Film Essay Guide:

Instructions
Write an analytical essay applying ideas, readings, and concepts from the literature we read in class on nuclear deterrence and the causes of war to the film, Dr. Strangelove.
Essay length
1500 words
Evaluation
The essays will be evaluated by the instructor according to three components:
1. Quality of argument: The essay should be analytical in nature, that is, it should seek to make an argument which is supported by both logic and evidence. In this respect, the essay must have a clear thesis statement, a logical structure, and provide an analysis of the film or the themes raised by the film, rather than just a description.
2. Use of course materials: The essay should demonstrate a strong understanding of the themes raised in the film, the key concepts applied from international security, and the readings utilized in support of the analysis. The material should be cited appropriately using an accepted scholarly format. Use of outside materials may be beneficial, but it is not strictly required.
3. Quality of presentation and style: The essay should be clearly written, free of awkward sentences, typos, and grammatical errors. Essays should:
a) use 12 pt, times new roman font;
b) be double spaced;
c) include page numbers;
d) include a title page, with a thoughtful title, your name and student number, the date submitted, and the course number;
e) include a bibliography and a filmography; and,
f) generally appear polished and professional.

Accessing Films
We will watch the film in class. I will post a transcript of the film. The film may be available online for free. The instructor has a DVD copy of the film available as well. Alternatively students may locate and watch the film independently.

Disclaimer: scenes of violence and other material
Dr. Strangelove contains some adult subject matter. Students who have concerns about this may speak directly to the instructor so that accommodations can be made. Please note, this should be done well in advance of the deadline.

Writing about Film
The film title should be italicised throughout the essay. Book and journal titles should be italicised while article titles should be in quotation marks.
When mentioning a film for the first time include the name of the director and the date of release in brackets (unless this information is mentioned elsewhere in your sentence), e.g. The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford, 1940).
When describing a sequence in a film use the present tense, i.e. not “Sam Spade walked into his office, sat down and wrote an essay” but “Sam walks into his office, sits down and writes an essay”.
When referring to a non English-language film, the original title, also in italics, and director and year of production should be listed after the first mention of the film and in parentheses (after this, refer to the film’s English title, except where it is more usual to use the original language name). For example: Divided We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat, Jan Hřebejk, 2000) but La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962). Refer to spoken commentary as voice-over (not “narration”).
How to quote dialogue from a film:
THORNHILL: I’ll have another drink.
ALEXANDER: I hate you. [A man enters the bar and sits down]
THORNHILL: Hello, stranger.

Quotations and Footnotes Quotation marks should be double quotes (“), except for quotes within quotes, which should be single (‘). Do not italicise quotations. Quotations longer than thirty words should be separated from the main text, indented (not centered), single-spaced and should have no quotation marks. Footnote references come after commas and full stops. Page references come inside, except for an indented quotation.
Essay Structure
Introductions and Conclusions
What should your introduction contain?
• A clear summary of the main argument that your essay develops (sometimes called a thesis). What are you going to do and what material are you going to cover in the essay?
• A clear indication of which films or theoretical positions you are going to consider and why
• A road map describing how your essay will proceed
What your introduction should NOT contain:
• Potted biographies or plot summaries
• Historical overviews
• Simple restatements of the original essay title
What should your conclusion contain?
• A summary of the main argument of the essay
• A conclusion that speaks directly to your preceding argument
What your conclusion should NOT contain:
• Any new information not discussed previously
• Any evaluative statements about the “greatness” or “success” of a film, actor or director
Referencing
Essays should be fully referenced and all sources must be properly acknowledged. ALL quotations need book/page references. Do not italicise quotations. In-text referencing format which should be inserted at the end of a quotation or sentence: (Smith 2001, p. 55) – single author (Smith and Jones 2001, p. 55) – two authors (Smith et al. 2001, p. 55) – more than two authors (quoted in Smith 2001, pp. 55-56) – citation of a quotation (Smith 1998, online) – web source
In addition to a bibliography, you should include a filmography of all (and only) films cited should appear at the end of the text using the following format:
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) dir. John Ford, USA.