Gimmie Shelter Theme Analysis
Gimme Shelter is the theme I would like you to explore. I am interested in what you think are new areas being opened up by more recent films. You have two choices for the type of film about which to write: narrative films or documentaries. Narrative films: In this choice you will write about the Last Black Man in San Francisco, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Daughters of the Dust. How do the people in these films attempt to establish or have a place in which they are free to choose how they want to live and open themselves up to the fullest expression of their dreams of how life could be? What are they after? In the places they choose, do they free themselves from some oppressive condition? Or are they just fleeing an oppressive situation? What shelter to they seek? Be careful to describe specific scenes in which we saw your points being played out on the screen. Documentaries: You may choose three of the following: Black Is. . .Black Aint, Baaadaasss Cinema, The Last Angel of History, or I Am Not Your Negro. How do the people shown in these films try to move towards a greater acceptance of who they want to be or how they envision life could be? How do they compare themselves to what is possible? What artistic arenas do they think will give them shelter? Be careful to describe specific scenes in which we saw your points being played out on the screen. You do NOT have to write about the stereotypes in films of the bad old days. You do not have to use normative gaze or oppositional gaze, but you CAN. Ten pgs double-spaced, with two scholarly sources cited, and a works cited page.
