TCF 340 International Cinema: The French Film
Fall 2013

Take-Home Essay

This take-home essay is meant to encourage you to synthesize the material presented over the course of the semester. Worth 15 points toward your semester grade.

Choose one of these two approaches:

1. Trace one specific theme or narrative structure or aspect of cinematic style (mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound) through three films.
   
   For example, you could analyze three films in terms of their use of mosaic-style narrative structure, or deep focus, or non-diegetic sound, or themes such as the impact of the past upon the present. Do not discuss more than one theme or narrative structure or aspect of cinematic style.
   
   
2. Discuss a particular theoretical construct from the lectures/readings and apply it to three films we did not apply it to in class.
   
   For example, Bazinian realism, counter cinema, surrealism, or feminism could be applied to films other than the ones we used as examples in class. Is Chocolat surrealistic? What would a feminist think of The Crime of M. Lange? How would a Marxist interpret Breathless? Do not discuss more than one theoretical construct.

Here are the basic requirements:

1. Your essay must make substantive reference to at least three films from the course.
2. At least one film must be from the 1920s-30s.
3. The three films may not all be by the same director.
4. You are strongly encouraged to cite materials from the course readings, but you are not expected to do any additional reading/research for this essay.
5. The length should be approximately three, word-processed pages (900 words).
6. Due by 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, December 11, 2013, through Blackboard Learn and TurnItIn.

Any references to sources other than yourself must be properly footnoted. This includes references to the material in the course reading packet or information you found on the Web.