Juan Monroy — History of Film: Assignment: National Cinema

In the interwar period, between World War I and World War II, many filmmakers emphasized certain elements of film style in order to forge a distinct national film style. This was especially true in France, Germany, and the Soviet Union during the 1920s, and to a lesser degree in the United States.

In this writing assignment, discuss how one 1920s film from Germany, France, or the Soviet Union articulates a sense of nationalism through its use of one or more of the following formal elements:

mise-en-scène: the process of placing props, costumes, performances, and settings in a scene. Some key terms include profilmic space, location filming, shadows, lighting, aperture framing, and gestures.
cinematography: the process of using a camera and applying optical and chemical effects to create an photographic image. Some key terms include framing, shallow focus, contrast, slow motion, and angle of framing.
editing: the process of selecting, cutting, and stitching together camera footage. Some key terms include cut, fade, flashbacks, elliptical editing, shot-reverse-shot.

You may select films in the following Letterboxd lists:

I recommend selecting two or more scenes from your chosen film and analyzing at least one of the formal elements listed above.

Your analysis should also consider the scene you selected in the context of the overall plot of the film and the motivations of the filmmaker working in the particular national context.

Be sure to describe the sequences you’re analyzing in detail. Do not use timecode: it doesn’t help me visualize the scene you’re discussing in your paper. Feel free to include a few screen captures from the film in your paper to illustrate your description of the sequence. Do not analyze the entire film, and do not summarize the plot. Also, do not use the word “successful” (or a synonym) anywhere in your essay.

You don’t need to include any outside research for this assignment, but if you do use any bibliographic sources, you will need to cite those. Please remember to italicize the title of the films—don’t put the title in quotes.

Your essay should be about 1200 words in length and is due in class on the date specified on the syllabus. Please do not email me your essay. Upload a double-spaced PDF document to Canvas to the assignment named “Essay 1: Prewar National Cinema.”