Landscape, Society and Meaning

Landscape, Society and Meaning
Place and Place-Making in Film and Literature

Develop a 3-5 page (minimum), double-spaced paper on one of the following questions. Your paper should cite and discuss n relevant assigned readings from class.

FILM

1. 
   Pick one movie that uses space, place or landscape as an important element of the story, that is to define the narrative, characters, or message of the film. Be specific in describing and providing examples (such as screen captures and dialog) of the way the movie employs space, place or landscape.
   

2. 
   The American city is portrayed in both negative and positive terms in film. What images and themes are used to portray the city's negative qualities? What images and themes are used to portray the city's positive qualities? Are there any images that, reframed, appear in both categories? Provide examples from the films we viewed in class or others you have watched.
   

3. 
   Movies about the future often reflect the concerns of contemporary society. View one of the following films: Metropolis, Batman (any of the films 1989 to present), Blade Runner, Fahrenheit 451, Robocop, Brazil, THX 1138, Mad Max, 1984, or Escape from New York. Describe the world portrayed in this film and how it reflects contemporary concern about particular issues--technology, the threat of nuclear war, the loss of individual initiative and freedom, etc. Be specific in describing and providing examples (such as screen captures and dialog) of the way the movie employs images and narrative to make its point.
   

4. 
   Consider at least one film by a U.S. director that is set in or deals with another part of the world such as Latin America, Europe, Africa, or Asia. How might these films propagate stereotypes and misconceptions?
   

5. 
   Consider a film by one non-U.S. director that is set in or deals with the United States. How do these directors use visual images to portray the U.S.
   

6. 
   Consider two or three National Geographic films in the light of the book by Catherine A. Lutz and Jane L. Collins, Reading National Geographic (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993). To what extent do these films mirror the approach to the world outlined by Lutz and Collins, a sort of imperial or colonial "vision" of other cultures.
   

7. 
   If you would like to work on a different theme or movie, please discuss the project with Ken.
   

LITERATURE

1. 
   Pick one or two books by an author you enjoy. Examine how this author creates a sense of reality and place in the works you pick. Please be specific in describing and providing examples of the way the author develops a sense of place. For this project, please check with Ken to discuss the author you are planning to study. Remember these is a wide range of books in the public domain such as those at Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/
   

2. 
   How do contemporary writers of "travel" and "nature" literature portray the environment. Consider one such work by John McPhee, Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez, Peter Mathiessen, Jan Morris, or V.S. Naipaul and describe the approach the author takes to the landscape and environment.
   

3. 
   In class, we addressed only the themes and styles employed to depict American landscapes. We also discussed how writers offer insight in human attachment to "place"--the emotive bonds that develop between humans and environment. Use your resources to find and discuss three examples where writers stress "placelessness," that is a lack of attachment between humans and environment expressed in alienation and isolation.
   

Page