Fm2 - Past Paper (jan 2009)

GCE AS/A level 1182/01

New AS

FILM STUDIES FM2 British and American Film A.M. THURSDAY, 15 January 2009 21⁄2 hours

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS In addition to this examination paper, you will need: • •

Resource material a 12 page answer book.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Answer three questions, one from each section. Write your answers in the separate answer book provided. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES Each question carries 40 marks. The number of marks is given in brackets at the end of each question. You are reminded that assessment will take into account the quality of written communication used in your answers.

CJ*(W09-1182-01)

2

FM2: British and American Film Answer three questions – one from each section. Section A: Producers and Audiences Choose one question from this section. Either 1.

Study the items in Part A of the resource material, which includes: – a website to download films – an official film website – a newspaper article on a Hollywood film and the web. Using this material as a starting point, and drawing on your own case studies, answer the following question: ‘The internet is of equal benefit to producers and audiences.’ How far do you agree?

[40]

or 2.

Study the items in Part B of the resource material, which includes: – the three basic elements for a successful Hollywood film – a poster for a popular UK film without stars – a box office list of the top ten films of 2007 in the UK. Using this material as a starting point, and drawing on your own case studies, answer the following question: ‘Hollywood films have movie stars. That’s why they are more appealing to UK audiences than UK films.’ How far do you agree with this comment? [40]

(1182-01)

3

Section B: British Film Topics Choose one question from this section. British Film and Genre You should discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer and base it on one of the following: Horror or Comedy. Either 3.

How far are the narratives of the genre films you have studied for this topic predictable?

[40]

or 4.

What have you found interesting about some of the messages and values contained in the genre films you have studied for this topic? [40]

British Film and Stars You should discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer and base it on one of the following: Julie Christie or Ewan McGregor. Either 5.

How far does the image of the star contribute to the presentation of themes in the films you have studied for this topic? [40]

or 6.

What are some of the ways in which your chosen star represents gender in the films you have studied for this topic? [40]

British Film and Production Companies You should discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer and base it on one of the following: Ealing Studios or Working Title. Either 7.

How far can it be said that there are similarities in the themes of different films made by your production company? [40]

or 8.

To what extent do the films made by your production company use stereotypical characters to communicate messages and values? [40]

(1182-01)

Turn over.

4 British Film: Cultural Study You should discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer and base it on one of the following: Swinging Britain 1963-1973 or Thatcher’s Britain: the 1980s. Either 9.

How far are there particular themes that link the films you have studied for this topic?

[40]

10. How do the films you have studied for this topic reflect the time in which they were made?

[40]

or

British Film: Social-Political Study – ‘Living with Crime’ You should discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer and base it on the following: ‘Living with Crime’. Either 11. How important is narrative structure in communicating the theme of ‘living with crime’ in the films you have studied for this topic? [40] or 12. How far are criminal characters represented as victims of their circumstances in the films you have studied for this topic? [40] British Film: Identity Study – ‘Borders and Belonging’ You should discuss a minimum of two British films in your answer and base it on the following: ‘Borders and Belonging’. Either 13. In what ways do the endings of the films you have studied for this topic convey messages and values? [40] or 14. How do the filmmakers represent separation between groups and/or communities in the films you have studied for this topic? [40] Section C: American Film – Comparative Study Choose one question from this section. You should discuss a minimum of two American films in your answer. Either 15. Compare and contrast the messages and values conveyed by the narrative resolutions of your chosen films. [40] Or 16. What have you found interesting in the representation of gender in the films you have studied? (1182-01)

[40]

GCE AS/A level 1182/01-A

New AS

FILM STUDIES FM2 British and American Film A.M. THURSDAY, 15 January 2009 21⁄2 hours

Resource Material for use with Section A

CJ*(W09-1182-01A)

2 Study the items in Part A, the resource material for use with Section A, Question 1. Item 1: a website to download films

http://netmoviedownloads.com/ Item 2: an official film website

http://www.sexand thecitymovie.com/ (1182-01A)

3

Item 3: a newspaper article on Hollywood film and the web ‘Snakes on a Plane’ blog buzz forces Hollywood into overdue attitude adjustment

Neva Chonin, San Francisco Chronicle Monday, June 12, 2006 Snakes on a Plane (SoaP for short) won’t be released until August. But it’s already generated an Internet buzz heard around the world – a buzz so loud it might signal a major shift in the relationship between merchandisers and consumers. SoaP is currently exhibit A in the chaotic debate over viral marketing, an advertising approach that, when it works, publicizes a product contagiously through word of mouth. One might even say that SoaP has started a revolution – quick, tell a friend! Not since 1999’s Blair Witch Project has a film spawned so much free, grassroots enthusiasm among a youth market that studios usually spend millions courting. What’s more, “Snakes on a Plane” achieved its cult status while still in production, thanks to a title absurd enough to spawn fan sites, homemade T-shirts, and a host of fake movie posters and trailers on communities like YouTube.com. When its studio, New Line Cinema, contemplated changing the film’s name to “Pacific Air Flight 121”, it discovered that “Snakes on a Plane” had grown popular enough to enter online parlance as another way of saying “s_ happens”. New Line wisely decided to leave the title alone, and went on to embrace SoaP’s fan base by adding five extra days of shooting to increase the film’s overthe-top elements. www.sfgate.com

(1182-01A)

Turn over.

4

Study the items in Part B of the resource material for use with Section A, Question 2. Item 1: the three basic elements for a successful Hollywood film There are three ‘elements’ that provide the ingredients for a successful Hollywood film: a star, a big name director and a property (such as a novel from which a screenplay can be produced).

Element

The Departed

No Country for Old Men

Director

Martin Scorsese

Coen Brothers

Star(s)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon

Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem

Property

Re-make of Hong Kong Film: Novel by Cormac McCarthy Internal Affairs

Item 2: a poster for a popular UK film without stars

(1182-01A)

5

Item 3: a box office list of the top ten films of 2007 in the UK

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2007 1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (£49,420,484) 2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (£42,237,960) 3. Shrek the Third ((£38,620, 659) 4. The Simpsons Movie (£38,544,114) 5. Spider-Man 3 (£33,547,946) 6. Ratatouille (£24,716,887) 7. The Bourne Ultimatum (£23,703,150) 8. Transformers (£22,863,864) 9. Mr Bean’s Holiday (£22,142,332) 10. Hot Fuzz (£21,005,064) Source: Screen International

(1182-01A)