Attention: Please do not attempt this assignment until you have successfully set up your Google Drive and have read the instructions for film responses. I know this posting is not about a film, but it follows the same formatting as all the other film responses you will do. Name your Google document LastName.FirstName.FR1.S20 because this assignment is your first Film Response.
Also, be sure you have already read Thinking About Film before writing your response to this posting. This course invites you to watch films with a more critical and self-aware eye. To be critical does not mean to look for weaknesses in a film or to express negative opinions. It really means to take a step back from your enjoyment of a film (which could be entirely personal and opinion-based) and think about how the film works and why it's made the way it's made (which involves interpretation and a careful eye). Does this critical approach mean that you cannot enjoy the film?
Definitely not! But enjoyment does depend on the mindset of the viewer. When I think carefully about a film, its techniques, its structure, and its themes, I discover a level of enjoyment that transcends personal taste. Even if your taste in movies does not change, you might still find that your personal preferences are not the only factor worth considering when you evaluate the quality of a movie you see. But you, not the film, will determine your mindset. If your mindset is static or fixed, this class is an opportunity to loosen it up and let it grow.
Some years ago, I saw a film that turned the way I watched movies upside down: Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. Do you have a film that had that effect on you? Before that moment (I was 19), I had been completely passive in my enjoyment of films. When I discovered that entertainment could be more than a passive activity, or a matter of luck, I experienced a new energy and a new optimism. If you have not already, I hope this class will help you do so.
Now here is your prompt: First, what does this statement mean: "the responsibility for a good film experience lies with the viewer"? Explain, with examples, what this statement has to do with being a critical viewer. Along the way, explain what kind of viewer are you now. Second, explain your potential to become the type of viewer who can take that kind of responsibility and the obstacles to that growth in you. How will you improve your mindset? I would like to know about the way you have watched films, whether you want to become a critical viewer, and why. Remember, please make your response two equal-length paragraphs and make sure you stay within the required word count range.
