The film that I chose for this unit is titled Apocalypse Now. The film is directed by Francis Ford Coppala and includes highly acclaimed actors such as Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper. The movie is loosely based on the novella by Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness. The unit will be introduced to the students after completing the novella. Although the class has read the text, teaching the movie will not be done as a direct comparison, but the film will be introduced as an independent piece of literature with limited references to the written text. Specific themes will be shown to the class via scenes from the film. Students will be given assignments that require them to closely examine the film and related themes. The above clip in the movie, titled "Helicopter Attack" is used in a lesson to demonstrate themes and concepts related to imperialism and colonialism. The voicethread assignment that I assigned to the students is available for viewing on www.voicethread.com. The assignment is titled, "The Hollow Men". Enjoy! |