class assignment moral development film

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (6 Stages + Examples)

Have you ever wondered why little kids think sharing toys is a rule because "it's nice," while older students might believe it's right because "it's fair"? As we grow up, how we think about right and wrong changes greatly. This isn't just random; there's a pattern to it. A smart guy named Lawrence Kohlberg devised a way to explain this change, calling it the "Stages of Moral Development."

Imagine climbing a set of stairs. At the bottom, we might do things to avoid getting in trouble or to get a reward. As we go higher, we start to think about what others expect from us and what's generally accepted as right in society. And for some, at the very top, they might start to question and think deeply about these rules themselves.

This article will dive into these stages, helping you understand how our thinking evolves at different ages. It's like a roadmap to our moral growth , showing us how and why our views on right and wrong shift as we age. Let's take a journey together and explore these stages!

What Are Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development? 

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development is a theory proposed by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987), which outlines the different levels and stages of moral reasoning that individuals go through as they develop their understanding of right and wrong. There are 6 stages of development, divided into 3 levels.

Lawrence Kohlberg expanded on and revised the ideas of cognitive theorist Jean Piaget . Piaget’s work suggested that children’s morality changes over time as they move through stages of mental development.

In his interviews, Kohlberg employed Piaget’s method of questioning participants about moral dilemmas. He would tell stories with conflicting ideas representing two moral values and ask children whether these were right or wrong. Kohlberg was less interested in the answers themselves than in understanding the thinking process behind them. 

Based on the children’s responses, Kohlberg classified their moral reasoning into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. He further divided each level into two distinct stages.

Stages of Moral Development and Ages

Like Piaget's theory of moral development , Kohlberg believes that moral development occurs in stages, but he argues that it is a continuous process throughout a person's life. 

Let’s look at the characteristics of each of Kohlberg’s stages.

Pre-conventional Level

At the lowest level of moral development, children under nine have not yet internalized society’s conventions as to right or wrong. Adults fully determine the moral standards of young children. For example, they accept the rules made by authority figures, parents, or teachers. They base their moral reasoning on the external consequences of their actions, such as punishment. 

Heinz's dilemma is often used in the study of moral development, particularly in Kohlberg's theory of moral development. The dilemma goes something like this:

Heinz's wife is dying from a rare cancer; the only medication that can save her is extremely expensive. Heinz cannot afford the medication, so he breaks into a pharmacy to steal it. He is caught by the police and brought to court. The judge must decide what to do with Heinz.

At this level, a child faced with Heinz’s dilemma would say that the man shouldn't steal the drug because stealing is wrong, and he will end up in prison.

Stage 1) Obedience and punishment

The obedience and punishment stage is based on children’s desire to follow the rules created by authority figures. Their motivation is simply to avoid being punished. If an action is perceived as morally wrong, it is because punishment is possible. Morality is, at this stage, external to the self. Children suppose that rules are fixed and must be respected.

At this stage, individuals make moral decisions based on avoiding punishment or seeking reward. They follow rules to avoid physical punishment or loss of privileges but don't understand that rules are based on social norms or the need for social order.

Individuals at this stage may also have a limited perspective, unable to see things from another's point of view, and they may not consider the intentions or circumstances behind someone's actions. For example, a child at this stage might think that stealing a toy from a store is always wrong, regardless of the reason why the person did it or the consequences that might follow.

To identify Stage 1, look for individuals mainly focused on avoiding punishment or seeking rewards who may not yet fully understand the concept of social norms or the importance of considering other people's perspectives. They may also display a rigid and inflexible approach to moral decision-making.

Stage 2) Self-interest

As children mature, their motivation for displaying certain behaviors shifts from seeking external rewards to considering what they personally believe is in their best interest. This stage of moral reasoning is self-centered and shows little or no consideration of the needs of others. Children start realizing that rules are not absolute. People can have different perspectives, and there is more than one correct point of view.

At this stage, individuals make moral decisions based on their own self-interest and the exchange of favors. They begin to understand that others have their needs and wants and may be willing to negotiate to meet them.

Individuals at this stage may also display a more flexible approach to moral decision-making, recognizing that there are different perspectives and that the rules can be changed if they benefit everyone. For example, a child at this stage might think it's okay to take someone else's toy if they offer something else in exchange or convince the other person that it's a fair trade.

To identify Stage 2, look for individuals who are mainly focused on their own self-interest but also aware of others' needs and wants. They may display a more flexible approach to rules and be willing to negotiate to achieve their goals. They may also be more aware of the social exchange of favors and obligations.

Conventional Level

The conventional level of morality is typical of adolescents and adults who internalize moral standards. An individual’s sense of morality is increasingly based on interpersonal relationships. At this level, children continue to conform to the rules of authority figures. But although they understand that there are conventions dictating how they should behave, following the rules is not necessarily related to the prospective punishment. Above all, they wish to ensure good relationships with others.

When presented with Heinz's dilemma, some older children at the conventional level of moral development might argue that while stealing the drug can be justified to save his wife's life, Heinz should still face the consequences and go to prison for his actions.

Stage 3) Conformity

During the conformity stage, children’s actions are motivated by the approval of others. Morality arises from living up to the standards of a group, such as family or community. Older children will often do their best to be good group members. Their moral decisions are based on whether they would win the approval of individuals whose opinions matter to them. The intentions of their actions are important regardless of the outcomes. 

At this stage, individuals make moral decisions based on the expectations and approval of others, particularly those who are important to them. They begin to understand that good behavior is seen as what pleases others, and they want to be seen as a good person in the eyes of those who are important to them.

Individuals at this stage are also more likely to take into account the feelings and perspectives of others and may seek to maintain positive relationships. For example, a child at this stage might think it's important to share toys with others so they will like them and want to play with them.

To identify Stage 3, look for individuals mainly focused on pleasing others and maintaining positive relationships. They may be more aware of social norms and expectations and may be more likely to take the perspective of others into account. They may also seek approval from authority figures and conform to social norms to gain approval.

Stage 4) Law and order

This stage is characterized by accepting rules because they are important in maintaining a functional society. Rules are the same for everyone, and it is essential that all members of society obey them. Moral reasoning goes beyond the need for individual approval of the conformity stage. Instead, morality is determined by what is best for most people. Individuals who obey law and authority and don’t challenge the established social order are perceived as good. 

At this stage, individuals make moral decisions based on a sense of duty to uphold social order and respect for authority. They begin to understand that social order depends on the rule of law and that laws must be respected to maintain social order.

Individuals at this stage are also more likely to consider the broader social context and the greater good rather than just their own personal relationships or interests. For example, a person at this stage might think it's important to follow traffic laws, not just to avoid a ticket or to please others, but because it's necessary for public safety and the greater good.

To identify Stage 4, look for individuals mainly focused on upholding social order and respect for authority. They may have a strong sense of duty and obligation to follow the rules and maintain social order. They may also be more likely to consider the broader social context and the greater good when making moral decisions.

Kohlberg believes that most individuals don’t develop their reasoning beyond this stage of moral development, in which morality is still predominantly dictated from the outside.

Postconventional Level

According to Kohlberg , only 10-15% of the population can achieve the post-conventional level of moral development because abstract principles and values define the sense of morality. 

Those individuals who attain the highest level of moral development question whether what they see around them is good. There is an increasing sense of individuals being separate entities from society. Morality on this level comes from self-defined principles. Laws that are seen as unjust should be removed or changed. Disobeying rules is not necessarily wrong when they are incompatible with personal principles. 

Participants in Kohlberg’s experiment who have reached the post-conventional level would believe that stealing the drug from the chemist’s office was not wrong. For them, saving a life is more important than the law itself.

Stage 5) Social Contract 

Individuals at this stage of moral development understand that society is full of contrasting opinions and values that should be respected. Laws are regarded as flexible social contracts. Laws that don't serve the greater common good should be changed to better align with the collective interests of society. In this context, morality and individual rights take precedence over established laws.

At this stage, individuals make moral decisions based on justice, democracy, and individual rights. They begin to understand that laws and social norms are not set in stone and can be changed if they do not promote the greater good or protect individual rights.

Individuals at this stage are also more likely to consider different groups' perspectives and recognize the need for compromise and negotiation. For example, a person at this stage might think it's important to advocate for policies promoting equality and individual rights, even if it means challenging existing laws or social norms.

To identify Stage 5, look for individuals mainly focused on justice and rights. They may be more likely to challenge authority and advocate for change if they see laws or social norms as unjust or unfair. They may also be more aware of the perspectives of different groups and the need for compromise and negotiation to achieve the greater good.

Stage 6) Universal Ethical Principles

In the final stage of moral development, individuals construct their own moral principles, which might sometimes deviate from societal laws. Their moral reasoning becomes more abstract, rooted in universal ethical principles, as described by Kohlberg. These principles embrace notions such as equality (valuing everyone equally, irrespective of status or background), dignity (recognizing the inherent worth of every person), and respect (upholding others' rights and sentiments).

At this stage, individuals believe that laws should align with these universal principles. If laws are perceived as unjust based on these principles, they feel such laws can and should be challenged or disobeyed. However, Kohlberg believed that very few people consistently operate at this advanced stage.

Individuals at this stage are also more likely to take a principled, ethical approach to decision-making and may see themselves as part of a larger moral community. For example, a person at this stage might think it's important to fight against social injustices such as discrimination or environmental destruction, even if it means going against established laws or social norms.

To identify Stage 6, look for individuals mainly focused on universal ethical principles and willing to take personal risks to uphold them. They may be more likely to challenge established laws or social norms if they see them as unjust or harmful. They may also see themselves as part of a larger moral community and be motivated by a sense of responsibility to uphold ethical principles. It's worth noting that Kohlberg believed that few people actually reached this stage, which he saw as the highest stage of moral development.

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development's Heinz Dilemma

Consider the following moral dilemma. A man named Heinz has a wife dying of a rare cancer. Heinz learns that a local chemist has invented a new drug that might save his wife's life. But he can’t afford the drug. Although he tries to borrow money from his friends and family, the amount is still insufficient. The chemist is not ready to lower the price either. After trying everything he could think of without success, Heinz breaks into the chemist’s office and steals the drug. Was this the right thing to do? 

Here is an example of how an individual may behave at each stage in Kohlberg's Stages:

Obedience and Punishment Stage 1 : An individual may say that Heinz should not steal the drug because stealing is wrong, and he could get arrested.

Self-Interest Stage 2 : An individual may say that Heinz should steal the drug to save his wife because he is important to him, and he would want others to do the same for him if he were in a similar situation.

Conformity Stage 3 : An individual may say that Heinz should steal the drug because he will be viewed as a good husband and respected by others for doing whatever he can to save his wife.

Law and Order Stage 4 : An individual may say that Heinz should not steal the drug because it's against the law, and breaking the law would undermine social order and respect for authority.

Social Contract Stage 5 : An individual may say that Heinz should steal the drug because the right to life and the principle of fairness outweigh the property rights of the pharmacist who owns the drug.

Universal Ethical Principles Stage 6 : An individual may say that Heinz should steal the drug because it's the right thing to do, even if it means breaking the law and risking punishment. They may also argue that the ethical principle of valuing human life is more important than any legal or social norm.

Heinz’s dilemma is a famous example used by Lawrence Kohlberg to assess moral developmental levels. 

Is Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development Theory Still Relevant Today?

Today, people reference Kohlberg's moral development stages when discussing communication, debate, and relating to others. But it's not always accepted in these discussions. 

Take this one Reddit user's take on the Jordan Peterson subreddit : 

"This is one psychologist's take on morality. It uses mortality, ethics and justice interchangeably, and hence lacks cohesion. Which is to be expected as morality is a deeply philosophical topic. It makes sense that a psychologist would have this sort of approach (which everyone acknowledges is just a reformatting of Jean Piaget's stages of childhood development).

I think Maslow's heiarchy of needs would have been a better map, looking at the general requirements in becoming moral, rather than treating morality as an ultimate ontological fact.

To put it more simplistically; knowing what people need to become moral - has more value, than judging others by their current stage of moral development as this chart seems to do.

Either way, systematizing morality may not be the smartest idea. Better to pursue ethics."

With its detailed delineation of children’s moral development, Kohlberg's theory has significantly impacted psychology and education. However, like many pioneering theories, aspects of Kohlberg's framework have been critiqued. Notably, Carol Gilligan , an ethicist and once Kohlberg’s research assistant, presented a key critique. She argued that Kohlberg's stages of moral development were male-centric and might not adequately represent moral reasoning in women.

Gilligan proposed that while men tend to have a justice-based perspective rooted in fairness, women more often adopt a care-based perspective, emphasizing interconnectedness and relationships. In her view, moral development should be understood with these different orientations, suggesting that morality isn't a one-size-fits-all concept but is influenced by gendered socialization and perspectives.

Criticisms of Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

Kohlberg’s theory has been largely criticized for its gender bias toward the white male American population. For his experiment, Kohlberg interviewed 72 boys in suburban Chicago between 10 and 16 years old. His research was, therefore, inevitably influenced by upper-middle-class male values and perspectives. 

What’s more, Kohlberg’s theory does not consider the role cultural differences might play in the development of moral reasoning. For example, Western cultures may have different moral philosophies than societies that give more importance to the community than personal rights. 

Questions about Age

Some researchers have had doubts about Kohlberg’s general conclusions after he questioned whether older children and adolescents could attain the latest stages of moral reasoning. Some recent studies have shown that children as young as six can already understand vague concepts of universal ethical principles. 

Kohlberg did not always tailor his experiments to present dilemmas relevant to the participant's experiences. The Heinz story might not be relatable to individuals who have never been married. As a result, Kohlberg’s findings might have been different if the situations the participants were asked to analyze were more age-appropriate. 

Lastly, Kohlberg’s theory suggests that certain types of moral reasoning are superior to others. Kohlberg supposes that justice is the most fundamental moral principle. He has been reproached for emphasizing justice while overlooking other values, such as compassion and care for others.

Related posts:

• Lawrence Kohlberg (Psychologist Biography)
• Piaget's Theory of Moral Development (4 Stages + Examples)
• Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
• 40+ Famous Psychologists (Images + Biographies)
• 53+ Deviance Examples in Sociology (Definition + Theories)

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18 Must-See Films For Psychology Students

Whether you're considering or enrolled in an on-campus or online psychology program, check out this list of must-see movies for all psychology students.

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A pioneer of French cinema, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard said, "Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self."

Film as art is certainly no exception when it comes to capturing our minds and imaginations. Film provides a powerful medium for exploring what it means to be human, offering us a glimpse into human nature at its best, its worst and everywhere in between.

Perhaps that's why there is no shortage of films that explore the gamut of psychological topics – making film a popular tool for teaching psychology.

• The paranoia exhibited by Humphrey Bogart's Captain Queeg who unravels under stress in "The Caine Mutiny."
• The chilling descent into madness displayed by Jack Nicholson in "The Shining."
• The effect of one woman's obsession on a man and his family in "Fatal Attraction."
• The moral dilemmas faced by the survivors of a torpedoed ship drifting at sea in Alfred Hitchcock's "Lifeboat."

While there are hundreds of films that could be included on a list of movies that deal with psychology, here are a handful recommended by Saint Leo psychology faculty – all 'must sees' for students in online psychology degree programs .

1. "12 Angry Men"

Drama (1957) Topics: Social, moral development Actors: Henry Fonda, John Fiedler Plot: A diverse group of 12 jurors deliberates the fate of an 18-year-old Latino accused of murdering his father. As a lone dissenting juror tries to convince the others that the case is not as open-and-shut as it appears, individual prejudices and preconceptions about the trial emerge. Recommended by: Dr. Lara Ault Why recommended: The movie has tremendous lessons and value in social psychology. It addresses prejudice, conformity, aggression, group interaction, leadership, persuasion, and other basic areas of social psychology and the study of normal human behavior.

2. "28 Days"

Drama/romance (2000) Topics: Substance abuse disorders/alcoholism Actors: Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West Plot: Sandra Bullock plays a newspaper columnist who chooses to enter a rehabilitation center for alcoholism in lieu of jail time for stealing a limousine at her sister's wedding and crashing it. Initially in denial that she is an alcoholic and resistant to treatment, with the help of fellow patients, she eventually begins to re-examine her life and comes to terms with her alcoholism and addiction to prescription medications. Recommended by: Dr. Glenn Lowery Why recommended: This movie models good counseling skills and promotes optimism, while dealing with serious substance abuse issues.

3. "A Beautiful Mind"

Drama (2001) Topics: Abnormal psychology, psychotic disorders/schizophrenia Actors: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly Plot: Based on the life of mathematical genius and Nobel Laureate John Forbes Nash, who suffers from severe mental illness, this film won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: The film sheds light on the life and suffering of a person living with schizophrenia. Psychology students will notice that Nash exhibits many of the symptoms used to diagnose schizophrenia and can follow the increasing intensity of these symptoms and the effect on him and those around him. The film also shows the difficult task of managing the disorder and the importance of social support.

4. "The Blind Side"

Biographical/sport (2009) Topics: Social psychology, including social influence, family relations Actors: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates Plot: "The Blind Side" is the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American boy who is adopted by a wealthy white family, the Tuohys. Michael realizes his full potential, succeeding in school and becoming a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Recommended by: Dr. Helen Oderinde Why recommended: This film does a good job of highlighting some of the difficulties and misunderstandings that take place when people of different cultures attempt to bridge cultural and racial differences and connect on an intimate level. The film also shows how mutually beneficial this engagement can be: the Tuohys open the door to educational and financial opportunity for Michael and he, in turn, opens their minds.

5. "Driving Miss Daisy"

Comedy/drama (1989) Topics: Social psychology, developmental psychology/aging, Alzheimer's disease Actors: Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Akroyd Plot: The movie begins in 1948 when, at the insistence of her son who decides his mother must stop driving, Miss Daisy Werthan, a wealthy Jewish Southern woman, hires an African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. The story of their friendship unfolds over the following 25 years as they overcome their differences and discomforts and develop a loving friendship. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: In addition to addressing the degenerative nature of Alzheimer's disease, this film explores some of the big questions of interest in the field of social psychology: how prejudice develops and how it can be overcome.

6. "Enough"

Drama/thriller (2002) Topics: Social psychology, domestic violence Actors: Jessica Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell, Tessa Allen Plot: Based on the Anna Quindlen novel, "Black and Blue," the film is about a working-class waitress named Slim who thinks she has married the man of her dreams. After the birth of their first child, he becomes controlling and abusive. Slim escapes from him several times, moving to different parts of the country with her daughter, but her husband tracks her down. She decides to prepare herself to fight back by learning Krav Maga self-defense techniques. Recommended by: Dr. Tammy Zacchilli Why recommended: Portraying a physical and psychological battle between the two main characters, this movie addresses the challenges of dealing with and escaping from an abusive relationship.

7. "Good Will Hunting"

Drama (1997) Topics: Social and developmental psychology, treatment, giftedness Actors: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver Plot: Will Hunting is a young, headstrong janitor at MIT with exceptional mathematical abilities. Abused as a child, he has numerous run-ins with the law and does not realize his full potential. With the help of a psychology professor, he finally receives the counseling he needs that will enable him to find his identity and change his life. Recommended by: Dr. Glenn Lowery Why recommended: "Good Will Hunting." serves as a good teachable opportunity. This movie depicts a difficult therapeutic relationship between an ambivalent client and a somewhat unorthodox counselor.

8. "The Hurricane"

Biographical/sport (1991) Topics: Social psychology including prejudice, discrimination, violence, civil rights Actors: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger Plot: This film is based on the life of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a top-ranked, African-American boxer who, in 1966, is expected to become a world champion when he is wrongly imprisoned for a triple murder. His appeals are rejected and his case seems hopeless until a teenage boy and his foster family find new evidence that eventually leads to his release two decades later. Recommended by: Dr. Bob Jacobs Why recommended: "The Hurricane" highlights our ability to transcend our circumstances through internal change.

9. "Identity"

Thriller/mystery (2003) Topics: Psychotic disorders, forensic psychology Actors: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet Plot: A group of strangers from different walks of life are forced to find shelter during a torrential rainstorm at an out-of-the-way Nevada desert motel. One-by-one, they are killed off. Meanwhile, in a related storyline, a psychiatrist tries to prove the innocence of a man accused of murder. Recommended by: Dr. Lara Ault Why recommended: "Identity" deals with a unique and controversial disorder (it's a spoiler if I name it). It plays on some misconceptions about the disorder, but has a radical therapy suggestion that is intriguing. It is also an exciting murder mystery.

10. "Memento"

Crime thriller (2000) Topics: Neuropsychology, memory loss/amnesia Actors: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano Plot: Leonard Shelby is an ex-insurance investigator who sustains a head injury when trying to prevent his wife's murder and now suffers from amnesia. He learns how to cope with his condition using notes and tattoos as he tries to find the murderer and avenge her death. Recommended by: Dr. Lara Ault Why recommended: "Memento" deals with a person with short-term memory loss trying to solve a mystery. It is accurate, in many ways, regarding what life might be like for someone who cannot remember for more than a few minutes or seconds at a time. It is fascinating in a cognitive sense, as well as moving and emotionally engaging (and exciting).

11. "The Notebook"

Romance (2004) Topics: Clinical and social psychology, cultural differences, Alzheimer's disease Actors: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands, James Garner Plot: A poor young man, Noah Calhoun, falls in love with a young heiress, Allie Hamilton, during the summer of 1940. When Allie's mother finds out, she bans her from seeing Noah and the family leaves their summer home on Seabrook Island and returns to Charleston. World War II intervenes and Allie and Noah go on with their lives but are reunited years later. Recommended by: Dr. Tammy Zacchilli Why recommended: I show clips of this movie in my close relationships class because you can examine how love and relationships change over time. It is also relevant to developmental psychology because one of the characters has Alzheimer's disease.

12. "On Golden Pond"

Drama/comedy (1981) Topics: Neuropsychology/dementia, marital/family dynamics Actors: Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda Plot: This Academy Award winner for Best Actor and Best Actress tells the story of elderly couple, Norman and Ethel Thayer, who return to their summer cottage while dealing with Norman's failing memory, onset of senility and strained relationship with his daughter. Recommended by: Dr. Mark Benander Why recommended: This movie is full of great explorations of so many fundamental aspects of human nature, including family relationships, aging, death and dying, personal growth, and forgiveness. We are also treated to ways in which elements of nature such as a beautiful woodland lake, a treacherous cove, a dive into crisp clear water, and a family of loons can illuminate the powerful psychological dynamics of being human.

13. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Drama (1975) Topics: Personality/mood disorders, forensic psychology, treatment Actors: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield Plot: Randle McMurphy has a criminal past. To escape his most current prison sentence, he pleads insanity so that he can be sent to a mental institution where he thinks he can serve his sentence more comfortably than in jail. Upon admittance, he rallies the other patients into rebellion against the oppressive Nurse Ratched. Recommended by : Dr. Kevin Kieffer Why recommended: This Academy Award-winning classic is a must-see film for psychology students. It provides a disturbing look into mental hospitals in the 1960s, including electroshock therapy as a form of treatment and a dysfunctional form of group psychotherapy.

14. "Ordinary People"

Drama (1980) Topics: Family dynamics, stress and coping, mood disorders, therapy Actors: Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsch Plot: When his older brother dies unexpectedly, guilt and grief push Conrad Jarrett to attempt suicide. After spending six months in a mental hospital, he returns home, sees a psychiatrist, and tries to return to normal. His parents each react differently to the trauma; his father attempts to deal with his grief, while his mother remains in denial, angry and depressed. Recommended by: Dr. Kevin Kieffer Why recommended: This film sheds realistic light on how one family deals with trauma and the resulting breakdown of the family unit. It offers a positive, affirming portrayal of a therapist and the value of therapy in helping Conrad and his father heal.

15. "Rain Man"

Comedy/drama (1988) Topics: Neuropsychology/autism, marital/family dynamics Actors: Dustin Hoffmann, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino Plot: "Rain Man" is the story of a hustler, Charlie Babbit, and his brother, Raymond, an autistic savant unknown to Charlie who is living in an institution. When the brothers' father dies and leaves his fortune in trust to Raymond, Charlie sets out on a scheme to gain custody of Raymond and control of the money during a classic cross-country road trip. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: This film shed light on autism at time when there was little public awareness of the syndrome. Raymond exhibits many of the classic behaviors of a high-functioning autistic. As Charlie begins to understand Raymond more, he learns how to manage the stress associated with being his caregiver and becomes a better person.

16. "Regarding Henry"

Drama (1991) Topics: Neuropsychology, retrograde amnesia, marital/family dynamics Actors: Harrison Ford, Annette Benning, Michael Haley Plot: Henry is a hard-driven lawyer who is shot in the head during a robbery and suffers brain damage. He emerges from a coma with retrograde amnesia. As he struggles to recover his speech and mobility and regain his memory, he experiences a shift in values and builds a new life for his family and himself. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: While real-life cases of retrograde amnesia are actually quite rare, films tend to depict it as fairly common occurrence and, therefore, often promote inaccuracies. Despite that fact, this movie does a good job showing how retrograde amnesia can have a significant impact on individuals and their families – sometimes for good or ill.

17. "Reign Over Me"

Family drama (2007) Topics: Post-traumatic stress disorder Actors: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith Plot: The grief that Charlie Fineman experiences after losing his family in the September 11 attack on New York City causes him to quit his job and isolate himself. After a chance encounter, he rekindles his friendship with his old college roommate, Alan Johnson, who helps him to face his past and rebuild his life. Recommended by: Dr. Mark Benander Why recommended: "Rein Over Me" is an entertaining movie, replete with laughs and more sober, thought-provoking scenes, but it also demonstrates some of the ways in which PTSD can impact the life of the affected individual as well as everyone in his or her life.

18. "Save The Last Dance"

Musical romance (2001) Topics: Social psychology, interracial relationships, peer pressure, violence Actors: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington Plot: Sara, a white girl who has lived in the suburbs, is forced to relocate to Chicago's inner city. With the move comes a new school with a predominately African-American student body, and Sara's new boyfriend is a black teen, Derek, with whom she shares a love for dance. Recommended by: Dr. Helen Oderinde Why recommended: "Save the Last Dance is centered on a teenage, interracial romance and the couple's relationship with others. They continually meet with social and cultural conflict over their relationship and have to work hard to overcome prejudice and rise above cultural and social pressures.

What other films would you add to this list?

Other posts you may be interested in reading:

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Is An Online Psychology Degree For You?

Image Credit: Razoom Game on Shutterstock.com

Mary Beth Erskine See more from this author

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Teaching Film Analysis in the Humanities

Lobby card from the original 1939 release of  The Wizard of Oz .

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Developing media analysis skills is an essential component of 21st century learning and the work of teachers across all grade levels and classrooms. The ability to discern fact from fiction, understand how an argument is constructed, how visuals might represent or misrepresent a time and place, and examining the process and motivations behind video and audio production are skills used in personal and public arenas beyond the school.

This resource is offered for teachers across the humanities who use film and incorporate opportunities for students to develop media analysis skills. The questions and activity prompts provided below are not specific to any one film or form of visual media, but designed for use with a variety of film genres that depict historical eras and in the interest of inspiring student inquiry.

Guiding Questions

What learning outcomes regarding content and skills are we teaching for when students analyze films?

What roles do viewers play in perpetuating and/or what are the viewer’s responsibilities for minimizing the issues and conflicts depicted in the film?

Why is a film made and in whose interest?

Who’s missing from the historical narrative(s) presented in the film?

The following questions are designed for broad application when viewing films for the purpose of learning about an era, topic, or theme within the humanities. Note: The questions do not seek to elicit information about a specific film, but rather prompt analysis and discussion about how films construct meaning and interpreting film making.

What assumptions does the film make about cultures and behaviors?

• What are the counter arguments to the narrative(s) presented in the film?
• To what extent does who wrote, directed, and produced the film matter to the perspectives presented in the film?
• Why does who starred in the film matter?
• How does the director use symbolism to convey meaning throughout the film?
• To what extent does the film offer commentary on contemporary political, social, economic, or cultural phenomena?  
• Does the film pass the Bechdel test?
• How does this film compare to other films on the same or a similar topic?
• What changes could be made to the casting and what would it mean for the film?
• How is conflict constructed and to what extent are those conflicts equitably resolved? Consider person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. nature, and person vs. technology.
• Are the solutions to conflict(s) presented in the film sustainable?

Now that the film or film excerpt is over, what will students do to further their knowledge about film making, casting, costuming, and more? Use the activity prompts below to catalyze student inquiry about key topics and other course related areas of study.

Role play —Take on the role of a dramaturg, set designer, costume designer, location scout, or cinematographer. What do you need to know before filming begins? How will your role affect the production of the film? How does your involvement affect the telling of the story? What role does technology play in assisting you in the completion of your responsibilities to the film?

Missing perspectives —Identify a scene that you believe is missing something. Perhaps there is need for a counter argument based on primary source analysis or a character was omitted from the film despite having a connection of historical importance to the story. Based on research, revise the script to add dialogue that draws upon primary source materials. Does your addition change the trajectory of the film?

Time and place —What if the film was set in another time and place? What would change about cultural norms, casting, and more if the film had a different setting? If the film being analyzed is historical, did similar stories occur elsewhere at the time, how will you tell that story, and/or are they relevant now?

Close Reading —Select a scene or two from a film and analyze them the way you would a political cartoon or piece of art. The close reading of a film involves analyzing symbols, lighting, camera angles, facial expressions, body language, background, and more. Incorporating film analysis vocabulary within an essay, a critique written for a public audience, or using storyboard software to record a voice over analysis that combines audio and visual media are possible forms for students to demonstrate learning.

The Cutting Room Floor —What students learn from   analyzing films and the film making process can be applied to the creation of a short film of their own. Whether it is an original screenplay and production, a documentary style film that incorporates audio and visual resources with a voiceover, or some other form of filmmaking, students can utilize digital storyboard software to create their own short film. In doing so, students will be able to discuss their decision making about what was kept in and what was left out, demonstrate understanding of concepts such as point of view analysis, narrative, and other components of writing, editing, and producing visual media. 

Write a Review —Consider the following when preparing to write a review of a film as if you will publish it for the public to read as they decide whether or not to watch the film. In addition to the prompts below, review Duke University's Thompson Writing Program Film Review guide. 

• Before watching the film, conduct research about the director, screenplay writer, the lead actors, the subjects and topics you know are included within the film, and other elements of interest to you and of importance to the film.
• While watching the film, use some of the questions provided above to analyze the film, but also develop your own perspective on the film that goes beyond the plot (i.e your analysis). Collect notes about the plot, symbolism, questions you have about historical accuracy (if relevant), the score or other musical contributions, and other images or topics that capture your attention. 
• After viewing the film, conduct research to answer the questions you have developed and begin writing your review. Keep in mind that a review does not focus on critiquing what you did not like about the film (although there is room for such evaluation), but rather, a review offers an objective consideration of what the director, actors, cinematographer, writer, and other contributors are doing as story tellers using an audio-visual medium.

The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides sample film reviews and other suggestions for this type of writing assignment. 

The following resources offer questions and insight for designing film and media analysis activities. 

• University of North Carolina Writing Center—Film Analysis : How do viewers make meaning of symbols used in films? How can a viewer best engage in contextual analysis when studying a film? These and other questions are included in this film analysis guide. 
• Use Video to Stimulate Critical Thinking : This guide provides short videos and handouts for teaching and designing activities about film analysis. 
• Humanities magazine provides a selected filmography about the films of Ken Burns. 
• EDSITEment provides this viewing guide for Ken Burns's 2016 Jefferson Lecture speech. 

The National Endowment for the Humanities continues to fund cutting edge films, documentaries, and television programming that touch on a range of topics related to the humanities, civic participation, and U.S. history and culture. 

• Scripting the Past: Exploring Women's History through Film : In this lesson, students learn the craft of screenwriting, engage in historical research to learn how filmmakers combine scholarship and imagination to convey historical figures and events to an audience, and reflect on how cinematic storytelling can shape our view of the past.
• 20 NEH Funded Films : A list of films funded by the NEH that can be used in a classroom and enjoyed at home. 
• The NEH and Preserving Cinematic History : According to this Humanities magazine article, "at least 50 percent of all films made for public exhibition before 1950 have been lost." What is being done to restore and provide access to these films?
• Watch Martin Scorsese's 2013 Jefferson Lecture at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Related on EDSITEment

2016 jefferson lecture: ken burns, a literary glossary for literature and language arts, q&a with public scholar candacy taylor, scripting the past: exploring women's history through film, a teacher's guide to the films of ken burns, using primary sources in digital and live archives, hamlet and the elizabethan revenge ethic in text and film, people not property : stories of slavery in the colonial north.

Wants to create or adapt book like this? Lessons more with how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Part EGO: Construction

4. How Are the Characters Portrayed?

Dictionary.com defines character as “the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature by some person with thing, containing moral or ethical quality, reputation, plus the qualities of honesty, courage, alternatively the like; integrity.” 30

The portrayal of a character in a movie can also be phrased by and formula: DIAMETER ialogue + P hysical M ovement = C haracter.

Such leads uses to the main ingredient of an movie and why we schauen movies: the characters. Detection with the characters is a common justification human love a certain movie. The viewer wants toward seeing the main character (protagonist) or the supports characters develop likes my go in real life.

In purchase for the movie to express this development, the character has to show growth in moral and ethical grades, similar as integrity, openness, or courage, and by having a well-developed background, making the character three-dimensional.

On order to created ampere three-dimensional character equal a well-developed background, the movie got to illustrate the character’s economics, studying, and physiology. Since a movie is a visual experience, the sociology both science, along with the biology, are subtly featured visually by the physiological car and to dialogue the character displays in any particular locations. Physiology is included in this portrayal because many video characters are self-conscious of their physical appearances, like Cyrano de Bergerac who became self-conscious of his nose.

The physical actions and the dialogue of the character change from one exhibit and conflict as he or she goes with the rising and falling action of of movie. Every punch or frame of a film does to count in rank to get the action and progress the story. In addition, the dialogue in these locations has the agree with which physical moving. For instance, the click could be a expletive and raving of ampere particular situation while the character is standing steady, looking out adenine window.

Let’s draw upon the characters from Detour , Cyrano de Bergerac , and aforementioned hypothetical example, Feelings : And Beauty in Uncovering , to see method character is or could be expressed. These examples will provide a good analysis of a character. What the character’s mannerisms, movements, both dialogue be reveals aspects of who individual’s personality and umfeld and what actions becoming occur regarding the handling of the movie’s conflict.

Character Physiology

The main physiology points off one character are the sex, age, hight, weight, posture, appearance, defects, and heredity. A character’s voice should also be part of which body because different parts of a person’s anatomy, such as vocally folds (cords), necks, mouth holes, adenoidal passages, the tooth, soft palate, and lips, 31 create voice.

In Cyrano de Bergerac , the most prominent physiological characteristic is, obviously, Cyrano’s nose. Is nose affects both his physical additionally verbal actions. Would Cyrano de Bergerac have been involved in so many sword fights if his nose was of normal size? Considering his attitude, he might have, although overall possibly not. Other characters in the movie such did not have such a pronounced nerve were not involved in as plenty altercations as Cyrano.

Besides sword fighting, he is egotistical in the areas of writing plus acting, which balancing for his huge nose. The size of his nose affects his actions in life such than you love toward Roxane. Instead of expressing his love on Roxane near that anfangsdatum von the movie, he people vicariously through Christian. View Homework Assistance - Ch8-ActivityWorksheet.docx from PSYC 201 at Eastern Washington Your. PSYC 201, Life Span Development Trainer: Jackson NAME: _Joanna Carpenter_ Class Assignment: Moral

In Diversion , promotions that occur to Al Roberts slowly expend his group down to the point that exhaustion is evident in own physiology. Being a nightclub singer, Al’s voice has to sound delightful.

With an hypothetical example, Wanderlust: The Attractiveness of Disclosure , since it is cannot and actual movie, how would Jack physically shown? From the above list, you can see some von the obvious physiological characteristics for Jack. He can a young male, since he just graduated from college. Consistent the movie, he does does age much as one movie takes place within several months oder a current for the most. Most of the other areas, such as express, height, weight, posture, appearance, defects, and heredity, do not sport a significant role for the symbol Jack, like Cyrano’s nose. The rest on his physiology can is nondescript.

Character Human

The main psychological points of a character are moralistic standards, personnel premise, ambition, frustrations, chief disappointments, spiritual, attitude going life, complexes, extroversion, introvert; ambivalence, abilities, character qualities, and IQ. These psychological points form the background of a character the determine logically what he or she is move to perform at who beginning of the movie, during the rising action of of conflict, and in the final action in the climax of the film. Even though several of that psychological traits become not shown for the beginning of aforementioned movie, these special are transported unfashionable by aforementioned conflict that arises also the duty that occur during the rising active of the movie. I recently rewatched the poignant 1989 (!) hit movie, Dead Poets Society. Vogel Williams plays John Keating, certain unconventional English teacher, who inspires be class of lads at an best conservative school at be courageous, freethinkers who seize and day.

In CENTURY yrano german Bergerac , Cyrano is frustrated by his belief that he is not desirable to Royal because of your nose. This frustration is fueled during the movie, and it results in a temperament when he ridicules other join, such as he make the thespian at the beginning of the movie. Cyrano’s chief disappointment is that he ever tells Roksane he loves her.

Cyrano is with ambivert. He belongs an external to everyone except in Roxane. To Raw, he is an introvert, because he keeps everything inside and does not express him true love to her. ... develop like people do in real vitality. In order for an movie to express this development, the character possess to show rise in morally additionally righteous qualities ...

In Detour , Al Roberts’ attitude going lived at an starting of the movie is that he a satisfied playacting piano in a nightclub and marrying Sue, the singer in the nightclub. Al’s attitude toward lifetime changes after he accidentally kills two men. Boy exists frustrated and quick tough by save two deaths, resulting in a changed attitude towards life.

In Wanderlust: The Beauty of Discovery , Jack has ambition more male wants to develop a career on his own. Is shall Jack’s main attitude toward life. At the top from the movie, though, he has a nature of frustration, because his familial has planned their complete life go to the point of his graduation from college. What else would you add to the psychology of Jack?

Character Sociology

That main sociological points of a character are economic class, occupation, education, home life, religion, race, nationality, position in the community, political affiliation, amusements, and pastime. Depending upon the story of the movie, the social may none perform while big a part in the character portrayal as the psychological of the temperament. If a character exists taken away, away from the way of living that he or she has adapted at furthermore is familiar with, sociology may game a bigger partial in the video.

In C yrano de Bergerac , Cyrano is an accomplished swordsman and poet. He has an education and a favorable place inches the communities. To name is well-known.

In Detour , Al Roberts is a running class individual those lives employed as a piano player. He is a middle-class individuals with nay front life. Own faith, course, and nationalities are immaterial the his situation.

In Wanderlust: The Beauty of Discernment , Jack has a sociological background with a specifics economic class real home life so be symbolic of that well-to-do middle class. His family is a respected part of the public. Joch wants to change all that due searching in a future aside from theirs our and get town. Gregarious adjustment exists going to be the biggest adaption is he holds to go through in the movie.

Analysis of the Three-Dimensional Characters

Each of which three characters has a specific physiology, psychology, and socology. This attributes are stronger in one of the three areas from the others. The one sturdy attribute helps on make the story by showing how the protagonist deals with the conflict. Term Paper Part ME due first class meeting next week Moral Development film. Week are: Topics, Measures, Assignment, Other. Week 3, Critical Thinking ...

Cyrano de Bergerac’s primary character dimensional is physiology. How him arrangements with his physiology stirs his psychological actions out love toward Roxane. This presents the fight press rising action, including the forward progressions and the reluctance, in the movie. Courses | Eliot-Pearson Subject of Child Study & Individual ...

Ai Roberts’ primary character dimension is psychology. His temperament changes throughout the my because in the accidental deaths that have occurred. These deaths contributed to one developing temperament von hostility plus feelings, resulting in a fatalistic disposition.

Jack’s primary character dimension is social. He has built a complete life basis on his family’s place in the community and his education. Now he wants to reinvent himself by moving away and establishing a news sociological background. The idea of reinventing himself drives his actions. He becomes conceited in which litigation because he is searching out for himself and what he wants the do rather than assisting anyone else. No matter if he likes it or not, him has become an product of sein controlling family. Drama (1957) · Social, moral development ; Drama/romance (2000) · Substance abuse disorders/alcoholism ; Drama (2001) · Abnormal psychology, ...

Visually Demonstrating the Three-Dimensional Character

Our have looked at the physical and mental image of three different characters based on their physiology, psychology, and sociology. How are these chart brought to lived on the screen where everything shall visually words? Before the cameras role and the video is edited, get exists done?

Mise-en-scene is outlined for all of the elements or visual items that are in adenine shot. These elements are setting, lighting, staging, costumes, and make-up. The set refers to furniture or props also everything that dresses the set either exists contained in this décor of the set. Staging refers to the blocking and tangible action for a character.

Previously, we saw photos of Al Roberts with Distraction and Zzzz from Zyrano de Bergerac . Make-up had used to express their physiological traits, suchlike as Cyrano’s nose. It was also used to demonstrate what which character had been going through, such as the dirt on Al Roberts’ face.

At who beginning of the movie, you get to know something about to character and the duration period. Stylish the beginning of Zirano de Bergerac , the viewer sees the costume that Zzz had with, along with what the interior setting of a theatre was like during the seventeenth epoch.

The interior setting toward the beginning of Detour a one diner. The dinner will little and confining, like Al’s your, and it feels the police will eventually capture him. The diner is abgestuft using the sort of people, how truck drivers, who frequent that sort of restaurant when on the road travelling.

We will take a more in-depth follow-up look at mise-en-scene in the production chapters of directing (Chapter Five), movie (Chapter Six), and editing (Chapter Seven) to notice how mise-en-scene is utilized by these areas of production to expedite a character and to further the story. How Dead Poets Society taught us to be creative

The Three-Dimensional Characters Demonstrated Through Sound

Different aspects of sound enhance the character press story, making the movie a complete experience. Sound in a movie includes dialogs, music, schall effects, ambient noise, or umfeld noise and soundtracks. Sound has always been around—even for silent motion. Within the silent video period, musical accompaniment was available is theatres.

In the delayed 1920s film began in “talk.” Many students have showed in and film courses that I take taught that noise was the tallest innovative to movies. Dialogue is a interaction between at least two characters in a movie to exchange ideas plus resolve a symptom. https://web.spcollege.edu/instructors/uploads/b702...

Dialogue is einer important aspect of of sound in the movie. Even during the silent movie period there was dialogue. However, the dialogue was writing on silent movie dialogue jokers.

Sound, when referring to the musical score at the beginning or finish of the movie, along at background music to pick an tone or atmosphere of a scene, assist in leading the observer tested a complete movie experience. The music may furthermore be symbolic of which personality of the character press the action he oder yours is going through at any particular time in the movie.

Sound affect, to to dictionary.com, are any tone, other than music or speech, artistic reproduced to create an effect in ampere dramatic presentation, such as the tone by adenine storm or a creaking door. These sounds heighten the action of the movie, and e rises the interest in who characters to see what intention happen toward them later.

Ambient noises provide realism to a scene, giving naturalism to the reach that the character is in during a particular time away that pick.

Soundtracks is musical companions since a movie, such as a popular song or songs and music from the movie. An soundtrack could have a song pronouncing the background oder a specific characteristic of the character. Aforementioned soundtrack might also have music is is expressive of the story. View MENTAL ADVANCED PRINTABLE, CLICK 8 (1)-1.docx from CHAPTER MISC at Orient Washington University. PSYC 201, Life Span Development Instructor: Jackson NAME: _ Class Assignment: Moral

With the different view of sound expressing different features of to characters and the situation the characters are in, sound continues the story and plot. Assignments include project report. CSHD 0007 The Child And The Educating Process. The study concerning baby engineering as related until diverse educational programs ...

We will take a more in-depth follow-up look at sound in the production chapters of directing (Chapter Five), editorial (Chapter Seven), and schallen (Chapter Eight) to see what sound is used by these areas out production to enhance which character and progress the tale of the movie.

Further Chars Dissection

On brief discussion of the character outlines an functional in building and create a mark in a video which is going to last on an average of 120 minutes.

As we have read in preceding chapters, a parcel of action occurs in a movie, and the signs have to stay consistent about the design of the movie. This belongs why the exposition is a very delicate part, but to extremely crucial part, of the legend, because the main characters and their backgrounds have to be introduced. But the introduction cannot take way elongated because the audience will lose interest stylish the movie.

Enough of the key characters’ personalities have to be portrayed during the exposition thus of rest of the tv has adenine logical progression as the audience gets to learn more and moreover about the characters. And, as the audience gets more and more involved with the characters and their story, the audience turn additional wrapped up in an movie resulting in an enjoyable experience for them. MORAL TECHNOLOGY WORKBOOK CHAPTER 8 1 -1.docx - PSYC 201 Life Span Advancement Educators: Jackson APPOINT: Class Assignment: Moral Development | Pricing Hero

Remember—with the theme, the purpose to the motion has been established. With the building of the goal of the movie, the question possessed to be questioned, “What is to best way to demonstrate the purpose of that movie?” Perform this character demonstrate this purpose?

The view question is: Do the characters work well together? Are the characters mates, enemies, otherwise do she work together? Shall this a good combination to form a good relationship and an captivating flick? Resources Guides: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments: Writing a Reflective Paper

The endure question is: Is of company different sufficient that the characteristics and them actions weave and interesting tapestry for produce cinema observers interested in them for at least 90 protocol? Get is a difficult question to answer but one that has left-hand up to the viewer’s preference. In on contemporary period, are the potential actions of an character and the weaving of that our interesting enough in these movies? Did the movie follow one format the into interesting manner? Ch8-ActivityWorksheet.docx - PSYC 201 Life Span D Instructor: Jackson NAME: Join Carpenter Classify Assignment: Moral Development Film This | Course Hero

Later taking a beginning look and discussing the drawings, what stands out as exist the most important: story, plots, narrative structure, select, otherwise characters? What stalls out as being the most noteworthy? What do you go to the movies for? Are you interested enough in the characters that you want to see what happens to them? This guide describes how to successfully complete specialized assignments generalized allocated in social skill and behavioral sciences courses.

Wenn your response is “yes” to the above questions, afterwards you was already hooked off the beginning of this movie. If you are interested in vision what happens toward the characters that lives one sure sign as. If you are ready to leave the movie theatre, following the film is not for you. Three years ago get cousin's daughter was taking an “Appreciation of the Arts” class. All the students were instructed to use a per phone or ...

Than formerly outlined in an earlier chapter, the movie action within the conflict and the climax your cited to as rising action. The action zwischen the climax and the resolution is the falling action. Rising measures is not always rising. It is more of an up-and-down motion, because the main characters are recessions and have to starting over. If my teacher given me an submission that requires me at film myself ...

Summary of Character Portrayal

Characters are the essence of adenine movies. Good display are three-dimensional based on the character’s physiology, psychology, and sociology. One of the threes area may many to bestimmend over the others and is feigned more to the story, but all have to be developed to give depth to the character.

And characters have till work well together to keep an audience interested, down with dialogue worth listening to or promotion worth watching. The story helps a great bargain with bringing this to fruition, allowing to characters go interact with of another, and to build sensibly to the climax and resolution of that movie. In which path, the audience gets fielded raise in the movie and wants to watch more. A good movie the like a good book; the characters have to be super satisfying. But unlike a book, a movie is a view furthermore audio get. And character development has to live shown real heard.

Further Viewing

These movies are excellent examples from character portrayal:

• Mrs. Miniver , 1942, aligned by William Wyler, starring Greer Garson, Walter Pigeon, and Teresa Wright. The thrice stars portray folks in Britain at the beginning of World War II and and struggles they persevered.
• The Best Years to Our Lives , 1946, directed by William Wyler, starring Frederic March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell. This movie follows the efforts to adjust to civilian life for a soldier, airman, and sailor since World War II.
• Ben-Hur , 1959, directed by William Wyler, starring Charlottetown Heston, Jack Hobo, plus Stephen Boat. Who main symbol, Judah Ben-Hur, is falsely verurteilung and punished to be a galley slave. Once freed, he seeks revenge. This is a movie of character growth and change.
• Elmer Portals , 1960, directed through Richard Brooks, starring Burt Lancaster, Jean Immons, the Arthur Kennedy. This movie follows fast-talking salesman, Elmer Gantry, and his experiences in revivalism and one women lay sermon.
• To Kill a Mockingbird , 1962, directed by Robert Mulligan, stars D Peck, Frank Overton, and Liam Windom. This movie follows a counselor in the Depression-Era South who protect a black man convicted of raping a white girl.

As Buchse is finalize an undercover investigation cases, they comes to realize, as he looking around his tiny motel room, that he is successful in another dead-end job and has no friends. It cannot have any friends, especially girlfriends, because he cannot bring them back to his place, because they may find out that he can an undercover investigator. Jack contemplates further career. Him decision can to go back to college on major in his all interest, theatre. He quits yours job and enrolls in college by and spring semester. Jack finds out he only has to weiter forward one semester and take routes in his major. Upon audition this, Cable believes his fate the changing.

On the first day of type, Jack is apprehensive for he does not knowing what to expect, press everyone will be younger than he. When he enters and classes, any is in a theatre, he sees that it is worse than he expected, because everybody knows ready more other since him. When class begins, but, all is forgotten when he listens to the professor, Alec Morgan. Jack be enthusiasm because he has Prof. Morgan for majority of his classes. Jack heard that Alec held won a Tony Award, welche original interested him in enrolling in the college.

Hearing Alec speak about theatre, Latching becomes more interested in theatre, and wants up develops his talent to become successful in theatre. Jack has an harsh schedule, as he obtained adenine job in of security department at the go workings the midnight push. Connector mill all night, goes home, and changed for his 9:00 am per.

Done a character analyzed of Seaman stationed on the above information into make him a three-dimensional font.

30 “Character,” Dictionary.com, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/character?s=t.

31 The Voice Foundational, http://voicefoundation.org/about/what-is-tvf/.

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ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIVITIES FOR USE WITH ANY FILM THAT IS A WORK OF FICTION

Topics for All Writing Assignments, including essays: Topics for writing assignments can be suggested by (1) a topic set out below; (2) questions in TWM’s Discussion Questions for Use with Any Work of Fiction Shown on a Screen ; and (3) any discussion question or proposed writing assignment contained in the Learning Guide for the movie.

Short Writing Assignments

Topics for short writing assignments can include the contribution to the film’s story made by one of the following: (1) a cinematic element, such as music; (2) a theatrical element, such as lighting; or (3) a literary element of the film’s story, such as expository phase, theme, plot, conflict, symbol, or characterization. Topics for short writing assignments can also include:

1. What was the strongest emotion that you felt when watching the film?

2. What did you learn from this movie?

3. Which character did you [admire, hate, love, pity] the most?

Journal Entries:

Students can be assigned to write a journal entry, either in class or as homework, responding to the events or episodes in the movie as it progresses. The journal may or may not be focused on one topic; topics can change each day.

Sample Assignment:

We are going to be watching the movie, “Remember the Titans,” for part of the class period each day this week. As homework, every day after a class in which we watch the film, I’d like you to write a short journal entry about your reactions to the movie so far. [Describe the length of the entry desired or the amount of time students should spend writing the entry.]

Ruminations:

Students can be required to write ruminations in which they respond to the motivations, values, or attributes of characters in the film.

Sample assignment:

We are going to be watching the movie “Cyrano de Bergerac.” After you have seen the movie, please write a page or two of your thoughts about whether Cyranno was a bully. Include a comparison of his actions in the play to those of a bully you know or have heard about.

Single Paragraphs:

Students can be asked to write a single paragraph about an element of a film and how that element contributes to the story or to the artistic presentation.

Write a paragraph about the use of camera angle in the scene in which Dorothy first meets the Wizard of Oz. The topic of your paragraph is: “What does the camera angle add to the scene?” The paragraph should have a topic sentence, citations to evidence to support the point being made, and a conclusion.

Quickwrites:

Students can be asked to write without preparation and in a set period of time, their thoughts or observations on a topic selected by the teacher. Quickwrites often become a ritual at the beginning of each class.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” ends with two ironic twists. Name one of them, describe why it is ironic and what theme of the story is highlighted by the ironic events.

Essays - Formal and Persuasive

Topics for Formal or Persuasive Essays with Research Outside the Confines of the Story

Historical Accuracy:

Students can research and evaluate the historical accuracy of the film or of a scene in the film and, where inaccuracies are found, students can theorize about the filmmakers’ reasons for making the change from the facts.

Historical, Cultural, or Literary Allusions:

In many films, historical, cultural, or literary allusions are important in conveying ideas. Students can be assigned to investigate one or more of these references.

Differences Between the Book and the Movie:

When a movie is based on a book, students can be asked to describe those differences, ascertain whether the movie is true to the story told by the book, and make a judgment about whether the changes made by the movie improved the story.

Themes and Messages:

Students can be asked to identify and evaluate, using research from sources other than the film, the wisdom of any theme or message which the filmmakers are trying to convey.

Issues of Interest Relating to the Subject Matter of the Story:

All films present issues of interest to the audience aside from the story itself. For example, the concept of attachment disorder is important in the film “Good Will Hunting” even though the film can be appreciated without knowing much about the disorder. However, the film may motivate students to research and write an essay about attachment disorder. The movie “October Sky” refers to the early U.S. and Russian space programs. Students who have seen this movie can be assigned to write an essay about what has occurred in space exploration in the last twenty years and how it differs from what occurred in the 1950s and 1960s.

Topics for Essays Based on an Analysis of the Film

Literary Elements and Devices in the Story Presented by the Film:

These include the plot, subplot, theme, irony, foreshadowing, flash-forward, flashback, characterization, and symbol. Students should be required to describe the use of one element or device and its contribution to the overall message of the film. TWM offers a Film Study Worksheet to assist students in organizing their thoughts for this assignment.

Cinematic Elements in the Film:

Cinematic elements include shot (framing, angle, and camera movement), sound (including music), lighting, and editing. Students can be asked to identify and discuss the cinematic elements in an entire film or to focus their analysis on a particular scene. The analysis can be limited to the use of one cinematic element or it can include several. Students should be required to describe the use of the cinematic element as well as its contribution to the overall message and artistic presentation of the movie or the scene. See the TWM student handout: Introducing Cinematic and Theatrical Elements in Film . TWM also offers a worksheet to help students identify theatrical elements in a film. See TWM’s worksheet entitled Cinematic and Theatrical Elements and Their Effects .

Theatrical Elements in the Film:

Theatrical elements found in movies include costumes, props, set design, and acting choice. Students can be asked to identify and discuss the theatrical elements in an entire film or to focus their analysis on a particular scene. The analysis can be limited to the use of one theatrical element or it can include several. Students should be required to describe the use of the theatrical element as well as its contribution to the overall message and artistic presentation of the movie or the scene. See the TWM student handout: Introducing Cinematic and Theatrical Elements in Film . TWM also offers a worksheet to help students ” identify theatrical elements in a film. See TWM’s worksheet entitled Cinematic and Theatrical Elements and Their Effects .

Creative Writing Assignments and Film Critiques

Creative Writing Assignments:

Tasks which will stimulate students’ creativity include: (1) write a new ending to the story; (2) add new characters or new events to an existing scene and show how the story changes as a result; (3) write an additional scene or incident, with its own setting, action, and dialogue; (4) expand the back-story of one of the characters and make it into a separate story; (5) write a letter from a character in the story to the student, or from a character in the story to the class, or from one character in the story to another character in the story, or from the student to a character in the story; (6) outline, storyboard, or write a sequel.

Imagine that Jean Valjean is still mayor of his adopted town of Montreuil-sur-mer. You are Bishiop Myriel, the man who had faith in Jean even though Jean stole his candlesticks and other silver. Jean has requested that you write a letter to Javert asking Javert to leave Jean Valjean alone. What would you say in that letter? Think about the nature of the man the Bishop is trying to convince, the tone he would take, and the arguments he would present. [Describe the length of the letter.]

Film Critiques:

Some students will enjoy writing a review of the movie, possibly for publication in the student newspaper. Students should be instructed to make sure that they cite evidence to support their views.

Imagine that you are a film critic for a major newspaper. Write a critique of the film, “The Outsiders.” Be sure to support your conclusions with evidence and logical arguments. [Describe the length of the critique.]

Other Assignments, Projects, and Activities

Mock Interviews:

Students can work together in groups of two to write and perform a mock interview in which one plays a character in the film and the other takes on the role of the interviewer. The answers should reveal the values of the character.

Many films offer controversial social or political ideas which can easily become the topic of vigorous debate. Students can be divided into teams to support or oppose an idea presented by the film.

The Great Divide Separate the class into two groups representing sides taken on a particular issue. Students in support of the point should sit together facing those opposed to the point. Students should use the rules of Accountable Talk to argue their positions. Accountable Talk requires that students listen carefully and adhere to a code for responses to one another’s words. Each respondent must begin his or her point with phrases such as:

I hear what you are saying, but . . . Your point is good; however, I want to say . . . I’m unclear about what you mean . . . Granted, your point has validity; however, consider . . . I understand what you are saying; however, the facts are . . .

Students may not resort to name calling or any other insults and must back up their points with reference to the work being discussed. When students hear points that cause them to change their minds, they must get up and take a seat on the other side. Often, an entire class will become convinced of one position and all seats will be moved to one side of the room. Pro-con T-Chart organizers or any other form of note taking can be beneficial so that students can refer to points they felt were important when it comes time to write their essays.

Socratic Chairs:

Place a number of chairs at the front of the room and select appropriate students to fill them. These students will serve as a panel to discuss the issue that must be resolved or at least clarified so that the students can write their essays. Students remaining in their desks should take notes using a graphic organizer, such as a pro-con T-Chart, and can ask questions either during or at the end of the panel’s discussion. Sometimes students may want to relinquish a chair to a member of the audience in order to further the point he or she is making. Vary the rules to fit the goals of the discussion but keep to the rules of Accountable Talk.

Creative Projects:

Students can be given the opportunity to compose poetry, music, song, or dance relating to an idea in a film. They can also produce a film or create a painting or a poster.

Written by Mary RedClay and James Frieden .

Suggestions or feedback?

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Commencement address by Noubar Afeyan PhD ’87

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Below is the text of MIT alumnus Noubar Afeyan's Commencement remarks, as prepared for delivery on May 30.

Thank you, Mark, for that generous but somewhat embarrassing introduction.

President Kornbluth, trustees and faculty, students and families, guests, and members of this remarkable community of scholars and solvers: It’s a special honor to be with you today.

Graduates, I once sat where you now sit, brimming with excitement and the sense of accomplishment that comes with a hard-won MIT diploma. Congratulations!

Families, as the father of two MIT alums, I know first-hand the pride and emotion you feel today.

Faculty members, as a senior lecturer here for 16 years, I saw up close how well you prepare these graduates for what lies ahead. And fellow trustees, it is a great privilege to serve alongside you.

I spent my childhood in Beirut, Lebanon. Three generations of my proud Armenian family shared an apartment on the ninth floor of our building. The window in the bedroom I shared with my great aunt looked out over the red-tiled roofs of Roman, Ottoman, and Byzantine buildings and beyond to the Mediterranean Sea.

When civil war erupted in 1975 and the government imposed strict curfews, the state broadcaster often shifted from airing three hours of TV a day to offering round-the-clock programming of mostly American television shows, a diversion for my brothers and me when we were forced to stay inside.

One show in particular had me captivated. Just hearing the theme song would set my heart racing — perhaps you know it, too.

That’s right… “Mission Impossible”!

Even if you never saw the TV show, you likely know the movies with Tom Cruise as agent Ethan Hunt.

The encoded self-destructing message to the agent always began the same way: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it …”

No matter how long the odds, or how great the risk, the agents always took the assignment.

In the fifty years since, I have been consistently drawn to impossible missions, and today I hope to convince each and every one of you that you should be too.

Class of 2024, one incredibly challenging mission is already under your belt: You were given the assignment to begin your studies at MIT … without being at MIT. Going to college, without going to college, was not a mission you’d signed up for, but it is what you got. A handful of you did move to campus, but even for you, masking, testing, social distancing, and virtual classes meant orienting to a foreign land. You even learned a new language, as terms like “Q-week” and “SCUFFY” entered your MIT lexicon. No one knew what would happen next, or when it would all end.

And yet, you found ways to thrive. You dove into your coursework and started to build mostly virtual friendships. In the words of your classmate Amber Velez, who rented a Cambridge apartment with three MIT roommates, you “patched together a little lifeboat in this vast sea of students, spread out over the world.”

Earlier that year, just up the road in Kendall Square, my colleagues and I at Moderna had received another mission that seemed impossible: Develop a safe and effective vaccine that could save lives, restart the economy, and do so in less than a year. Oh, and while you are at it, get a billion doses manufactured, distributed, and into the arms of people around the world.

It was clear that if we accepted this challenge, it would take everything we had. We would have to slow 20 ongoing drug-development programs and focus on solving COVID.

We embraced the mission!

Just 48 hours after Moderna obtained the sequence for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, we deployed our mRNA technology to produce a potent vaccine. Less than two months later, we enrolled our first patient in a clinical trial, and on November 16th, the vaccine was determined to be 94.5% effective against Covid-19. By some estimates, Moderna’s vaccine saved over 2 million lives during the pandemic.

How did we do it? That’s another speech for another day.

But what I do want to talk about is what it takes to accept your own impossible missions and why you, as graduates of MIT, are uniquely prepared to do so.

Uniquely prepared – and also obligated.

At a time when the world is beset by crises, your mission is nothing less than to salvage what seems lost, reverse what seems inevitable, and save the planet.

And just like the agents in the movies, you need to accept the mission – even if it seems impossible. I know the odds don’t appear to be in your favor. But this age of polycrisis is also a moment of poly-opportunity, fueled by artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, and other modern technologies that are changing the world faster than people believe is possible.

Now, you are uniquely equipped to turn science fiction into science reality.

With the right mindsets, “Mission Impossible” can become “Mission Improbable” – as you overcome obstacles and seemingly long odds by imagining and innovating your way to novel solutions.

So: How do you go about that? How do you become the agents the world needs you to be?

You already have a head start, quite a significant one. You graduate today from MIT, and that says volumes about your knowledge, talent, vision, passion, and perseverance – all essential attributes of the elite 21st century agent. Oh, and I forgot to mention our relaxed uncompetitive nature, outstanding social skills, and the overall coolness that characterizes us MIT grads.

More seriously, you are trained in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology – fields that, when properly harnessed and supported, can be deployed against almost any seemingly impossible challenge.

You may not realize it yet, but your MIT education has given you a superpower – like X-ray vision – that lets you see through the illusion of impossibility and surface the blueprints for solutions.

And as of today, you even have a secret decoder ring, better known as the Brass Rat!

MIT’s history underscores these special powers. The telephone, digital circuits, radar, email, Internet, the Human Genome Project, controlled drug delivery, magnetic confinement fusion energy, artificial intelligence and all it is enabling – these and many more breakthroughs emerged from the work of extraordinary change agents tied to MIT.

Now let me ask you a question: Aside from MIT, what do such agents have in common? What equips them to accomplish seemingly impossible missions?

I’d argue that they do three things that make big leaps possible. They imagine, they innovate, and they immigrate.

And now, it’s your turn.

Start by unleashing your imagination.

People often see imagination as the exclusive province of the arts: of movie making, literature, painting.

I think that’s nonsense. Imagination, to my mind, is the foundational building block of breakthrough science.

I am not making an argument against reason. Reason has a role to play, but in accomplishing impossible missions, it’s the servant, not the master. You can’t expect reasoning to do the work of imagination. At its best, scientific research is a profoundly creative endeavor.

You have mastered proofs, and problem sets, and design projects, but in the words of mathematician and author Lewis Carroll: “Imagination is the only weapon in the war with reality.”

To the great Irish writer George Bernard Shaw, its role is even more fundamental. As he put it:

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”

It is also your turn to innovate. Think of innovation as imagination in action. Or, perhaps, mens et manus, or “mind and hand,” but I hear that line is taken.

MIT did not prepare you to shy away from the unknown, quite the contrary. You are now prepared to leap for the stars, sometimes quite literally — just ask the more than 40 NASA astronauts with MIT degrees.

Leaps often involve unreasonable or even seemingly crazy ideas. Ordinary innovations are often judged by how reasonable the idea is as an extension of what already exists, and how reasonable the person proposing it is.

But ask yourself: Why do we expect extraordinary results from reasonable people doing reasonable things?

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I am utterly unreasonable, and an eternal optimist. As a lifelong entrepreneur and innovator, I have to be.

But I’ve always practiced a special kind of optimism – I call it paranoid optimism. This means toggling back and forth between extreme optimism and deep-seated doubt.

The kind of paranoid optimism needed to make scientific or technological leaps often starts with an act of faith. By that, I mean belief without facts — the very definition of faith.

I know faith is generally associated with religion. But interestingly, in my experience, pioneering science also starts with faith. You take leaps of faith and then you do experiments.

On rare occasions, the experiments work, converting your leap of faith into scientific reality.

What a thrill when that happens!

On your innovation journey, beyond optimism and faith, you will also need the courage of your convictions. Make no mistake, you leave MIT as special agents in demand. As you consider your many options, I urge you to think hard about what legacy you want to leave — and to do this periodically throughout your life.

Not every mission you are qualified for is a mission worth accepting. You are far more than a technologist – you are a moral actor. The choice to maximize solely for profits and power will in the end leave you hollow.

To forget this is to fail the world — and ultimately to fail yourself.

I know many of you here – and some in the Class of 2024 not with us here today — are deeply troubled by the conflicts and tragedies we are witnessing. As an Armenian, descended from genocide survivors, and co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, I feel deeply the wounds of these conflicts.

I wish I had answers for all of us, but of course, I don’t.

But I do know this: having conviction should not be confused with having all the answers. Over my many years engaged in entrepreneurship and humanitarian philanthropy, I have learned that there is enormous benefit in questioning what you think you know, listening to people who think differently, and seeking common ground.

As you grapple with today’s hard choices — and the many that lie ahead — rely again on your imagination. Imagine the world you want to create and work backwards from there. Be open to the many paths that could carry you towards this goal and let the journey inform which ones will succeed.

I’ve urged you to imagine, and to innovate. The last thing I want to leave you with is the need to immigrate.

I’ll say more about what I mean by “immigrate” in a second, but first I want to give a shout-out to others who, like me, have left their homelands.

For those of you who have emigrated here from far away, or whose parents did, or whose grandparents did, please stand.

I applaud you.

It may often feel like a disadvantage, but you will soon learn it is quite the opposite.

When I first arrived at MIT, I worried I did not belong here: I spoke with an accent, my pastime wasn’t hockey or lacrosse, but Armenian folk dance.

Then one afternoon, late in my first year here, I was walking down the infinite corridor when a poster caught my eye. Staring back from the poster was a Native American chief in full headdress, eyes defiant, finger pointed, seemingly right at me. The poster read: "Who Are You Calling Immigrant, Pilgrim??"

I can’t tell you what an impact that had on me. Aside from Native Americans, we all, at some point, come from somewhere else. It helped me realize I belonged here — at MIT, in the United States. And graduates, families, YOU. DO. TOO.

But here’s the really interesting thing I’ve learned over the years: You don’t need to be from elsewhere to immigrate.

If the immigrant experience can be described as leaving familiar circumstances and being dropped into unknown territory, I would argue that every one of you also arrived at MIT as an immigrant, no matter where you grew up.

And as MIT immigrants, you are all at an advantage when it comes to impossible missions. You’ve left your comfort zone, you’ve entered unchartered territory, you’ve foregone the safety of the familiar. Yet, you persist and survive. You figure out how to accomplish your mission.

Like elite agents, immigrants are the ultimate innovators, equipped to navigate obstacles, to never say never. In fact, I often describe innovation as intellectual immigration. Just like those of us who emigrate from other countries, innovators pioneer new environments seeking a better future — not just for themselves but also for the larger world. So, whether you grew up in Cambodia, or in California, or right here in Cambridge, you can immigrate – and you need to keep immigrating. You need to leave your comfort zone, to think in new ways, to acclimate to the unfamiliar and embrace uncertainty.

If you imagine, innovate, and immigrate, you are destined to a life of uncertainty. Being surrounded by uncertainty can be unnerving, but it’s where you need to be. This is where the treasure lies. It’s Ground Zero for breakthroughs.

Don’t conflate uncertainty and risk — or think of it as extreme risk. Uncertainty isn’t high risk; it’s unknown risk. It is, in essence, opportunity.

I began with a TV show; I’ll end with a movie — the most recent Mission Impossible film released just last summer.

The film is a daunting reminder of all that your generation is up against: complicated geopolitics, climate threats and technological pressures, and AI tools that will both simplify and complicate our world.

But graduates, as I look at all of you, I see a large team of agents who are entirely capable of completing your missions. I see agents for good, agents for change.

MIT has prepared you to tackle impossible missions.

To harness the future and bend it toward the light.

My wish for you, my fervent hope, is that you not only choose to accept impossible missions, you embrace them. Welcome long odds. Embrace uncertainty, and lead with imagination.

Approach the unknown with the courage, the confidence, and the curiosity of an immigrant. With paranoia and optimism.

And always remember the strength of working in teams. Show the world why Mission-Impossible-Team inevitably shorthands to M – I – T.

Graduates, set forth on your impossible missions. Accept them. Embrace them. The world needs you, and it’s your turn to star in the action-adventure called your life.

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