INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE HUMANITIES HUM 105 Eduard Ghita, Instructor UNIT 3: Personhood CORE LEARNING EXPERIENCE INSTRUCTIONS Length – required amount of written text: 750-1,250 words. Formatting – Double-spaced, document saved as PDF. Please rename your file as requested: Last Name, First Name – Unit no. – Assignment. E.g. Brown, Mary – Unit 3 – Core. Due Date – This assignment is due by the date indicated on Blackboard>>Assignments This Core Learning Experience will be a Critical Film Review of the film Water (2005, directed by Deepa Mehta). Water can be watched here In Water, Contemporary, controversial director Deepa Mehta explores the oppression of Brahmin widows in traditional Hindu culture. Set in 1938 during the time of Mahatma Gandhi’s pacific revolt against British colonial rule, Water takes place in a city in Northern India on the holy river Ganges. Through the interaction of occupants of a traditional house for Brahmin widows, Mehta explores the ways in which the combination of law, custom and religious belief create systems of social and religious oppression that are very hard to eradicate. The characters: Chuya – a girl who is widowed at the age of 7 Mahdu Didi – the fat, greedy head widow in the widow’s house Kalyani – a beautiful young widow who is forced to prostitute herself to earn money for the needs of the occupants of the widows’ house Narayan – a wealthy, Brahmin free thinker and follower of Gandhi who falls in love with Kalyani Shakuntula Didi – the selfless middle-aged widow who questions the status quo Patiraji (Auntie) – a very old woman who became a widow as a young child Gulabi – a transvestite eunuch pimp, friends with Mahdu Didi Instructions for Critical Film Review: Introduction 1. The title of the film (italicize or put in quotation marks), the year it was made and the director should appear in the opening sentence. Content 2. A brief description of the film’s content identifying: a. the main topic of the film: this should not be a retelling of the plot – it should be no more than one paragraph long. b. the main characters; c. the subgenre (historical drama, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, etc.); d. the cultural context. Personhood (Core Learning Experience Parameters) 3. Choose at least three of the main characters of the film and discuss how their personhood is presented in the film in at least three paragraphs exploring the following three points: a. Irrespective of personal (individual) attributes, all widows’ experience is shaped by factors beyond their individual selves. Discuss at least four of these factors. b. Discuss how different personal attributes of the three characters influence the nature of their oppression. You must refer to specific scenes from the film that illustrate your discussion! c. What are the different strategies taken by individual widows to assert their sense of personhood and identity within their limited horizons? You must refer to specific scenes from the film that illustrate your discussion! Cinematography 4. Artistic and stylistic aspects of the film – in one or two paragraphs highlight at least two specific aspects of the film’s artistry. You may discuss the following: use of light, the use of color, framing (what the camera shows and does not show), moving/stationary camera work, casting (who was chosen to play what role), set, musical score, acting ability. You must refer to specific scenes from the film to illustrate your points! Conclusion: 5. Evaluation and Recommendations – What is your overall impression of the film? You must explain the basis of your impression with reference to specific aspects of the film. Do you recommend this film to others? Why or why not? You are not required to use any sources outside of classroom lectures and the textbook for this assignment. If you do, do not plagiarize. Be sure to: • Cite the sources for your information whenever you have used it in your discussion with in-text citations. • Don’t “move block” information from websites. Paraphrase in your own words. • Include a short, correctly formatted Works Cited/Bibliography at the end of the assignment. Grade Breakdown: Out of 15% -- If the grade earned is not a whole number, it will be rounded off to the next highest whole number. For instance, if 12.5 is earned, the grade is raised to 13. If 14.5 is earned, the grade is raised to 15. Students should know how they are doing in each specific area considered for the grade: 1% Introduction 4% Content 5% Achievement of Core Learning Experience Parameters 2% Discussion of Cinematography and Style 3% Clarity and organization.