EXAM QUESTION PAPER 1 A Casablanca/Apocalypse Now comparison

 Next week you will be writing and submitting a full exam answer for  Paper 1 Section A (Hollywood 1930-1990 ) which will compare Casablanca and Apocalypse Now

The question will expect you to have knowledge of and to write about the following :

The Hollywood studio system : who had creative influence and power in the studio system era

New Hollywood : how and why directors gained more power and influence in the 1960s-1970s

Auteur : the role and creative signature of your director/producer in both films

Film form : specific examples from your chosen films to support these points

Classical Hollywood style  and its use of film form

Production contexts : factual information about how and when both films were funded,produced and released.

Make sure you have completed all blog tasks and have some specific examples from the films to  support your points

Here are some good marked examples of exam answers on this section....we are focusing on a different text for New Hollywood but many of the same points can be made with different examples.

AUTEUR AND APOCALYPSE NOW

 Using your research , class discussion and these resources summarise what you understand to be Francis Ford Coppola's creative signature in Apocalypse Now based on his use of film form and methods.  Use examples from the film and any reference to his other work. You may want to focus on the following :

Use of light and shadow

Working with actors

Improvisation and changing script

Large-scale set piece action scenes 

Narrative themes 

Based on your understanding of New Hollywood and the film's production , summarise the  extent of the creative influence and power of the director ( Coppola ) on the content of the film .  Who else had any power or influence on the content of the film ?

CHRISTMAS TASK : APOCALYPSE NOW

 

Based on your knowledge on the film's production , add at least one point about how this affected the content of  at least one  of the scenes you have analysed  e.g actor's methods and state of mind, use of improvisation , influence of external events  etc.

Summary of the production

                              

                                                                 Facts about the film

Making the hotel room scene ( lots of good information about Coppola's influences too)

APOCALYPSE NOW : Final scenes

 

                                                             FINAL SCENES

killing Kurtz

THE END

How the ending of the film  resolves or questions  the narrative ,moral and social themes of the film , such as heroism, the ethics and purpose of the Vietnam war ,  Willard's journey and  identity, the nature of evil, power ,sanity and insanity.

How would  the possible  alternative endings to the film change the way the film resolves its themes and narrative ?

Apocalypse Now : Kilgore and helicopter attack scene

 Apocalypse Now  :   Kilgore / Helicopter attack

Meeting Kilgore

Helicopter village attack

arriving at the beach with Kilgore

The smell of napalm in the morning

Analyse how at least two of these scenes uses film form ( cinematography,editing, mise-en-scene( including iconography) sound and performance

 to develop the film's narrative and characters  and explore  themes such as American culture,  interventionism  , the nature and history of war and the idea of heroism .

Analysis and storyboards

Essay about the scene 

Apocalypse Now : opening scenes

 

                                                                     part two

                

 Briefly analyse how the opening scenes of Apocalypse Now uses the elements of film form to create meaning and  audience response  and how you feel this is setting up the content, themes , narrative and attitude to heroism and war in the rest of the film   

Cinematography

(   camera angles/framing / movement , lighting and colour )

Editing  

( cuts and transitions , use of montage and multiple layers  , order of shots, narrative structure )  

Mise-en-scene

( settings, props,costume, iconic and meaningful objects and imagery )

Sound 

( use of music,sound effects and any dialogue )

Performance

( posture,body language , non-verbal communication , physique and physical performance  )

NEW HOLLYWOOD RESEARCH

 Research the following :

New Hollywood  ( timeline , how it differed from the Hollywood studio system  and find some key  directors  that are lnked to the movement )

Francis Ford Coppola

Key films , auteur signature , career overview

The Vietnam War

Location and key dates , impact on America and any other films it inspired