Define Carol J. Clover’s “final girl”, and discuss whether this character can be considered a feminist figure. Discuss with reference to at least two films.

Popular genres

Description

Select one question from the selection below to answer for your research essay.

This assignment will be assessed on the quality of your research, the depth of your analysis and the coherence of your argument, in addition to the style and mechanics of your writing.

You should take ideas and theories encountered in this topic as your starting off point, and build upon them with secondary sources. As this is a research essay, you must include a minimum of four secondary sources in your essay. At least three of these must be from scholarly, peer-reviewed academic journals. Remember that the films you choose to write about are primary sources, and therefore do not count towards this minimum.

A complete bibliography (including primary and secondary sources) should be included.Note that your bibliography does not contribute to your overall word count.

Ensure you adhere to Screen & Media style conventions. The titles of films should be italicised, for example, and the year of release should be placed in parentheses after the title on first mention (if this is not already included in your prose). Your word count should not go any more than 10% over or under the specified 2000 word limit.

Questions:

– Mikhail Bakhtin argued that “Certain essential aspects of the world are accessible only to laughter”. Explore the subversive potential of comedy in one of the following films:

o BlazingSaddles

o SomeLikeitHot

o Bridesmaids

o Monty Python’sLife of Brian

– Define Carol J. Clover’s “final girl”, and discuss whether this character can be considered a feminist figure. Discuss with reference to at least two films.

– How does the Hollywood musical challenge modes of realism?

– Writing in 2000, Steve Neale states that, ‘despite their awareness that there have been a number of previously premature forecasts of its imminent demise, most commentators now argue that as a major component in Hollywood’s output the western is now and has for some time been a thing of the past.’ Discuss, with reference to Bend of the River OR Bad Company, AND a more recent film of your choosing.

Last Completed Projects