The Western

Before you write this post please make sure you've read the article "Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales" by Robert C. Sickles, which is posted up in our Aspen page.

In his article, Sickles argues that The Searchers' Ethan and Josey can be compared as two very different versions of the western hero, and through examination tries to prove that the two characters and films therefore reflect the cultural values of the time periods they were made in.

Having watched both films do you agree with Sickles' points, and do you find his evidence compelling? Why or why not? Please be specific (and remember if you quote anything to be sure to cite accordingly). What other conventions, characters or iconography of the western can you compare/contrast between the two films, and how would these affect his argument? What about considering the comedic elements in both films and how they are handled?

Please be sure to write your post as best you can so that someone who has not seen the films or read the article could still follow your post.

Minimum word count is 400 and the post is due by end of block on Friday, February 15th. You need to read and respond using the ladder of feedback (Clarify, Value, Concerns, Suggestions) to at least two other blog posts by end of block on Tues, Feb 19th. Please also make sure to only respond to blog posts that have two or fewer responses already (so don't be the third to add a comment).

MPA BLOGS

Welcome to the MPA Blog Homepage - check out the MPA student blogs (clink the links on the right side of the screen). Scroll down to see the assignments that have been given for the blog posts.

Adaptations...a final word

For your final blog post entry, please go back through your blog posts and pick one to revise based on the comments you received. DO NOT erase the original post - copy and paste your text and revise (or however you want to do it) and post it as a NEW POST. That way I can look at your original and your revision and you won't lose any comments either.

You should be sure to pick one that has at least two comments. (See me if you can't find one with two or more.) Since I am still reviewing your Jesus' Son posts please choose from one of the others. They are:

Blog About Eve
Auggie and Paul
Freaks and Spurs
What is American Splendor
Off the Rez
and
Who Dun It?

Please post it up by the last class day - Wed, May 23. No comments required. You should also read this for Monday, May 21st:

Orchid Fever

Jesus' Son

In class we talked about the difficulties of adapting the work Jesus’ Son into a film, and also what we were expecting or hoping for in the film. What choices were made by the filmmakers that you thought worked well? Were there choices that you thought didn’t work well? What aspects in the book were left out of the film, or aspects added? What about the idea of the arc of the story – did you find it more definable in the film? Were there different choices that you would have made? Remember to think about not just content, but film style (and that can include acting choices). Please be specific with your examples from both the written and film text.

For this blog post there is a 500 word minimum, due Friday, May 11^th.

Please be sure to comment on at least 2 blog posts by Tuesday, May 15^th (100 word min).

Extra Credit Blog Post! - What board game SHOULD be a movie?

Are there any board games (or the like) out there that you think could be inspiration for a feature length film? Why? What would that film be about and look like? How would a filmmaker stylistically or plot-wise reflect aspects of the game? 

Please keep in mind that this is NOT an opportunity for you to make a joke, though certainly the film could be a comedy. Real thought and consideration should be put into the idea (still 300 word min) for actual extra credit points - but it is worth 100 points total!

Who Dun It? Who made a board game into a movie...and why?

Yes, Hollywood will adapt anything, including board games. Whatever you think about this tendency, the one thing to consider with Clue is it inherently has narrative elements in it already: character, a dramatic question, scenes of confrontation (and possible conflict). It also relies heavily on a particular narrative genre. So it doesn't seem quite as crazy as possibly some of the other game to film adaptations.

What are your thoughts on the approach that the filmmakers took to bring this game to life on the screen? How did they handle the content (characters, story, tone) and how did they handle it cinematically? How would you have done it?  Please remember with your writing to be specific and fully explain any examples, and make sure you are writing analysis and not just opinion.  Here are some resources you may want to check out:

NY Times Review from when the movie was first released.

A fan site dedicated to the movie. Though the film did NOT do well at the box office, it has gained a bit of a cult following.

Original Post is due by Tuesday, April 17th. Comment on at least two others by April 20th. 

Off The Rez

As Stephanie Harrison points out in her introduction, Smoke Signals is the first movie written, directed, produced and starring all Native Americans in Native American roles (or Indian Americans, the term Sherman Alexie prefers).  At the same time, it was essential to the filmmakers that they create a film that would be appealing to a wide audience, and not just for Native Americans. They wanted to illuminate the life and dilemmas of the modern Native American to every American (which includes a staggering statistic of alcoholism and substance abuse among those that live on Reservations), rather than sustain the old western stereotypes of "The Noble Savage."  Yet, a part of their response was also living in the shadows of that stereotype (I think you can definitely see this in the character of Victor, the song about John Wayne, and their discussion on what a "real" Indian is supposed to look like). 

Knowing that "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is only of the texts that was the source material for the film adaptation (there were other shorts stories in the collection that were sources for the story in the film), what do you think about the use of film conventions (or dare I say "formula") to help shape the story.  Was it a noticeable change from the writing in the short story, or was it similar to other adaptations we've looked at (like how All About Eve changed a lot from the original text simply for the medium of feature film)?  I guess part of what I'm asking is do you think the "Hollywood Storytelling Conventions" were apparent and did they help or hinder the film? 

A great example to counter this film, and its Hollywood conventions, is Sherman Alexie's film directing debut The Business of Fancy Dancing, which uses very non-traditional film storytelling conventions.  It's worth a look if you have access to a Netflix account (unfortunately it's not on Instant).  We watched it last year in Film Genres and some of your classmates have seen it.  Interesting to note, Alexie also utilized a very non-traditional filmmaking method to make the film - they had an improvisational shooting style day to day (did not use conventional shot list) and everyone on set, including the grips, were asked their opinions on what types of shots to get to capture the scenes.  Alexie also tried to hire as many women filmmakers as possible, in response to the issue of how few women filmmakers there are in the industry.

For those interested, an amazing documentary exploring the historical portrayal of Native Americans in American film is now available on Instant Netflix. I saw it at the Traverse City Film Festival two summers ago and it was fantastic.  It's called Reel Injun, and many of the filmmakers involved in Smoke Signals are interviewed.  Extra Credit to anyone who watches it and writes a blog post (no due date - anytime before end of semester).  But it's worth a watch in general!