International Film Comparison Paper

Watch
Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita,
his 1960 classic about the decadence of Italian high society. Then
you may choose from ONE (1) of the
four other films below. After watching La Dolce Vita and the film of your
choice, use the knowledge you have learned thus far in class to compare and
contrast the two films using FOUR (4)
the elements of film grammar.

FILMS

Use
IMDB or Wikipedia to read synopses.

La Dolce Vita
(1960), directed by Federico
Fellini (REQUIRED).

Then
choose ONE (1) of the following:

Senso
(1954), directed by Luchino
Visconti (Italy)

Amores
Perros (2000), directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Mexico)

Marie
Antoinette (2006),
directed by Sofia Coppola (United States)

Girlhood
(2015), directed by Céline Sciamma (France)

REQUIREMENTS

It will be up to you to come up
with arguments/theses that encompasses both films.

You will need to compare and
contrast several elements of the films, developing a multi-perspective
analysis of local, global, international, and communication issues
throughout the films.

One other source besides Stephen
Prince’s Movies and Meaning is
required. You cannot cite IMDB or Wikipedia. Do some research on the
director. If you have time to watch another of his or her films, I
encourage you.

You will then write a 3-4
double-spaced page paper that analyzes and exposes what you have learned
from the course about the grammar of film.

As your paper will analyze films
directed/written by people from different countries, it is crucial to dissect
how these filmmakers approach the elements of filmmaking to tell a narrative. You
must choose FOUR of the following elements:

Film Structure

Cinematography

Design

Editing

Acting

Sound

Genre

Visual effects

Make
sure you explain each component you choose in detail and defend your arguments
with sources!

Be sure to write your paper in APA
format citing the text when necessary. Include an abstract, introduction, body
paragraphs, conclusion and reference page. The paper will be submitted to the
Turnitin Dropbox on Canvas.

CRITERIA

I will deduct points for poor
grammar, informality of expression, and failure to comply with APA style. If you don’t have a manual, find
an online style guide.

Don’t be informal. You’re writing a paper, not a
discussion. Don’t offer opinions that sound like social media posts. Writing, “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
had incredible performances!” will get you points knocked off.

Use topic sentences. These are the first sentences of
your paragraphs, the organizing ideas. For example: “Thanks to its use of deep
focus and Walter Murch’s sound design, Apocalypse
Now recreates the experience of barely surviving a war in Southeast Asia.”

You must cite Movies and meaning
and any relevant secondary sources. If you have seen movies to which you can compare La Dolce Vita and the other film of your
choice, also cite them. Your paper will be richer if it demonstrates a
familiarity with film as a cross-generational conversation.

ACCESS

To watch these films, you need to
visit Swank
or Kanopy.

Several public libraries have these
films available for checkout on DVD or Blu-ray.

Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming
services may offer them too.

FORMAT

Your
paper is to be written in an APA-Style format.
This includes the following:

12-point font

Times New Roman font

Double-spaced

1-inch margins

cover page

reference page

in-text citations

For
more detailed instructions and information on how to write an APA-style paper,
please visit https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/.
There is an extensive databank on how to incorporate in-text citations, and
properly format your references.