Assignment 3 - Film Review
Length – 2-4 pages (page count does not include Works Cited page; your sources should be included in MLA format)
For this assignment, you will write a film review of a vampire film. The film choice is up to you, with the only requirement being that it must feature a vampire in some way. If you have any of the major streaming services, you should be able to find numerous vampire films for streaming. If you do not have any of these services you will either need to rent a film, rent one from a library, or find one available to watch in some other way. Many of the older films, such as the original Nosferatu, are now in public domain so you should be able to watch them for free online.
If you need help identifying a movie you want to watch, please let me know. I am happy to offer suggestions.
For your film review, here are things to keep in mind:
- First, here is what I am not looking for: an assessment of the quality of the film. That is too subjective and outside of the purview of the assignment. While you can certainly make some comment on the overall quality of the film, it is not necessary. In fact, if you are discussing the quality of the film, I would prefer it relates to something discussed below. An example of what I mean: You believe that your film is trying to use its vampire as a metaphor but failing. That would be an acceptable thing to discuss.
- In this review, focus on the tried-and-true interpretive question: What does the vampire mean? As we discuss this week, the vampire has been used as a metaphor for a number of things for hundreds of years. While nearly every film aims to entertain in some way, it is just as likely that your film of choice has higher ambitions. What type of work is it trying to do with the vampire? Are there any messages or morals the film aims to reinforce?
- Do you see your film either embracing or subverting any of the traditions associated with the vampire? Does it keep the standard vampires tropes in place, or does it in some way try to deviate from them?
- Do you feel this film is part of any larger conversations? As hinted at above, works of art are not birthed in a vacuum. They come from a particular time and place which likely affects the interpretation. Similarly, no matter the time it was created, you are watching it now. Do you think that changes anything about the film?
- Connect the film the topics discussed this section. For example, what role do you think blood plays in this film? Does this film say anything about eroticism, sexuality, or desire?
- While the vampire obviously frequently appears in horror films, not all of the films that work for this assignment are horror films. You could consider children’s films (for ex. the Hotel Transylvania series), comedies (for ex., Dracula: Dead and Loving it or What We Do in the Shadows), or from other genres.
