The General & The Gold Rush

Watch Chaplin's The Gold Rush and compare and contrast it with Keaton's The General. Think about everything you've learned thus far in terms of reading film. Discuss mise-en-scene, open/closed framing, kinesis, narrative, etc. Refer to your textbook if you need assistance with the vocabulary. Use at least one quote from the articles I gave you in your response.

Both films are available here:

The Gold Rush
The General

Early Cinema

Read about Edison, Lumiere Brothers, Melies, and Porter at EarlyCinema.com.

Watch at least 3 films from Edison, Lumiere Brothers, and Melies on your own. Go to the Internet Archive, select "Moving Images" from the drop down menu and search for each director. All of the Edison films can be found at the Library of Congress and can be accessedhere. Please be sure to tell me the name of the film and who made it and answer the following questions:

• Do you notice anything particular about the film’s presentation of cinematic space—what you see on the screen? Lots of landscapes or close-ups? Moving or static camera? How does this differ from films you watch today?
• Do you identify with the camera lens? What does the filmmaker compel you to see? What is left to your imagination? What is left out altogether?

A Little About You...

What are your expectations for this class and for yourself in this class? What are your outside activities (job, extracurriculars, etc.) and how do you plan to manage your time? Please give me an example of your typical, busy day and how you plan to devote the necessary time for this class? 

What do you think of when you hear the word movie? What is your favorite movie? Why? 

Required: 2 full, well-developed paragraphs. Due: Friday, September 5.