Professor Siewert (Course Description)

Objectives:

• Find a film review , using print and electronic databases, including Art Abstracts, Academic Search Premiere, and LexisNexis
• Evaluate that review and understand the various criteria (see numbered criteria below)

Historical context:

Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis premiered in Germany in 1927 as a spectacle of life in the year 2026. Its visionary tale of the futuristic city was realized through images that are among the most famous of the 20th century, many of which presage such sci-fi landmarks as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner.

In preparation for writing your own response to Metropolis, locate in the library collections a published review of the film, and read it. Bear in mind that Metropolis was edited significantly before it appeared in American theaters, and remember that it was substantially restored using digital technology in 2002. This means that your search should take into account the existence of various reviews of the different versions of the film, appearing between the years 1927 and 2003.

Evaluation:

• 1. Where does the review appear? Type of publication? (magazine or newspaper; popular or scholar; daily, weekly, monthly?
• 2. Who is the author of the review? A well-known film scholar? A staff writer for the publication in question? Is it clear?
• 3. What is the intended audience for the review?
• 4. How useful do you think this review would be to you in writing your own response paper, and why?