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Purpose
The purpose of this writing exercise is two-fold: first, it is meant to make the viewing of film an active process, in which the viewer recognizes their obligation to confront the historical interpretation or perspective offered by the filmmaker. Secondly, this exercise is meant to improve your critical reflection skills by prompting you to think about the ways in which historical fiction and documentary film function as an artistic medium and a social, political, or cultural commentary on American life.
Formatting/Style
Each student will write a review/response paper of one of one feature or documentary film. This must be a full-length film (not a movie clip) found in the subfolders labeled “media” in each course folder.[1] Review essays are due no later than June 10. The reviews must be 3-to-4 pages in length and deal explicitly with at least one of the major topics or themes explored in the documentary. Reviews should be double-spaced and typed in 12-point font. In the left-hand corner of the first page, single space your name, the due date of the review, and the course for which you are writing it (i.e., U.S. History to 1877). All pages should be numbered, and the review should contain an original title (not simply the title of the film). You will upload your review to Blackboard by navigating clicking on the film review assignment icon at the top of this page. From there, you will scroll down and attach your document and submit.
Questions to get you started
What is the main issue (or set of issues) in the film? (Take notes during the movie!)
What is the film’s historical context? You may wish to do background research to help you better understand the historical context of the film and the events of the time.[2]
What do you think are the filmmaker’s intentions in making this film?
What is your perspective on the film? You should identify a clear focus in the review and make an argument about the film that can be analyzed in detail. You might center your argument on a recurring theme in the film. You might focus on the film’s attention to historical accuracy or the director’s intentions in the film. Is the director bias? Are they trying to incite controversy? What about the film’s use of imagery or music/sound, the juxtaposition of camera angles, etc.?
Your Task
The task, overall, is to analyze the film’s content and to assess one or more of the ways in which the director goes about advancing their historical interpretation. Since this is a short writing exercise, you must be concise in your analysis. The typical structure of a review i

ncludes a brief description of the film’s plot followed by your argument and an analytical discussion. Your analysis should be supplemented with direct quotes or detailed descriptions of scenes in the film that support your argument. What you should not do is write a basic narrative description of the film that merely summarizes plot for three or four pages.
Organization
Introduction
Before writing your introduction, you need a title, which needs to explicitly inform the reader about which film you are analyzing. Then, your first paragraph must be written to attract the reader’s attention. It should briefly summarize the film in one or two sentences; give critical information like the names of the main characters and director. The last sentence of your introduction is usually your thesis. You will support and refer back to this statement throughout your review.
Body paragraphs
You do not want to recall details from the plot of the documentary solely for the sake of recalling them. Because you are limited to a certain amount of space, you will not be able to write a detailed description of the film. When offering your own critical analysis, you must support it with evidence. Evidence will typically consist of a quote, reference to a specific scene, or information related to the documentary’s principal characters.
Conclusion
When writing the conclusion, keep in mind that you should not summarize what you wrote in your review. It is appropriate to reiterate your main argument, but more importantly, your conclusion should raise questions that will capture the reader’s interest. You can also insert a memorable quote from the film that points out irony, makes a controversial statement, or restates your thesis in a quirky way – anything that captures your reader’s attention.
**This style guide borrows directly from Cynthia Hsu, Michael Mazur, and SunJung So, who have put together a valuable resource guide for students writing on documentary film: http://courses.washington.edu/webrhet/engl281/handouts/genreguidech1.pdf
[1] I am still uploading links to various films, so please check the media folders for new titles.
[2] You must, however, appropriately cite any outside materials you consult. You should only use outside sources if you think they will help you amplify your argument in the review. Citations should be footnoted and include the author’s name, the title of the book, journal, web site, etc., the publisher, year of publication, and the page numbers consulted. Go here for sample citations: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html