(I mistakenly thought there wasn't a rush this past week for some reason! I don't know what I was thinking. I just noticed this on the blog. Sorry for the late posting.)
Which film will you write about (and which films, television shows, or other screen-based narratives might also be pertinent)? Which broader issue, view, or conversation will you link your analysis to? Which specific segment(s) of your film might you be focusing on, and how can one or more of our four categories of cinematic form be seen to be functioning here in interesting/pertinent ways? And finally, which of our two special concepts interests you the most: the concept of the uncanny or the concept of the gaze--and what aspect of your chosen concept seems most promising as a means of advancing your film analysis?
I'll be writing about The Wizard of Oz. Other films that I can think of that are relevant to it are Vanilla Sky, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, and Pan's Labyrinth. I will be discussing the concept that I often see come up in film regarding the power of our subconscious and the idea that the answers to many of the questions we have lie within us. I think it is a commonly used framework for many storytellers. I will focusing specifically on the moments when Dorothy is no longer in Kansas anymore and when she returns to Kansas in the end. I will also be referencing the scene in which OZ is looking through the glass ball and how there was nothing he was telling her that she didn't already know within herself. There are repeated scenes with each character in that movie when the things they claim about themselves are actually the things that are actually untrue. For instance, the lion is a "coward" but he is brave enough to join on a journey with three strangers. At this point it is probably pretty obvious that I will be focusing on the gaze. I remember seeing The Wizard of Oz for the first time and I genuinely remember the moment when I realized that Dorothy had been dreaming the whole time. And at that moment the whole film flashed before my eyes and I realized the signs were there all along. I am excited to be able to really analyze the moments when the idea of the gaze is presented to us throughout a story and I want to be able to more easily identify it.
Your proposed paper topic sounds good. You're right about the whole "the answer lies within" thing--it's a common motif in many genres. In considering the "epic" foundations of Wizard of Oz, though, the key will be to consider not only how the things Dorothy desires turn out to have been in her midst already, but how her sense of belonging nonetheless depends on the initial digression (the misguided journey--the "sideward glance," as ZIzek would put it). It'll also be important to link your observations to an existing conversation or question--like, for instance, the recent article in Time magazine on the development of female action protagonists/heroines (an article that discusses Dorothy).
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CS