After reading Barry Langford’s “The Science Fiction Film” (2015) and

Top of Form
Survey of Film
The Movies: Module I
“Looking at Movies” and “Principles of Film Form”
Writing Assignment
Choose one of the following prompts to complete a formal analysis
Genre:
Science Fiction
Films:
Ridley Scott’s
Alien
(1977)
Andrew Niccol’s
Gattaca
(1997)
Prompt and Genre: Science Fiction
After reading Barry Langford’s “The Science Fiction Film” (2015) and
Sherryl Vint’s “Introduction: Whose Science Fiction” (2021), compose a formal
essay that defines Science Fiction and explores the iconography and significant
themes expressed in Ridley Scott’s
Alien
(1977) or Andrew Niccol’s
Gattaca
(1997), beyond the visual elements and recurring themes, the critique should
consider how Sci-Fi elements within these films reflect human anxieties and
aspirations, and project the enduring relevance of Sci-Fi in shaping popular
culture and inspiring future generations. Analyses must include examples taken
from a minimum of three scenes to support critical analysis. Finally, the critical
framework of the essay should be predicated on Langford and/or Vint’s critical
assessment. All references must be documented with proper primary and secondary
source citations, and reference entries are required (APA or MLA).
Formatting Parameters
Essay Length: 750-800 words
Full heading Aligned to the left margin
Centered title after heading (give your essay a proper title).
The header, including the last name and page number, begins on the second page.
Double-space the entire essay and reference list.
Use 12-point, Times-New Roman font.
Title pages are prohibited.
Use proper MLA or APA parenthetical in-text citations or narrative
citations and provide a reference list.
References
Barsam, R. M., & Monahan, D. (2019).Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film
(6th Edition).
W.W. Norton & Co
.
Langford, B. (2005). The Science Fiction Film. I
n Genre Theory: Hollywood and
Beyond
. Edinburgh, UK:
Edinburgh University Press
.
Niccol, A. (1997).
Gattaca
. Columbia Pictures.
Vint, S. (2021). “Introduction: Whose Science Fiction?” In
Science Fiction:
A Guide for the Perplexed
. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
The Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
.
Scott, R. (1979).
Alien
. Twentieth Century Fox.
Persistent errors and/or ambiguity make the writing difficult to follow or understand. No awareness of expository strategies or techniques.
Attachments:
10665843_1_Survey-of-Film.docx