Choose any one of these topics and write about it
Compare Platoon and Three Kings in terms of their treatment of the meaning of the War in Hollywood from the 60s through the 90s. Is one film better than the other in portraying either the seductiveness or the pitfalls of the yearnings that inspired these operations?
2) Compare and contrast the Samurai hero in Yojimbo and the Western hero of High Noon or The Unforgiven as manifestations of the Hero’s moral struggle in the world? What are the parallels between Samurai culture and Cowboy culture expressed between these two genres?
3) One of the characteristics of the New Wave and New Hollywood cinema is its avoidance of traditional moralizing about the immoral actions of its main characters. Compare Breathless and Bladerunner in terms of the way they handle the ethical situations of their main characters. Do you think it is correct to call either of these films amoral or nihilistic? Is one of the films more interesting than the other as a comment on ethics and the relation of ethics to larger social forces and norms?
4) How did the end of “The Studio System” influence the “New Hollywood?” Compare and contrast a pre-1967 film and a post 1967 “New Hollywood” film. Please consult the instructor about which “New Hollywood” film you will be using BEFORE you begin writing the paper.
5) Analyze the character arc of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront? What price does he pay to achieve redemption in the film? How is this reflected by the director’s own context in Hollywood?
A minimum of four outside sources should be used. Use APA style.
You may not use Internet resources for this assignment. You may use the Internet for your initial research, but you must use sources in the library (reference works, texts, monographs, and databases).
You may include images and/or transcriptions as examples BUT THEY MUST BE RELEVANT TO THE POINT YOU ARE MAKING. Please note that transcriptions and quotations will not count as part of the 1925 words.
