FILM IN NYC: Notes on Mid-term Papers:

FILM IN NYC: Notes on Mid-term Papers:

You should begin your paper almost immediately with a thesis statement about the meaning of your film as it relates to the representation of New York and, if applicable, its production in the city.

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DO NOT: make broad general introductory statements about the history of film (or the history of the world, which I have definitely encountered) such as “since the birth of cinema, films have depicted people’s lives” etc. That’s bullshit/filler and will be marked as such.

For instance:

Taxi Driver depicts New York as both a cause and effect of the psyche of the film’s protagonist, Travis Bickle–the former inasmuch as the film’s documentary photography captures the gritty materiality of larger geopolitical realities (e.g. recession-era, post-oil crisis, post-Vietnam New York) and the latter inasmuch as the film’s overall neo-expressionist style integrates this documentary material to lend a certain verisimilitude and credence to Bickle’s subjective delirium.

I will first discuss the historical and political context of the film’s production in New York of the mid-to-late 70s and subsequently unfold this context into a close analysis of 3 key sequences [can be 2, or even 1 if detailed enough]: Travis’ alienated meeting with his Cabbie comrades, his foiled attempt to assassinate Senator Palantine and the final delirious, out-of-body overhead tracking shot of the film’s climax.

You then follow this plan, using frame-grabs (ideally at the end of the paper so as not to waste space that should be used for writing) to illustrate your point, including references within the body of the text (i.e. “Fig. 1” etc.)

I cannot spell out the entire process of writing an expository paper here without writing one myself, which is beyond my remit. But I take it for granted that as college students you have all written critical essays in the past. Whatever the case, the best way to go about it is industriously and little by little–not all in one night. Revisions will certainly be necessary.

Bring drafts to class if you want eyes on them. It will be much harder to give and explain provisional comments on a working draft online. The final paper should be uploaded to blackboard on the syllabus date (not later, as I may have erroneously hinted at in class).