Theory Paper for COBA 353 [main menu]

Students are required to write a formal paper that critically evaluates an approved film (one not seen by the student prior to taking this course) using one of the six theories outlined in the text.

1. Proper APA or MLA style will be required – approx. 5 to 8 pages in length.
2. The paper should discuss a current film theory in relationship to a specific film being critiqued.
3. Each paper should include specific examples from the film and analysis of specific film conventions (such as trick shots, flashbacks, camera movement, and lighting).
4. A student may develop his/her own thesis related to these issues provided the necessary evidence is given to support it.
5. Films used for this project must be from the 100 greatest films list from the American Film Institute or Filmsite.org. If you have any doubts about choosing a film, contact the professor.
6. Make sure to mention the film’s director, principal actors, and year of release.
7. Give a brief summary of the plot after your introduction of the paper – only one paragraph for this!
8. Your introduction should be written with two purposes in mind – build interest for your paper and state your thesis.
9. After discussing the plot, state the theory you will be applying and give us some explanation of what the theory is about and how it applies in the case of the film you have chosen to analyze.
10. Spend the remainder of the paper on demonstrating how the theory explains the film. Give examples of scenes, dialogue, and images that demonstrate the theory or how the theory helps us understand these examples. You may also discuss before the conclusion where the theory doesn’t work as well for this film, however, this should be minor. If you have major problems using a theory with a film, it may be the wrong theory or the wrong film for your analysis.
11. In the conclusion, restate your thesis and tell us what other films might be good subjects for analysis using this theory.
12. Make sure to check for typos and other errors – they will count against you on the evaluation.

Please note – this is a paper where you apply your understanding of the film and the theory. You are trying to explain the film through the use of the theory. Make sure you understand the theory you are applying before you watch the film. Feel free to find additional writings that explain these theories (not that explain the film – that’s your job) – note any of these sources in your bibliography.