Short Scene Analysis: Word Count – between 500 – 650 words
Due Early deadline Tuesday Nov. 24th 11:59 pm + 3 bonus (revised date)
Final Deadline Friday Nov. 27th 11:59pm (revised date)
Late Assignments -2 points per day.
Out of 100 marks worth 15% of Overall grade
Write a short scene analysis (choose two scenes) from a film (see list of films) using the Nichols
Race and Ethnicity Chapter (see D2L for the chapter pdf) and key concepts such as (Othering,
Stereotyping, the Social Imaginary).
Note: Do not use other author/writer’s analysis of your film choice. This is an analytical paper
not a research paper.
Short Analysis Components
1. Choose a film from the list below on the topic of: Race, Ethnicity, or Gender (or a mix):
Associated concepts include: White Skin Privilege, Double Consciousness, Othering, Otherness
and liberalism, Individual and Institutional Racism, hegemony, hierarchies and social conflict
(invisible and visible)
Black Sheep (Guardian Short)
Western eyes (NFB Short)
Suffragette
Moonlight
Blade Runner 2049 (Individual and Institutional Racism, otherness and liberalism)
*This short analysis is not a research paper of how the film has been analyzed. Please do not use another author’s
analysis of the film. It’s okay to use historical/contextual references where needed to support observations.
2.This short analysis will consist of a brief three-sentence synopsis (what the film is about in a
nutshell). Please phrase in your own words not the synopsis given with the film.
3. The synopsis is followed by a thesis statement of 1-2 sentences, which also indicates the
ideological perspective being used to analyze the scenes. (See example below, which is framed
for Capitalism and Socialism and the concepts/ideas of “Competition” and “private ownership”
Synopsis: The Big Short (2015) USA, directed by Adam Mc Kay takes a compelling and often
darkly comic look at how the 2007-2008 financial crisis was brought on by the collapse of the
housing market under the stress of the subprime mortgage lending practices of banks during
the decade after the dot com bubble. Thesis (Illustrative): The film illustrates how Capitalism’s
POL128 Fall 2020
©Sandra Lim 2020
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primary drives of competition and private ownership fueled the big banks greed and
encouraged people to live beyond their means, which ultimately led to downfall of the US
economy.
4. Pick two scenes from the film to analyze. For how to organize and write your paragraph
analysis see: OWL Purdue guide on paragraphs:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/paragraphs_and_paragraphing
/index.html
5. Each paragraph should be structured to include a topic sentence, which relates back to the
thesis statement/argument.
*6. Each paragraph unpacks and analyzes a scene in detail using concepts from the target
reading (Nichols’) as a lens for analysis. Each scene analysis includes an accurate definition and
citation of one concept per paragraph analysis. Reference: the Nichol’s Chapter on Race and
Ethnicity in film from Introduction to Film Studies found in D2L.
7. Between 500 – 600 words.
8. Include a 1-2 sentence conclusion (which sums up or expands on what you wrote e.g. poses
a question raised, offers another angle to look at etc..).
9. Use MLA to cite concepts with in-text citations and footnotes or APA. You can include the
reference cited below the analysis.
10. Submit to D2L drop box. Turnitin checker will be enabled for this assignment submission.
Please consider: Academic Integrity
RYERSO POLICY 60: Definition of academic misconduct:
3.1. Academic Misconduct Any behaviour that undermines the university’s ability to
evaluate fairly students’ academic achievements, or any behaviour that a student knew, or
reasonably ought to have known, could gain them or others unearned academic advantage
or benefit, counts as academic misconduct. Included in academic misconduct are:
Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism; contract cheating; cheating; misrepresentation of
personal identity or performance; submission of false information; contributing to academic
misconduct; damaging, tampering, or interfering with the scholarly environment;
unauthorized use of intellectual property; misconduct in re- graded/re-submitted work.
While this list characterizes the most common instances of academic misconduct, it is not
intended Pol 60: Academic Integrity 3 to be exhaustive. A more comprehensive list of
inclusions can be found in Appendix A.
See: https://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/policies/pol60.pdf