ERIC ED342033: Reading the Movies: Twelve Great Films on Video and How To Teach Them.

208 Pages·1992·2.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 507 726
ED 342 033
Costanzo, William V.
AUTHOR
Reading the Movies: Twelve Great Films on Video and
TITLE
How To Teach Them.
National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana,
INSTITUTION
ISBN-0-8141-3910-8
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
92
218p.
NOTE
National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon
AVAILABLE FROM
Rd., Urbana, IL 61801 (Stock No. 39108-0015; $10.95
members, $14.95 nonmembers).
Guides - Classroom Use - Teaching Guides (For
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MF01/PC09 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Class Activities; Discourse Analysis; English
DESCRIPTORS
Instruction; *Films; *Film Study; Higher Education;
High Schools; Instructional Innovation; Videotape
Recordings
Film Genres; Film History; *Film Viewing
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Recognizing film as a medium of expression that
should have a place in high school and college classrooms, this book
provides a framework for teaching about film as a medium and for
studying the ways filmmakers use images and technology to convey
experiences, emotions, and ideas. The first part ,)f the book presents
six chapters on "reading" the movies: (1) the Art of 7iction Film;
(2) the Languages of Film; (3) the Technology of Film; (4) a Brief
History of Film; (5) Theories of Film; and (6) Film in the English
Class. The second part of the book focuses on teaching approaches for
12 diverse and important films available on videocassette, from
Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" to Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing"
and Penny Marshall's "Awakenings." The book presents background on
each film and its maker, questions for discussion, and topics and
resources for further study. A list of 60 other movies, a description
of 4 film projects, and a 137item bibliography are attached. (RS)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
CENTER (ERIC)
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Kill's document has been
reproduced as
received from Ihe person or organization
originating it
0 Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduclion quality
Points of view or opinions stated fl this docit
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TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
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1
'1
Reading the Movies
Twelve Great Films on Video
and How to Teach Them
William V. Costanzo
Westchester Community College
Z".
National Council of Teachers of English
\.4
1111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801
3
To my children, Michael and David, who taught me enough about reading
movies to write a book.
Film photos: Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills Archive. Courtesy of Columbia
Pictures
Embassy
(On the Waterfront, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Awakenings);
Pictures
Orca Productions, Sunafra
MGM
(Singin' in the Rain);
(The Graduate);
Productions, and NEF Diffusion
RKO Pictures
(Sugar Ca,ne Alley);
(Citizen
Twentieth Century-Fox
United Artists
(The Grapes of Wrath);
Kane);
(Modern
Universal Pictures
and Warner Brothers
Times);
(The Birds, Do the Right Thing);
William Costanzo's photograph courtesy of Dale
(Rebel Without a Cause).
Leifeste Photography, Valhalla, New York.
NCTE Editorial Board: Richard Abrahamson, Celia Genishi, Joyce Kinkead,
Louise Phelps, Gladys Veidemanis, Charles Suhor, ex officio, Michael Spooner,
ex officio
Manuscript Editor: Mary Daniels
Production Editor: Rona S. Smith
Cover Design and Illustration: Carlton Bruett
Interior Design: Tom Kovacs for TGK Design
NCTE Stock Number 39108-3050
© 1992 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a
forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching
of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point
of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board
of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy,
where such endorsement is rlearly specified.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Costanzo, William V.
Reading the movies : twelve great films on video and how to teach
them / William V. Costanzo.
cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Includes filmographies.
ISBN 0-8141-3910-8
I. Motion picturesStudy and teaching.
2. Motion pictures and
3. Motion picturesPhilosophy.
literature.
4. Film criticism.
Title.
I.
PN1993.7.C6
1991
791.43'07--dc20
91-40981
CIP
Contents
vii
Acknowledgements
ix
Preface
Introduction: Films, Lives, and Videotape
1
Part I Reading the Movies
13
1. The Art of Fiction Film
25
2. The Languages of Film
34
3. The Technology of Film
50
4. A Brief History of Film
62
5. Theories of Film
73
6. Film in the English Class
Part II Twelve Great Films on Video
89
7. Citizen Kane
97
8. On the Waterfront
105
9. Rebel Without a Cause
113
10. The Graduate
121
11. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
129
12. The Grapes of Wrath
137
13. Modern Times
143
14. The Birds
151
15. Singin' in the Rain
161
16. Sugar Cane Alley
1
vi
Contents
17. Do the Right Thing
169
18. Awakenings
177
Appendix 1: More Great Films
186
Appendix 2: Four Film Projects
189
Bibliography
194
Author
201
Acknowledgements
by Charles Suhor, NCTE's
The idea for this book was first suggested
advocate of media education.
tarsighted deputy director and a long-time
publish a guidebook on
Charlie believed that the day had arrived to
seize the day. Such a book
film for teachers of English. I was quick to
through years of teaching film
had been ripening in my imagination
enthusiastic colleagues. If there
an.1 trading classroom stories with
friend, and
time, I would list each student,
were space enough and
of this volume. There
colleague who has contributed to the contents
of
whom I owe an especially large measure
are some, however, to
thank Bruce Kawin (University
appreciation. In particular, I want to
(George Mason University)
of Colorado, Boulder) and Peter Brunette
with an expert and judicious
for reading portions of the manuscript
shape this book
and friendship have helped to
eye. Their scholarship
to thank Linda Dittmar
and sustain the spirit of its author. I want
Ernece Kelly (Kingsborough
(University of Massachusetts-Boston) and
helping with the selection of films.
Community College, New York) for
view of movies as well as the
Their perspectives have enlarged my
Ann
Barbra Morris (University of Michigan,
scope of this text. To
University), and my other
Arbor), Jonathan Lovell (San Jose State
years of supportive
associates on the Media Commission, I owe many
good fortune in having
and productive collaboration. And I thank my
for publications, and Mary
Michael Spooner, NCTE's senior editor
editor, to guide me through
Daniels, my patient and film-wise copy
hopes and unflagging patience.
the publication process with high
in teaching but also supports
I work at a school that takes great pride
the bonds with and within
the efforts of its teachers to strengthen
and publication. The productive
their professions through scholarship
is due largely to its energetic
climate of Westchester Community College
extraordinary staff. As always,
president, Joseph N. Hankin, and to its
colleagues in the WCC library who
I am grateful to my generous
work and then made sure that I
helped provide the resources for my
advice of teachers like
I am grateful, too, for the
sat down to do it.
and Maryanne Vent, who helped to
Stanley Feingold, John Cuniberti,
vii
7
viii
Acknowledgements
show me the range of possibilities while keeping
me faithful to my
own.
Finally, a note of personal appreciation
to my family: to my parents
for their belief in me, to my children for keeping
me alert, and to my
wife, Barbara, for standing by
me through the years.
s
Preface
early 1970s,
The wave of enthusiasm for film study that crested in the
of the following
then ebbed during the back-to-basics movement
advances in research and
decade, has begun to rise again, impelled by
have become more
technology. With the advent of VCRs, movies
only are movies more
popular, less costly, and easier to screen. Not
machines
accessible than ever before, but laserdisk and videocassette
close textual attention
also have made it possible to give films the
Meanwhile, new scholarship in fields
once reserved for literary works.
studies has added fresh
like semiotics, post-structuralism, and feminist
images. Film
significance and sophistication to the analysis of moving
much like language,
is more widely seen now as a symbol system,
reforming our most
which encodes the values of society, reflecting and
essential cultural beliefs.
movies is growing
For these and other reasons, the idea of using
teachers of English. Many English
more attractiveand importantto
environment. They
teachers regard film as part of the linguistic
learn about language and
recognize that much of what their students
They seek to make more
culture is filtered through the visual media.
the media arts and
natural and substantive the connections between
the language arts.
have good models
It seems especially important, then, that teachers
films in the classroom. The
and reliable resources for introducing
teachers develop their own informed
purpose of this book is to help
and wide appeal. It begins
approaches to teaching films of high quality
research, followed by a
with a general overview of film theory and
accompanied by practical
closer look at twelve specific films, each
of my goals has been to
ideas for presenting them to students. One
moving beyund the strictly
build on what teachers already know,
character, and so on)
literary categories of text analysis (plot, theme,
lighting, editing, and sound,
to cinematic concepts, such as framing,
invited to see correspon-
without getting too technical. The reader is
filmmaking, literature
dences and contrasts between composing and
viewer response, trends in
and narrative film, reader response and
I have been guided by
literary theory and film criticism. Throughout,
ix
Preface
a balance of concerns. Without losing sight of the day-to-day realities
of classroom teaching, I have sought
to steer a steady course between
aesthetics and technology, cognitive skills and
cultural values, and
theory and practice. I hope you find the
way inviting.
1 0