At-Home Project (Due Friday, 12 Dec 2014)

Young Kurosawa thinking...
...about media maybe?

Remember that the first at-home project is due on Friday, 12 Dec 2014. You will get a little bit of class time for this but not much so be sure to get working on it at home right now. Here are the instructions for said assignment:

Thinking About Media Choice Assignment

(Completed At Home)

Twice per term, once at midterm and once at the end of the class, a choice assignment will become due. For this assignment, simply choose to do one of the following and turn it in:

• Additional Kurosawa Movie: Watch a Kurosawa film we will not be watching in class and watch it at home. Write a one page response to the film where you talk about what you thought of the film. Check with the instructors to see what Kurosawa films we will not be watching in class.
• Watch a John Ford Film: Kurosawa was heavily influenced by John Ford. So, watch a John Ford film at home and write a one-page paper about elements you saw in the movie that you feel are also present in Kurosawa’s films.
• Read 100 Pages of a Dostoyevsky Novel: Kurosawa was heavily influenced by the Russian author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. He even adapted one of Dostoyevsky’s books into his film, The Idiot. So, read 100 pages of a Dostoyevsky novel and write a one page paper about elements you saw in Dostoyevsky’s writings that you also see in Kurosawa’s films.
• Read a Shakespeare Play: Kurosawa loved Shakespeare and even adapted a few Shakespeare plays into Samurai movies. So, read a Sheakespeare play and then do one of the following:
• Write a one-page paper about elements of the play that struck you as being similar to Kurosawa’s style.
• Adapt one scene of the play into a script that is set in Samurai times. Make it as Kurosawa-like as possible.
• Write a “Kurosawaian” Script: Write a script for a 5-20 page short film that feels like something Kurosawa could have written.
• Film a “Kurosawaian” Scene: Film and edit a scene that feels like it could have been in a Kurosawa movie. You can do this in groups if you like.
• Give a Presentation: Do some research on Kurosawa’s life, movies, or style and learn things that go above and beyond what we learned in class. Present what you learned to the class. Include clips from Kurosawa’s films.
• Interview Someone from Japan: Do a 30 minute (or more) interview with someone from Japan. Ask them questions that you feel will help you appreciate Kurosawa’s films more. Write up a one page summary of what you learned. Turn it in.
• Another Teacher Approved Project: Do another project which you feel ties into the objectives of the class. Make sure one of the instructors approves it.

Kurosawa Week 2 (Drunken Angel, Research, and Stray Dog)

This week, we watched Drunken Angel (1948) and Stray Dog (1949) and also spent a couple of days doing research on Kurosawa's life and sharing it with each other. Here are all of the assignments that were due this week:

Essay (20 Points)

You need to write a 500 word essay that answers one of the following questions:

• How did what you learned about Kurosawa's life impact how you view his movies? In your essay, rite about how facts you've learned about Kurosawa as a person helped you better appreciate specific story elements or other aspects of the films. You can just talk about one of the films we've seen or more than one but, either way, be very specific about how the facts on Kurosawa helped you appreciate specific parts of the films. Do not be general. Be specific.
• What common themes have you seen in Kurosawa's movies so far? Write about one or more theme that you feel has come up in all or most of the films we've watched and how each film addresses the theme(s). You might also make reference to what you learned about Kurosawa's life and how that helps you understand why he would deal with that theme.
• How has what we've seen in Drunken Angel or Stray Dog or what you learned about Kurosawa's life influenced you personally? Write an essay about the themes or other elements of the films (or of Kurosawa's life) that were important to you and why they matter to you so deeply. You will probably want to include a little bit of personal life story/experience if you do this one.
• Pick another essay topic you would like to write about that relates to the films Drunken Angel and/or Stray Dog. It could also relate to what we learned about Kurosawa's life. Have Will or Josh approve the essay topic and then write the essay.

Turn your essay in via email. Who you turn the essay in to depends on the first letter of your last name:

• A-H: email your essay to Josh: jwagner@ehhs.us.
• I-Z: email your essay to Will: wmcallister@ehhs.us.

Short Movie Responses (5 Points Each)

Remember that you need to write a short answer to the question related to each movie. Here are the questions for this week:

Kurosawa hanging with Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.

• Drunken Angel: What is this film's perspective on life? Do you agree or disagree with that perspective? Why?
• Stray Dog: Which scene(s) of this film were most impactful for you? Why?

Research (5 points)

Pick a question that you would like to answer in relation to Kurosawa's life. Use the internet to do some research for about an hour in order to thoroughly answer the question. Present what you learned to the class (talk to Will or Josh about setting up a time when you can present this information).