|
Red's DreamRed’s Dream is a fascinating study of point of view. The story is told from the point of view of a unicycle that dreams of being the star of the show rather than just a prop for a show. Students can use this short film as a springboard for discussing how point of view affects a story. Consider the following questions:
|
Geri's GameGeri’s Game is an excellent film to discuss characterization with your students. Consider the following questions:
|
|
|
For the BirdsFor the Birds is an excellent film for teaching situational and dramatic irony. As the birds peck away at the large bird’s claws, we in the audience know that he will soon fall down, causing the power line to rebound upwards, shooting the other birds into the air. It is also situational irony in that the flock of birds rejects the large bird, but the large bird is the one who ends up mocking them with a deep belly laugh at the end.
Questions to consider for analyzing irony in For the Birds:
|
LiftedLifted is an excellent film for teaching the elements of humor as created through irony, but it is also a great film to observe the dynamics of the archetypal mentor/ pupil relationship in which a mentor teaches a pupil the skills needed to accomplish his/her heroic task. This relationship can be quite complex and full of tension and resentment (especially if the mentor figure is also a parental figure). But it is a necessary relationship that enables the hero to fully realize his/her potential
|
|
|
La LunaLa Luna is a coming of age story, and students can compare/contrast this coming of age story (bildungsroman) to other such stories in this genre like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Outsiders, A Separate Peace, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Harry Potter, The Catcher in the Rye, Siddhartha, and others.
This is also an excellent film to discuss symbolism through the symbol of the stars. It is quite purposeful that the film creators chose for the three generations of these men to sweep up stars and not simply trash. Consider the following questions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|