Unit 4 Unforgettable Films Viewing,Speaking and Writing 教学设计-2024-2025学年重大版（2019）高中英语必修第一册

Unit 4 Unforgettable Films ：Viewing,Speaking and Writing 教学设计 ￭ Leading-in： 展示正在热映的电影影评 Whenever a new film comes out, people look to film reviews to decide if they should see it. Movie reviews can make or break a film's box office grosses（毛收入）. If you write a review for a newspaper, be honest and with your criticism or praise of the film. Keep your word count in mind, too. Your review should be specific and concise (brief). Writing a film review takes some thought and general film knowledge. ￭ Warming up： 影评应该包含哪些内容呢？ Brainstorming to activate students’ prior knowledge ( mind mapping to review some relative words) • With your partner, discuss to find what are the important elements that must be found in a film review _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ ￭ Analysing： 1. Log on the websiite https://www.moviefilmreview.com/ht or read the downloaded version. Observe this film review of Forrest Gump. What are the key elements? (Take notes in the margin. You don’t need to understand all the words.) Forrest Gump (Para1) “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” However, when you watch Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks as Forrest and Robin Wright as Jenny, you know you are going to get a lot of laughs and even a few tears. According to the Washington Post, Forrest Gump won Oscar awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Hanks), Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), Film Editing, Visual Effects and Adapted Screenplay. The movie was well deserving of these awards since the acting and the visual effects were extraordinary. (Para2) The screenplay (script 电影剧本) for the 1994 movie was written by Eric Roth, based on the novel by Winston Groom. The story follows Forrest through 30 years of trials and tribulations, placing Forrest within historical moments of history, and in pursuit of his one dream–his “most special friend,” Jenny. (Para3) The films’ actors success in portraying their characters is a major factor in the film’s awards. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright worked well together, just like “peas and carrots.” The on-screen chemistry between the two was phenomenal. I felt a real connection between the two, finding myself mad at Jenny when she blew Forrest off and in tears when he told her that he was heading to Vietnam. Mokui’s Movie Review states “Tom Hanks IS Forrest Gump…He breathes life into the guy and you will feel what Forrest feels”. James Berardinelli states, “Robin Wright gives the best performance of her career, surpassing what she accomplished in The Playboys” . Another performance that stands out is that of Gary Sinise. Sinise plays the part of Lieutenant Dan Taylor, whose life is saved by Forrest during the Vietnam War. James Berardinelli writes, “In this movie, his Lieutenant Dan Taylor is fascinating” . I thought that Sinise was quite convincing with his emotions throughout the movie, as if he was really a disabled vet who had lost both legs in the war. (Para3+) Just as good as the actors were those working behind the scenes with the special effects. Throughout Forrest Gump the special effects were incredible. During Lieutenant Taylor’s scenes, I was convinced that he really didn’t have legs. I was studying the scenes, looking for any signs of legs, trying to figure out how it was done. It turns out that each and every frame was painted over to give it the true to life values that it holds. Also bringing the movie more credibility was the ability to place Forrest in history making events. These events ranged from Forrest teaching Elvis how to swing his hips to meeting Presidents for various accomplishments. These television clips of Forrest were done with such finesse that they look real. Critic Brian Webster (2003) states, “This is handled virtually flawlessly; if you didn’t know better, you’d believe that a fellow named Gump really did tell President Lyndon Johnson that he had been shot in the rump while acting heroically in Vietnam” . Rolling Stone (2003) states, “The effects dazzle, though never at the expense of the story” . (Para4+) This story, complete with the Oscar winning performances in both acting and special effects is perfect for those in need of a dose of goodness. My family enjoys watching Forrest Gump together for rejuvenation, to view someone with true values of honesty, friendship and family. Forrest, with his heart of gold and his low IQ, never gives up. He always looks for the best in every scenario. The movie opens with a feather floating down over the city, landing at Forrest’s feet. Near the end of the story, Forrest questions, “Do we each have a destiny – or do we just float around accidental, like on a breeze?” As you are thinking about this question, the feather reappears and floats through the countryside right up into the ending credits. 2. Look for the following key elements in this film review: Items Info name of the director Robert Zemeckis prominent stars of the film, Tom Hanks(Forrest); Robin Wright(Jenny); Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan Taylor) basic setting ( time and place) The screenplay (script 电影剧本) for the 1994 movie was written by Eric Roth, based on the novel by Winston Groom. type of film/Genre --- Plot summary The story follows Forrest through 30 years of trials and tribulations, placing Forrest within historical moments of history, and in pursuit of his one dream... Specific aspects of the film Throughout Forrest Gump the special effects were incredible. ... Overall reaction My family enjoys watching Forrest Gump together for rejuvenation, to view someone with true values of honesty, friendship and family. Paragraphs: 1 or more? 4 paragraphs Tense Simple present tense Others Adaption; Awards; Quotes/Cites ￭ Components： Title of the movie Paragraph 1 You will need to include the following: name of the film, prominent stars of the film, basic setting ( time and place), and type of film ( comedy, adventure, drama, etc.) Paragraph 2 You will need to write a plot summary for the movie. Do not give away the ending. Discuss several events and be sure to cover the entire scope of the movie, except the very end. Paragraph 3 Discuss one aspect of film-making. You may choose from acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, background music, or anything else you may think of. Be sure that you are specific and cite examples from the movie. Paragraph 3+ Discuss another aspect of film-making. You may choose from acting, direction, editing, costume design, set design, photography, background music, or anything else you may think of, but obviously choose something different from what you discussed in the previous paragraph. Be sure that you are specific and cite examples from the movie. Paragraph 4+ Give your overall reaction to the film as well as your opinion on the quality of the film. Also include your recommendations for potential viewers. Remember: The guideline above is just what it is. It’s just a guideline, so throw in your own spin and develop your own format if you want to.  LIST: Film Questions from A to Z The following questions may give you some direction in thinking about organizing, and developing material for an original film review. Based on your own reading or reviews, add what you consider additional important questions to consider. • What subject matter, issue, theme, or topic source does this film consider? • What is the main story line and source of conflict? • What are the place setting and time period? • Are the characters believable? Sympathetic? Heroic? Evil? Do we learn enough about them? • Who are the major characters? What actors portray them? • Is the acting style exaggerated, realistic or understated? Is it uneven? Does it do justice to the characters? • Are the actors appropriate to their film roles? • How does this film portray or distort real life? • What values does the film communicate, challenge or ignore? • What tone (attitude) does the film take toward its subject? Is it tragic? Comic? Satiric（讽刺的）? Romantic? • Is the film entertainment or propaganda? • Is the film true to historical facts and truth? • How does the film handle emotion? Is it sentimental or sincere? • What elements unify the film? • Is the film well paced? Are there tedious parts that seem to detract from its purpose? How could it be better edited? • How do all of the images of the film communicate mood? Does one mood dominate? • Are any images repeated enough and in a specific context that they seem to be used as symbols? • How does color (or black and white) enhance the film? • How are light and shadow (shading) used effectively? • How does the camera work (panorama（全景）, tracking shots（跟踪镜头）, zooms（拉近、推远）, close-ups（特 写镜头）) produce specific effects? • Why is this film worth seeing? • How is this film similar to or different from other films like it? • How would you rate this film? Excellent? Very good? Good? Fair? Poor? • (add your own questions) ￭ Expressions: 1. TYPES OF FILMS / GENRES Science fiction (sci-fi) / Comedy / Sit-coms (situation comedies) / Romance / love story / Horror film (not terror film) / Thriller / Spy film / Musical / Detective story / Mystery film / Adventure / Action film / Biography / Western / Animated films / Cartoon / Historical / War film / Gangster film 2. USEFUL WORDS soundtrack / script / plot / storyline / stunts 引人注目的噱头 (stuntman 特技演员) / special effects / box-office / hit / rehearsal / masterpiece / star (verb/noun) / hero / heroine /opening / end / ending / episode / premiere / climax / cast of characters / leading / supporting character / sequence 一组镜头 / scene 3. USEFUL ADJECTIVES Positive adjectives: interesting, good, exciting, funny, fantastic, fascinating, amusing, moving, excellent, entertaining, realistic, long-running长期联播的, well-developed, convincing, gripping 扣人心弦的 Negative adjectives: boring, sad, bad, poor, dull, terrible,dreadful, thrilling, predictable, unimaginative, weak, frightening, scary, unbelievable, 4. USEFUL LANGUAGE 1st paragraph – Background: This film is set in...; The film tells the story of...; This excellent film is based on... 2nd paragraph – Summary of the plot: The storyline / plot focuses on...; The film reaches its climax...; The story begins... 3rd paragraph – Comments on the film: The acting / development of .. / The main / leading character is fascinating / excellent...; The script is bright / dull...; The end is surprising / predictable... 4th paragraph – Conclusion: It is worth seeing..; I would / would not recommend it because...; Do not miss it... ￭Basic tips: Think about the important elements that need to be found in a film review: • Find a good title: you need to attract your reader’s attention. The title introduces the theme of the film. Eg: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: “After 7 years at Hogwarts…” • Adaptation: Write a short sentence to explain it is the adaptation of a book (title/author/date) and then mention the date of release on screen. •A short synopsis: you need to present the story without revealing the end (present the main character/action/place, etc.) but make sure to keep the suspense for the reader. • Choose scenes that you really liked and explain why (emotions/filming techniques/special effects) Because it’s an adaptation, this is the moment when you can compare the film with the book (similarities/differences etc…) You can also explain what is special in the film that can’t be found in the book (interest of the adaptation?) • Talk about the actors: If you have anecdotes/details about them on the set, don’t hesitate to mention it. (Eg: After many films like The Mask, or Dumb and Dumber, American actor Jim Carrey now stars in a classical English tale…) • A small conclusion: Explain why you would recommend or not recommend the film to the audience. Remember: Your goal is to attract the readers’ attention and to convince viewers to go or not to go and see the film! ￭ Assignment: 看电影Forrest Gump, 然后模仿案例写影评 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$