A scholarly film review for this class will include the following components:
1) The introduction, in which you shall identify the source of the film’s content- is the story based on actual historical events,
or is it a fictional story occurring against an actual historical background? Was the film written directly for the screen, or was it
based on a novel, stage play, or another written source?
2) Film Narrative. In this section, tell the story depicted in your film, from beginning to end. As you do so, create a full historical
context- when and where does the film’s story take place, what is the plot, and who are the major characters?
3) Historical Context. In this section, situate your film into the appropriate larger historical context; i.e., does your film take
place in the context of a war, or the industrial, or any other revolution, or some other larger historical process?
it) Assessment of the film’s depiction of sexuality. This is the most important part of your review! In this section, you need to
address two critical questions: 1) whether the film contains fictional elements or not, does the film accurately represent the
historical period, events and characters depicted in the film, or not? 2) how does the film betray contemporary notions of
sexuality relative to the time and place in which it was produced? This is the section where you will cite your scholarly sources
in order to back up your assertions concerning your film’s treatment of sexual themes.
5) Conclusion. After you have addressed the first four components ofyour review, you are ready to offer a critical assessment
ofthe film’s value as a depiction and commentary on sexuality. All the conclusions you have drawn concerning the film’s
representation of the history of sexuality will be concisely stated in your conclusion.
6) Works cited page. This will be your bibliography and your final page. Format according to our “how to cite” sheet.
7) Research. Joan Scott and Michel Foucault materials will form the basis ofyour research, as well as any other ofthe
assigned texts that are relevant to the treatment of sexuality in your film. In addition to these, you will consult and cite a
minimum of SIX SCHOLARLY historical materials to formulate your assessment of historical context and accuracy. These shall
consist of books (a minimum ofthree), and articles (a minimum ofthree) derived from peer-reviewed journals, or chapters from
scholarly edited volumes, that either comment upon the historical period depicted in the film, or the depiction of sexuality
depicted in the film.
