Second Movie at Home

Due to snow, the Sundance film festival, and my forgetfulness, the due date for the second movie to watch at home has been changed to Tuesday, February 12.

So, by February 12 at midnight, you need to do the following:

1) Watch a movie made in the same country as the first movie you watched. If you want, you can rewatch the same movie.

2) Comment below after you've watched the movie. Your post needs to include the following information:

• Your name.
• The name of the film.
• What country it was made in.
• The answers to the following questions:
• How did the interview you did with someone from your country of choice help you appreciate / understand this film better?
• What are the most important things you learned about your country of choice by watching both films and doing the interview? How might this knowledge help you in your life now or later in life?
• Does this class matter? Why?

Make sure to avoid too much plot summary in your response. Your response should be at least 3-4 paragraphs long.

Le Samouraï

I love the description of this film on the back of The Criterian Collection DVD: "In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays a contract killer with samurai instincts. A razor-sharp cocktail of 1940's American gangster cinema and 1960s French pop-culture—with a liberal dose of Japanese lone-warrior mythology—maverick director Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece Le Samouraï defines cool."

Be sure to answer the following questions or respond to something someone else said:

- How is this film typical of the French New Wave? Of film noir? Provide very specific examples.

- What do you make of the ending. Why did Jef do what he did? What was going on in his head?

- Overall, what did you like and dislike about the film? Why?

The Red Balloon (1956)

Lots of kids bring home stray dogs or cats but how many can say to their mother, "Mom, a balloon followed me home. Can I keep it?" But that is indeed the premise of Albert Lamorisse's critically acclaimed short, "The Red Balloon".

I personally am blown away by how affectively this film employs show, don't tell and uses set-up's and pay-off's and stakes to create drama around what, one would think, would be a rather undramatic subject. I am also very impressed with the film's use of color.

While commenting on this little treasure, think about the following:

- How did the film help you relate to people from France more?

- How did what we learned about France in class help you appreciate this film more?

- In what ways can this be considered a French New Wave film? Explain (thoroughly).

Or maybe you'd like to do some cultural research. I would really like to know why the balloons in the film are so large. Is that a French thing, a 1950's thing, or just a stylistic choice for the movie?

French Culture

Here you can write down what you learned about French culture when you did research in class about it.

The specific research culture question you should be answering is the one that was assigned to you in class.

Suncance / The Artist / After Life

For this blog post, you can write about The Artist or about After Life or about films you watched at the Sundance film festival. You need to write about one of them. If you post about more than one, you get extra credit.

Answer two of the following questions about whichever movie you choose:

- What is the theme of the film? Provide three examples?

- What film elements (cinematography, editing, music, acting, writing, etc.) did you notice were used in the film? How was this filmic element used to communicate meaning/theme in the movie?

- How did the film help you better understand other cultures?

- Or, for After Life, what memory would you choose? Why?

Film Essay Outline

Click here to link to a copy of the Film Essay Outline Guide.

Midterm Essay Rubric

Click here to link to the rubric for the midterm essay. Enjoy!

Twilight Samurai

Since we didn't finish all of Twilight Samurai in class, I am making this post extra credit. Answer two of the questions below and you will receive 10 points!

- What is the theme of Twilight Samurai? Back up your response with three examples.

- For a samurai flick, this movie is pretty quiet. Did you like or not like that about this movie? Did you find it to be engaging or dramatic or not? Why?

- In what ways do you personally relate to what you saw in the film?

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Here's a movie that really knows how to draw out the emotions. We laughed, we cried ... and we cried, and cried, and cried, and fell into a deep depressive abyss of sad sadness (in the best sort of way).

So, here are some topic questions to respond to to get the conversation started:

- What was it like for you to be the Them that was causing so much fear and destruction (the bombings were caused by the American military)?

- What is the value of us watching the incredible sadness depicted in this film?

- Did you notice all the focus on little, everyday routines and actions that were animated with such detail (e.g. Setsuko getting undressed to swim, the candy sticking when Setsuko tries to get it out of the tin, Seita rolling in bed, etc.)? As we learned in class, this is characteristic of Isao Takahata's work. How do you feel these moments contribute to the overall film?

- Also, there were some cultural references in the film that would be fun to know more about. For your response, you could do a little research and report on one of the following: what is the symbolism of cherry blossoms in Japan? What is the symbolism of the fireflies and the movie's title? What is the significance of the uniform that Seita wears? What is the "Divine Wind" the characters talk about at the end of the film (after they've lost the war)?

So, after checking out one more interesting little thing I found, write your 2-3 paragraph response to the film below, jumping off one of the discussion points above or something else someone has said. You also check out responses to this other post on Grave of the Fireflies to see what my last international cinema class thought of this film.

Roshomon (1950)

As I was writing the title of this post, I had the realization that Akira Kurosawa's Roshomon was made just five years after the Japanese were defeated in World War II. I am sure that the Japanese's experience with the War influenced the tone and theme of this film. I find that fascinating! Take that into consideration as you write about the film.

So, in the comments below, answer two of the following questions:

• What is the theme of Roshomon? Back up your opinion with at least three examples.
• How do you think the Japanese's experience with World War II is reflection in the theme, tone, and story of this film?
• Is the film ever clear about how did what and who killed who? Can we trust any of these witnesses? Why? What do you think really happened?

Interview (due January 15, 2013)

The interview assignment is awesome and works like this: you have to find someone who has lived in the country in which your first film at home was produced.

Interview this person for 30-60 minutes. Ask him or her questions that help you understand the culture you are focusing on and that help you make sense of what happened in the film you watched at home.

Then, comment below to report on how the interview went. In your report, state the following:

• Your name.
• What country you are focusing on.
• The name of the person you interviewed.
• The name of the first movie you watched at home.

Then, in your post, answer three of the following questions:

• What did you learn in the interview that helps you better understand or appreciate what happened in the first movie you watched at home?
• What did you learn about the culture of your chosen country that you found most interesting? Why was this so interesting to you?
• In what ways is the culture you learned about most different from American culture?
• What is the most valuable thing you learned from the person you interviewed?

Time Bandits (1981)

Due to logistical difficulties, we threw in a random British film between Ireland and Japan. I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment and answer two of the following questions:

• What is the theme of Time Bandits? Back up your response with three examples.
• If Hollywood made Time Bandits, how would it be different?
• What did you notice in the film that you feel is distinctly British?
• Do you feel this film is a work of art or just a fun movie? Justify your response with at least three sentences of reasoning.
• What do you like most about this movie? What do you dislike? Why?

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

My Neighbor Totoro is an interesting film. It is a lot like Waking Ned Divine in that, in some ways, one could argue that not a lot happens because the opposition is relatively simple to overcome. But, for some reason, both films are quite endearing and seem to work for most audiences.

Most most audiences are not you and I want to hear what you think of it. So, answer two of the following questions:

- What is the theme of My Neighbor Totoro? Back up your response with at least three examples?

- What did you like most about the movie? What did you like least? Why?

- How would this film be different if an American animation studio like Disney made it? (Note: Disney did distribute this film in the United States but did not produce it.)

Kikujiro (1999)

Davey is excited to hear what we all thought of Kikujiro. From his own words: "I was curious how they'd respond to it, because it's a crazy movie that's part super endearing, Chaplinesque road movie comedy-drama about an old guy and a kid and part wacky, experimental, meandering art film. I think it blew some minds, and I was happy that several kids stayed after the bell rang to catch the last minute or so of the movie (poor scheduling on my part, but those who left still got the ending--they didn't miss anything plotwise, just a couple of pretty shots and some music and that sort of thing)."
So, in the comments below, let Davey know what you thought of the film. Be sure to answer at least two of the following questions:

• What is the theme of the film? Back up your statement with at least three examples.

• Did you like or dislike the film? Why? (And I want a well articulated reason why that is at least three sentences long.)

• What did you learn about Japanese culture by watching this film?

• How would this film be different if it were made by Hollywood?

Cultural Research: JAPAN

We need to answer the following questions about Japanese culture in order to be prepared to appreciate Japanese films:

- What things do people value most in Japan?
- What is Shinto? What does Shinto teach about the afterlife?
- What ideas and values does Japanese Buddhism emphasize? What do they believe about the afterlife?
- What is a samurai? What sort of code of ethics do they follow? How do samurai view their swords?
- What is seppuku? When would someone commit seppuku?
- Who are the following people: Akira Kurosawa? Hirokazu Koreeda?  Isao Takahata? Yoji Yamada? What are themes that each of them like to focus on? What artistic choice characterize each of their styles?

Choose one of the questions above and do some research to find the answers to the question then write what you learned in the comments below. Answer an additional question for extra credit.

P.S.: if there is a question you are dying to answer (that has to do with Japanese culture or Japanese cinema) which is not included above then research that question instead and answer it below.