For this project, students rhetorically analyzed will and argued the ideological bias of a film (feature film or documentary) they considered to be propaganda. Frequently, these filmmakers attempt to pass off their films as either “entertainment” or “documentary” in order to disguise its ideological bent. By a propaganda film, this project means a film that is organized and constructed in a way so as to spread a particular ideological doctrine with true or false information or opinions in order to bring about social/political change and reform. Theorists Silverman and Rader suggest that we “read” propaganda films as “constructed text[s]” that can “alter beliefs, shape behavior, and manipulate factual detail to make a more persuasive text” (380). Furthermore, Louis Giannetti, Understanding Movies, argues that “ideology is usually defined as a body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture” (412).
In his chapter “How Can We Write Effectively about Documentary?,” Bill Nichols, Introduction to Documentary, explains to readers that documentaries represent “the historical world by shaping its photographic record of some aspect of the world from a distinct perspective or point of view” (168). In their papers, students isolated that point of view in theirs chosen film. The project both encouraged and required students to conduct research. In preparing to write their papers, students viewed their films several times, immersing themselves in the viewing experiences. Nichols recommends that observers ask themselves questions about what it is they're seeing and how this viewing becomes more central. Below are a list of questions Nichols recommends to help analytical writers (and the students in this project) compose their analyses.
Student Paper Projects: Boushak, B -- Castelli, Davis -- A Visual Analysis of Easy Rider Floyd, Mason -- The Power of Prejudice: An Analysis of To Kill A Mockingbird Goen, C -- Racism and Sexism in Django Gurney, Julia -- Hane, H -- Jofre Betacourt, P -- Jones, Lexy -- Social Injustice and White Supremacy in To Kill A Mockingbird Tim -- The War Game: No Winners Pate, Michael -- A Visual Analysis of Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worry and Love the Bomb Rebholtz, M Rutamu, P Conor, R Amy, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner [Now]? Schillzzi, Corrine -- To Kill a Mockingbird; Breaking Barriers and Social Norms Through Film Sumers, Hannah -- An Analysis of Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde Taggart, S -- A Critical Analysis of Robert Mulligan's Iconic Film: To Kill a Mockingbird Vaught, S Watson, J
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