Outline: Essay 1

Main argument: There is no right or wrong to what approach to use, formalist or ideological, when analyzing film. But the critic will pick the best way to express their opinion about the film. For me the formalist approach would be my best pick to analyze a film.

Claim 1#:  The difference between the two approaches.

Claim support: scholarly article by Carl Planting,(  quote from there).

Claim 2#: Formalist approach being the best for my preference.

Claim support: an article on formalist approach, a quote from there & examples.

Claim 3#: The film I choose to analyze is Masculine, Feminine

Claim support: A scene, or scenes from the film to analyze.

Midnight In Paris : "Wonderful But Forgettable"

As I watched the film, all I could think about was that I am watching a Woody Allen film. Automatically in my head I know there will be ironies and sarcasm. I don’t believe Allen would create a film without some deeper meaning to it. So yes I do believe that critics are looking at the film to simply.

 The moment that stuck out to me was the iconic moment of the film. Gil is sitting on the stairs, next thing you know he is being beckoned to come with the people in the car to come along, and then he gets into the car. The moment is him really stepping into the car. Allen uses movement as a mode to switch from reality to fantasy.  This is shown a majority of the film with Gil walking in Paris every night. Allen does want us to question the subversive illusions.

Allen does this moment so close to reality, that many people would not question why or how is he Gil leaving reality and entering a new period in history. We all get in cars and it takes us from one destination to the next. When we go to see a film as Braudy would say we immerse ourselves into films that are the closest to reality, even if we never figure out what editing and setting the director has done.

 It is not normal how Gil transfer from one moment to the next, but some people really go to the movies to get away from real life for a while. So we take what we get when go and see films, because it is a release for some. Critics have looked at Allen’s film on the surface too much because it looks like a traditional Hollywood film. But I Believe with a Woody Allen film there is always more than the eyes and mind sees.