FILM SUMMARY GUIDE

A good film summary should provide its reader with a critical review of a film. It should make a recommendation about the film. It should also raise interesting questions about the film and themes that were introduced via the film. It should also make firm connections between the film’s texts and subtexts and the history/culture of the country, region, locale the film is attempting to depict. Here is a basic format:

I. Introduction – 1-2 paragraphs – provides a basic summary of the film’s plot including: the name of the film, the film genre, when, where, and by whom it was produced. The movie’s basic theme should appear here also. In some movies you may want to say something about the cast. If it is a documentary film, you will want to say something about your host/narrator and your host/narrator’s qualifications.

II. Historical Accuracy or Appeal – at least 2 paragraphs – How accurate was the film? Did the plot follow actual historical events? Did the characters and their dialogue seem to fit the period? What about the accuracy of sets and costumes? Many films claim to be historical in some way, but are grossly inaccurate. Here you should be able to discuss what merits the film has as an alternative avenue to the study of history. For my cultural studies classes – what does the film say about Spanish culture? What cultural tropes does it attempt to portray? What is the perspective of the film (modernist, post-modernist, traditionalist, etc.)? How does the film portray Spanish identity (national, racial, sexual, and regional, etc.)? Does it provide avenues for identities that are other than Spanish (Basque, Catalan, Galician, etc.)?

III. The Critique – at least 1 paragraph – here you should focus on a critical review of the film. What were the film’s strengths, weaknesses, did it achieve its purpose, was it convincing, what questions did it raise, what issues did it problematize? These are the types of things your reader will want to know before they watch or recommend the film.

IV. Review – at least two paragraphs – here you discuss your personal reaction to the film and make a recommendation. Did you like it and why? Did you dislike it and why? Was it fascinating, dreary, offensive, and why? Leave the reader with a strong notion of how you reacted to the film. You should rate the film according to your own system – as long as you identify system you employed. Some popular systems are: the star system, typically * or a bullet or a skunk or a dog for a weak film to **** for a can’t miss classic; the thumb system, either up, down, or parallel for good, bad, or so-so; or the ten-point scale, 1 being the worst film you have ever seen to 10 being a film epiphany that you would see countless numbers of times without growing tired of it.

That is all there is to an effective film summary. Your summary should be no less than (5) typed, double-spaced pages. Students taking the course for Spanish language credit must write the summary in Spanish.