Unit Overview
While previous units focused heavily on the power of creators over the audience through literature, text, and diction, the final unit of the year instead shifts its focus towards the visual. Cinematic terms, techniques, and analysis were practiced on heavily by students throughout the unit, starting with an examination over Edward Burton’s 1990 film Edward Scissorhands and ending with a compare & contrast on a film of our choice.
Challenges & Gains
To be honest, this current unit has been the easiest one I’ve had due to my familiarity with the subject and field; that, however, hasn’t stopped me from exploring the subject further and examining even closer the techniques, thematic connections and overall impact subtle moments and components could have. It also took a while to find a film I believed would serve not only as a strong companion but a reflection upon the style of Edward Scissorhands for the final essay before I realized of Jacques Tati’s influence on the particular film. Examining similar themes, styles, and genres across decades and artists have helped me recognize historically the massive influence Tati has had on comedy and film, and better establishing how intricacies and mastery over the cinematic language could prove to have a lasting impact. (In case it wasn’t clear, the title was a riff on a Roy Andersson film, who, like Burton, was similarly influenced by Tati’s absurdist comedy, albeit in massively different styles).