In the interwar period, between World War I and World War II, many filmmakers emphasized certain elements of film style in order to forge a distinct national film style. This was especially true in France, Germany, and the Soviet Union during the 1920s, and to a lesser degree in the United States.

In this first written assignment, compare the distinct style of one film we studied from a specific national cinema to another film from a different national cinema we’ve studied. I recommend selecting one scene from each film and analyzing at least one of the following stylistic elements in each scene:

Describe your scenes in detail and analyze how the stylistic device is used in this scene.

Your analysis should also consider the scene you selected in the context of the overall narrative of the film and the motivations of the filmmaker working in the particular national context. Because this is a short assignment, you should avoid summarizing the plot of the film so that you may be detailed in your descriptions. Do not summarize the plot.

You don’t need to include any outside research for this assignment. But please remember to italicize the title of the films—don’t put the title in quotes.

Your paper should be about 1200 words in length and is due in class on the date specified on the syllabus. Please do not email me your paper. Bring a hard copy to class or deliver one to my mailbox.

Slide Deck presented in class when addressing the assignment.