Experiential Goal: Students will present a critique of a movie.
The students will:
Since there will be various opinions regarding the different films, the students should be tolerant of the preferences of their classmates. (PSVS) The students will study the various genres of film and categorize films according to the genre. (CCT) If possible, students should look at excerpts of French films and become aware of some of the differences and similarities between French and English films. (PSVS) By watching excerpts of French films, students will also become aware of some of the differences in accents, voices and levels of language. (IL)
Students may want the flexibility of presenting their critique in a different way. They may wish to roleplay a scene from the film, take on the role of an actor and be interviewed by a journalist, etc.
If there are students in the class who, for whatever reason, see no movies or very few, most of the activities could be adapted to a different medium, e.g. storybooks or television programs.
Take advantage of any opportunities to discuss sex stereotypes in the movies (e.g. the very high level of violence among male characters in action movies). Awareness is the first step towards helping students to reduce the influence of such stereotypes in their lives.
The following vocabulary and linguistic content is included throughout the unit. The teacher and the students should decide what elements will be included in the experiential goal.
Topic to be developed: Attitudes toward and knowledge of various genres of film
Experiential Goal: Students will present a critique of a movie.
Experiential Goal: Students will present a critique of a movie.
1. Become familiar with movies recently seen at the theatre, on television or on video.
Activities
| 1.1 |
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| 1.2 | Survey the students as a group to determine if they generally watch movies at the theatre, on video, or on a regular TV channel. "La plupart du temps, je regarde des films à la télé". "Je ne regarde jamais de films au cinéma." "Je regarde des vidéocassettes de temps en temps." "Je les regarde au cinéma". |
2. Examine available authentic documents regarding movies, actors and actresses.
Activities
| 2.1 | 9.1 Annex 1 Have the students look at the movie advertisements in a copy of a local newspaper. Working in pairs, have them fill in the appropriate information in the annex. Note: Not all movie ads will include all of the information asked for in the annex. |
| 2.2 | Have the students list other ways that they might hear or read about a movie. e.g. "la radio, une revue, la recommandation d'un(e) ami(e), une annonce à la télé, une affiche, une interview avec l'acteur/actrice du film à la télé." |
3. Discuss the experiential goal and the possible steps to achieve the goal.
Activities
| 3.1 | Have the students discuss the types of information that should be included in the critique. Discuss the types of films that would be appropriate for the critique. |
| 3.2 | Students may wish to critique the film in pairs with both partners giving their views, or in groups of three or four students with the group acting as a panel and the rest of the students asking questions about the film. The film critique should also be in written form so that a booklet of movie reviews can be produced. |
4. Discuss the favorite movies of the students.
Activities
| 4.1 | From the movies that the students have mentioned in class as well as other movies that they have previously seen, have each of the students choose three favourite films. Have them share their choices with a partner. "Quel est ton premier choix?" "Mon premier choix est... Mon deuxième choix est.... Mon troisième choix est...." Have the students then share the partner's information with the class. "Son premier choix est ....." As the students share this information, write down the names of the films along with a rating of 1, 2, or 3. Determine the top three movies of the class. In the main group, have the students try to give reasons to explain the most popular movies. "C'est populaire parce que c'est une bonne comédie." |
| 4.2 | Have the students think about a movie that they are going to see in the future and have them write this name on a small piece of paper. Collect the papers, hand them out randomly and then have the students try to find the owner. "Est-ce que tu vas voir le film, Home Alone?" "Oui, je vais voir le film, Home Alone". "Non, je ne vais pas voir le film, Home Alone." "Oui, je vais le voir.", "Non, je ne vais pas le voir." |
5. Determine the various genres or categories of movies.
Activities
| 5.1 | 9.1 Annex 2 Working in pairs, have the students read the sentences in the annex and underline key words that might give some indication as to what genre the film might belong to. Then have them share their opinions with the rest of the class. |
| 5.2 | Have each pair of students choose a number of films from the master list and decide to what genre they belong. Then have them share this information with the rest of the class. The other students may wish to dispute the category or add additional categories. "Dances with Wolves est un film d'aventures". "Moi, je pense que c'est un film dramatique aussi." |
6. Discuss the characteristics of the various genres of film.
Activities
| 6.1 | 9.1 Annex 3 Look at a number of titles of films that have won an Oscar award for Best Picture. Add other Oscar winners if possible. Categorize the films according to genre and personal preference. (For a complete list of films that have won Best Picture, see Page 523.) |
| 6.2 | 9.1 Annex 4 Have the students fill in the chart with titles of films as well as an adjective describing each film. Then working in partners, have the students question each other about the films. |
| 6.3 | Have the students try to convince others to see a film by composing short advertisements. "Allez voir le film, L'homme de la Planète X. C'est un film d'aventures et c'est vraiment sensationnel." "Il faut voir le film, Femmes d'hier. C'est un film éducatif et très intéressant." |
7. Become familiar with well-known actors who may be associated with the various genres of film.
Activities
| 7.1 | 9.1 Annex 5 Have the students name well-known actors and the genre of film that they are often associated with. Then choose one of the actors and write a short description explaining why they are suited to this type of film. |
8. Identify the personal qualities required for actors to play the various roles.
Activities
| 8.1 | 9.1 Annex 6 Have each student choose a favorite actor or actress. Look at a list of characteristics and determine if any of these apply to the actor or actress. Add to the list if possible. Then working in pairs, have the students compare their responses. |
9. Determine actor and actress popularity.
Activities
| 9.1 | Survey the students to determine the most popular actors and actresses. "Dustin Hoffman est plus populaire que Clint Eastwood". "Tom Cruise est le plus populaire." |
| 9.2 | 9.1 Annex 7 Decide whether the following reasons are good reasons for an actor or actress to be successful. Include additional reasons if possible. |
10. Discuss various plots and story lines.
Activities
| 10.1 | 9.1 Annex 8 Have the students choose two movies from different genres. They are then to look at a number of sentences to see whether or not the sentences apply to the movies that they have chosen. Compare the results with a partner or with the main group. (Additional action verbs are listed in the annex.) |
| 10.2 | 9.1 Annex 9 Have students look at a number of fictitious titles and match them with possible plots or story lines. Students could mention real movies that these fictitious movies and story lines remind them of. |
| 10.3 | 9.1 Annex 10 Have the students think of the film that they have chosen for the critique and then have them look in the annex to see whether or not the locations listed correspond to the locations in their film. Add to the list of locations. |
| 10.4 |
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| 10.5 | In pairs, have students choose one of the more popular movies from the master list. In one or two sentences have the students explain the plot or main idea of the movie on one piece of paper and the write the title on another piece of paper. Gather the titles and write them on an overhead transparency or chalkboard. Gather the plots and then have different students read them. The rest of the students must try to find the title that goes with the plot. |
| 10.6 | Have the students develop a brief outline of the plot of the film that they will be presenting. |
11. Prepare and present a critique of the film.
Activities
| 11.1 | 9.1 Annex 12 If necessary, use Annex 12 to assist with the preparation of the critique. Be sure to include as many of the elements of the film as possible. |
| 11.2 | 9.1 Annex 13 Students may use the annex to help them listen for specific information in the presentations. At the end of the presentations, have the students share the titles of movies that they would now like to see. "Je veux voir....." |
12. Reflect on the unit. Are the students interested in seeing other films? Are they more aware of what to look for in a film?