Assignment
• Write about the film (psycho) watch it here before writing so you can answer the questions:
Note the professor's notes on the previous paper that you wrote to not do the same mistakes in this paper. I want to get a FULL grade.
Let me know if you can edit the previous note so I can send you another bid to edit it.
The paper is due Sunday, 11/12 at 12:00PM.
Guidelines:
The paper is meant to demonstrate what you have learned about films and how you responded to the film you saw. The paper should be no shorterthan two typewritten, double-spaced pages and no longer than three typewritten, double-spaced pages in either "Arial" or "Times New Roman" type in 10 or 12 point.
Your paper should be divided into four parts, one headed by the question that you see following the number below. The final 20% of your grade for the Response Paper will be based on grammar and writing. You are urged to proofread carefully, to correct misspelled words (do not trust "Spell Check") and to use proper English grammar. The bullet points below are meant to help you understand the scope of that part - but you should not use bullet points in your Response Paper. Write the paper in an expository style. All the references below deal with the film The Martian (2015).
Note:One of the biggest oversights by students writing response papers is not including specific examples from the film to support your response.
Part I.
What is the film about and what is the filmmaker trying to express with the film?
• The film is set in the near future as astronauts explore the planet Mars.
• An unexpected and severe windstorm forces the group to abandon their experiments and leave the Mars surface.
• As the group reaches their space vehicle, one astronaut, Mark Watney, has been hit by debris, knocked unconscious and is believed to be dead.
• The film is about the (1) challenges facing Mark Watney when he regains consciousness and realizes he is alone on Mars and will not be able to be rescued sooner than four years and (2) what technicians and leaders on Earth must do to help him. The filmmaker is trying to express the questions of being humane, despite the cost, in helping one human being.
Part II.
What are unique features of the film and how did the filmmaker use those features?
• The filmmaker knew that audiences for this film were accustomed to films depicting locations in outer space such as the Star Wars or Star Trek films. He wanted The Martian to look very realistic yet not too futuristic.
• A central point of the film is that Mark Watney is alone on the planet Mars. The filmmaker chose locations to photograph when Watney is outside on the planet's surface. Watney's situation is contrasted by the scenes taking place on Earth within NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
• The unique feature was the color of the planet's surface that seemed red and the number of scenes photographed with Watney are shown against a vast, empty background. Another unique feature was the crowded and busy offices and rooms of NASA and the JPL that contrasted with Watney's location and made him seem even more alone.
Part III.
What reaction did you have to the film? Did you enjoy the film or not? You should avoid a simple "I liked - or didn't like - the film." If you didn't like the film, analyze why. Was it the storyline, the plot, the acting, the way that the film was photographed, the music or a combination of any of these?
• The Martian tells a story that has been told before, one about rescue despite enormous odds.
• The film was very enjoyable because:
o It was easy to believe that the circumstances could occur in the near future.
o It depicts one person's struggle to survive in terrible circumstances by persevering, using his intellect and being inventive with available technology.
o It shows how one person's struggle to survive can unite people from different backgrounds and cultures to ignore limitations and dedicate themselves to a humane effort.
o The acting, especially by Matt Damon as Watney, was exceptional because he could not interact with other actors except in voice transmissions. Consequently, he cannot express reactions to others but must react to events and conditions that surround him.
Part IV.
What do you think was the filmmaker's goal and did s/he achieve it?
• The filmmaker was trying to show the power of personal perseverance in times of adversity and the necessity of the community coming to the aid of the most vulnerable in times of crisis.
• The filmmaker achieved his goal in keeping the scope of the story limited to Watney's struggle and how others come to his aid. Although the story takes place in outer space, across millions of miles and deals with thousands of people trying to help Watney, we never forget it is a story about one person.