Posted: February 21st, 2023

Essay #2: Film Review

Essay #2: Film Review
You have now viewed two full-length ethnographic films based in the Caribbean, Life and Debt and Nothing like Chocolate, and completed worksheets highlighting some of the key points. As critical consumers of media, this essay prompts you to use your anthropological perspective to think deeply about how peoples and cultures are represented, particularly in light of globalization and power relations (two of Guest’s key themes). For your final essay, you will choose one or both films to write about in a seven page film review (six pages of text plus a works cited page).
If you choose to write about just one film, you’ll want to do more than one expanded scene analysis (see below) and incorporate more in-depth outside research.
If you choose to write about both films, you’ll need to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each film individually and also consider them together in one seamless paper. In other words, you are not just writing two short stand-alone film reviews, rather, you’ll need an overarching thesis that makes an argument about both films. For example: “Together, both films offer viewers a comprehensive understanding of the problems and potential solutions facing Caribbean economies.” or “While Life and Debt does X well, Nothing Like Chocolate offers a better view of Y”. This overarching thesis should break down into two ‘smaller’ thesis statements about each individual film (e.g. “Life and Debt does X well” would be one thesis for your section on that film, and “Nothing Like Chocolate offers a better Y” would be another thesis for your section on that film). You will need at least one expanded scene analysis for each film. You may wish to offer your reader a recommendation to view one, both, or neither films.
Note: You may not use these example thesis statements in your paper.

Writing Your Draft:

See Brown pp 30-36 for detailed instructions. DO NOT just summarize the film: you should review its strengths and weaknesses.
Be sure to address each of the bulleted points on Brown p. 31: You want to summarize (briefly), contextualize, and evaluate, and be sure to identify something interesting by using one of the strategies on pp 34-35.
You will need a thesis statement (e.g. “I argue ______”), and this is not the same as the film’s argument. For example, you might write that Life and Debt presents the argument that structural adjustment programs have had a negative effect on Jamaicans. This is true, but it is not a thesis; it is part of a summary of the film. YOUR thesis might be: “I argue that Life and Debt effectively conveys its central argument because of x, y, and z aspects of the film.” Or, “I argue that Life and Debt does not effectively convey its central argument because of x, y, and z aspects of the film.” In other words, your thesis must be about the film.
Papers should integrate at least one expanded analysis of a particular scene in the film. In addition to Brown’s list on p. 36, you may want to consider the filmmaker’s choices about some of the following:
• Narrator/Narration

• Atmosphere/Mood (Music, lighting, etc.)

• Filming angles (background visuals, close-ups, etc.)

• Choice of interviewees and questions

• Spontaneous or scripted

• Lingering shots (what draws your attention and why)

• Choice of beginning and end of scene

• Placement of scene in relation to scenes before and after

Remember what you learned from writing essay #1. You may wish to review the brief guidelines for writing essay #1’s draft and thesis tips posted in your Writing Assignments folder.
You will also want to read the writing samples on our course website and review the grading rubric (which is the same as essay #1’s rubric).
Your draft should be 5 full pages of text plus a Works Cited page.

Citation Guidance:
Please cite your film on a Works Cited page as follows:

Director’s Last Name, Director’s First Name, dir. Original Release Date. Title of Movie. Location
of Distributor: Name of Distributor, Item Release Date. Medium.

Example of a properly cited film:
Hitchcock, Alfred, dir. 1954. Rear Window. Universal City, CA: Universal Pictures, 2001. DVD.

Sample In-text citation: (Hitchcock 1954)

Additional outside sources are optional but highly recommended. What kinds of sources would be useful? You might want to research the subject matter to provide additional context or up-to-date developments (for example, provide more information about chocolate boycotts, or free trade movements). You might want to research what other film reviewers have written about the film you chose, and cite their arguments as evidence in support of your thesis. If they disagreed with your thesis, you can still use them: point out the flaws in their arguments and explain why your analysis is stronger! You can use a mix of scholarly and non-scholarly sources to strengthen your paper.

After you’ve written your draft, write a one-page cover letter addressed to your peer reviewer.
Please address the following:
● What is the strongest part of my essay?
● What is the weakest part of my essay?
● What I especially need help with is: __________________.

Revision Guidelines:
Read your reviewer’s comments carefully. Based on the Writer’s Checklist and written feedback, revise your paper. You should also refer to Brown chapter 6, “Editing for Style” to improve your writing. Your final draft should be 6 full pages of text, plus your Works Cited page.

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