Prompt:
In the resources for this module, there are three sets of movie trailers. Review one set of the videos and respond to the following questions in a total of
one to two paragraphs.
1. How do you think the new and old versions represent different aspects of their societies/times? What are the similarities and differences?
2. How does each version reflect the culture and time period in which it exists?
3. After considering the examples presented, think about the artifact that you chose for Project 1. Pose one question regarding the relationship between
human culture and expression in relation to your artifact. Explain one approach you may take to find the response to the question posed.
Human Culture and Expression Over Time Resources
Choose one of the following three sets of videos to watch and then respond to the short answer questions in the next task.
Set 1: Emma vs. Clueless
Jane Austen’s novel Emma dates from the early 1800s and explores the adventures of a young woman of means who serves as a matchmaker for her friends but has poor luck herself in finding a mate. Compare the expression of this story in the two films for which the trailers are presented here. The film Emma follows Austen’s novel closely, while Clueless provides a modern spin on the 200-year-old story.
- Video: Emma 1996 Official Trailer (1:52)
- Video: Clueless Trailer (2:32)
Set 2: Romeo and Juliet vs. West Side Story
Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular dramas in English literature. Note the different ways it has been translated to the screen in these three excerpts. You will see a conventional interpretation of the Shakespeare play, a version set in modern times, and West Side Story, a musical loosely based on the drama featuring rival gangs in New York City.
- Video: Romeo and Juliet 1968 Original Trailer (3:46)
- Video: Romeo and Juliet 1996 Trailer (2:10)
- Video: West Side Story Official Trailer 1961 (3:54)
Set 3: Pride and Prejudice vs. Bridget Jones’s Diary
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is an early-nineteenth-century British novel about the role of communication in interpersonal relationships. In this clip from a BBC dramatic series based on the novel, we are introduced to Mr. Darcy, who appears to be smug and aloof, at least in the eyes of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. As the story unfolds, however, we learn the reasons behind this not-quite-accurate first impression.
The popular film Bridget Jones’s Diary is loosely modeled after Pride and Prejudice. The film is based on a 1996 novel by Helen Fielding. This clip features an exchange between Bridget and Mark Darcy (note the same last name as in Pride and Prejudice.) At this point, Bridget is infatuated with her boss, Daniel Cleaver, and does not see the real virtues of her own “Mr. Darcy.”
- Video: Pride and Prejudice 1995 Trailer (1:19)
- Video: Pride and Prejudice 2005 Trailer (2:21)
- Video: Bridget Jones’s Diary Trailer (1:38)
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