*this is the same text that appears in your course description*
Formal, drafted papers will be assigned well ahead of the due date to encourage thoughtful planning and rewriting. Revisions are encouraged but not required or guaranteed – if a revision is not allowed, you will be told in advance. Writing is hard work, and to write well, you need to pay attention to numerous details in numerous areas. That reality can be frustrating, but the process is one that allows for positive growth. ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN A ZERO – THE SUREST WAY TO FAIL THIS CLASS IS TO NOT TURN IN A MAJOR ASSIGNMENT. You are allowed and encouraged to rewrite almost any MAJOR paper – not journal entries. And, your grade is the average of the two drafts with more weight going to the revision. This is a generous offer; take advantage of it. After a paper is handed back, you have ONE WEEK to hand in the rewrite. All previous drafts and any teacher comments must be resubmitted; changes should be underlined or highlighted – unmarked revisions will be handed back.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
READING SCHEDULE FOR HEART OF DARKNESS
Heart of Darkness
PAGES ------ DUE BY
3-15 ----------- 3/16
16-50 --------- 3/26
50-60 --------- 3/27
61-71 --------- 3/28
71-83 --------- 3/29
84-96 --------- 3/30
FAST, CHEAP, AND OUT OF CONTROL
FAST, CHEAP AND OUT OF CONTROL - 1997
Directed by: Errol Morris
Errol Morris is considered one of the best documentary filmmakers of all time. The only problem is that he doesn’t consider himself a documentary filmmaker. Most people think of films as falling into two major categories: documentaries (non-fiction) and movies (fiction). 99% of the films in theatres fall into the latter category, but the interesting thing is that although they are undeniably fictitious, they are stories masquerading as actual events. A movie only really works if it retains some sense of reality. The idea behind a documentary is to capture “reality” or “truth” and discard the fiction, and most people take this at face value – think of all those videos in history class. However, Morris argues that the camera doesn’t really capture “truth,” it just captures more stories, and that’s what he’s interested in: more stories. He once said, “My gripe isn't with cinema verite. It's the metaphysical claim -- the idea that style guarantees truthfulness -- which I find repellent." If anything, Errol Morris is a trafficker of human stories, and his intent is not so much to clarify the world around us but to reveal its complexity.
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control is a human story with a little bit of animal and a pinch of robot. Is it a documentary? It certainly documents the words and ideas of four individuals in an interview-like format, but Morris abandons the traditional approach of a documentary, melding these seemingly unconnected stories by crossing monologues (you never hear Morris ask a question until the end) with footage of an old B-grade adventure film, some imaginative landscaping, a circus, scrambling insect robots, lion taming, a naked mole-rat colony, and a traveling circus. The effect is that the individual stories seem to get lost, but what emerges is not quite clear since the film doesn’t give answers, it generates ideas. Some say Morris’s films are unclassifiable. This may be true. Fast-Cheap is undeniably quirky and fun, but for all its playfulness there is also an underlying sense of mortality. Morris commented, "I had a poem by William Butler Yeats in mind when I made it. The lines in 'Lapis Lazuli': 'All things fall and are built again/And those that build them again are gay.' It's the idea of the hopelessness of it all, but a surviving nobility notwithstanding." One of the underlying principles in Physics is that matter is neither created nor destroyed. But, Fast-Cheap seems to argue that everything that is created is destroyed….and, that’s ok.
As you watch the film, I want you to be mindful of the cinematography. Find at least two examples of scenes or sequences you feel are excellent or poor examples of cinematography (be sure to include detail – describe what you liked/disliked about it). Also, I would like you to comment on the inclusion of both the circus footage and the B-grade adventure film – what effect does it have on the overall narrative? Speaking of overall narrative, what did the film leave you thinking about? Were there any ideas created? Destroyed? And, describe a moment of beauty and a moment of sadness.
Directed by: Errol Morris
Errol Morris is considered one of the best documentary filmmakers of all time. The only problem is that he doesn’t consider himself a documentary filmmaker. Most people think of films as falling into two major categories: documentaries (non-fiction) and movies (fiction). 99% of the films in theatres fall into the latter category, but the interesting thing is that although they are undeniably fictitious, they are stories masquerading as actual events. A movie only really works if it retains some sense of reality. The idea behind a documentary is to capture “reality” or “truth” and discard the fiction, and most people take this at face value – think of all those videos in history class. However, Morris argues that the camera doesn’t really capture “truth,” it just captures more stories, and that’s what he’s interested in: more stories. He once said, “My gripe isn't with cinema verite. It's the metaphysical claim -- the idea that style guarantees truthfulness -- which I find repellent." If anything, Errol Morris is a trafficker of human stories, and his intent is not so much to clarify the world around us but to reveal its complexity.
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control is a human story with a little bit of animal and a pinch of robot. Is it a documentary? It certainly documents the words and ideas of four individuals in an interview-like format, but Morris abandons the traditional approach of a documentary, melding these seemingly unconnected stories by crossing monologues (you never hear Morris ask a question until the end) with footage of an old B-grade adventure film, some imaginative landscaping, a circus, scrambling insect robots, lion taming, a naked mole-rat colony, and a traveling circus. The effect is that the individual stories seem to get lost, but what emerges is not quite clear since the film doesn’t give answers, it generates ideas. Some say Morris’s films are unclassifiable. This may be true. Fast-Cheap is undeniably quirky and fun, but for all its playfulness there is also an underlying sense of mortality. Morris commented, "I had a poem by William Butler Yeats in mind when I made it. The lines in 'Lapis Lazuli': 'All things fall and are built again/And those that build them again are gay.' It's the idea of the hopelessness of it all, but a surviving nobility notwithstanding." One of the underlying principles in Physics is that matter is neither created nor destroyed. But, Fast-Cheap seems to argue that everything that is created is destroyed….and, that’s ok.
As you watch the film, I want you to be mindful of the cinematography. Find at least two examples of scenes or sequences you feel are excellent or poor examples of cinematography (be sure to include detail – describe what you liked/disliked about it). Also, I would like you to comment on the inclusion of both the circus footage and the B-grade adventure film – what effect does it have on the overall narrative? Speaking of overall narrative, what did the film leave you thinking about? Were there any ideas created? Destroyed? And, describe a moment of beauty and a moment of sadness.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
ANNIE HALL
ANNIE HALL – 1977
Directed by Woody Allen
If Hitchcock was famous for always making cameos in his films, Woody Allen is famous for not staying out of the entire two hours. He hasn’t starred in every film he’s made, but his presence even while off the screen is undeniable. Allen started off as a writer and stand-up comedian before picking up some minor acting roles, but he always hated working with other people’s material so he committed to writing, directing and starring in his own films – makes artistic vision a lot easier, doesn’t it? And, artistic vision is something Woody Allen has never seemed short of. His films are often unconventional and imaginative, breaking the rules in ways that are both unexpected and purposeful. I think this works because most of his films, even the comedies, deal with characters who are frustrated or at their wit’s end, therefore, the unexpected seems like a viable option. If Allen could have, he probably would have patented “angst”. His main characters, again – often played by Allen – are the poster-children for existential crisis. They struggle, they search and they often come up empty, but Allen, more than most filmmakers, is incredibly attuned to the connection between the tragic and the comedic.
Annie Hall is often described as story about “love in modern times”, but I think this is a bit oversimplified and suffers from the kind of unwarranted nostalgia that always casts a false glow on “un-modern times”; as if love now is drastically different from love 100 years ago. I think the feeling and expression of love hasn’t changed, but people often confuse love for commitment, and I would agree that we are certainly less patient, especially with marriage, but to me, the “love” exhibited in Annie Hall is authentic because it is so easily recognizable as love, even though neither character ever says, in a straightforward way, “I love you”. I would also argue that Annie Hall is essentially a film the chronicles the struggle to create something meaningful. But not just something meaningful, something meaningful that lasts. As you watch the film, I would like you to keep this idea in mind – that this film is about the joy and the anxiety of creating something: in this case, a relationship between two people.
In your journal, I would like you to address the comments made in the previous paragraph – in specific – What you think of Annie and Alvy’s relationship? Where you see the joy? What are the sources of anxiety? And, what is the film’s or Allen’s overall commentary about relationships? With all this talk about “creating” and “anxiety”, it’s important to note that this is also a rather entertaining and funny film as well. That said, describe at least one scene you find funny or amusing and at least one scene you find imaginative or unexpected. Be sure to describe the scenes in detail.
Directed by Woody Allen
If Hitchcock was famous for always making cameos in his films, Woody Allen is famous for not staying out of the entire two hours. He hasn’t starred in every film he’s made, but his presence even while off the screen is undeniable. Allen started off as a writer and stand-up comedian before picking up some minor acting roles, but he always hated working with other people’s material so he committed to writing, directing and starring in his own films – makes artistic vision a lot easier, doesn’t it? And, artistic vision is something Woody Allen has never seemed short of. His films are often unconventional and imaginative, breaking the rules in ways that are both unexpected and purposeful. I think this works because most of his films, even the comedies, deal with characters who are frustrated or at their wit’s end, therefore, the unexpected seems like a viable option. If Allen could have, he probably would have patented “angst”. His main characters, again – often played by Allen – are the poster-children for existential crisis. They struggle, they search and they often come up empty, but Allen, more than most filmmakers, is incredibly attuned to the connection between the tragic and the comedic.
Annie Hall is often described as story about “love in modern times”, but I think this is a bit oversimplified and suffers from the kind of unwarranted nostalgia that always casts a false glow on “un-modern times”; as if love now is drastically different from love 100 years ago. I think the feeling and expression of love hasn’t changed, but people often confuse love for commitment, and I would agree that we are certainly less patient, especially with marriage, but to me, the “love” exhibited in Annie Hall is authentic because it is so easily recognizable as love, even though neither character ever says, in a straightforward way, “I love you”. I would also argue that Annie Hall is essentially a film the chronicles the struggle to create something meaningful. But not just something meaningful, something meaningful that lasts. As you watch the film, I would like you to keep this idea in mind – that this film is about the joy and the anxiety of creating something: in this case, a relationship between two people.
In your journal, I would like you to address the comments made in the previous paragraph – in specific – What you think of Annie and Alvy’s relationship? Where you see the joy? What are the sources of anxiety? And, what is the film’s or Allen’s overall commentary about relationships? With all this talk about “creating” and “anxiety”, it’s important to note that this is also a rather entertaining and funny film as well. That said, describe at least one scene you find funny or amusing and at least one scene you find imaginative or unexpected. Be sure to describe the scenes in detail.
Friday, March 2, 2007
PWB Reading Schedule
HOMEWORK READING SCHEDULE FOR
THE POISONWOOD BIBLE
PAGE TO PAGE DATE DUE
START ------------------------- 19 Thursday, 8th February
20 ------------------------------- 29 Friday – 9th
30 ------------------------------- 34 Saturday – 10th
35 ------------------------------- 42 Sunday – 11th
43 ------------------------------- 49 Monday – 12th
50 ------------------------------- 63 Tuesday – 13th
64 ------------------------------- 68 Wednesday – 14th
69 ------------------------------- 82 Thursday – 15th
83 ------------------------------- 98 Friday – 16th
99 ------------------------------- 111 Saturday – 17th
112 ----------------------------- 124 Sunday – 18th
125 ----------------------------- 134 Monday – 19th
135 ----------------------------- 141 Tuesday – 20th
142 ----------------------------- 152 Wednesday – 21st
153 ----------------------------- 158 Thursday – 22nd
159 ----------------------------- 169 Friday – 23rd
170 ------------------------------ 180 Saturday – 24th
181 ----------------------------- 186 Sunday – 25th
187 ----------------------------- 201 Monday – 26th
202 ----------------------------- 216 Tuesday – 27th
217 ----------------------------- 227 Wednesday – 28th
228 ----------------------------- 240 Thursday – 1st March
241 ----------------------------- 252 Friday – 2nd
253 ------------------------------ 264 Saturday – 3rd
265 ----------------------------- 278 Sunday – 4th
279 ----------------------------- 287 Monday – 5th
288 ----------------------------- 300 Tuesday – 6th
301 ----------------------------- 311 Wednesday – 7th
312 ----------------------------- 324 Thursday – 8th
325 ----------------------------- 334 Friday –9th
335 ----------------------------- 347 Saturday – 10th
348 ----------------------------- 359 Sunday – 11th
360 ----------------------------- 367 (QUIZ) Monday – 12th
368 ----------------------------- 375 Tuesday – 13th
376 ----------------------------- 394 Wednesday – 14th
395 ----------------------------- 406 Thursday – 15th
407 ----------------------------- 414 Friday – 16th
415 ------------------------------ 423 Saturday – 17th
424 ----------------------------- 438 Sunday – 18th
439 ----------------------------- 454 *spring break* Monday – 19th
455 ----------------------------- 465 SB Tuesday – 20th
466 ----------------------------- 474 SB Wednesday – 21st
475 ----------------------------- 490 SB Thursday – 22nd
491 ----------------------------- 496 SB Friday –23rd
497 ----------------------------- 506 Saturday – 24th
507 ----------------------------- 517 Sunday – 25th
518 ----------------------------- 526 Monday – 26th
527 ----------------------------- 533 Tuesday – 27th
534 ---------FINISH---------- 543 Wednesday – 28th
FINAL ESSAY TEST FRIDAY – 30th
THE POISONWOOD BIBLE
PAGE TO PAGE DATE DUE
START ------------------------- 19 Thursday, 8th February
20 ------------------------------- 29 Friday – 9th
30 ------------------------------- 34 Saturday – 10th
35 ------------------------------- 42 Sunday – 11th
43 ------------------------------- 49 Monday – 12th
50 ------------------------------- 63 Tuesday – 13th
64 ------------------------------- 68 Wednesday – 14th
69 ------------------------------- 82 Thursday – 15th
83 ------------------------------- 98 Friday – 16th
99 ------------------------------- 111 Saturday – 17th
112 ----------------------------- 124 Sunday – 18th
125 ----------------------------- 134 Monday – 19th
135 ----------------------------- 141 Tuesday – 20th
142 ----------------------------- 152 Wednesday – 21st
153 ----------------------------- 158 Thursday – 22nd
159 ----------------------------- 169 Friday – 23rd
170 ------------------------------ 180 Saturday – 24th
181 ----------------------------- 186 Sunday – 25th
187 ----------------------------- 201 Monday – 26th
202 ----------------------------- 216 Tuesday – 27th
217 ----------------------------- 227 Wednesday – 28th
228 ----------------------------- 240 Thursday – 1st March
241 ----------------------------- 252 Friday – 2nd
253 ------------------------------ 264 Saturday – 3rd
265 ----------------------------- 278 Sunday – 4th
279 ----------------------------- 287 Monday – 5th
288 ----------------------------- 300 Tuesday – 6th
301 ----------------------------- 311 Wednesday – 7th
312 ----------------------------- 324 Thursday – 8th
325 ----------------------------- 334 Friday –9th
335 ----------------------------- 347 Saturday – 10th
348 ----------------------------- 359 Sunday – 11th
360 ----------------------------- 367 (QUIZ) Monday – 12th
368 ----------------------------- 375 Tuesday – 13th
376 ----------------------------- 394 Wednesday – 14th
395 ----------------------------- 406 Thursday – 15th
407 ----------------------------- 414 Friday – 16th
415 ------------------------------ 423 Saturday – 17th
424 ----------------------------- 438 Sunday – 18th
439 ----------------------------- 454 *spring break* Monday – 19th
455 ----------------------------- 465 SB Tuesday – 20th
466 ----------------------------- 474 SB Wednesday – 21st
475 ----------------------------- 490 SB Thursday – 22nd
491 ----------------------------- 496 SB Friday –23rd
497 ----------------------------- 506 Saturday – 24th
507 ----------------------------- 517 Sunday – 25th
518 ----------------------------- 526 Monday – 26th
527 ----------------------------- 533 Tuesday – 27th
534 ---------FINISH---------- 543 Wednesday – 28th
FINAL ESSAY TEST FRIDAY – 30th
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