Here is some shtuff on past paper questions. Notice how similar they all are!!

Section C: US Cinema Comparative Study (40 marks)

One question from a choice of two.
Both questions will have an emphasis on the relationship between aspects of the
films' narrative in relation to generic characteristics. The first question will be
based primarily on narrative study. The second will be based on contextual
study. Issues of representation will be common to both questions.
--------------------------------------------------How do key sequences from your chosen American films reinforce their
messages and values?
Films always reflect the times and places in which they are made. How far is
this true of the American films you have studied for this topic?
--------------------------------------------------How far do the American films you have studied convey key themes in similar
ways?
How far is the representation of characters in the American films you have
studied influenced by the times in which the films were made?
--------------------------------------------------Compare how far the closing sequences of the American films you have studied
for this topic confirm their messages and values.
Compare how far the actions of the main characters are influenced by the times
in which the American films you have studied were made.
--------------------------------------------------What is significant about setting and/or place in your chosen American films?
In the American films you have studied for this topic, how far do the
representations of either women or men reflect the time when they were made?
--------------------------------------------------Compare how one sequence from each of the American films you have studied
conveys the main themes of these films.
Compare how the key messages and values of the American films you have
studied reflect the times in which they were made.
--------------------------------------------------Compare some of the ways in which key characters develop the messages and
values of your chosen American films.
In the films you have studied, compare how the different representations of
America are influenced by the times in which they were made.

Upper Level 3 (28-31)

Candidates will have a good knowledge and understanding of their chosen

films and be able to make detailed and accurate reference to them.
Clear points of view will be developed.
There will be a good knowledge of narrative, genre and representation
issues.
There will be evidence that contextual knowledge is being used
productively.
The work will show clear signs of developing a well-structured response.
There will be some evidence of a 'voice' developing in the candidate.
Comparison between the films will be good with similarities/differences
delineated clearly.
Quality of written communication will be good. It will be fluent, wellstructured and accurate.

Level 4 (32-40)
Level 4 candidates will be distinguished by very good knowledge and
confident understanding of their chosen films and be able to make
detailed and accurate reference to them.
There will be a direct and complex engagement with the question and
points of view will be developed very effectively.
There will be a very good knowledge of narrative, genre and
representation issues and how meaning is constructed.
There will be evidence that contextual knowledge is being used well.
The work will be well-structured.
There will be a clear and confident 'voice'.
Very good comparisons will be made and there will be confident
knowledge of context.
Quality of written communication will be very good. It will be fluent, wellstructured and accurate with clear references to the chosen films. There
may be signs of sophistication.
Level 5 (37-40)
For marks at the upper end of this level (37-40) candidates will be
excellent in the areas identified above.

Dawn
of the
Dead
1979
charac
ters
Name: Peter
Role: Protagonist SWAT
Relevance:

Race relations.
The role of the emergency services in a crisis.
Male archetype.

Name: Fran
Role: Protagonist TV broadcaster
Relevance:
Gender archetypes: Damsel in distress, weak female.
A burden on the group.
Understands the horrible and boring consumerism more than males.

Name: Roger
Role: Protagonist SWAT
Relevance:
Bravado of masculinity first to be infected.
Chaos and claustrophobia goes insane/becomes reckless?
Name: Steven
Role: Protagonist Helicopter Pilot
Relevance:
Useless middle class male, emasculated.
All these character embody in some capacity the negative aspects of consumer
culture.

2004
Name: Kenneth
Role: Protagonist Police officer
Relevance:
Selfish and family oriented.
Only solid relationship with Andy (from a distance) social media.
Race relations with Andre breaking archetypes?
Name: Ana
Role: Protagonist Nurse
Relevance:
Modern female protagonist contrast to Fran?
Active not passive.
Name: Michael
Role: Protagonist TV salesman
Relevance:
Working class as the leader.
Group focussed.

Name: Luda and Andre

Role: Secondary protagonists Criminal and pregnant girlfriend
Relevance:
Race relations.
Family values.
Class wide social demographic.
Name: CJ, Terry and Bart
Role: Secondary Protagonists Security guards
Relevance:
Trust.
Post 9/11 fears.
Name: Steve
Role: Antagonist
Relevance:
Selfish upper-middle class.
Selfish, sarcastic, hated.
Monica Blonde Bimbo
Relevance:
Female Archetypes
Glen Gay Churchgoer
Relevance:
Diversity within society, loss of morals
Tucker and Norma Rednecks
Relevance:
Diversity within society
Andy Gun shop owner
Relevance:
Media communications/relationships.
Frank and Nicole Father and daughter.
Notice the difference in cast size between the original and the remake. Is the
possible reason for this that Snyder wants to show the effect across all classes
and demographics?
Does he want to prove cultural divides are pointless and evaporate in
crisis?
Does this link to post 9/11 America?

1979 DoTD American Context

Fear of consumption: the creation of
the mall.

2004 DoTD America Context

Post 9/11 fear of terrorism.

Race relations and racial conflict.

Distrust of media.

Distrust of the media/government.

Modern communications.

Message/Valu
e
Body Horror
The Media
Consumerism
Chaos and
Claustrophobia
Race Relations

1979 DoTD
Low budget OTT special effects
Not trusted
Highly critical of it
Ghetto Holocaust

Horror Genre Conventions

Not trusted/bored of it
Accepting of it/bored of it
-

Ghetto Holocaust

Gender

Conventional gender roles

Class and
Status
Post 9/11 Fears
Communication
s and
relationships

General acceptance: large

cast = large demographic
Modern challenge of
archetypes
Dislike of middle class

Critical of the nuclear family.

Stats
Written By:
Directed By:
Produced By:
Edited By:
Budget:
Opening Weekend:
Worldwide Gross:
USA Gross:

DoTD 1979
George A. Romero
George A. Romero
Laurel Group (Romeros own
company)
George A. Romero
$650,000 (est)
$900,000
$55m
-

2004 DoTD

Terrorism
Addressing of online
relationships/individual
selfishness.
DoTD 2004
James Gunn
Zach Snyder
Universal Studios
$26m (est)
$26.7m
$59m

Thomas Vincent "Tom" Savini is an American actor,

stuntman, director, and award-winning special makeup effects creator. He is known for his makeup and
special effects work on many films directed by George
A. Romero, including Martin, Dawn of the Dead, Day of
the Dead, Creepshow and Monkey Shines.

Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an

American film director, film producer, and
screenwriter, best known for action and
science fiction films. He has gone on to be
known for his comic book movies and
superhero films, including 300 (2007) and
Watchmen (2009), as well as the Superman
film that started the DC Extended Universe:
Man of Steel (2013).
Key Reading
Muntean and
Payne

DoTD 1979

Kevin J. Wetmore

DoTD 2004
9/11 zombies as enraged
corpses that individually are a
swift, powerful and ferocious
predator that makes direct,
purposeful beelines towards the
living.
Zombification represents a loss
of Self, a loss of social self and a
loss of all relationships that
existed with that person.
Similarly, Zombies cannot be
reasoned with, cannot be
negotiated with, they seek only
to replicate themselves, which
also makes them an excellent
metaphor for terrorists.
America and the American way
of life are particularly at risk, I
wrote, We are under assault
from without and within, just as
on 9/11. The zombie is a
terrorist.
As on 9/11, this is a mediated
crisis. The survivors know what
they know solely from television,
even if what the television is
telling them differs from their
own experience.

Peter John Boss

There are few films in

which the human figure
has been more
graphically subjected to
corruption, disfigurement

and general insult. The

inventiveness and
awfulness of the
appearance and
behaviour of the zombies
in Romero's work
(achieved mostly by
effects man Tom Savini) is
a large part of their
popular appeal. In the
quite persistently
allegorical context of the
films they become, in
every way, a morbid
representation of the
disintegrating social
values and institutions
experienced by the
protagonists.
Geographically and
culturally, then, the
zombies - the ostensible
'other' are closely
identified with the
protagonists, or normality.
Frequently, the behaviour
of the central characters
is irrational, callous or
reprehensible enough to
break the barriers based
on notions of humanity.
One thinks of Roger's
enjoyment of the killing
spree in Dawn, for
instance.
Body imagery in this
dystopian vision
corresponds to a picture
of physical breakdown. As
is suggested by the work
of Douglas, social
disintegration and
ineffectuality is mirrored
by bodily destruction and
loss of control. In
Douglas's view 'the more
value people set on social
constraints, the more the

value they set on symbols

of bodily control.
Juliet Lauro and
Karen Embry

The zombie horde is a

swarm where no trace of
the individual remains...
There is the primary fear
of being devoured by a
zombie, a threat posed
mainly to the physical
body, and the secondary
fear that one will, in
losing ones
consciousness, become
part of the monstrous
horde.

Gunn and Treat

The zombie horde at the

shopping mall seems to
behave no differently
from their living
counterparts both in
intention (consumption)
and drive (an instinctive
hunger). So if the fear is
rooted not only in being
eaten but becoming one
of the undead horde it
could be argued that
there are two paths to
realizing that fear
physically being turned
by a zombie bite or
participating in mass
consumption until there is
no distinguishing
between zombie and
human.

Karl Marx

Commodity Fetishism:
turns the subjective idea
of value into an objective
idea. A brand is better
because it is more widely
known. Morrisons are
better than Tesco etc.

Cultural Hegemony:
describes the domination
of a culturally diverse

society by the ruling

class, who manipulate the
culture of that society
the beliefs, explanations,
perceptions, values, and
mores so that their
ruling-class worldview
becomes the worldview
that is imposed and
accepted as the cultural
norm.
Linda Williams

Shane Ramirez

Invasion, Transformation,
Violation

Body genres: the spectacle of

the body caught in the grip of
intense sensation or emotion.
Invasion, Transformation,
Violation

How to use this document:

Pick a question and write it at the top of the page.
Watch a relevant section of both the films, making notes
on the micro elements.
Pick a selection of relevant messages/values to talk about.
Pick references from theorists that are relevant to your
question.
ALWAYS make links to the American context of the films.
P1: Introduction - your own opinion on the question and an
outline of how you are going to use the two films in your essay.
P2: Outline here the different film theorists you are using and
how they are applicable to the question at hand. Dont analyse
a scene here, just describe some theory.
P3: Outline the messages and values you will be discussing.
Within this paragraph, make sure you reference the American
contexts of both films!
P4/5: Using detailed micro and macro analysis, reference the
first film and its messages and values.
P6/7: Do the same to the other film, making CLEAR LINKS
between both films.
P8: Conclusion - Summarise what you have discussed and
reinforce how both films have an American Context.