Compare and contrast two of the films that we have looked at during the module. Analyse and discuss the formal characteristics and thematic concerns in these works in relation to the broader context of avant-garde/experimental cinema. Please provide your own title for the essay and refer to the guidelines below. Films chosen – Esfir Shub’s The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927) & Joseph Cornell’s Rose Hobart (1936) Guidelines for the Critical Essay – For the purposes of the assignment you ought to have a rationale for the choice of films that you’re going to discuss. This will help provide a focus for your writing. This rationale should involve a common element that could be to do with an approach to filmmaking, a theme, or a particular subject. It would be useful to refer to the common element in your essay title. So a simple essay title could be: An analysis of the … insert the common element that you want to discuss … in … insert title of first film… (date) by … insert director’s name… and …. insert the title of the second film … (date) by … insert the director’s name. – In your introduction you should refer to the rationale for your essay and explain your intentions in comparing the two films that you’re going to discuss. Describe your approach and outline what you intend to show, analyse, reveal and uncover through your essay. Highlight key additional reference points that you will be making use of, for example: key essays or authoritative texts; and perhaps other works by the same filmmakers. – The bulk of the essay can be built around a close analysis of the films that you intend to discuss, with respect to the essay’s focus. Be precise in your use of language and terminology to explain the form, content, perceived intentions and effect of the films. – There are key texts listed in the weekly seminar notes under ‘Modules’. – Key texts are also listed in the general Reading List, accessible via the relevant tab opposite. – Key references might also include other works by the filmmakers that you are writing about. – In addition to writing about the specific nature of your chosen films, you should seek to discuss the relevance of these films in the context of experimental film and video (and cinema) more broadly.
