How-To choose the best film for your class!

Movies.

A simple media but choosing the right film is always the hardest and most frustrating part, in my opinion. I think it is even harder when you need to choose the proper movie for the class as well. So I have decided to give you some steps into how to choose the proper film for a classroom.

First:

The movie needs to be suitable for all ages. Meaning, that you should rarely choose a rated R movie unless you are in college or you are only showing a clip from that rated R movie. To be safe try and stick to the PG and PG-13 movies.

Second:

What class are you teaching? For the purposes of this how-to, lets say you are trying to pick a movie for an English class. It is important to not watch a movie for each novel that you read in class. I think that you should provide your students with the idea of watching the novel that you have read.

Third:

Choose what novel you want to show the movie version of. In my personal opinion, the most complex and hardest book to understand is probably the best choice to watch a movie for.

Fourth:

Last I think it is important put an assignment with the movie. Some students do not read the novels they are assigned and wait to watch the film. Putting an assignment with the film is important so the student will pay attention and not just fall asleep. For example, compare the novel to the movie.

I love watching films in class but what I think is the most important part is writing about it afterwards. I think the student would retain more information if they are told to read the novel, watch the movie, and compare the two.

Books and Movies go Hand in Hand

Some people do not like to read, but some people like to watch movies. Good thing most classic novels have been made into film. English is one class that uses film a lot to help students understand a novel better. I love doing both. I am not saying that you should forget the book and just watch the movie. I am saying that after you read a book, sometimes it is easier after reading a book to watch the movie to make sure you retain the information that is given to you.

In 9th grade my teacher made us read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I do not like this book whatsoever but the one thing that got me through this book was the film of the same name made in (1946). I thought the story was very complex and thick but the movie helped me get through the density of the novel.

In the 10th grade my class read Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare, but this play, at that age, was very hard for me to get into and understand. My teacher at the time put in Julius Caesar so we could understand what is going on in the story.

In the 11th grade my class read East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I love this book but the beginning of the book is very complex and a little dull because Steinbeck is outlining the story. The film version of with James Dean is a great version of the story. It focuses the main part of the novel on the story of Cal. This film helped get the essence of the novel.

In the 12th grade my class read The Natural by Bernard Malamud. I had a hard time getting into this book. I did not like the character and I had a hard time understanding the character. The movie version with Robert Redford shows the character in a better light and helped me understand what was going on in the story. The Natural, the movie, is different from the book but being able to see Malamud's vision on the big screen is very helpful.

Even in college professors assign movies for the students to watch to help understand the different texts they have to read. English is one of the best subjects for students to better understand different stories and themes.

The main thing for people to understand is that the books, most of the time, are better than its film counterpart. The movie should be used to help tell but not to replace the book. The books are very important for the student to be able to read the words and sentences they methodically wrote in their novels.

To Read Shakespeare, Or Not To Read Shakespeare, That is the Question!

“He words me, girls, he words me” (Antony and Cleopatra).

William Shakespeare is one of the most important writers of all time. He wrote about society. Even 400 years after his death his words still reflect and are about society. Everyone has come across a play written by Shakespeare. While I was in High School I read Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Julius Caesar. Most students hate reading Shakespeare because they find it confusing. Shakespeare was not meant to be read it was meant to be HEARD. The great thing the film industry does is make films based on Shakespeare’s 36 plays. Almost every Shakespeare play has been made into a movie so if you need to understand one of his plays I suggest renting one of the movies.

Here are some of my favourite Shakespeare plays made into movies.

1. Taming of the Shrew (1967)
2. Hamlet (2009)
3. Romeo and Juliet (1968)
4. Richard III (1955)
5. Henry V (1989)
6. As You Like It (2006)

These movies are Shakespeare’s plays just made into movies but there are movies that are based on Shakespeare’s plays but are his plays without his Dialogue. One Shakespeare play to look forward to comes out in 2012, called Coriolanus.

Here is a list of movies that are based on Shakespeare’s plays.

1. The Lion King (Hamlet)
2. Kiss Me Kate (Taming of the Shrew)
3. West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet)
4. She’s The Man (Twelfth Night)
5. O (Othello)
6. My Own Private Idaho (Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI)

Shakespeare is a well known writer who has blessed the world with his words. These movies can be used in a classroom setting. Shakespeare is hard to understand for most people. Movies help simplify the text and create a story that the viewer is easier to follow. I have talked to many people about Shakespeare being made into film and I have not heard any negativity on the subject. Even if the movie is a bad movie, the students will still be able to hear the words and hear the meaning behind them. I love Shakespeare. I love different adaptations of Shakespeare. I love going to the Theatre to see Shakespeare. I think Shakespeare is very helpful for students to learn more about themselves and the world around them.

"This above all: to thine own self be true" (Hamlet).