Part 1: View a feature film made between 1940 – 1970 you have not seen before (or will see later in this class) by a great director. Many directors were active both before and after 1970 so make sure you see a pre-1970 FEATURE fiction film.
Suggestion: American directors such as Frank Capra, George Cukor, John Ford, George Stevens, Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, or William Wyler. Foreign directors such as Ingmar Bergman (Swedish), Luis Buñuel (Spanish), Claude Chabrol (French), Federico Fellini (Italian), Akira Kurosawa (Japanese), Lina Wertmuller (German) or the British team known as “The Archers” made up of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. For other possibilities, try: http://www.filmsite.org/directors.html Comment on the specific film you saw in terms of its genre and the quality of the film itself. Pay attention to the camerawork (cinematography) the editing (montage) and the sound (including music). What did you like and what did you dislike? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike? Finally, is the film successful in creating a work of fiction using the craft of filmmaking and considering when it was made? (Note: This is not the same question as whether or not you liked it. It is entirely possible to like a film that you are aware is not very good.)
Part 2: Draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main actors or actresses. For example let us say you watched the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia. Did you like David Lean as a filmmaker? Explain your answer. Did you like Peter O’Toole in the role of Larwrence? Why, or why not?