“Screenshot of Final Scene.” Full Metal Jacket. Warner Bros., 1987.
Length: 3500 words.
You should have a compelling argument and strong supporting evidence in the form of quotations, still images, or clips.
For this paper, you need to choose one of the major works we have seen in class. You have a great deal of leeway in choosing your topic, but this work must be at the center of your paper. You need, however, to clear your topic with me. Please note: you cannot research a film that was at the center of your midterm paper. That film can be included as supportive material, but it cannot be your primary focus.
Some possible topics include: a deep investigation of one of the films from class (that more closely resembles the kind of paper you would do in a literature class), a comparative work that examines a film by Kubrick, and a film by Tarkovsky (Solaris for instance pairs well with either 2001 or The Shining), a significant technological or stylistic innovation that had a profound impact on filmmaking, how well your film reflected the reality of a larger issue (e.g. Dr. Strangelove and nuclear proliferation), the journey of a particular narrative from novel to screen, etc. Last time I taught this class, there were a couple of excellent papers on the music/sound life of one of the films
For this paper, you must have at minimum eight sources. The work you choose counts as one source. Three of your sources must be peer-reviewed; JSTOR or Academic Search Premier are the best resources for finding. Of the remaining four sources, you may use interviews (such as with another professor here at Stevens), another work from the class, criticism of the work, etc. Please note: the individual articles I have assigned from the databases and the individual chapters from Rhodes (our Kubrick text) count as peer-reviewed sources. Martin’s text on Tarkovsky does not.
You should include a works cited page that includes your pledge and word count.
