Writing Workshop for Friday, December 11 in B49

College Reading & Writing Film Studies Paper

Open a new Microsoft Word document
Save as:  BikeThiefPaper_Lastnamefirstname

Paper Topics on film "The Bicycle Thief"

 

In this paper you will choose ONE of the scenes below and write a brief analysis of the scene. In this analysis you will apply the film studies terms (indicated below) to show how these elements of film are use din the scene to express certain qualities, emotions, ideas or images.

Since this is your first film studies paper, let's keep it very basic. It will be a big success if you can integrate both a discussion of the film studies terms and cite examples from the selected scene to support your argument or analysis.

Scene 1: Antonio (the father) goes to cellar nightclub to enlist his friend's help to find the bike, his friend is a sanitation worker but an amateur performer, Antonio's wife arrives

 

Scene 2: Antonio and Bruno confront a man suspected of stealing the bike in the marketplace and enlist the help of a police officer

 

Scene 3: Antonio makes his son Bruno sit at a bridge while he looks for the thief. At one point some men by the river yell, "help, a kid is drowning." Antonio thinks it is his son.

 

Scene 4: Antonio goes to the neighborhood where the suspected thief lives. He confronts him on the street and is surrounded by neighbors who turn on him like a mob.

 

Scene 5: In his desperation to have a bike, Antonio decides to steal another man's bike. He is caught and threatened with arrest. The owner of the bike lets him go. He takes his son's hand and walks away down the street.

 

The film studies terms are

• mise-en-scene
• composition
• frame
• camera shot
• camera angle

It may be helpful by simply introducing the film and a providing a brief synopsis of your selected scene.

You were expted to begin this asisgnment in class on Thursday, Decemner 10.  Final draft is due Monday, December 14.  Grade is based on how well you integrate the dicussion of the use of film terms and what they help the director express in a specific scene.