Silent film written response

 Next week you will be writing an exam-style written response to Buster Keaton's 4 silent films and their use of film form and wider cultural contexts

In preparation  make sure you have analysed some of these contexts and can support them with specific examples from the short films.

Here is a  blog summary of the cultural contexts you can refer to

Possible questions :

Discuss how far your chosen film or films reflect cultural contexts associated with a particular film movement

BAND 5 EXEMPLAR RESPONSE

Discuss how far your chosen film or films reflect aesthetic qualities associated with a particular film movement

Explore how your film option might be considered as either a realist or expressionist kind of cinema. Make reference to a particular sequence in your answer

TRY TO INCLUDE ANALYSIS OF  AT LEAST TWO OF THE SHORT FILMS IN YOUR ANSWER , UNLESS YOU ARE ASKED TO FOCUS ON A SINGLE KEY SEQUENCE.

FILM MOVEMENT  = SILENT COMEDY 


CHOSEN FILMS =  4 short films by Buster Keaton  You should make reference to at least two of the films if it is this type of question


CULTURAL CONTEXTS =   can include the history and conventions of the film movement iteself ( i.e silent comedy , social and historical factors, the influence of vaudeville, the influence of art and cultural movements e.g surrealism, modernism. DON"T FEEL YOU HAVE TO COVER EVERYTHING


PARTICULAR SEQUENCE = an extended scene ( ideally in one location ) This can be up to 10 minutes approximately so may be half of  the short film . You should briefly make it clear where the scene fits in the film's narrative


e.g     One week :   building a house sequence, destroying a house sequence etc.

       The Scarecrow  :  the multipurpose room sequence, the dog chase sequence, etc.

                 Cops : police chase sequence

         The High Sign  :  shooting gallery sequence ,  assassination/ action chase sequence