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For reference, the specific class was "International Film Appreciation" (CINA 032). This isn't really an essay, but I figured it might help somebody.
" INSTRUCTIONS
HEADER: FILMProvide some basic information about the film as a foundation for your analysis.TitleYearDirectorScreenwriterLead actors.Provide a link to the film's page on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com)HEADER: THESISWhat is the PURPOSE of the film?Why do you think the filmmaker made this movie? BRIEFLY introduce the topics you will examine in your critique HEADER: NARRATIVEBriefly summarize the film's narrative and examine how it relates to the film's purpose.Identify the setting (time and place) in which the film takes placeIdentify the major roles and relationships of the characters within it.What are the situations and dilemmas the characters confront?How do the characters attempt to solve the central problem?HEADER: THEMESExamine how the major themes/ideas relate to the film's purpose.What is the explicit/implicit meaning of the film?How do the themes/ideas (such as history, race, gender, sexuality, class, or the environment) reflect the culture in which the film was made?How do the themes/ideas (such as history, race, gender, sexuality, class, or the environment) affect your experience and interpretation?How do these elements contribute to the film's capacity to reach its goal with the audience? HEADER: TECHNIQUESExamine how the film utilizes Formal Techniques ultimately contribute to the film's purpose.Techniques can include:Mise-en-Scene (Costumes, Sets, Staging of Actors)Editing (Continuity, Non-Continuity, Transitions)Camera Techniques (Position & Framing, Movement, Angle, Focus)Lighting and Color (Types, Contrast, Temperature, Palette)Sound (Music, Dialogue, Voiceover, Effects)Use SPECIFIC examples and the correct terminology to support your analysis. You only need to focus on the techniques that support your central thesis. It is not necessary to examine EVERY technique listed above unless you believe that they are relevant to your analysis.HEADER: CONCLUSIONThe conclusion of your film critique should remind the reader of your central thesis (the 'purpose' of the film).Summarize your major points.Finally, do you recommend the film to others? Whom do you believe it is (or is not) worth watching)?"
If you'd like some more information on the topic/purpose of this essay, leave a comment!
Grade: 100%
FILM
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975)
Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones; Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Eric Idle; Starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Eric Idle
THESIS
As a satirical film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail was created to subvert the expectations of the viewer, make them laugh, and be "an assault on the self-importance of cinema itself" (Sims, 2015). In this critique, I will examine how the narrative, subversion of themes, and techniques used in this film contribute to the film's purpose.
NARRATIVE
Monty Python and the Holy Grail follows King Arthur collecting his knights and the exploits of the group on a quest from God to find the Holy Grail. The film plays with the idea of time, stating that it starts in 932 A.D. and yet appears to take place in the 14th century and even modern-day England (Shmoop, 2008). Once King Arthur and his knights split up to search for the Holy Grail, each of them encounters obstacles and distractions including a castle full of temptresses and the Knights of Ni. Throughout the film, the characters attempt to use their status and "power" to learn about the Holy Grail, access safe passage or housing, and defeat their foes standing in the way of their divine quest; each time they're met with scorn, sarcasm, and/or death. The methods these characters choose to achieve their goals develop the themes of the film and therefore support the purpose.
THEMES
A few of the themes subverted in this film are the ideas of class, power, and the behaviors or actions associated with heroes (i.e. the King and his knights). The subversion of these themes reflects the sentiments of the time: "Post-Vietnam and post-Nixon disgust with the seeming hypocrisy of the classic Hollywood narrative was standard operating procedure in the creative classes during the mid-'70s" (Barsanti, 2015). This is further reinforced by Richard M. Nixon "signing" the opening credits. On my initial viewing of the film, many of the incidents that built these themes were simply amusing. It was only after more analysis and research that they came into focus and elevated the storytelling and impact of the film. These themes are linked to and established by the main conflicts throughout the film and so are the main method to deliver the purpose of the film.
TECHNIQUES
The main formal techniques that were used to further the purpose of Monty Python and the Holy Grail are mise-en-scéne, editing, and sound. From the "opening credits, set to foreboding music, with irrelevant Swedish subtitles boasting about "møøse," [the filmmakers] do a quietly perfect job of upending any expectations" (Barsanti, 2015). Moving on, while the mise-en-scéne grounds the viewer in an Arthurian setting, it—along with editing and sound—also transports us from the strict time period. Separately and simultaneously, we see the modern-day people and items interacting with the Arthurian main characters and vice versa: a knight slaying a historian filming an interview; the sound of the knights using power tools to craft their version of the Trojan Horse; the police searching the remains of the fallen knights after battling the killer rabbit; the police stopping the battle between King Arthur's men and the French knights. Each instance acts as both a source of comedy and furthers the subversion of what the viewer expects from the film.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a satirical film that uses the character's actions and various formal techniques to develop and support the film's purpose. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to see creative chaos at its finest. It may not be suited for those who cannot handle sarcasm.
RESOURCES
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/movie/monty-python-and-the-holy-grail/analysis/setting
Barsanti, https://www.popmatters.com/monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-40th-anniversary-edition-blood-politics-sil-2495463955.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/how-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-influenced-cinema-by-satirizing-it/390195/
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Essays
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