A good film critique provides the reader with a basic idea of what the film is about, and the writer’s critical assessment of the success/failure or effectiveness/ineffectiveness of the film supported by the evidence the writer gathers from the film. It is, therefore, more than a plot synopsis or the enthusiastic blurbs of publicity hype. Avoid words such as "great," "excellent," and the all-encompassing "really good." For the writer, the critique is an opportunity to exhibit a critical awareness of the elements of the film as well as to share the delight and pleasure (or frustration and disappointment) the film offers the reviewer. Your review should be no fewer than 3 and no more than 5 pages in length. You should plan to see the film when it is scheduled since all films will be shown on DVD (which provides better quality in many ways), and Jonas 305 (where all films will be shown) is closer to a genuine theater experience than watching the film on your television at home.

You might take a look at http://www.mecfilms.com/critic1.htm which is a "Film Critic’s Guide."

The questions below are meant to stimulate thought about a film and to provide areas of concern you may wish to address in your critique. The list is by no means exhaustive, nor should you follow it at all. Early in the critique it is desirable to sketch enough of the plot to give the reader an idea of what happens in the film. But do not try to recount everything: it can’t be done, and the attempt will frustrate you and bore the reader. (The key word here is "sketch"). If you provide only a plot summary, you are not writing a critique–you’re writing the equivalent of a book report.

Once you introduce the main characters and devote a few sentences to the plot, thus giving the reader a comfortable seat, get down to the job of convincing the reader that you have something interesting to say about the film–the plot is trivial, the hero is not really a hero, the plot and characters are fine but the camera work is needlessly tricky , or whatever else you decide your thesis to be. A convenient way to give an actor’s name in the essay is to put it in parentheses after the character’s name or role, for example: "The detective, Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart), finds a clue . . . " Then, as you go on to discuss the film, use the name of the character or the role, not the name of the actor, except when you are talking about the actors themselves, as in: "Bogart is exactly right for the part." When writing your essay, incidentally, be sure to use present tense.

Here are some very basic, starting questions to deal with when writing your critique. Most of the "are" questions can, of course, be followed by "why?" or "why not?" Virtually anything you can think of or react to is valid fodder for a film critique. These questions are indeed very basic.

1) Is the film adapted from fiction or drama, or is it based on an original idea and screenplay? If it is an adaptation, does it follow the original and neglect the cinematic opportunities of the story? Or does it sacrifice the original work for unnecessary cinematic devices? If the story is original, how fresh or innovative is it?

2) Are the characters believable?

3) Are the actors appropriately cast?

4) What is the theme of the film? Is it obvious or only subtly evident? Do the plot, acting, and other elements in the film successfully impart the theme to the viewer?

5) Is the setting/locale appropriate and effective?

6) Is the cinematography effective? Does the film make certain use of color, texture, lighting, etc. to enhance the theme, mood, setting?

7) Is the sound track effective and appropriate? Is the music appropriate and functional, or is it inappropriate and obtrusive?

8) Are camera angles used effectively? Are they ever used for a particular effect?

9) Are there special effects (and/or special effects makeup) in the film? If so, are they essential to the plot? Are they handled skillfully? Do they serve a necessary function, or does the film sacrifice plot or characterization for the effects themselves?

10) Does the film make use of symbols or symbolism? What purpose do the symbols serve? Are they used effectively? How does the symbolism in the film contribute to or enhance the film’s overall theme?

All are shown in Jonas 305 at 6pm, unless otherwise noted. A link from the seminar’s home page will bring you to complete cast and production information for each film.

January 17: "The Great Dictator," 1940 (dir. Chaplin)

January 31: "Citizen Kane," 1941 (dir. Welles)

February 5: "The Graduate," 1967 (dir. Nicols)

February 7: "Apocalypse Now Redux," 1979/2001 (dir. Coppola)

February 19: "Breathless" ("À bout de souffle"), 1960 (dir. Goddard)

February 28: "All The President’s Men," 1976 (dir. Pakula)

March 6: "Regret To Inform . . .," 1998 (dir. Sonneborn) 3:00pm special time

March 21: "The Great Escape," 1963 (dir. Sturges)

March 28: "Chicken Run," 2000 (dir. Lord and Park)

April 18: "Pollock," 2000 (dir. Harris)

April 25: "Some Like It Hot," 1959 (dir. Wilder)