Variable Topics in Culture and Society in Korea Final paper

Final Writing Assignments for K159

5-7 pages (30%). See the grading rubric.
Choose 1.

• Essay Topic A: Pick one film viewed in class. In what ways does the film depart from the historical record or literary sources it is based on? What do you think is the significance of these departures? Please refer to specific scenes and passages as you make your analysis.
• Week 6: The Fortress: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lo5lhmgajd1zzgb/The%20Fortress.mp4?dl=0
• Week 7: The King and the Clown: https://ccle.ucla.edu/blocks/ucla_media/view.php?mode=2&id=11884#top
• Week 8: The Throne: https://www.dropbox.com/s/po3n1o1czeaah4j/THE_THRONE.Title2.mp4?dl=0
• Week 9: Hong Kil Dong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVnXAuaFY_s&feature=emb_logo
• Collaborative Project Option For the final “essay” a group of students (maximum 3 students per group) will create a 10-15 minute “podcast” in which the three students choose the three essay topics and discuss the relevant film(s). Students must submit a written outline/plan of the podcast as well as the audio recording. (See Guidelines below)
  NOTE: DO NOT REPEAT ESSAY TOPICS FROM MIDTERM!

Purpose of Assignment:

Through this assignment, we will engage directly with historical film as a media object that uses a depiction of the historical past to tell a story. To understand how the film does so, we will explore 1) the social and historical context of the events portrayed 2) the techniques the films employs to convey meaning 3) the relationship the film has with various source texts 4) the significance of the film for understanding how history is portrayed and consumed in contemporary Korean society.

Criteria:

A successful essay will:

• Focus on a specific issue/topic/theme pertaining to the film[s]. E.g. treatment of women, use of color, relationship to source text, characterization, moral message etc.
• Present a cogent ARGUMENT (A thesis) about the film and the issue/topic/theme. E.g. “I argue Film A uses the female characters in the film to highlight different attitudes towards the meaning of loyalty.”
• Use the events, camera shots, mise-en-scene (scenery, props, framing) of specific scenes, identified by timestamp, to illustrate and back up the ARGUMENT
• Cite or quote passages from relevant assigned readings to illustrate or back up the ARGUMENT
• Have a logical organization, with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Remember that the object of analysis is film, which means:

  It cannot serve as evidence for the historical past
  Is more than just dialogue, plot, and story!

Checklist:

• Does your essay have a thesis that makes a specific argument?
• Does your essay present concrete evidence to support that thesis?
• Does your essay make use of the film (i.e. audio-visual aspects) instead of only the story/plot?
• Does your essay draw on specific texts discussed in class to make its points?

(Please see Grading Rubric)