Documentary Critique

Objective

This assignment encourages you to bring what we’ve learned in class in critiquing and analyzing a documentary focused on diet and health.

Basics

• ~750 words
• 1.5 line spacing
• 11pt Times New Roman
• Free of typos and basic grammatical errors
• Clear and focused writing (no stream of consciousness nonsense)

Questions to consider

• BRIEFLY summarize the plot/narrative arc
• What is the moral or take home message?
• What important points does it make?
• Who is the intended audience? Who is NOT the intended audience?
• What kind of assumptions does it make about diet/health/nutrition?
• How does the film establish its expertise as a way of convincing you about something?
• Where could the history of diet and health play a stronger role?

MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ADDRESS

• How does this film reflect contemporary (meaning the time it was made) attitudes toward diet and health?

Analyze! Don’t summarize

• You are being evaluated on the quality/depth of your ANALYSIS! While a brief description and summary of the film is necessary, it should serve as an introduction to your analysis, which will comprise almost all of your essay.