Chinatown Screenplay

Go to my website. Read the first 11 scenes of the Chinatown screenplay.  

1. Compare the screenplay to the actual movie. Was anything changed?

2. How is Gittes described? 

3. What specific adjectives does the screenwriter Robert Towne (to the right) use to put you right 

there in the scene? 

Interview with Rian Johnson

Click on this link 

Scroll down to the interview with Rian Johnson

Listen to interview for 10 minutes. Let the interview load before you start listening to it. 

Answer these questions: 

1. What is Rian Johnson's background? 

2. How does Johnson describe the movie? 

3. Why was it so difficult to get made? 

4. How did the film change in the seven years of its production? 

5. What film techniques are in the movie? Were they planned beforehand? 

Rian Johnson's website

Film Noir- An American Creation

Go to Film Noir section of this website. 

Answer these questions: 

1. According to Paul Schrader, is Film Noir a genre? 

2. What are three films that are quintessential Film Noir? 

3. What are some films that were precursors to Film Noir? 

4. What are some other films that Billy Wilder made? 

5. What are some neo-Noir movies from the 2000s? 

Film Noir Slang

Go to this Glossary of Hardboiled Slang

Choose 10 of the words. Write a dialogue (2 Characters talking) using the words. 

Example: 

Harry

That dame is too much!

Phyllis

She's going to throw you into the cooler. 

Film Review

Think of a film you've seen recently. Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not? Be specific about what you liked or didn't like from the film. Put an image from the film in your post. 

Great Films

What characteristics make a great film? List at least three. What are some of the great films for you? Put an image in your post. Is Citizen Kane a great movie to you? 

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

A documentary made in 2004 posed the question, "Can Mr. Smith Still Go to Washington?" In the documentary an idealistic young man ran for a Senate seat, and he lost because he didn't have enough money, nor did he have a famous name. Have the politicians of America today changed dramatically from the politicians of the 1930s and 1940s? Are any of the lessons in the movie useful for changing our democracy today?