Tuesday, May 31

Students took a 40-pt. quiz over film noir.

We then introduced Bonnie and Clyde by looking at photographs of the actual people (Bonnie Parker and Clyde Parker) whom the film portrays and by listening to Woody Guthrie singing "pretty Boy Floyd," a Robin Hood treatment of another famous depression era bank robber.

We then watched the first few minutes of Bonnie and Clyde.

Friday, May 27

Students took out their checklist of "Characteristics of Film Noir," and we reviewed Murder, My Sweet in terms of whether and how the film correponds to those various supposed hallmarks of the style/genre.

HW due Tuesday:
Quiz over film noir -- to cover the documentary film, Murder, My Sweet, and the three handouts.

Thursday, May 26
No class -- Senior Tea.

Wednesday, May 25

Students turned in their outside viewing essays.

They received two new handouts on film noir

We watched the second half of Murder, My Sweet.

HW due Friday:
Read the two new handouts and finish filling out the checklist which we began working on on Tuesday ("Noir Characteristics").

Tuesday, May 24

After reminding students of the expectations for the outside viewing essay due Wednesday, Mr. P distributed a handout listing several characteristics of what is known as "film noir," and students began watching Murder, My Sweet, noting on the handout any correspondences between the film and the handout.

HW due Wednesday:
Single-element analysis of your outside viewing film.

Monday, May 23

The seven of us (incl. Mr. P) learned about the Hays Code of 1930 and watched some pre-Code clips of over-the-top Busby Berkeley production numbers from early 1930's musicals.

HW due Wednesday:
Outside Viewing essay.

Friday, May 20

We finished watching and taking notes on the Film Noir documentary which the class began yesterday, then awarded prizes to the group which won Wednesday's famous Casablanca quotes contest.

HW due Wednesday:
Second Outside Viewing essay.

Wednesday, May 18

After reviewing the musical themes (the Marseillaise, Die Wacht am Rhein, Deutschland ueber Alles, As Time Goes By) and Rick's past political engagement (Ethiopia 1935, Spain 1936) we finished watching Casablanca.

Due date for Outside Viewing essay postponed until next Wednesday.

Mr. P announced that he will be out of class on Thursday; students will take notes on a documentary about film noir.

HW due Wednesday, May 25:
Single-element analysis.

Tuesday, May 17

After reviewing the essential plot developments so far, we continued viewing Casablanca.

HW due Friday:
Outside Viewing essay.

Monday, May 16

Introduction to Casablanca.

The historical setting of Casablanca was the subject of a handout on Vichy France and a brief lecture.

After this introduction we watched the first half hour of the film.

HW due Friday:
Second Outside Viewing essay.

Friday, May 13
Mise en scene in Citizen Kane.

Thursday, May 12
Film editing in Citizen Kane.

Wednesday, May 11

We continued our analysis of elements of filmcraft in Citizen Kane, moving on today to cinematography and lighting. We re-viewed six minutes of Visions of Light which discuss the style of Greg Toland, Kane's cinematographer, then discussed the thematic uses of the film's intense dynamic contrasts and the different effects Toland achieves with the film's many extreme low-angle shots.

HW due Friday, May 20
Second Outside Viewing essay: single-element analysis.

Tuesday, May 10

Students received and read a handout discussing Bernard Herrmann's score for Citizen Kane, and we resumed our analysis of its function in the film. We examined primarily how the "Power motif" and the "Rosebud theme" are used from the film's first scene to its last.

HW due Friday, May 20
Second Outside Viewing essay.

Monday, May 9

Students received the assignment sheet for the second Outside Viewing essay, an analysis of a single cinematic element in a given film (see Documents page).

Students checked out films for the purpose.

We began analyzing Citizen Kane in such a way as to illustrate what students should strive to do on their own in the essay, and students received a note sheet and began taking notes , beginning with sound editing and the musical score.

HW due Friday, May 20
Second Outside Viewing essay.

Friday, May 6

We finished watching Citizen Kane.

Wednesday, May 4

(1) We watched several more minutes of The Battle Over Citizen Kane, portraying Wm. Randolph Hearst's campaign to destroy Citizen Kane and Orson Welles.

(2) We watched the first half hour of Citizen Kane.

Tuesday, May 3

Students took notes on the major points made in The Battle Over Citizen Kane, a documentary about the collision between Orson Welles, creator of Citizen Kane, and William Randolph Hearst, the media czar and real-life model for Charles Foster Kane.

Monday, May 2

Students turned in their descriptions/predictions re the final scene of City Lights, we watched it one final time, and we then spent the balance of the period discussing our different views of the scene. Can the girl love her benefactor now that she knows him for what he is?

Tomorrow:
On to Citizen Kane.