Write a 3-5 page, double-spaced report where you compare Film 1 (Get Out) with Film 3 (Thelma and Louise) or Film 4 (When Harry Met Sally). Analyze both films based on their scripts and refer to their page numbers as you identify elements.
Be aware that there can be great discrepancies between the screenplay and how the story is ultimately presented to audiences. As you read and watch both films, feel free to refer to any such discrepancies if it informs your analysis and comparison. Ideally, if something is changed in the film, it was because there was a weakness in the script.
Respond to all three points as individual questions or in one essay:
- A logline is a one-sentence description of the film. Before the comma you describe the
protagonist and goal, then follows a “but” and what the obstacle is.
Example: A suburban dad in the midst of a mid-life crisis quits his job to rediscover joy and seduce a teenage beauty, but both his wife and neighbor want to kill the man he becomes. - Following this formula, write the loglines to the two films you have chosen. - Compare and contrast the films’ protagonists. Describe how their physical characteristics, personality, and background generate conflict and obstacles that propel the story. Give specific examples of behavior, action and dialogue that demonstrate how character and plot is integrated in both films. Use page numbers to pinpoint when these events occur.
- Choose only Film 3 (Thelma and Louise) or Film 4 (When Harry Met Sally). In that one film, describe how obstacles faced by the protagonist escalate or compound as the story develops. Give specific examples from the film, again using the page number. How do these escalations reinforce the tone of the film? Why do screenwriters choose to raise stakes and heighten conflict as the film progresses?