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Film Genres (10 hours)
Ask the students to create a list of some recent popular films.
What are some of their favourite films today? What were some of their favourite films in the past? Which films still stand out in their minds from when they were children? Why do they think some particular films remain in their memories? What were some of the things the filmmakers did that created such a lasting impression? For example, were the special effects especially exciting, were the characters memorable, or was the quality of the animation and music outstanding?
Ask the students to try to categorize the films in their list. What criteria could they use? For example, they could categorize or rate the films according to the number of students who had seen the film, the students' level of enjoyment, General or Adult rating for age level appropriateness, production dates or film genre.
Some common film classifications include:
mystery
drama
western
thriller
action-adventure
science fiction
horror
animation
gangster
fantasy
comedy
musical.
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Introduce students to terms and genres with which they may be less familiar, such as:
Documentary
Cinéma Vérité and direct cinema
Film Noir
German Expressionism
Art Deco
Independent films
International cinema.
Understanding the Film (print and teacher's manual)
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Ask the students to recall the ways that they have been analysing and interpreting works of art in their previous Arts Education classes, using the "Responding to Arts Expressions" process. Enlist the students' ideas for adapting the process for the discussion of film and video. What kinds of questions will need to be asked during analysis? How might the interpretation stage be different from when they are critiquing another form of art, such as a painting? |
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View and discuss examples of early films that demonstrate exemplary use of the elements and processes of filmmaking. Hand out a blank chart on which students can make notes about observations on the use of the camera, set and costume design, interesting editing, sound scores or special effects.
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Gone With The Wind (U.S.A., 1939) (video)
Grapes of Wrath (U.S.A., 1940) (video or laserdisc)
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Adapt for the discussion of film the process "Responding to Arts Expressions", contained in this curriculum guide. Examine two or three genres from categories such as the following.
Comedy
Examples of films in the comedy genre might include the American classic Some Like It Hot, National Lampoon's European Vacation by director Amy Heckerling, or Meatballs by Canadian director Ivan Reitman. Discuss different kinds of comedy. Is there anything unique about comedy in film?
Musicals
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Some Like It Hot (U.S.A., 1959) (video)
National Lampoon's European Vacation (U.S.A., 1985) (video)
Meatballs (Canada, 1979) (video)
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Students might examine musicals, including the renowned West Side Story or films by Canadian filmmakers Norman Jewison (Fiddler on the Roof) or Sandy Wilson (Harmony Cats). Do the stories in musicals have anything in common? Why are some musicals so popular?
Documentary Filmmaking
Consult a resource such as the Teacher's Guide for the NFB series Constructing Reality for detailed information and examples of documentary filmmaking
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There are many types of documentary films and many purposes for making documentaries. Ask students to list reasons why filmmakers might want to make a documentary film. Students might suggest that documentaries are made to expose an injustice, record the contributions of a unique personality, reclaim and celebrate cultural and social histories, document current events, etc.
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Fiddler on the Roof
Harmony Cats (Canada, 1993) (video)
Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story (laserdisc)
Constructing Reality: Exploring Media Issues in Documentary (video series and teacher's guide)
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Discuss the ways in which a historical documentary might differ from theatrical-release films. Discuss issues of truth, historical accuracy and point of view in documentary films. Have students discuss the difference between a documentary film and a docudrama, and the potential for controversies surrounding the production of docudramas.
International Cinema |
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Using a film history resource such as Flashback, provide students with an overview of early international cinema. Examples might include the 1926 German film Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang. Discuss Lang's effective use of miniatures and other special effects.
Another example of an early international film is the 1922 German film Nosferatu, which was an adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. Discuss the effect that the film may have had on the film viewing population at the time of its production.
Another early international filmmaker was Jacques Tati (1908-1982), a comic actor-director who began his career as a pantomimist and music hall performer and became a master of slapstick which emphasized the body. View excerpts of early films such as Mr. Hulot's Holiday, Playtime or Traffic. The latter two were examples of social satire contrasting old-fashioned values of pre-World War II France with the sleek dehumanization of life in the mechanized American Age.
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Flashback: A Brief History of Film
Metropolis (Germany, 1926) (video)
Nosferatu (Germany, 1922) (video)
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (France, 1953) (video) | |
British filmmakers in the 1960s created a genre commonly referred to as the "Angry Young Man" movement. Look Back in Anger directed by Tony Richardson is an example of this genre, and was adapted from John Osborne's stage play. The films were often representations of working-class life. They were usually made on small budgets and emphasized social commitment from a left-liberal perspective. They featured working-class heroes who were rebellious, angry and/or frustrated at their lack of opportunity, and they reflected a hostility toward the ruling-class establishment and its institutions.
Discuss the role of some filmmakers as social activists. Ask students to find examples of contemporary filmmakers who see film as a vehicle for raising social issues and motivating social action in viewers.
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Flashback: A Brief History of Film
Look Back in Anger (UK, 1958) (video)
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