FMST 212: Film Aesthetics (Sections A/AA Fall 2018) – Exam II
Due Monday, December 3rd, 2018 – To Be Submitted via Moodle in PDF Format
The exam film will be screened twice in class on Wednesday, October 31st. The DVD and Blu-Ray will
subsequently be available for reviewing at VCR on the 3rd floor of the EV Building.
In this paper you will conduct a stylistic analysis of the exam film following the four general steps
described in Film Art (pp. 306-309), and assess how this style fits within the theoretical discussion of film
form detailed in required readings by Bazin and Eisentstein. We don’t want you to make evaluative
(good, bad) judgments in writing this assignment. Do not make positive or negative critical statements
in your essay, and do not provide any interpretation.
Your essay will be 2000 words in length and will consist of two parts.
PART ONE will be a discussion of the following two required readings available on course reserve:
ANDRÉ BAZIN: “The Evolution of the Language of Cinema.”
SERGEI EISENSTEIN: “A Dialectic Approach to Film Form.”
In 500 words, briefly explain one point about film aesthetics upon which Bazin and Eisenstein would
agree, AND one point upon which they do not agree. Don’t offer your own opinion about which
theorist you might favour. Simply compare and contrast their thoughts on the aesthetics of cinema.
PART TWO: decide which theorist’s ideas would be better suited to an analysis of the exam film, and
select two of the following topics accordingly:
– One or Two Aspects of Mise-en-Scène
– Static Framing
– Depth
– The Long Take
– Camera Movement (Mobile Framing)
– Editing (Classical/Invisible/Continuity)
– Editing (Non-classical/Eisensteinian/Graphic-Rhythmic-Spatial-Temporal Relations)
– Sound
In the remaining 1500 words, explain why either the Bazin or Eisenstein article is useful when thinking
about the exam film, and conduct a stylistic analysis of the film concentrating specifically on the two
topics you choose from the above list. The analysis should reflect the discussions of these topics in Film
Art along with the Bazin essay or the Eisenstein essay. Therefore, you must make reference to the
concepts associated with each topic as they are laid out in these readings. For example: if you choose
to discuss continuity editing within the film, you should make reference to one of the sections on
continuity editing in Film Art. Proper use of terminology is essential for this assignment.
Structure and Format:
PART ONE will consist of two to three paragraphs comparing and contrasting the two articles.
PART TWO must begin with a paragraph explaining why you think either the Bazin or Eisenstein article
is more applicable to the exam film, and clearly state which two topics you have selected for your
analysis.
You may then go about your analysis in one of two ways:
Option 1: divide your work into two sections based on your two chosen topics, analyzing each of the
topics individually through the four steps suggested in Film Art.
Option 2: divide your work into four sections based on the four steps suggested in Film Art, analyzing
both of your chosen topics within each section.
You will not have enough space to deal with more than two topics from the above list in the required
amount of depth, so please keep your selection limited to two.
The best essays will go beyond a simple descriptive analysis of the film and will demonstrate an
understanding of the relationships between the film’s formal and stylistic systems (Film Art pp. 303-304).
All essays should use careful description to support your analysis, and should show that you have a
good understanding of the two topics you have selected and how they relate to either Bazin or
Eisenstein’s thinking on film aesthetics.
Please refrain from making interpretations about the meaning of the film. This essay should
demonstrate your ability to observe details about the film’s style and explain the function of its stylistic
elements within the film’s overall form. The two assignments in the winter semester will then ask you
combine formal/stylistic analysis with interpretation.
This is NOT a research paper. Though many essays have been written on this film, we do not want you
to consult any of them. There is no room here for delving into sources that come from outside the
assigned materials for this class. This is an exercise in observation and analysis using the tools provided
for you in the required readings.
All references to the readings MUST be properly cited according to an acceptable referencing
system. If you use a direct quotation OR simply draw on ideas found in the readings, you must make
reference to the title of the reading and the appropriate page number on which the idea is found.
Your completed essay is due on Moodle on Monday, December 3rd, 2018. This assignment must be
typed in 12 point TIMES NEW ROMAN font, double-spaced, and with margins not exceeding 1.25
inches. Keep a copy of your work until you receive a final grade for the course. No cover page is
required, but make sure that your name is at the top of the essay.
