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Film Analysis Paper Guidelines
The film analysis papers, you are to compose a thesis paper that analyzes a single element in one famous film, and builds it arguments based upon brief examples from the film. This thesis paper format is very common in college literature, film, media, social science and humanities classes.
The idea is to choose a film,that is based upon a thesis, which is a single premise, stated in your first two or three sentences which lays out the point of view which you intend to argue in support of throughout the paper. The thesis is the reason you are writing the paper, which is an attempt to inform and convince your reader that this premise is based upon facts gathered from the text you are analyzing, in this case a film. Your thesis statement lets your reader know what to expect from the paper, and lays out the case you intend to make in support of your premise.
Your paper’s title, the first thing that your reader will see, should reflect your thesis. If you are writing a paper on
Citizen Kane
for example, your paper’s title should
NOT BE
Citizen Kane.
That is the film’s title. Your title should reflect the intent of your argument, your thesis. So, a paper on
Citizen Kane
that focuses on the film as a reflection of the impact of the loss of a mother’s love on Kane’s emotional development, might be called A Mother’s Love: a Commodity Money Can’t Buy.
The outline for a thesis paper would follow this format, though the paper itself would not be in bullet form:
· Thesis statement- Lays out your premise clearly in one or two simple sentences.
o Argument 1- Start with your strongest evidence from the film that supports your premise.
§ Example 1- A
VERY BRIEF
description of the scene that you are using as evidence of your first argument.
§ Example 2- A
VERY BRIEF
description of the second scene that you are using as evidence of your first argument.
o Argument 2- Continue, using your next strongest supporting argument.
§ Example 1- A
VERY BRIEF
description of the scene that you are using as evidence of your second argument.
§ Example 2- A
VERY BRIEF
description of the second scene that you are using as evidence of your second argument.
o Argument 3- Continue, using your next strongest supporting argument.
§ Example 1- A
VERY BRIEF
description of the scene that you are using as evidence of your third argument.
§ Example 2- A
VERY BRIEF
description of the second scene that you are using as evidence of your third argument.
o Conclusion- Close your paper by re-asserting your thesis, bringing your arguments back to your original thesis.
The only two sources you can use are your brain and the film itself. No citations are necessary and no use of outside sources,
You may consult IMDB.COM or google only in order to confirm the spelling of the character names and the names of cast and crew members.
Here are some other things to avoid-
Laundry List-
Do not start with one idea or thesis and switch in the middle to another thesis, or multiple theses. Stick to your thesis, support it with arguments and examples and drive on straight to your conclusion.
OpinionHomage-
You can express your opinion in the course of your analysis and your arguments, but simply trashing or adoring a film is
not analysis.
One type of opinion paper is an homage, which is based upon arguing that the film is great or a classic.
Plot Summary-
Do not simply recount what happens in the film. You are to assume that your reader has seen the film. Why would anyone read an analysis of a film they haven’t seen? When referring to a scene in a film it is sufficient to briefly indicate which scene you are referring to, in order to ground your reader through your example. But do not follow the plot in a linear fashion. If you keep saying “
And then…and then…”
like the drive-thru scene in
Dude, Where’s my Car?…
then you are doing a plot summary.
Some formatting rules- The paper should be 3 pages typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt, with 1” margins all around. Your title should be just below the line with your name flush left and the date flush right. And again, it should not be the title of the film. And just so you know, a three page paper has writing on most of all three pages- a paper that ends at the very top of page three is a two page, two sentence paper.
Can you please let me know the movie name you are going to write about before starting? Thank you