Must watch the film Apocalypto and be profficient in history. Relate the movie with real topics in history such as migration, the building of empires, and the role of men who have to make sacrifices in these societies.
How to write a Movie Precis:
Title Example
Franqui-Rivera, Harry. The 65th Goes to War. New York: Praeger, 2003.
Nowrasteh, Cyrus. The Stoning of Soraya M. Sweden, 2009.
1) First paragraph: an overall statement on what the film or book is about; the film's thesis or argument. You might also think of the thesis as the film's purpose or message.
2) Next, analyze how the film's message is developed throughout the film. And how or why is pertinent for, or linked to, material and topics discussed in class. You may use short quotes to illustrate your point.
3) At the end of the précis you may want to offer a conclusion that ties together all the material you have summarized and make some statements about the film's value for a viewer/reader interested in learning more about the topic the film/book addresses.
STYLE: All written assignments must be typed double-spaced. Papers should have 1-inch margins and use Times New Roman (or a similar style) 12-point font.
If you use a larger font or wider margins, your papers will not meet the page length requirement which will affect your grade.
Things to Remember:
The film should be examined as a source.
This is academic writing. We are interested in analysis NOT judgment.
Avoid using the first person (I).
Avoid phrases such as "I believe" "I think" "Throughout history..." "back then"
Avoid using "etc..."
Avoid using the passing voice.
i.e. "Many innovations were introduced to warfare in China." Passive
Versus: The Mongols introduced many innovations to warfare in China. Active
Do not use contractions in academic papers.
i.e., use "do not" instead of "don't"