Tuesday, November 27, 2007

"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown ... Now, where was I?"




No matter which neo-noir you watched, Chinatown or Memento, you were treated to some shocking revelations near the end of the film that made you reevaluate everything that came before them. They also helped elevate their respective films from the thriller/crime genre into something harder to put your finger on -- both films transcend the fates of their protagonists and leave you (or should leave you) unsettled about the awful capabilities of human nature.

All of this is to say that thinking and writing about the larger implications of your film's mysteries might be one way to approach your last blog post on film noir. If you watched Memento, you might want to check out this site, which could shed some light on a few questions you have about the film. And as always, here are other possibilities:

o Discuss/analyze an important scene
o Expand on a discussion question from class, whether from a film or a reading
o Make a connection to the real world/current events
o Discuss/analyze an aspect of cinematic style important to the film
o Discuss/analyze a topic or theme important to the film
o Relate it to another film, either from class or personal viewing
o Discuss ideas for future viewing inspired by film

Note that none of these bullet-points includes saying that you really, really liked or disliked the movie and why (that's what the polls at the top of the page are for). It's not that I don't care whether or not you liked it, but I'm far more interested in your analysis and interpretation than a cursory opinion.

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