Review Week Four concepts by completing the following:
•Research symbolism in cinema.
•Compile a brief list of examples of symbolism in the cinema.
•Respond to the following:
◦ Were any of the examples surprising?
◦Did they add to your enjoyment of the film, if it was a film you have previously viewed?
Start with the textbook discussion on symbolism and note some of the symbols that get discussed there, or ways that symbols are used/created. You might find something in that discussion that would be “surprising” as a potential for being a symbol. Sometimes we do not even realize that something is being used in this way as it can be quite subtle and we “figure it out” later. As in painting, the use of certain colors in objects, or for certain characters, can be one place to start.
If not, another way to approach this is to add a bit of context to the discussion by choosing a film that allows you to directly apply these concepts. Some students find that once they have read the film chapter that watching a film, new or a personal favorite, and seeing what they can discover about this now in light of what they have read is very helpful. Certainly it is more interesting than trying to do massive library and Internet searches.Cool
For those of you with cable/Direct TV or a subscription video service (like Hulu or Netflix), it can be a bit easier. Any style film will work though for this assignment. Film noir films from the 1940s are good places to start, or more modern films like those by M. Night Shyamalan can give you places to apply this information and learning.
