This exercise is designed to help you begin to use critical thinking tools to review a performance. First, watch the short film Identity at the link below. Then answer the following questions, which are adapted from those proposed by German playwright and philosopher Johann Wolfgang Goethe for play analysis.
Identity SHORT FILM (Award Winning Inspirational Short)
In order to receive credit, you must answer all three questions fully. Keep the three sections of your response separate with numbers or paragraph breaks. Answers do not need to be long, but they should be detailed and specific. The total minimum word count for your complete answer (all three parts together) should be no less than 250 words.
1) What were the filmmaker, actors, and other collaborating artists intending to present or offer to the audience with this production? (8 points) Consider themes, messages, or artistic statements you think the artists may have intended to convey.
2) How fully/effectively was this goal or objective from question #1 accomplished? (9 points) Describe how you think the collaborating artists involved in this production employed elements such as acting, direction/camera work, settings, costumes, dialogue, plot, effects, etc. to accomplish your proposed intent from question #1 and/or to create a particular viewing experience. Describe specific things that stood out to you that you found effective, ineffective, questionable, interesting, strange, etc.
3) How valuable was the experience? Explain. (8 points) This question is not for you to consider whether a particular character's actions were worth doing; rather it is a consideration of the efforts of the production. Reflect on whether the production was worth the time and effort spent on the part of the collaborating artists and the audience. Keep in mind that just because you may not have personally enjoyed or understood certain aspects of the production, that does not mean the production does not have overall value or something to offer to others. Consider, on the whole, whether there are ideas, themes, or elements that were worth presenting, and whether there is merit in what was presented that could possibly speak to others, even if the production did not speak to or resonate with you. If you feel the production was not worth the effort, be sure to present a strong and concrete argument (not just that you didn't like it).