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DUE: November 13 (start of class)
Up to 20 points
Length: about 1,000-1,200 words (5-6 pages)
NOTE: This is not just a "watch the movie" assignment. You are expected
to draw from class material and text, and apply it to the film.
REMEMBER: You don't get points just for turning in hasty and sloppy
material. You are expected to THINK and APPLY IDEAS!
THIS IS WORTH UP TO 20 POINTS: TO GET THE MAX, YOU *MUST* HAVE A PROFOUND
PAPER! A "C" paper gets only about 10 points. This one will be graded
harshly and requires creative thought to get above an 8-10.
Watch the movie CASABLANCA (1942: Humphrey Bogart).
BACKGROUND:
In class, it was suggested that this was an "OLD" movie. So, why watch it?
Chapter 3 (Kendall) addresses the power of symbols to create or reinforce
culture. We raised several themes:
a) How culture is transmitted over time (remember the "generation" theme
b) Meanings are embedded in all cultural objects, including "material
culture" - "non-material culture" (values, beliefs, ideologies)
are conveyed through cultural artificts (such as movies, novels)
c) We can understand current culture by looking at the past
d) Past non-material cultures (ideas, for example) comes to the present
through movies, stories, literature
SO: We look at Casablanca to see what "stories" it tells about its own
cultural period, and about what legacy (or lessons) it offers today.
In essay form (don't just list the points....use them to guide your thinking
and then write an essay):
1) Briefly summarize what the movie is about
2) What are the key themes of the movie (beyond entertainment). That is,
are there any messages, subtexts, or meanings in the movie that the
audience of the time should take away? For example, what cultural
values does the movie develop as "good" or "bad?"
3) What does the movie have to say to audiences in 2005? Does it have
any relevance to us today, even though it's over 60 years old?
These are just guidelines. Feel free to develop other themes or
ideas. Your task is to show that you've thought about the
relationship between the film and course material.
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