Midnight in Paris / Directed by Woody Allen
A research paper should not just be a combination of what other people wrote about the subject.
Instead, the research paper must emphasize your opinion, your interpretation, your idea and/or your analysis.
Eventually, you will use secondary sources to help add depth and support for your main analytical idea.
Secondary sources may lead you to expand your article to include more than before.
Please do not read any secondary sources or analysis on your chosen film until this preliminary analytical essay on your film has been completed and uploaded into canvas. You do not want to write a review or summary of your chosen film. You will need to write an analytical essay.
For this essay there will only be one source listed in the works cited, which will be the primary source – the film you chose.
Your essay should have an introduction paragraph with a strong identifiable thesis, three body paragraphs that each relate to and support the thesis, and a conclusion paragraph.
The thesis should be highlighted or bolded in the introduction paragraph.
In the body paragraphs, the first sentence/ topic sentence should be highlighted or bolded.
The title for your essay should suggest your thesis.
Example: Poisonous Relationships and Identity in Gosford Park
This essay should be written in the third person.
Do not use first person (I).
Do not use second person (you).
Do not use “us,” “we,” or “our.”
Remember to use specific details from your chosen film in your essay to support your analysis. Do not summarize the film.
Remember to use no secondary sources in your essay.
Topic: You should analyze a theme connected to identity in the chosen film.
Suggestions: Consider what is influential to the main film characters. What is a focus for the film that is related to identity? Does the film explore the effects of society, culture, family, friends or other relationships on identity? Does the film highlight illusions or fantasies that may affect the character’s identity? Does the film explore how a person may change identity by building more confidence or confronting difficulties or acknowledging a truth?
You may wish to consider the setting or symbols or point of view used in the film. How are film techniques used? Narrow your focus so that your main idea can be clearly divided into several points, each point being well-developed with specific details and examples.
The first time you mention your chosen film, you must state the director’s name and the year the film was produced. Example: In Fearless (1993), Peter Weir shows how surviving a traumatic event can leave survivors unable to correctly process their emotions, which may cause them to question their identity and cause dramatic changes in their lives and the lives of those they love, highlighting the necessity of close emotional bonds with other people.
You should italicize the title of the film whenever it appears in your paper. Example: Better Luck Tomorrow begins with the ringing of a cell phone, which is often a pleasant interruption from a friend, but, in this case, only breaks a false calm with an acknowledgment of horror.
The first time you mention a character, you must put the actor’s name in parenthesis. Example:
Gil Pender claims that he loves his fiancée Inez , but their shallow relationship is built on appearance, trivia, and lack of self-confidence.
