Blog #7

In "Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing," Marilyn Fabe argues that Spike Lee adopts film theorist and director Sergei Eisenstein's dialectical montage - the juxtaposition of contrasting shots in order to bring the viewer to a new level of consciousness. Referring to Fabe's essay, describe two ways Lee creates dialectical conflict on the level of form, and two examples on the level of content. According to Fabe, what does Lee seek to achieve through his use of dialectical montage?

Bordwell and Thompson define narrative as "a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space" (Film Art, 75). Referring to the chapter "Narrative as Formal System" and Terry McMillian's essay on The Wizard of Oz (dir. Victor Fleming, 1939), identify and describe three questions McMillian poses to the film's narrative. For instance, when does McMillian pose questions to the film's cause and effect logic? How do the characters' traits inform her understanding of the film's causes and effects? For McMillian, how does the film's presentation of story information generate curiosity or suspense?

Blog #5

Referring to Sturken and Cartwright's discussion, "Addressing the Consumer," describe how the above advertising image "interpellates" or calls a viewer to occupy the subject position constructed by the ad. (Please click on image to view larger size)

If within a consumer society, the purpose of the advertisement is no longer to sell products, but rather "lifestyle and identification with brand names and corporate logos" (S&C: 198), what ideas, qualities and/or beliefs are associated with this clothing brand? In what ways can the ad be read as contradictory in terms of its appeal to the potential consumer?