Online Film Response
Spring 2020

Concept
This semester, you will watch two films: Songs from the Labyrinth and The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin. The links are found below You must complete responses to these films. Each response is due on the dates given in the syllabus. Late submissions will be subject to the course’s late policy.
Requirements/Guidelines
1. Each film response should run 400-500 words.
2. Structure your responses into paragraphs with topic sentences that flow in a logical order.
3. Write an introduction and conclusion, with main points/ideas in between that specifically address the prompts given below. Use examples from the movie to support your statements. Again, use topic sentences to highlight your main points.
4. Submit your assignments using Canvas by 11:59PM on the film response’s due date.
5. Your response should demonstrate that you have watched the film. I will penalize overly general, unspecific responses. Additionally, you should avoid redundant information and irrelevant information.
6. Check your writing carefully for errors in spelling, grammar, and style. Avoid passive voice and overuse of “to be.” Errors of this type can significantly diminish your grade. Please consult the University’s Writing Center if you need assistance with these elements.
Topics
Your response must address the following prompts. However, make sure your response reads as an essay, not a disjointed checklist of answers. You may focus on some topics more than others, but you must address each prompt in the course of your essay.
• Give a brief overview of the contents, structure, and scope of the film.

• What is the film’s central argument, idea, or story? Further, how does this story, argument, or idea connect with our class’s themes, materials, or lectures?

• The documentaries in this course focus on music from different social groups, communities, or cultures. Whose music is featured in this documentary? What were/are the relationships between the group, community, or culture and larger political and cultural structures/institutions?

• Examine how the filmmaker presents their ideas. What kinds of evidence do they use and present in the film (i.e. interviews, performances, documents, etc.) and to what effect?

• How does the music of the group/community/culture exist in larger historical or social contexts? How do these contexts and relationships shape, change or reinforce your ideas and about the music and its makers? Remember to be specific!

• What specifically did you learn from this film about the relationship between music makers and larger political/cultural developments? In what ways was the film most effective at demonstrating its points or making its arguments?

The films

Songs from the Labyrinth

The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin