Writing Project

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Writing Project 3/4 Critical Review of a Film
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Choosing a Topic

• Critical review of a feature-length film (i.e. a
  film that has been shown in a commercial theatre
  or on commercial television). Choose a film that
  is available on videotape/DVD.
• You must be able to view the film several times
  as you are planning and writing this assignment.
  Do not choose a film you saw years ago and hope
  to remember enough about it to be successful with
  this paper!

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Finding Tapes/DVDs

• Tapes may be borrowed free of charge from the ECC
  library or rented from local video stores. If you
  do not have access to a VCR, the ECC library has
  them available for in-library use.
• Some classes may choose to go to a local movie
  theater together to see their films, especially
  in fast-track Saturday class sections.

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Paper Particulars

• Due date by last class meeting if not earlier.
  See syllabus.
• Length of paper 600-1000 words/3-5 pages plus
  Title and Works Cited pages

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Format Presentation of the Paper

• This final writing assignment for the course
  should include each of the following in the order
  listed
• Title page
• Final draft of essay with appropriate pagination
• Works cited page
• (list correctly formatted bibliographical entries
  for the two film reviews and the film itself)
• Photocopies of two published film reviews (for
  the same film the student is reviewing)

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Prewriting Planning Activities

• Find and photocopy or print out two published
  film reviews for the film which you have chosen
  to review for ENG 102.
• The reviews should be a minimum of six paragraphs
  long.
• Do not use the very short paragraph-length film
  summaries published in many newspapers.

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Paragraph by paragraph instructions follow
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Organization of the paper

• This critical review writing assignment allows
  you to utilize many different rhetorical modes to
  convince the reader of the merit, or lack thereof
  as may be the case, of the film you are
  analyzing. Below are the things that must be
  included in the organization of your essay and
  that must be adequately developed.

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Hook/attention-getter

• One or two sentences designed to wet our
  appetites for the rest of your paper is
  appropriate here. It can be an observation,
  quotations, anecdote, or facts of some kind.
• Length (1-3 sentences)

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Introduction

• Indicate the exact title of the film
  (underlined).
• Give the publication information for the film
  including year of publication, director, major
  actors, and production company or studio.
• Length (3-5 sentences)

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Paragraph two

• Briefly summarize the action or plot of the film
  in no more than five (5) sentences.
• Length (maximum of 5 sentences)

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Paragraph three

• Briefly summarize the response the two reviewers
  had to the film.
• Use the reviews you photocopied for class.
• Identify the reviewers by name and indicate their
  credentials as reviewers if possible.
• Be sure to use appropriate internal documentation
  for any direct quotations or obvious personal
  opinions of the reviewers that you use in your
  paper.
• Length (6-15 sentences)

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Paragraph four

• Identify any weaknesses you see in the film.
• Weaknesses can be in the area of the story line
  or plot, the acting abilities of the cast or any
  member of the cast, the directing, the
  cinematography, or anything that might detract
  from our enjoyment of the film.
• Length (minimum 5 sentences)

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Paragraph five

• Identify the strengths of this film.
• The same areas as listed for the paragraph of
  weakness can be addressed as appropriate.
• Length (minimum of 6 sentences)

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Paragraph six

• Evaluate the film and explain whether the
  strengths outweigh the weaknesses or whether the
  weaknesses outweigh the strengths.
• In other words, is the film worth our spending
  the time to see it? You are making a judgment
  and/or recommendation in this paragraph.
• This is the conclusion to your essay but it is
  also your thesis sentence by the way. You will
  be using a reverse order for organizing the
  essay.
• Length (minimum of 5 sentences)

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Note about Submitting ALL Assignments

• Please remember that all assignments, including
  this one, must be submitted by the appropriate
  due dates in order for you to pass this course.
• See your course syllabus for this policy
  statement.

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The End