Writing Assignment 1:

Write a critical review of Nanook of the North from the perspective of Dziga Vertov (you do not have to adopt his writing style). Your review should make clear what aspects of the film Vertov would admire and which he would not, based on Vertov's theoretical positions. Make specific suggestions for possible improvements to the film. It is important that you not merely praise aspects of the film that are superficially similar to Man With a Movie Camera and criticize aspects that are not. Also, do not dismiss the film out of hand because its goals or intentions do not match Vertov's goals in filmmaking. It is good to mention this type of thing, but dig deeper than, "Nanook is a wasted documentary because it does not teach us the benefits of a industrial communist society." Use Vertov's theories to bring out aspects of Nanook that would be missed by a typical admirer of Flaherty.

Then, do the same thing on Man With a Movie Camera from the perspective of John Grierson.

You should aim to do the following in this assignment:

• Accurately convey each theorist's ideas about documentary
• Evaluate the films using these ideas
• Support your evaluation with analysis, including specific details about scenes or shots in the films
• Acknowledge areas where the film cannot be sympathetically defended according to each theorist's ideas
• Make suggestions for improvements to the film. Be realistic here. Do not have Vertov say, "This film would be better if Nanook converted to Marxism at the end."

As noted before, this paper will not be graded for spelling, grammar, or punctuation. It will be graded on the depth and quality of your ideas and how clearly you express them. Good organization is often essential to clearly expressing your ideas.

The two parts of this assignment should be separated with a title but can be printed consecutively and should be attached.

Length: Aim for roughly 5 pages. Do not turn in more than 8.

Papers must be stapled and pages numbered.