jerry and Joe doing for a living?

2.What series of events leads Jerry and Joe into being at the wrong time at the wrong place? Discuss their plan for saving themselves? How is it practical, yet comical, at the same time?

3.Comment on the film’s conclusion and its relation to the film’s title.

4.List a minimum of three comedic devices and their overall effectiveness in developing character, plot and theme.

Characterization

1.Discuss the differences between Joe and Jerry? How do they change by the film’s end?

2.What is Sugar Kane’s role? Is she a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

Technical Aspects

1.How does the soundtrack add to the film’s tone? Choose two tracks (tunes) and comment on their emotion and role in the film.

a)

b)

  1. How effective is the use of black and white? How important is the blending of fiction

and historical fact in plot development?

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

American Graffiti Category:

Director: Year:

Principal characters & actors:

John Milner: Curt Henderson:

Terry “Tiger” Fields: Steve Bolander:

Carol: Laurie:

Minor characters:

Setting

1)What does the opening sequence of the film tell us about time and place? Is there still

a car-centered youth culture? How is it the same and/or different today?

Plot

1) How are the lives of the main characters connected? What do they share in common

in their small Southern California town? What is significant about it being 1962?

2)What is ironic about the film’s conclusion?

3)Why does the director provide information about the fates of the four main characters after the film has ended?

Characterization

1)What is significant about Lori’s statement to Steve: “You’re leaving home to find a

new home, leaving friends you love to find new friends”?

2)What is the source of friction between Lori and Steve?

3)Why is John Milner admired by the other kids? Why is Carol attracted to him?

4)Why would a recent high school graduate be apprehensive about going away to

college?

Musical Score

1)How important is the soundtrack? How does it enhance plot, setting and theme? What would the movie be like without it?

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

L.A. StoryYear:

Director: Category:

Major characters:

Harris K. Telemacher:Trudi:

Sara McDowel: Roland Mackey:

SanDeE*:

Minor characters: Ariel, Mr. Perdue

“Roland thinks L.A. is a place for the brain-dead. He says, if you turned off the sprinklers, it would turn into a desert. But I think…I don't know, it's not what I expected. It's a place where they've taken a desert and turned it into their dreams. I've seen a lot of L.A. and I think it's also a place of secrets: secret houses, secret lives, secret pleasures. And no one is looking to the outside for verification that what they're doing is all right.” - SaraMcDowel:

SATIRE

In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement

1. List 5 separate scenes in which Steve Martin points out various idiosyncrasies of Los

Angeles. What comment on L.A. is he making in each instance?

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

2. Which of the following forms of satire is employed in L.A. Story? Briefly explain.

Horatian satire - After the Roman satirist Horace: Satire in which the voice is indulgent,

tolerant, amused, and witty. The speaker holds up to gentle ridicule the

absurdities and follies of human beings, aiming at producing in the reader

not the anger of a Juvenal, but a wry smile.

Juvenalian satire - After the Roman satirist Juvenal: Formal satire in which the speaker

attacks vice and error with contempt and indignation Juvenalian satire

in its realism and its harshness is in strong contrast to Horatian satire.

  1. Satire is most effective if it presents a stated or implied norm against which its subject can be

judged. Unfortunately, Harris is too much a part of the world(Los Angeles) to provide that

norm. In L.A. Story. How does Steve Martin as screenwriter solve this problem?

4. A parody is a composition that imitates the serious manner and characteristic features of a

particular work, or the distinctive style of its maker, and applies the imitation to a lowly or

comically inappropriate subject.Provide one example of how the film spoofs either romantic

comedies in general or one film in particular.

SYMBOLISM

  1. Given the classical symbolic interpretation of roads, highways, pathways, etc., what do you

believe the road sign represents?

SHAKESPEARE

  1. The film is considered to be a loose parallel to William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's

Dream and The Tempest. Which scenes invite comparison to the following elements found

in those two plays? Shakespearean elements include the following:

  • two confused couples exchanging lovers
  • the possible use of magic in order to bring the lovers to their correct partner
  • a magic storm stranding the lovers
  • the gods blessing the couple
  • a character named Ariel (The Tempest)
  1. List a minimum of 3 other references to Shakespeare.
  1. Steve Martin creates a character in Harris Telemacher who might be described as the “philosopher fool,” not unlike the Shakespearean fool. Consider the following exchange:

''Say, don't you have a Ph.D. in arts and humanities?'' asks one of his TV news colleagues on the air. When Harris responds affirmatively, she sarcastically states, ''A lot of good it did you.'' Of course, Harris is the “wacky” weekend weatherman.

List a minimum of 3 quotes that display Harris the philosopher and 3 quotes that portray him as the fool:

Philosopher

A.

B.

C.

Fool

A.

B.

C.

COMEDY EVALUATION

  1. How does a film like L.A. Storydiffer from one based on a plethora of jokes and sight gags

(think Airplane!) or from one which revolves around a central zany character (think

comedies featuring Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey)?

SOUNDTRACK

  1. What type of scenes feature the music of Enya? Are these scenes effective?

CAMEOS (matching)

_____1. British gravedigger A. Iman

_____2. Mr. Perdue, Maitre D' at L'Idiot B. Paula Abdul

_____3. Harris' Boss at the TV station C. Patrick Stewart

_____4. diner (Carlo Christopher) who D. Woody Harrelson

requests better seating at L’Idiot

_____5. Cynthia at luncheon E. Rick Moranis

_____6. roller skater in front of Tail O' the Pup F. Chevy Chase

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

The GraduateYear:

Director:

Principal characters and actors:

Benjamin Braddock:Mr. Robinson:

Elaine:

Minor character::

Mr. Robinson:the Braddocks:

PLOT

  1. Explain the relationship in which Benjamin is entangled. Why does he become

involved with Mrs. Robinson ~ with her daughter?

  1. Discuss the double standard that Mrs. Robinson imposes on Benjamin. Why is this

unfair?

CHARACTERIZATION

  1. Note Dustin Hoffman’s slow deadpan delivery of his lines. How does this

complement his character? Ponder Benjamin’s humility and indecision about college.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

  1. Watch closely the montage sequence in the pool. While the music lasts only a few

moments, Benjamin’s thoughts span more time. What is blended in with his

movements in the pool?

COMEDY CONCEPTS

  1. The Graduate has been called both a comedy and a drama. What aspects of the film

are comedic? dramatic? Back up each claim with specific examples from the film.

  1. At some points in the film the music is almost too intrusive and the action too far-

fetched. How do these add to the impact and comedy of the film?

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

Empire of the SunName:

Director:Year:

Category:

Principal characters and actors:

Jim Graham (Jamie):Basie:

Minor Characters:

Mr. and Mrs. Graham, Frank, Mr. and Mrs. Victor, Dr. Rollins, the Japanese boy

Plot

  1. Explain the historical backdrop of this film. Which side is Jamie on? Why?
  1. In what way is Basie a “survivor”? Provide specific examples. Why do he and Jim part ways when the war is finished?

Characterization

  1. Jamie has lived his entire life in Shanghai. What does it say, then, about his upbringing that he can’t communicate with the Chinese people? Focus in particular on the scenes in Shanghai after Jamie leaves his home.
  1. Would you classify Jim and Basie as static or dynamic characters? Explain using specific examples from the film.

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

The NaturalYear:

Director:

Principal characters and actors:

Roy Hobbs:Pop Fisher:

Iris Gaines:Max Mercy:

Memo Paris:

Minor characters:

Harriet Bird:The Whammer:

The Judge:

PLOT (ARCHETYPAL ANALYSIS)

The Sacred Marriage Quest

A mythic hero or heroine makes a literal and psychological journey from a place of

ignorance/innocence to knowledge/transcendence guided by another male or female

figure and is ultimately rewarded by a sexual/spiritual union with that figure.

For the male hero, this “mystical marriage of the triumphant hero-soul with the Queen

Goddess of the world,” as Joseph Campbell explains it, is “the ultimate adventure,

when all the barriers and ogres have been overcome.” The woman as “Queen

Goddess” is often of supernatural origins, but since all women are the goddess’s

earthly representative, the sacred marriage can occur between mortals as well.

Such a marriage is often a boon for the hero, since it can represent the culmination

of his quest. Odysseus’s reunion with his wife Penelope – the goddess Athena’s

earthly incarnation – for example, represents the goal of all his wanderings.

The Father Quest

This quest requires the hero to find the father, or to find the father-potential existing

inside of him or even her. The core assumption of this myth is that to truly know

oneself, the individual must come to recognize the father or to be atoned (to become

“at one”) with him. Finding the father is finding the self. As Campbell explains,

“there’s a notion that the character is inherited from the father, and the body and very

often the mind from the mother. But it’s your character that is the mystery, and your

character is your destiny. So it is the discovery of your destiny that is symbolized by

the father quest.”

The Grail Quest

Cultures often have myths about redemption from evil, sin, or destruction. The Grail

quest or stories of crucified and resurrected heroes, such as that told in the story of

Christ, are representative of these types of myths. The Grail is the symbol of that

which has been lost and must be found again. In Campbell’s words, “the theme of the

Grail romance is that the land, the country, the whole territory of concern has

been laid waste. It is called a wasteland, a land where everybody is leading an

inauthentic life. It is a land longing for the redemption that only the enlightened

hero or savior can provide.”

1. What is Roy’s “call to adventure” and where is his threshold for adventure?

2. What serves as a magical “Excalibur” for Roy and what advice does Roy’s father give

him?

  1. How does the film self-consciously acknowledge Roy as an Odyssean hero while

placing Harriet in the role of temptress?

  1. What does Roy tell Harriet on the train and, based on what he tells her, what are his

central goals in life. How is Roy similar to Odysseus in this sense?

  1. How is Harriet Bird dressed when she shoots Roy in the Chicago hotel room and which Odyssean character does she represent? Explain.
  1. How is the Grail Quest manifested in The Natural?
  1. What minor action on the part of Pop Fisher symbolically foreshadows the end of the drought in their wasteland? What scene symbolically suggests that the drought is over?
  1. Which Odyssean character does Memo Paris represent? Explain. What is the

mythological significance of her name?

  1. Which elements regarding the “Iris in the stands” scene constitute a “vision motif” and how can this motif be interpreted?
  1. Which Odyssean characters does Iris represent? How is the Sacred Marriage quest

manifested in The Natural?

  1. What advice does Iris give to Roy, where does she give it to him, and what is the

significance of both?

  1. What elements of the Father Quest exist in The Natural?
  1. Are there any specific or general parallels to Christ?

14. What action completes the monomyth of the hero’s journey?

CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Comment on the use of lighting in the following scenes:

  1. Roy’s initial arrival and meeting with Pop Fisher

B. Iris’ appearance in the stands prior to Roy’s clock-braking home run

ALLEGORICAL ANALYSIS

(Allegories are like metaphors in that they involve comparisons; but in allegories,

characters are used to teach moral lessons. The characters of an allegory are

symbols of ideas or concepts about which the author is teaching a lesson.)

1. Read the Parzival legend. Briefly make connections between the following elements

from the legend and the film:

  1. Parzival was raised in the forest:
  1. Parzival travels in search of his future as a knight:
  1. Parzival is a naïve, simple fool:
  1. Parzival’s encounter with a “Hideous Damsel”:
  1. Parzival must wander for many years:
  1. Parzival inspires a maiden who has not laughed for years to laugh:
  1. Parzival almost accidentally defeats the Red Knight and assumes the dress of the knight:
  1. Parzival must heal the Fisher King of his wound:
  1. Parzival’s encounter with Blanche Fleur:

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

1. Read the handout titled “The National Pastime.” Briefly make connections between

characters/events from the film and the following:

  1. Babe Ruth:

B. Eddie Waitkus:

C. “Casey at the Bat”:

CRITICAL VIEWING FILM LOG

Field of Dreams Category:

Director: Year:

Major actors:

Ray Kinsella:Terence Mann:

Annie Kinsella: Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham:

John Kinsella: Shoeless Joe Jackson:

PLOT (ARCHETYPAL ANALYSIS)

The Father Quest

This quest requires the hero to find the father, or to find the father-potential existing

inside of him or even her. The core assumption of this myth is that to truly know

oneself, the individual must come to recognize the father or to be atoned (to become

“at one”) with him. Finding the father is finding the self. As Campbell explains,

“there’s a notion that the character is inherited from the father, and the body and very

often the mind from the mother. But it’s your character that is the mystery, and your

character is your destiny. So it is the discovery of your destiny that is symbolized by

the father quest.”

The Literal Journey Home

For A. Bartlett Giamatti, home plate is the “center of the universe, the omphalos, the navel of the world.” More importantly, home is the goal of both teams on the field. It is the ego-locus, where every individual in the field wants to eventually arrive. Not surprisingly, it is also the same place he or she starts. It is literally “home.”

The field represents a dynamic journey, a battle in which the batter faces numerousobstacles on his quest to round the bases and return home. If he makes it around the bases and reaches home, it is because he is often aided by others along the way, team members who either advance him around the bases or make sacrifices for him to be able to advance. If he reaches home, he does so not for individual glory but for the team’s win and the fans’ pleasure. In sum, the batter engages in a hero’s journey outward and homeward in which he faces many obstacles, but also encounters many helpers along the way. If he succeeds, it is for the good of the community at large rather than his personal aggrandizement. - Susan Mackey-Kallis