Film papers

A study of Neo-realism and Hollywood and their different approaches to filmmaking.

An analysis and review of the movie, "Platoon".

An analysis of the movie "Blow", focusing on a look at the main character of the movie and his actions, through Merton's strain theory and Gotredson's and Hirschi's self-control theory.

Purposes & techniques , rhetoric & effectiveness of speech by Hillary Rodham Clinton to people in power, & by actor Charles Chaplin in the film "The Great Dictator" aimed to spur people into action.

Analysis of Christopher Hampton's play & film adaptations of Choderolos de Lados' notorious 1782 novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." Contends film version is basically conservative & that original text is superior to film & play.

Discusses ethical issues raised in 1981 film re: abuses by press & police; investigative powers of government. Legal issue of malice. Plot. Characters.

Analysis of 1993 film dealing with discriminatory actions toward homosexuality, fear of AIDS, the leading character's wrongful termination lawsuit.

Compares narrative method of Dodie Smith's novel & the 1996 Disney film version.

Examines depiction of ethnic groups, stereotypes & racial bigotry in 1961 film as representing an accurate view of 1950s America.

Analysis of use of political symbolism & imagery in 1998 film "Primary Colors" & 1972 film "The Candidate."

Analysis of Ridley Scott's 1982 film in terms of spiritual & psychological journey taken by movie's hero, Deckhard. Relates journey to Jungian archetypes & Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With 1000 Faces.:"

Analysis of PTSD in lead character Birdy in Director Alan Parker's 1984 film "Birdy." Relates character's symptoms to Vietnam experiences, predisposing factors. Discusses treatment & patient avoidance techniques.

Analysis of Director David Lean's 1984 cinematic adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel of British Imperialism. Dramatic structure of film, characters, theme, Lean's directorial techniques and devices.

Compares characteristics of "The Shawshank Redemption" & "The Green Mile," both directed by Frank Darabont. Discusses prison life, central characters and directorial style.

Compares the role and symbolism of the forest in the film & short story. Mentions elements that differ and the effects on the characters.

Discusses director Julie Taymor's 1999 film "Titus" in relation to Shakespeare's first tragedy. Includes issues of violence, director's visual style & imagery.

Changing presentation of the Arab in films. Examples from Hollywood films from 1920s-1990s. Contends little attention is paid to reality of Arabic life or culture.

Audience identification with central characters in "Psycho" & "The Birds".

Discusses plot, theme, ethical dilemmas, filmmakers message of 1999 film.

History & development; ties to major studios. Cost factors, creativity, marketing, distribution, promotion.

Analysis of 1990 film based on American woman's experience as wife of Iranian man. Her cultural shock; low status of women in Islamic society. Prejudices. Her escape from Iran with her child.

Indian commerical cinema; traditional role of women in Masala films; rape portrayals; Indian New Cinema. Indian model of feminism.

Male-female & family relations in 1999 film. Gender & social roles.

Discusses Susan Sontag's use of films and photographs of Leni Riefenstahl to apply her aesthetic principles. Mythic imagery in "Triumph of the Will."

Analysis of his films & development from gag-based shorts to comedy features with complex ideas. Discusses "The Kid," "His Trysting Place," "The Idle Class."

Discusses auteur theory, development of a genre. Compares 1932 & 1983 film versions of "Scarface" to illustrate changes in gangster genre films.

Examines importance of development & pre-production & details various stages and elements such as script concept, financing, "packaging," distribution deal, establishing a director, shooting script, production office, schedule, budget, locations, etc.

Psychological impact on audiences. Casting choices and examples from films.

Examaines 3 of filmmaker's crime drama films. Influences of American film noir & Samurai tradition.

Its style, elements, influence, use of by Alfred Hitchcock.

Central themes of 1982 film incl. Non-violent protest, colonialism, ills of imperialism, power of publicity.

Discussion of Luchino Visconti's filmed version of Thomas Mann's novella. Compares differences & changes made by filmmaker.

Analysis of George Romero's 1968 film as an example of horror film genre.

Examines translation of Peter Hedges' novel into 1994 film. Discusses dramatic alterations & themes.

Analysis of the trilogy & novelization of first film as filmmaker George Lucas creating a new mythology to teach a lesson about life. Discusses sources & mythic elements.

Compares thematic elements & characterizations of Ken Kesey's novel with film version.

Life & work of film comedian/director. Comparison of his comedy with Chaplin; his methods as filmmaker; reputation.

Nurses as sex objects or avenging angels. Focus on film "Misery" as example of nurse with personality disorder.

Uses Spike Lee's 1991 film to explore issues of racism, sexism & other social ills.

Examines George Lucas' "Star Wars" triology & Peter Hedges' novel "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." How plot & theme develop the Greek myth.

Early black cinema;1930s-1950s. Impact of political/social attitudes in 1960s; blaxploitation films of 1970s; new directions in 1980s & early 1990s.

Changes since mid-1980s. Examines the company, marketing strategy, financial performance, international operations & organizational structure. 6 charts.

Uses 1994 film "The Paper" as a workplace example of the role of management in the communication process.

Compares Akira Kurosawa's 1957 film to Shakekspeare's "Macbeth" in terms of use of source material, adaptation elements, plot, character, theme.

Compares Tobias Wolff's book to film version to discuss abused women and their children. Also discusses Toby's spiritual journey.

Examines various aspects of Kubrick's film including color scheme, scene construction and cinematography.

Reviews the films "Liar, Liar" and "Trial and Error" focusing on how they treat the issues of honesty and the legal system, specifically the propensity for dishonesty among lawyers.

Reviews the film "Romero" focusing on the themes of liberation theology & redemption.

Examines the themes of landlord-tenant relations and legal restrictions as presented in the film "Pacific Heights".

Examines the image of California as portrayed in films such as "Grapes of Wrath", "La Story" and "Boyz N the Hood" which seem to present California as either a paradise or a dystopic nightmare.

Examines the 18th entry in the James Bond film series. Discusses the standard elements of Bond films and how they are applied in "Tomorrow Never Dies."

Tsui Hark's 1986 Hong Kong action, comic-adventure film set in 1913. Discusses society of time, impact on China of Western invasion, reform movements, characters, plot, tone.

A paper which gives a thorough history of the popular show "Saturday Night Live" that has been a staple in American culture since the 1970s.

A look at the origin of DVD technology, the types of DVDs available and where the technology is headed in the future.

Examines the roles of the women characters in Coppola's movie "Godfather".

A rhetoric criticism of the television series "Survivor".

The paper discusses the movie, "Apocalypse Now" about the Vietnam War.

This paper analyzes and follows the development of the main character, Ralph, in "Lord of the Flies".

An analysis of the use of dialects and accents in Disney's "Pocahontas" to portray various ideas about character.

A review of "Barry Lyndon" a film by Stanley Kubrick, emphasizing the direct conflict between the main character and the constraints of social organization.

A history of the development of animated films from 1889 until the present.

A review of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" directed by Joel Zwick, 2001.

This paper reviews the movie, "Good Will Hunting", which explores how people balance the need to be connected to others with the risk of being hurt if those people leave us.

A critique of the novel versus the film version of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being".

An analysis of the film dealing with a morality-based story of redemption, faith, and friendship.

An examination of the character of Joan Fontaine in Alfred Hitchcock's film "Rebecca".

A discussion of how the communist paranoia influenced Hollywood in the 1950?s.

An review of Alfred Hitchcock's film "Rear Window" with an emphasis on the filming technique used.

A critical analysis of the film "American Psycho", written and directed by Mary Harron.

This paper is a personal review of the popular television series "Dawson Creek" and an essay that defines how the series has affected the author's life.

This paper states that the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is rich in symbolism especially Chinese symbols and the concept of Yin and Yang.

A comparison of the movie "The Crucible" with the book on which story it was based, "Salem Possessed: the Social Origins of Witchcraft" by Paul S. Boyer.

This paper is a critical review of the plot and presentation of the different comedic themes in the movie, "A Fish Called Wanda."

This paper shows the influence of director Pedro Almodovar on the Spanish film industry and how his films helped pave the way for other Spanish directors to find an audience outside of Spain and to reestablish the viability of the Spanish film industry.

A study of the portrayal of the criminal justice system in American film.

By examining the movie "Trainspotting" (1998), the paper looks at the effects of drug abuse on youth in society.

A compare and contrast analysis of two adaptations of the same story: "The Christmas Story" and "In God We Trust", both comedies that explore the mysterious and rich inner life of an American child.

A study of the slavehunter turned Jesuit character, Rodrigo Mendoz, in the movie, "The Mission".

Examination of Alfred Hitchcock's treatment of marriage, and his view of women in "The Rear Window".

A comparison and contrast of two movies "Legally Blonde" and "Disappearing Acts".

A paper which discusses the issues of racism and sexism in fairy tales and Disney movies.

A review of "Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks", a book by Donald Bogle on African-American images in the film industry.

An analysis of the theme of genetic engineering in this Andrew Niccol film.

A discussion of the symbolism of D.W. Griffith's 1919 film.

This paper looks at the reasons behind the current fascination with reality television.

An analysis of the movie version of this story based on Ken Kesey's novel.

A discussion about the life and successful acting career of Mel Gibson from a fan's point of view.

An examination of Francis Coppola's movie "Apocalypse Now" about the Vietnam War.

This essay on the film "Mrs. Doubtfire" discusses the social values of the story and the technical aspects of the thematic content of the film.

A look at the aspirations of the European Union (EU) for European unity and the obstacles it faces. The movie,"Europa Europa", is presented as a point of comparison of attitudes.

A discussion about the book "Slow Fade to Black" by Thomas Cripps.

The use of sound and music as an artistic tool in this movie.

A review of the film "Disclosure" by Barry Levinson starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore.

A review of the movie "Casablanca" and its expression of the emotions felt by the American public during World War II.

A comparison between Homer's epic novel the 'Odyssey' and the adapted screenplay version of the epic film,"O Brother Where Art Thou?", directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen .

An analysis of courtly love as adapted into modern entertainment.

A discussion of the ethics and effectiveness of ethnological film making.

An analysis of "The Godfather" films as examples of the gangster movie genre.

A book review of "The Blooding" by Joseph Wambaugh, which includes details of the author's life.