Film Analysis Papers Soci 3380: Sociological Theory

Film Analysis Papers

Soci 3380: Sociological Theory

Dr. Dustin Avent-Holt

The questions and concepts we will discuss in this course can in numerous ways speak to our contemporary social world, and a central goal I have for this course is helping you use these concepts to understand our contemporary society. To that end, I think analyzing modern films for their theoretical insights is both a useful and fun way to help us think about and develop a deeper understanding of sociological theory and its applications to our own lives. Therefore, over the course of the semester you will write 3 film analyses for each of the major classical sociological theorists we discuss. The first will focus on Durkheim, the second on Marx, and the third on Weber. In some of these films the filmmakers have explicitly incorporated these ideas in their films while others will merely allude to them. I have chosen a set of films that either make reference to or can be used to illustrate your understanding of the theories we have read and discussed in this course.

Your papers should use each film as a vehicle for discussing only the most relevant concepts and ideas covered in the particular theoretical tradition for that paper. Below I provide a set of concepts from each theorist to choose from when analyzing the film. Focus on only 1-2 of the concepts provided for your discussion, rather than trying to discuss all of the concepts. Be sure to define specific concepts and describe how examples from the film illustrate the particular concept you are discussing. Create a strong argument and structure for your paper that applies theory to the film. Your discussion of examples from the film should present a clear and concise picture of a social world that your reader has no experience of, such that anyone reading your paper can clearly grasp your argument and your use of the film as an illustration. These papers are not expected to be “film reviews.” Instead these are to be analytical and sociological.

Each paper should be 2-3 pages in length (double-spaced with 1-inch margins). It must be uploaded as either Word (.doc or .docx) file or a PDF (.pdf).

Structure of the paper:

1.Outline very briefly the basic plot of the movie. This should be no more than a paragraph. In doing this only discuss the central elements the reader needs to know in order understand the analysis you will develop.

2.Develop your analysis of the movie through the lens of the theorist for that paper. This is the meat of your paper, and here you should identify concepts and ideas from the theorist and relate them to the film. You should identify a limited only 1-2 concepts/ideas and really flesh out how they are at work in the film. Do not try to incorporate every element of the theorist/tradition into your analysis, but only the most relevant concepts and components of the film.

3.Conclude by summarizing your argument and analysis.

Evaluation:

A good analysis will, 1) incorporate and accurately discuss the most relevant course content, 2) be well organized so that sentences are fluent (flow), and 3) be free of grammatical errors. The best analysis will have a clearly stated thesis around which the entire paper is structured and a complex argument that focuses on a specific conceptual theme prominent in the theorist’s work.

Films and Theorists:

You are to choose only one film in each section from the films listed below. For film analysis 1 you will use Durkheim, for film analysis 2 you will use Marx, and for film analysis 3 you will use Weber.

1.Durkheim (Film Analysis 1)

a.The Village (Netflix, Prime, Vudu)

b.Pleasantville (HBO Max, Hulu)

c.Lord of the Flies (YouTube: )

d.Divergent (Hulu)

e.Concepts to choose from:

i.Social solidarity (organic and mechanical)

ii.Categories of understanding

iii.Collective Consciousness

iv.Collective Representations

v.Social Facts

2.Marx (Film Analysis 2)

a.Lego Movie (Netflix, Prime)

b.Elysium (Prime, Vudu)

c.Bee Movie (Netflix, Prime, Vudu)

d.Snowpiercer (Netflix, Prime)

e.Concepts to Choose From:

i.Historical materialism

ii.Mode of Production

iii.Social Class

iv.Capital accumulation

v.Exploitation

vi.Alienation

3.Weber (Film Analysis 3)

a.Office Space (Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix)

b.A Few Good Men (Netflix, Disney+)

c.Brazil (Prime, Vudu)

d.Handmaid’s Tale (Prime)

e.Concepts to Choose From:

i.Rationalization

ii.Bureaucracy

iii.Authority (Charismatic, Traditional, Legal-Rational)