The first paper is the film criticism essay, based in large part on the Corrigan text, in which you will write with some depth on a film we screen in class or outside. Minimum 7-8 pages. FILM NAME IS (The Best Years of Our Lives)

This first paper is both an analysis and an emotional reaction to a film or films we've seen in class so far. I do not want or need any kind of long synopsis and brief explanations of scenes or themes you're analyzing is all you need. Assume your reader has seen all these films. Unlike the research paper, I value a deeper attachment to your filmic subject. Read James Agee's critique of The Best Years of Our Lives under the Content folder on BB and you'll see how his personal style changed the nature of film criticism in the 1940s. Later, Pauline Kael followed with her very personal but sometimes caustic style that also changed film criticism starting in the 1960s. You can also do a textual analysis of one film that we've seen in class or a related film of the periods we've studied.