1) Choose ONE of the following films to view in its entirety and on which to write the response paper:
Amreeka, Avalon, Boyz n the Hood, The Business of Fancydancing, Chan Is Missing, Do the Right Thing, The Godfather, Going My Way, Goodfellas, Imitation of Life (1959 color version), Marty, Real Women Have Curves, The Rose Tattoo, Smoke Signals, Tie a Yellow Ribbon
2) The Response Paper should be a Critical Essay (see Corrigan reading) which considers and responds to the following:
• Think of the ways in which we've discussed race and ethnicity in class, how they are social constructions, and how our ideas of race and ethnicity are often influenced by socially constructed stereotypes either reinforced or deconstructed by film.
• Discuss how the film as a whole displays racial and/or ethnic stereotypes. Does it reinforce them? Does it tear down those stereotypes? If so, with what new representation does it replace them? Is the new representation of the group better or is it problematic in its own way? Why?
• Choose a specific scene which highlights race and/or ethnicity (if we've viewed the film in class, choose a scene we DID NOT view). Discuss this scene in detail. How does the scene display race and/or ethnicity? In what ways might it reinforce or question racial and/or ethnic stereotypes?