What Is a Movie?
CHAPTER
ONE
Scope & Sequence
Moving images projected in film, television broadcasts, and interactive computer games are among the visual media young
people experience every day. And yet how much do students understand this technology which is so familiar and so influential?
Film is much more than a vehicle for telling stories and entertaining audiences. Film is a persuasive communication tool
as well as a cultural and historical document that can teach us about a society’s values and fears. At its best, a film is a work
of art. Film study, especially in the middle school grades, should focus on these aspects of America’s film heritage. A fundamental principle of The Story of Movies curriculum is its interdisciplinary approach. Students tap their knowledge not only
of literary elements but also of social studies, music, art and science in learning how to read the moving images. The activities
in chapter 1 focus on the uniquely visual way film tells a story and, by doing so, guide students to higher levels of criticalviewing and critical-thinking experiences.
Lesson 1
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Lesson 2
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Activity D
Lesson 3
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
An Introduction to Film Genres
What Are Film Genres?
Fact and Fiction––Characteristics of Sci-Fi Films
Watching v. Seeing
Narrative Structure in The Day the Earth Stood Still
Act 1, The Set-Up—Klaatu Arrives and Escapes
Act 2, Rising Action—Bobby’s Secret
Act 3, Falling Action—Klaatu’s Ultimatum
Themes of War and Peace
Our Film Heritage
An Introduction to Early Films
What Is Film Preservation?
The National Film Registry
Film Study Standards
1.0
Film Language. Students learn to read and interpret visual text by developing a film vocabulary, identifying editing
techniques, and analyzing film elements within selected scenes.
2.0
Historical and Cultural Contexts. Students understand that a film is both a historical/social document and a
cultural artifact. Students analyze social issues presented in a film and form conclusions about the ways in which
a film influences and is influenced by the society in which it is produced.
4.0
Viewers’ Response and Aesthetic Valuing. Students understand that a film is a work of art. Students describe,
interpret, and analyze a film’s visual design. They respond to and make informed judgments about a film, deriving
personal meaning from the work. They express their viewpoints through oral and/or written presentations.
5.0
Cross-Curricular Connections. Students first tap their knowledge of other disciplines to study a film. They then
apply what they have learned about film to other disciplines, making connections between film and literature/
language arts, film and history/social studies, film and the other arts and sciences.
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Lesson 1 An Introduction to Film Genres
Teacher Overview
In literature, students explore artistic works in various genres as a way of grasping the full range of literary masterworks.
The same is true of cinema. By introducing students to various film genres, they can better understand and appreciate the
complex variations of filmmaking, not just in subject matter but also in narrative structure and visual style. Activity A
introduces students to film genres, with clips from classic genre films. In Activity B, students explore the creative and
complex variations within the science fiction genre.
Close analysis of how a filmmaker tells a story often requires first and second viewings of the moving images, a process
The Story of Movies curriculum calls watching v. seeing. Activity C presents a film clip from a science fiction classic, Invasion
of the Body Snatchers (1956, directed by Don Siegel) to explain this concept of seeing—understanding how filmmakers use
layers of images and sound to create meaning.
Learning Outcomes
Students will
identify 12 different film genres;
understand that genre shapes a story’s content, narrative structure, and style;
identify characteristics of the science fiction genre;
understand two ways to read a film and the difference between watching and seeing it;
explain four ways a filmmaker creates meaning.
Key Terms
(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)
genre, action/adventure, biography, comedy, crime/detective, documentary, drama, fantasy, horror, musical, science fiction, war, western
Lesson Materials
Activity
Activity A
What Are Film
Genres?
DVD
Print
Graphic Organizer 1-1: The Building
Blocks of Genre
Graphic Organizer 1-2: The Genre Wheel
Activity B
Fact and Fiction—
Characteristics of
Sci-Fi Films
Still 1-1: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Still 1-2: Bringing Up Baby
Graphic Organizer 1-3:
Three Characteristics of
Sci-Fi Films
Graphic Organizer 1-4:
The Familiar and the Unfamiliar
in Sci-Fi Films
Critical-Thinking Activity 1-1:
Compare and Contrast the
Familiar and the Unfamiliar
Group Activity 1-2, Enrichment:
Research a Science Fiction Film
Timeline
Activity C
Watching v. Seeing
Graphic Organizer 1-5: Two Ways
to Read a Film
Graphic Organizer 1-6: How Do
Filmmakers Create Meaning?
Screening Sheet 1-1: The Corpse
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Still 1-3: An Unusual Discovery
Film Clip 1-1: The Corpse
Activity A What Are Film Genres?
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Concept
Genre shapes a film’s subject matter, characters, narrative structure, and style.
Engage
Display
Still 1-1: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Explain that this image is a movie poster from 1931.
Guided Discussion
1. What kind of movie might this be? Answers will vary. Some students who are aware of the
story will indicate a mystery or a horror film.
2. What specifically in this image suggests something eerie or macabre? The fanged teeth,
the eyes of the man in the background looking at the man in the foreground
3. Explain that the purpose of a movie poster was more than just to inform an audience
what was playing in theaters. It was also to persuade or motivate audiences to purchase
tickets to see the film.
Display
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Still 1-2: Bringing Up Baby. Have students study this second image.
Guided Discussion
1. What kind of movie might this be and how do you know? The use of
a cartoon image with a leopard sitting on its hind legs as if begging suggests an
improbable situation. Bringing Up Baby is a comedy.
2. How do the visual images of both posters differ and why? Answers will vary.
Focus student attention on the use of colors and icons. The first poster is dark
with close-up images of two faces, one face particularly threatening. The second is more colorful, and while the
photographs of the two actors are in the upper left corner, the other image is cartoon-like, suggesting a lighter tone.
Conclude the warm-up activity by explaining that film can be divided into genres, or categories based on subject
matter and themes. Movie posters often communicate not just the title of a film and who the actors are but also
suggest the type of film, or genre.
Explain & Explore
Define genre. Genre refers to a category or type of artistic work based on subject matter, style, narrative structure, and
established conventions or filmmaking techniques. Remind students of the use of genre to define different works of
written literature. For example, the mystery genre is a type of fiction. Biography is a genre of nonfiction. Films, too,
can be divided into genres.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-1: The Building Blocks of Genre. Explain that films within a
specific genre have common denominators or characteristics. Review the key points on the graphic, as suggested below:
Subject
Subject refers to story content and theme, or what the story is about. Share this example with students, based
on the Western genre: A Western typically takes place in a frontier environment, usually the American West or
Southwest during the latter half of the 19th century. The story’s subject focuses most often on the conflict of good
and evil, lawfulness and lawlessness.
Form
Form refers to narrative structure, or how the story is told. Share this example with students, based on the horror
genre: often the formulaic foundation for a horror film is (a) the monster attacks; (b) the monster’s existence is
discovered by one or more characters, but others—usually those with the power to do something about the
monster—don’t accept the monster’s existence; and (c) the monster’s existence is finally confirmed and confronted.
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Style
Style refers to the film’s look, how its visual images appear as well as how it sounds. Share this example with
students, based on the musical genre: A musical often uses bright colors and wide-angle, long shots to capture big
production numbers.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-2: The Genre Wheel. Review the key points on the graphic, as
suggested below. As you refer to each genre, ask students to suggest other titles that might serve as examples of the genre.
Action/Adventure
An action film features a strong hero and/or heroine who struggles against incredible odds to defeat an enemy.
This type of film usually features fast-paced activity and physical stunts, such as chases, fights, and clever or daring
escapes. The adventure film is similar, but usually the setting is exotic or unusual and the hero or heroine becomes
involved in conquests or intrigues. The conflicts in action and adventure movies are usually external, that is character
v. character or character v. nature rather than internal conflicts (character v. self). Example: The Adventures of Robin
Hood (1938, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley) pits the legendary bandit against the wealthy and
not-so-nice sheriff of Nottingham.
Biography
A biographical film, often called a “biopic,” focus on the life story of a real person. The story and setting are
generally authentic—that is, reflecting real settings and events in the person’s life. The focus is not so much on fastpaced action and daring conquests as it is on character development. Example: One of the earliest biographical
films was Jeanne d’Arc, about the life of the French maiden-warrior, made by Georges Méliès in 1899.
Comedy
Comedy refers to humor, and films that are intended to make audiences feel good and to laugh are comedy films.
Comedy, however, has a number of sub-genres, three of which are listed below.
Screwball comedy. Some comedies in the 1930s and 1940s were called screwball because they focused on the
loony or eccentric behavior of the main character, very often a woman. Example: Bringing Up Baby (1938,
directed by Howard Hawks), involved the romantic entanglement of a young heiress who devised a scheme
using a pet leopard called “Baby” to snare a dull scientist for a husband.
Slapstick comedy. The source of humor here was often physical pratfalls—a pie in the face, a man slipping on
a banana peel, collisions, and crude practical jokes. Many silent movies were slapstick because the humor is
visual and does not usually rely on verbal exchanges. Examples: The General starring Buster Keaton (1927,
directed by Keaton and Clyde Bruckman), and Modern Times (1936, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin).
Satire. The source of the humor in these films is wit, especially irony and ridicule, to make fun of something in
society. Example: The Marx Brothers were a popular acting and comedy team of the early to mid-20th century.
Their film Duck Soup (1933, directed by Leo McCarey) made fun of war and dictators and snobbishness in
high society.
Crime/Detective
Crime and detective films focus on the struggle between a criminal and his or her victims, and/or solving a crime.
These are serious dramas but differ from action films in that there is less emphasis on physical encounters, and
more on the puzzle of solving a crime. Example: The Maltese Falcon (1941, directed by John Huston) centers on
private detective Sam Spade’s effort to solve the murder of his partner, an investigation which soon involves him
in a hunt for a priceless statue of a falcon.
Documentary
A documentary is a nonfiction film. Documentaries can include informational and educational films, nonfiction
narratives, and newsreels. Documentaries may cover a wide range of subjects. Example: Nanook of the North (1922,
directed by Robert J. Flaherty) is considered to be the first documentary. It told the real-life story of Canadian Inuit
Eskimos living in the Arctic.
Fantasy
Fantasy films focus on imaginative or mythological places and characters. Fairy tales, dreams, and magic are the
elements of a fantasy film. They differ from science fiction in that sci-fi films base the storyline on some element of
science and technology. Example: An early fantasy film was Lost Horizon (1937, directed by Frank Capra). A plane
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crashes somewhere in the Himalaya Mountains of Tibet, a real place on Earth. The survivors, however, soon find
themselves taken by their rescuers to an idyllic Shangri-La, or paradise, called “Valley of the Blue Moon.” There is
no snow, just lush gardens and songbirds – but there is no communication with the outside world, either.
Horror
Horror films focus on the macabre (ghoulish or grisly details of death) and are intended to frighten or cause dread
in an audience. Example: Frankenstein (1931, directed by James Whale) is the story of a mad scientist who creates
artificial life from dead tissue. The film’s eerie opening scene takes place in a cemetery at dusk.
Musical
The musical uses song and dance routines as a way to elaborate on a storyline. Rather than simply adding music
to the soundtrack, however, the characters within the film sing and dance to convey their thoughts and feelings.
Example: An American in Paris (1951, directed by Vincente Minnelli) is the story of a struggling American painter
who finds true love while working in Paris.
Science Fiction
Science fiction films explore the impact of science or technology, either real or imagined, on humans and their
world. Science fiction may also focus on human contact with other worlds. Example: Gojira (1954, directed by
Ishirô Honda) is the story of a monster reptile with radioactive breath that rises from deep in the ocean as a result
of nuclear explosions. In America, Gojira became known as Godzilla.
Note: Science fiction genre will be studied in greater detail in activity B.
War
War (and anti-war) films focus on physical battles but also on the mental conflicts of soldiers and others involved
in war. Realism is a characteristic of this genre. So, too, are the glories and self-sacrifices of the characters for a
cause larger than themselves. Examples: Twelve O’Clock High (1949, directed by Henry King) told the story of a
commander during World War II and his efforts to create a tough, fighting squadron.
Western
Western films focus on a struggle between civilization and wilderness, lawfulness and lawlessness. Most traditional
Westerns are set in the American West or Southwest in the mid to late 19th century. Some Westerns, however,
move beyond this limitation of setting. Example: Stagecoach (1939, directed by John Ford) is the story of the
passengers (a drunken doctor, a pregnant woman, a bank manager who has stolen money, and the mysterious
“Ringo Kid”) on a dangerous stagecoach journey.
Ask students what genre might be missing from the wheel. Drama, for example, is not listed. Why not? Allow time for
students to respond, then share this information with them:
Drama is not the opposite of comedy. There are many types of dramas, some already discussed on the genre wheel, such
as biographies, crime/detective, horror. In general, dramas are serious and realistic stories about life situations. Focus is
on character development and the internal conflicts the character must overcome. The subject matter for drama is wideranging and may include social problems such as alcoholism and drug addition, race relations, politics, poverty, and
family relationships. Dramas focus on humankind’s flaws and strengths in varying situations.
Discuss with students the type of film they enjoy watching most and explore with them the reasons why these films
interest them. Encourage further discussion by asking students which of the genres presented in this lesson they have
not viewed. For example, how many students have seen a documentary film? How many have seen a horror film, a
musical, or a screwball comedy?
Emphasize this important point with students: Not all films are “genre films” and not all directors set out to make a
film that might fit neatly into one of the categories on the genre wheel. Defining and distinguishing genre is often very
challenging. Still, middle school students should be aware that genres exist and that they have distinguishing characteristics.
Close
Encourage students to create a contemporary genre wheel, supplying examples from present-day films for each spoke on
the wheel.
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Activity B Fact and Fiction—Characteristics of Sci-Fi Films
Concept
Science fiction films explore the impact of science or technology, either real or imagined, on humans and their world.
Science fiction may also focus on human contact with other worlds.
Engage
Share this story with students:
In the year 2026 in the world of Metropolis, there are two classes of people—those of the ruling class and those of the
working class. The ruling class people live above ground in splendid buildings with every luxury. The working class
people live underground. Whereas those of the ruling class enjoy a life of leisure and thoughtful discussion of ideas, those
of the working class toil daily, from morning to night, in subterranean factories. One day, a young man of the ruling
class follows a worker into the depths. He learns that her name is Maria and she is the leader of her people. She urges
her people not to revolt against the ruling class. Instead, she promises that one day soon a mediator will come to unite
the two worlds. When the real Maria is imprisoned and replaced by a robot that looks like her, the workers start a
revolution, destroying the power station of the city.
Ask: Is this a science fiction story? Explain why you do or do not think so. The accuracy of students’ responses is not as important
as challenging them to think critically about the type of stories science fiction might encompass and the expectations we
have about science fiction. Some students will suggest that it is a science fiction story because it features a robot. Others will
suggest that the setting 2026 indicates it is science fiction. Both examples illustrate expectations of that specific film genre.
However, you might emphasize that not all science fiction films are set in the future nor do they all have robots as characters.
In fact, the silent film Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang in 1927, was among the first science fiction films. Technology
played an important role in the film’s visual look: great machines run the city of Metropolis. This emphasis on technology
and human interaction with technology is one reason why this film is considered science fiction.
Explain & Explore
Review with students the definition of the science fiction genre as presented in activity A. It is a group of films that
speculate about the impact of science, either real or imagined, on humans and/or their world. Science fiction may also
focus on human contact with other worlds. Emphasize this key point about the genre: There is no universally accepted
definition of the genre. However, specific characteristics help determine which films might belong to the genre.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-3: Three Characteristics of Sci-Fi Films to introduce students
to three key characteristics of the science fiction genre. These three elements or characteristics in part shape the story’s
content and structure. Review key concepts on the graphic as recommended below, including the examples given.
Emphasis on Science or Technology
Science fiction films include some element(s) of science or technology, either real or imagined.
Example: In The War of the Worlds, (1953, directed by Byron Haskin) the invaders from Mars are hovering disks
with heat rays that destroy life upon contact. In the 1950s, when the film was made, this type of weaponry was
more imagined than real. At the end of the film, the invaders die—not from humankind’s arsenal of bombs and
bullets but rather from the Earth’s micro-organisms (viruses and bacteria). This detail of micro-organisms infecting
and killing populations which previously had no contact with them is well documented in Earth’s history and so is
more real than imagined.
Speculation about Future or Current Events
A speculation is an assumption or an opinion based on incomplete evidence. Science fiction films speculate about
possible future events and world conditions, as well as strange current events.
Examples: In The Andromeda Strain (1971, directed by Robert Wise), a team of scientists must find the cure for a
deadly alien virus after a U.S. Army satellite falls back to Earth. This film speculates on a medical disaster. In Planet
of the Apes (1968, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner), American astronauts land on a planet ruled by primates. This
film speculates about time travel and the future.
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Social Commentary
Science fiction films generally establish a link between the real and the imaginary in a social commentary about the
present day. The film suggests that something in the real world of today (if continued) will contribute to the way
conditions are presented in the fictional world of the narrative.
Example: In Gojira, atomic explosions (an element of the real world in the 1940s and 1950s) have caused the awful
awakening of the giant prehistoric reptile that threatens to destroy Tokyo. This is both speculation (in the 1950s,
filmmakers did not know for certain the effects of nuclear explosions) and social commentary (suggesting that
nuclear weapons could destroy the world as we know it.)
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer: 1-4: The Familiar and the Unfamiliar in Sci-Fi Films to introduce
students to three different ways a filmmaker may develop a science fiction storyline. Explain the key points on the
graphic as recommended below.
The Familiar
This refers to life as we know it in the real world, including the way humans look and behave, the shape and
structure of buildings and transportation, our knowledge of medicine and space, weaponry, etc.
The Unfamiliar
This refers to life as depicted in the science fiction world. Again this may include not only the type of creatures
who exist but also details of geography, transportation, medicine, weaponry, and other technological advances.
The World of the Science Fiction Narrative
As a result of this clash between the familiar and the unfamiliar, three things may occur:
Alien images become familiar. Example: In Star Wars (1977, directed by George Lucas), C-3PO is a robot, but there
are many robots in this science fiction world, and so C-3PO is “familiar” in an alien world. Lasers are common
weapons in the science fiction world of Star Wars, though not so in the real world.
Familiar images become alien. Example: In The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957, directed by Jack Arnold), as the main
character gets smaller and smaller, ordinary objects and creatures, such as a child’s dollhouse and the family
cat, become distorted and foreign.
Alien and familiar images are juxtaposed. Example: In Independence Day (1996, directed by Roland Emmerich) an
alien spaceship hovers over the very familiar White House in Washington, D.C.
Teachers Note: Emphasize to students that alien in the context above does not mean a being from another planet
but rather that which is strange and unknown.
Distribute
Critical Thinking Activity 1-1: Compare and Contrast the Familiar and the Unfamiliar. Review the
directions with students. Stress this important point: what was once familiar and ordinary to people in the 1950s, today
might seem “dated” or old-fashioned to us in the early 21st century. Allow time for students to compile the lists, then
review as recommended below.
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Answer Key for Critical Thinking Activity 1-1:
Compare and Contrast the Familiar and the Unfamiliar
The Familiar
The Unfamiliar
Answers will vary and may include but are not
limited to: clothing styles, including men wearing
hats; television sets; toy train; style of automobiles;
elevator; jeeps, tanks, and other military weaponry,
including hand guns and rifles; tea service set at
the breakfast table; the hospital room, jail cell, and
boardinghouse; flashlight; diamonds; taxi cabs;
microphones and media studios; a chalkboard for
the mathematical equation (rather than a computer);
tracking the speed of the “unidentified flying object”
on a board (rather than radar tracking it on a computer screen); the memorials in Washington, D.C.
and Arlington Cemetery, etc.
Answers will vary but should include: flying saucer,
Klaatu’s uniform and helmet; Gort; the metal he and
the spaceship are made of; Gort’s laser eye that vaporizes matter; the plastic material in which the military
encases Gort; the interior of the spaceship with its panel
of lights (Klaatu never “switches” a light but passes his
hand over some kind of sensor); the “salve” Klaatu uses
to cure his gunshot wound; the machine Gort uses to
bring Klaatu back to life, etc. Some students might also
point out that the music sounds unfamiliar.
Think More About It
1. How does the passage of time change what is familiar and what is unfamiliar in a science fiction film? How are
some things not changed by the passage of time? Answers will vary but clearly time is not static. Some things change—
such as fashion styles and shapes and sizes of automobiles and electronics like television. These things change as new technologies are developed. Some things, however, do not change, such as Bobby’s sadness over his father’s death, the fear of war,
a sense of responsibility to the state of the Earth and even the rest of the universe, etc.
2. What familiar items today in the early 21st century may seem “dated” or old-fashioned to people 50 years
from now? Answers will vary but may include cell phones, iPods, automobiles that use gasoline, wireless computers, etc.
Accept all reasonable answers.
Enrichment
Distribute
Group Activity 1-2, Enrichment: Research a Science Fiction Film Timeline. Review the project
summary and each step in the process of researching the timeline. Review students’ completed timelines in class.
You may also wish to display their timelines or collages on a bulletin board.
Close
Emphasize a key point about film genres in general and science fiction films in particular: Not all films fit neatly into
a single category. Ask:
1.
Is the film Frankenstein—the story of a mad scientist who creates life from a corpse—science fiction or is it a horror
film? Answers will vary. Accept all reasonable responses.
2.
In The Fly (1958, directed by Kurt Neumann), a scientist invents a machine that can transport living matter from
one place to another. However, when he attempts to transport himself, a common housefly enters the machine at
the very last minute. The experiment goes terribly wrong, and soon the scientist discovers he is being mutated
into a human fly. Is this a horror film or a science fiction film? Answers will vary, and in fact, both this film and
Frankenstein are identified by film historians as being both horror and science fiction.
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Activity C Watchingv. Seeing
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Concept
Close analysis of how a filmmaker tells a story often requires more than one viewing of the moving images.
Engage
Display
Still 1-3: An Unusual Discovery. Ask students to study
the image for a few minutes, then remove the image from the screen.
Ask students to list on a sheet of paper what people and objects
they observed. Allow a few minutes for students to complete this list.
Then ask the questions below. Do not show the image again until all
questions have been asked and discussed.
1. How many people were in the picture? While many students will
have noticed the four figures in the foreground, perhaps not all noticed
the woman sitting on a stool in the background.
2. What type of clothing were the people wearing? Some students will have noted that one man is in a suit with a tie and
another is wearing a sweater. The woman in the foreground is wearing an evening dress and carrying a stole. The woman
in the background is wearing a dress.
3. What did you notice, if anything, decorating the room? Students may have noticed the framed items and hanging lamp.
Display the still again so students can make a second, closer observation. What other details did they perhaps miss when
they first viewed the image?
Explain & Explore
Share with students this information about the difference between watching a film and seeing a film:
Filmmakers tell stories by using moving pictures—not still photographs like the one viewed in the Engage section.
This movement creates meaning in ways which a still photograph cannot. Sound, too, adds meaning to the images.
These images and sounds are layered. The first time a person views a film segment, he or she generally focuses on
what is happening. The images and sounds are clues the viewer uses to piece together narrative meaning. This first
screening is what The Story of Movies calls watching. To peel away the layers of images and sounds in moving images,
however, often requires second, even third, viewings. This second, closer observation is what The Story of Movies calls seeing.
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-1: The Corpse, Part 1—Watching. Explain that they will view a scene two times
from a science fiction classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Each viewing has a slightly different goal. In part 1, students
simply record the images and sounds they observe as the scene progresses.
View
Film Clip 1-1: The Corpse, Part 1—Watching. Allow time for students to record their observations, then
discuss. Recommendations follow.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Corpse, Part 1––Watching
Images
Sounds
Primary sounds at first are dialogue among the characters.
There is no music initially but frightening music begins
partway through the scene. Later a cuckoo clock strikes.
Point out to students that the clock only cuckoos twice,
even though it is 9 o’clock. The clock is either not calling
the right time or striking when it should not. In either case,
it surprises the characters and thus serves to heighten
tension in the scene.
A man enters a room, stands with his back to the audience and faces three other people. The audiences sees
the room which appears to be a den or recreation room
with a long bar/counter on the left and stools. One woman
sits at the counter. There is a lamp over a billiard table.
Once the man pulls the light chain, the audience sees a
body covered in a blanket or sheet lying face up on the
table. While the other woman looks on, the first man
examines the body, looking closely at its face and then its
fingers. He and the second man use an ink pad to make
impressions of the body’s fingertips. The prints show on
the paper as smooth round circles without swirls. The three
people return to the counter, where one of the men begins
to serve drinks but drops a bottle and cuts his hand.
Think More About It
1. What important and unusual piece of information about the corpse does this scene reveal? It has no fingerprints
the way all humans do. Also, its face seems unfinished or unformed without details, wrinkles, or lines – as if, as the
doctor says, it has no character.
2. How would you describe this scene—frightening? surprising? mysterious? Provide a reason for your answer,
with details from the scene. Accept all reasonable responses supported by scene details.
Display and/or distribute
graphic as indicated below.
Graphic Organizer 1-5: Two Ways to Read a Film. Review the key points on the
Content
The content of a movie is what the story is about. As indicated in lesson 1, asking questions such as Who are the
characters? and What is the conflict? will help students identify a story’s content.
Narrative Structure
The narrative structure is how the story is told. The how depends on the decisions the director makes. These decisions include both the order, or sequence, of action in the film as well as the way the filmmaker presents the
action. Asking questions such as How and when are the characters introduced? and How is the conflict suggested? will
help students focus not so much on what happens but when it happens and how.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-6: How Do Filmmakers Create Meaning? Review the key
concepts on the graphic organizer, as suggested below.
The Filmmaker’s Intended Meaning
Because films tell stories visually, filmmakers use symbols and other visual or sound clues to suggest meaning about
a character’s personality or why he or she behaves in a certain way. Symbols can also suggest action which has
occurred in the past or may soon occur in the future and can indicate meaning for a whole community or culture.
Repetition
One way to create a symbol is to show an object over and over again. The filmmaker is telling the audience to pay
attention to this detail because it is important.
Association
An association is a relationship between two or more people or things. A second way to create a symbol and to
suggest meaning is to link an object with a person, suggesting a relationship between them.
Sound Emphasis
Sound effects and music can also suggest meaning. Creaking steps, howling winds, the cry of an animal can all
create reactions in the audience. Other sounds, though not obvious symbols, may signal the viewer to pay attention
to something important or establish a mood.
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Visual Emphasis
A filmmaker can create symbolism by using color, light, and camera distances. Colors suggest meaning, as do
bright or dark lighting. Also, by moving the camera close to a person or object, the filmmaker is again telling the
audience to “pay attention, this is important.”
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-1: The Corpse, Part 2—Seeing. Explain that they will view the same scene again.
Now that they know what happens, they should pay close attention to how it happens.
1
View
3
Film Clip 1-1: The Corpse, Part 2—Seeing. Discuss student observations. Recommended answers are below.
2
4
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1: The Corpse, Part 2––Seeing
Your Interpretations
How Filmmakers Create Meaning
Repetition. Consider:
• What, if any, images or sounds are repeated?
• What words or phrases, if any, are repeated?
.
The scene plays within a single room. Miles repeats
the action of looking at the corpse’s face. The corpse
has prominence throughout this scene, not only by its
placement in the foreground but also because it appears
in most of the shots. The camera doesn’t show us one
shot of it and then move to other characters. Although
specific words are not repeated, the underlying idea of
What is it? Whose face is it? is repeated through the
dialogue and actions.
2. Association. Consider:
• Why does the director select a cuckoo clock
for this scene and not a regular clock?
A cuckoo clock is one in which a bird pops out and says
“cuckoo.” The appearance is sudden and can be, as it is
in this scene, shocking. Some students may link this sudden appearance of the clock’s cuckoo bird to the sudden
appearance of this corpse. Others may suggest the clock
may symbolize the passing of time or that there isn’t
much time left for these characters to solve the mystery.
Other students may say that a cuckoo is a way of suggesting something crazy is happening.
Sound Emphasis. Consider:
• At what point does the music begin?
• How does the music sound?
• At what point in the scene does the cuckoo
clock strike?
• At what point does the second man drop the
bottle and cut his hand?
The music begins at the point where the doctor turns
on the light. The music sounds frightening, with horns
clashing and strings screeching. The clock strikes at
the point where one of the female characters says,
“Of course it’s a corpse. What else could it be?” Jack
drops the bottle at the point that his wife (the second
woman) says that the corpse is the same height and
weight as her husband.
Visual Emphasis. Consider:
• Why does the doctor stand with his back to the
audience at first while the other three characters
face the audience?
• How does the lighting change in this scene?
• What objects are seen very close up and why?
Interpretations will vary. Some students may not
have noticed in the first screening that this character
did indeed stand with his back to the audience. It is
as if we, the audience, are looking over this character’s
shoulder and as if something else is watching. Only part
of the room is lit as the scene opens. The doctor walks
forward into the darkness, stands with his back to the
audience, suggesting he (and the audience) are in the
dark about what is going on. Once he turns on the light
over the pool table, he—and the audience—see the corpse.
The fingerprints are shown close up to show that the
corpse has no whorls (swirls) as human fingers do.
Close
Ask students to comment on what they noticed in the second viewing that they did not notice the first time they viewed the scene.
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TWO
Lesson 2 Narrative Structure inThe Day the Earth Stood Stil
Teacher Overview
Activity A introduces students to the concept of reading a movie, which includes not just identifying the film’s content
but also its narrative structure. The content of a movie is what the story is about. The activities in this lesson tap students’
existing knowledge of literary elements, including character, setting, conflict, plot, and theme. Students view selected clips
from The Day the Earth Stood Still to identify these elements.
A film’s narrative structure is how the story is told. The how depends on the decisions the director makes. In many films,
the sequence of images and sounds follows a traditional three-act outline. Act 1 introduces the audience to the characters
and conflicts and provides essential exposition, or background information, about those characters or situations. Act 2 is
the rising action, and act 3 is the resolution. While not every film follows this traditional structure, many do. The activities
in this lesson explain this basic framework in detail.
Learning Outcomes
Students will
define narrative structure;
explain the purpose and elements of each of the three acts in a film’s narrative structure, including inciting incident,
rising action, falling action, climax, and resolution;
define exposition and identify expository details in a scene;
identify and explain the theme of a film.
Key Terms
(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)
narrative structure, narrative hook, inciting incident, exposition, rising action, climax, resolution
Lesson Materials
Activity
Activity A
Act 1, The Set-Up—
Klaatu Arrives and
Escapes
DVD
Print
Graphic Organizer 1-7:
Narrative Structure
Screening Sheet 1-2: A Fast Bogey
Film Clip 1-2: A Fast Bogey
Reading Activity 1-3: Heads of State
Activity B
Act 2, Rising Action—
Bobby’s Secret
Graphic Organizer 1-7: Narrative
Structure
Critical-Thinking Activity 1-4:
Act 2—Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
Activity C
Act 3, Falling Action—
Klaatu’s Ultimatum
Graphic Organizer 1-7:
Narrative Structure
Reading Activity 1-5:
A Simple Choice?
Activity D
Themes of
War and Peace
Reading Activity 1-6:
Commentary from the Filmmakers-The Movie's Message
Screening Sheet 1-3: Weapon of
War or Weapon of Peace?
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Film Clip 1-3: Weapon of War
or Weapon of Peace?
Activity A Act 1, The Set-Up—Klaatu Arrives and Escapes
Concept
Act 1 presents the characters and conflict in the story and the necessary expository details to help the audience understand
the story’s plot and theme.
1
2
3
Engage
Why has Klaatu come to Earth? What real-life event or scientific development has brought him to the planet? Some students
will accurately recall Klaatu’s statements that other planets in the universe have been watching Earth for some time but the
recent development of nuclear power and weaponry on Earth is a threat to them.
Ask students to share what they know—or don’t know—about the atomic bomb. For example, do they know when the first
atomic bomb was exploded, where, and for what reason? Who dropped this bomb?
Share with students this information:
In August, 1945, the explosion of two atomic bombs on Japan ended the Second World War, but it also changed the world
forever. Such powerful atomic weapons could obliterate more than cities. They could destroy whole countries, perhaps even
Earth’s civilization itself. In the years following the end of the war, the world grew colder and a great deal more fearful.
Americans were especially fearful of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), also known as the Soviet Union.
During the Second World War, the Soviet Union was an ally of the United States. After the war, however, the Soviet Union
began to seize power in Europe. The United States and the Soviet Union were no longer allies. Each viewed the other as a
fearsome enemy.
In August, 1949, Communist leaders in the Soviet Union conducted their first test of an atomic bomb. The event shocked
people around the world. The United States was no longer the only country who had atomic super-weapons. Many
Americans feared that the Communists in the Soviet Union would use “the bomb” to start a third world war. The shadow
of an atomic attack was very real as both countries continued to build and test atomic weapons.
Explain & Explore
Define narrative structure. A film’s narrative structure concerns how the story is told. The how depends on the decisions
the director makes, including the order, or sequence, of action in the film as well as the way the filmmaker presents
the action.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-7: Narrative Structure to explain the three-act structure that most
movies follow. Explain that although a filmmaker’s style of storytelling may be unique, the basic structure of the story as
illustrated on the graphic organizer generally does not change. In other words, most every feature film can
be outlined according to this three-act structure. Review the key concepts of The Set-Up as suggested below.
Act 1
This is the beginning of a film. During this act, the audience meets characters and understands both the time and
place of the story.
Meet the Characters
This phase is one of the building blocks of act 1. The filmmaker presents the main characters and provides
necessary background information about them.
Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is an event that occurs early in the story (often at the end of act 1) and triggers a dominolike effect, setting in motion a chain reaction of events as the story unfolds. It does not explain a character’s
background. The inciting incident is a single plot action that will result in conflict or change the lives of the
main characters.
Define narrative hook. A narrative hook is that part of the plot that captures the viewer’s attention, usually through the
introduction of an initial conflict or unusual setting or occurrence.
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-2: A Fast Bogey. Ask students if they know what a “bogey” is. Its dictionary
meaning is a phantom, a ghost. In Air Force lingo it is an unidentified object.
Complete the pre-screening discussion. After students have read the passage silently, ask:
How does a filmmaker hook an audience? According to Robert Wise, the hook comes in the opening scenes. It may be an
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4
TWO
image of something fascinating or dramatic, eerie or mysterious. The hook could be any variety of images or sounds, but the
goal is always the same: to engage the audience right from the start so that they begin to wonder What’s happening? or
What’s going to happen next?
View
Film Clip 1-2: A Fast Bogey. Allow time for students to complete the questions, then review their
observations. Recommended answers are below.
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-2: A Fast Bogey
1. Wise chose not to show the flying saucer immediately. Why do you think the director did that? Answers will
vary but should focus on Wise’s statement that he wanted the audience to feel what the people of Earth were feeling—
anxiety and curiosity about the UFO. Until it got to Washington, the people on Earth could not see the saucer, and so
neither does the audience. By waiting to show the unidentified object, he creates suspense.
2. When the audience finally sees the saucer, it is soaring above actual buildings and monuments in Washington,
D.C. How does showing real sites in the nation’s capital fit Wise’s intended effect of grabbing the audience’s
interest and not letting go? He creates credibility by showing the saucer above real-life monuments and historic
buildings. Many people in the audience would recognize the Washington Monument, for example, or the Capitol dome.
It makes the viewing experience more realistic and more interesting, and also “hits home.”
3. What is the most important piece or pieces of information being communicated during these opening shots?
Provide a reason for your answer. The first shot is of a whirling antenna, then the military tower, then the antenna
again, then the tracking base. The more curious hook is not where they are but the information communicated—that
the bogey is circling the Earth going 4,000 mph. Students’ supporting reasons will vary but should focus on the main
idea that in all countries shown people are either surprised, alarmed, or afraid.
4. Why did Wise choose not to have the flying saucer land in India, France, or England? Those locations would
not have been as familiar to the American audiences viewing the film. Remind students that in 1951, television was a
very new medium. Most people learned of world geography and world events through print media like newspapers and
school textbooks, or by newsreels and radio broadcasts, and not through visual images transmitted over television or
the Internet (the latter, of course, having not yet been invented).
5. Wise chose to cast real news commentators—not actors—to play themselves in the opening scenes. What effect
might this have had on audiences in 1951? Most audiences of that time would have recognized the commentators or
at least their names. Again, this adds credibility to the viewing experience. Wise wanted his audience to feel that this really
could be happening.
Define exposition. Exposition is background information about a person, a place, or a thing. This information is useful
to understanding a character’s personality and/or motivation. Although the information may seem minor at first—and it
usually is—exposition helps audiences understand the story’s conflict.
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-3: Heads of State. Review the Word Builder terms. Assign parts for students to read
aloud, including a narrator who will read the scene, shot headings, and action descriptions that are flush left on the script.
Encourage students who assume the roles of Klaatu and Harley to read their lines expressively, as suggested by the
information in the script’s parentheticals (directions set in parentheses in italics).
Prompt critical thinking about the content as well as the format of the script itself by asking the following questions.
Recommended answers are provided.
Guided Discussion
1. What exposition, or background information, about Klaatu does this scene reveal to the audience? Klaatu has
come from another place and has a mission to speak with the leaders of all people of Earth.
2. What character strengths or weaknesses does Klaatu display? Provide a reason for your answer. Answers will
vary. He seems calm and determined as well as intelligent. He is not aggressive. Some students may suggest that he
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seems condescending, that is, he believes he is superior to the humans who have captured him. He says, for example,
that he is “impatient with stupidity.”
3. What new information, if any, about Earth’s world leaders does Klaatu learn while hospitalized? Give a reason
for your answer. He seems to know much about Earth’s ways. He is not surprised by the difficulty of trying to get
multiple nations together to discuss global peace but remains determined to complete his mission to do so.
4. How would you describe Harley’s character? Provide specific details based on the text of the script. Answers will
vary. He too is calm and polite, though skeptical he can be of assistance to Klaatu. Reading the letters grimly, Harley
projects some disappointment that the leaders would not agree, as well as some regret that his people have not risen
above stupidity.
5. What conflict, if any, does Harley experience? What conflict, if any, does Klaatu experience? Answers will vary.
Some students may suggest that Harley faces a daunting challenge of convincing his president to go along with Klaatu’s
wishes. Klaatu’s conflict is how to convince the world leaders of the seriousness of his mission.
6. Why is Klaatu’s final request in this scene necessary in order to understand what happens next? Klaatu suggests
he should go out and mingle with the people but Harley says it is impossible. This helps to explain why Klaatu later
disappears (though it doesn’t explain how he escapes from his guarded hospital room).
7. What kind of information is presented in the parentheticals in the script? Why are these necessary? The parentheticals suggest emotion, what the character is experiencing. “Sharply,” for example, suggests that Klaatu is losing
his patience.
Ask: What event is the inciting incident in this film? Some students may suggest that the shooting of Klaatu is the inciting
incident. Others may suggest it is when Gort appears and destroys the military weapons or the refusal of the world’s
governments to come together to meet with Klaatu. These events, however, are how the filmmaker presents the characters
and the conflict. Emphasize this key point: very often viewers will not agree on which event is the inciting incident.
The inciting incident, however, is the one event that starts all the dominoes falling. Usually, this occurs at the end of
act 1. In this film, that event would be Klaatu’s escape.
Close
Ask students to identify narrative hooks in other movies they have seen recently. Remind them that a narrative hook is more
than just the first shot seen in a film. It is the way the filmmaker hopes to grab the audience’s attention.
Activity B Act 2, Rising Action—Bobby’s Secret
Concept
Act 2 of a movie is comprised of the cause-and-effect events that occur, leading to the climax or turning point.
Engage
Ask students to suggest how the story would differ, if at all, if Klaatu were female rather than a male. How would the other
characters, including Bobby, react to Klaatu? Would being a female make Klaatu a less suspicious or more suspicious character?
Ask students to explore, also, how the story would differ if Bobby knew nothing about the great scientist Dr. Barnhardt and
so could not take Klaatu to the scientist’s home.
Finally, ask students to suggest how the story would differ if Bobby had called out to Klaatu to wait for him instead of
following Klaatu secretly and silently.
Explain & Explore
Display again
Graphic Organizer 1-7: Narrative Structure. Explain the key concepts of the second act in a film’s
narrative structure.
Act 2
The second act presents the rising action. Rising suggests events that follow one after the other, building in suspense.
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1
2
3
4
TWO
Cause-Effect Event
This is an action that triggers a reaction or another event. A story can have many cause-effect events. Taken together,
these building blocks form the film’s plot.
Climax, or Turning Point
This is the most dramatic moment in the story. The climax triggers a significant insight or a change in one or more
of the main characters. The climax is also part of the story’s plot.
Distribute
Critical-Thinking Activity 1-4: Act 2—Cause-and-Effect Relationships. Introduce the activity by
reviewing with students the following cause-and-effect grids, emphasizing that one event, or cause, can trigger multiple
effects. Likewise, multiple causes can contribute to a single effect.
Cause
Effect
Effect 1
Effect 2
Cause
Cause 1
Cause 2
Cause 3
Effect
Discuss student responses. Recommended answers are below.
Answer Key for Critical-Thinking Activity 1-4:
Act 2—Cause-and-Effect Relationships
Cause
Effect
1. Klaatu rents a room in a Washington, D.C.
boardinghouse.
Klaatu meets Bobby Benson and his mother.
2. Bobby helps Klaatu find Professor Barnhardt.
Klaatu leaves a mathematical “calling card” on the
blackboard for Professor Barnhardt, who then summons
him. Professor Barnhardt arranges for scientists to gather
so they can hear Klaatu’s message, and Klaatu agrees to
arrange a demonstration of his power.
3. Klaatu tells Bobby he needs the flashlight because
the light in his room went out, but Bobby sees that
Klaatu’s light is on.
Bobby realizes that Klaatu has lied to him when he
sees Klaatu’s light on.
4. Bobby spies on Klaatu, following him at night.
Bobby sees Klaatu signal a command to Gort then enter
the spaceship.
5. Bobby tells his mother and Tom Stevens that
Klaatu entered the spaceship.
Tom Stevens goes to see if Klaatu is in his room, then
discovers the diamond and later investigates its origin
and worth. Bobby’s story is what causes Tom to go upstairs in the first place.
6. Klaatu confesses his true identity and mission to
Helen Benson.
Helen Benson agrees to help him.
7. Tom Stevens refuses to listen to Helen Benson’s
plea to not contact the government.
The military learns the true identity of Mr. Carpenter
and shoots him as he attempts to flee.
8. Helen commands Gort, “Klaatu, barada, nikto.”
Gort does not destroy the Earth. Gort rescues Klaatu.
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Answer Key for Critical-Thinking Activity 1-4:
Act 2—Cause-and-Effect Relationships (cont.)
Think More About It
1. How would the story have differed if cause #3 above had not occurred? Bobby would not have learned the
true identity of Mr. Carpenter, and so Tom Stevens would not have gone to the government with information on
where to find the alien who had escaped.
2. Which character—Bobby or Helen—is most helpful to Klaatu in accomplishing his mission on Earth?
Provide an explanation for your answer. Answers will vary. Both characters are helpful in different ways.
Bobby makes the meeting between Klaatu and the professor possible, but Helen helps save the Earth by saving
Klaatu. However, most students might agree that without Bobby’s assistance in putting Klaatu in touch with the
professor, the mission likely would have failed.
Review the meaning of the word climax. The climax is the turning point in the story. Write two events on the chalkboard or overhead projector and ask students to debate which of these two events is in fact the climax of the story:
The military shoots and kills Klaatu.
Helen stops Gort from destroying the Earth.
Help students understand the meaning of climax and the narrative structure of act 2 by exploring the domino effect.
Klaatu’s death is not the climax but rather part of the rising action. Emphasize that his death puts the entire planet at
risk, for in the next scene, Gort comes alive, melts his plastic encasement, and is about to destroy the earth. Helen’s
command is the true climax, or turning point, of the story because it stops Gort’s wrath.
Close
Discuss with students alternative actions that might have followed if Helen had not reached Gort in time.
Activity C Act 3, Falling Action—Klaatu’s Ultimatum
Concept
The final act in a film is the resolution. All conflicts are resolved, if only for the time being, and the main characters are
somehow changed by the events that have occurred.
Engage
Ask:
1. Is world peace possible? What answer does this film provide for this question? The film suggests that peace is not
only possible but has been achieved, though not on Earth.
2. How is peace among nations and planets achieved in Klaatu’s world? Would that solution work on Earth?
Klaatu makes a comparison to the Earth’s United Nations, where all nations come together to discuss and debate
and solve peacefully the planet’s problems. On a much larger scale, the planets have developed a similar organization.
Responses will vary about whether that works on Earth. Encourage discussion.
Explain & Explore
Display once more
Graphic Organizer 1-7: Narrative Structure. Explain the third, or final, act in a film’s
narrative structure. Review key points on the graphic organizer about act 3, as suggested below.
Act 3
The third act is the final one in a film’s narrative structure. Act 3 has two important elements:
Falling Action
This is comprised of all the events that occur after the climax and until the story’s end.
Resolution
The resolution is the outcome of the events that occurred. Sometimes the solution to a conflict is positive.
Sometimes it is negative. Often the solution to a conflict is not stated directly but rather implied through visual and
17
1
2
3
4
TWO
sound symbols. By the end of the story, the main characters have changed somewhat. Either they have
changed personally, or their view of others or of the world has changed significantly.
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-5: A Simple Choice? Review the Word Builder terms. Assign parts for students
to read aloud, including a narrator who will read the scene and shot headings and action descriptions that are flush left.
Note that the script may vary slightly from the dialogue in the film.
Prompt critical thinking about the content as well as the format of the script itself by asking the following questions.
Recommended answers are provided.
Guided Discussion
1. What is Klaatu’s mission on Earth? To deliver a message to all the world leaders about the danger everyone on Earth
faces if nations continue to wage war against one another and to spread their aggression into the universe.
2. Who created robots like Gort and why? The alien civilization to which Klaatu belongs created the robots in order to
preserve peace in the universe.
3. Who controls these robots? The aliens control them, as evidenced by Klaatu’s commands, which Gort obeys. However,
in matters of warfare, no one controls the robots. They are programmed to respond to end all acts of aggression.
4. What did the planets give up in order to live in peace? armies, weaponry, aggression, and war, but not their freedom
5. What ultimatum, or choice, does Klaatu present to the people on Earth? to end aggression and the extension of
violence throughout the universe, or risk being destroyed
6. What complications do the Earth delegates face in trying to do what Klaatu has ordered? The scientists must
return to their home nations and (a) communicate the seriousness of Klaatu’s message to those who have not witnessed
his presence or do not believe his power, and (b) overcome what Klaatu calls aggression, irresponsibility, and violence.
Close
The film has an “open ending,” meaning that the audience does not know what will happen next on Earth. Will Earth’s
leaders heed Klaatu’s warning? Discuss with students Klaatu’s ultimatum in light of current events on Earth today.
Activity D Themes of War and Peace
Concept
Theme is a literary element in literature, film and other creative works. Rather than the lesson learned, theme is the main
idea or message that the director hopes to communicate to an audience.
Engage
Write this question on the chalkboard or overhead projector: Is peace possible without the threat of violence? Ask students to
discuss or to freewrite on this question, exploring present-day efforts to avoid military conflicts.
Explain & Explore
Share this information with students:
Identifying characters and settings, even plot events, is often easier than identifying the theme of a story. One way
to begin investigating a movie’s theme is by talking about the movie. Specifically, what did the movie make you think
about? What characters or events surprised you? Which characters did you like or dislike, and why?
Define theme and explain the difference between a film’s theme and a film’s subject. Theme is a literary element in a
work of art. A film’s theme is the message the filmmaker hopes to communicate to the audience.
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-6: Commentary from the Filmmakers—The Movie’s Message. Discuss the
passages as recommended below.
Guided Discussion
1. Who suggested that Robert Wise should direct this film? Daryl Zanuck, the head of the movie studio.
2. What reasons does Wise give for wanting to make the script into a film? Students should focus on the main idea
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that Wise believed in the film’s message of peace.
3. What does screenwriter Edmund North mean when he says the Korean War would be “disastrous for the
project”? Why? Students must infer that making an anti-war film when American soldiers were in fact
fighting in a war and dying might be considered by some to be unpatriotic. If the studio felt the film would
be unpopular, it would cancel the project.
4. Wise believes the War Department didn’t agree with the movie’s message of peace. Why does he believe this?
Wise bases this remark, he says, on the fact that they read the script and then rejected his request. Encourage students
to explore other reasons why the War Department might reject the request.
6. In what way does Wise think the film was a failure? He says it was intended to scare Americans into demanding an
end to the use of atomic weapons, but that didn’t happen.
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-3: Weapon of War or Weapon of Peace? Explain that this screening activity has
three segments. You will stop the DVD between each segment to allow time for students to record their observations.
View
Film Clip 1-3: Weapon of War or Weapon of Peace?
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-3: Weapon of War or Weapon of Peace?
Film Clip
What happens in this scene?
In what way does this scene
relate to the film’s theme?
A—Gort Appears
Gort emerges from the spaceship, seemingly
assesses the situation (his robot head lowers
slightly as if looking at Klaatu struggling
on the ground), and then Gort melts the
soldiers’ weapons.
Answers will vary but should focus on
the idea that Earth’s weapons are no
match for the superior forces of more
intelligent beings in the universe.
Weapons are useless.
B—Complexity
or Stupidity?
Harley tells Klaatu that the President’s
effort to summon a meeting of all of the
world’s heads of state has failed because of
political differences.
Answers will vary but should focus on
Klaatu’s comment that his people have
learned to live without stupidity. In Klaatu’s
eyes, the differences between nations are
minor when they are confronted with
greater issues of peace and destruction.
C—Meeting
Professor Barnhardt
Klaatu enters Professor Barnhardt’s study
and identifies himself as Klaatu, the alien
from outer space. He explains his mission
on planet Earth.
Answers should focus on the main idea
that although Klaatu has come in peace,
his mission is to communicate that by
endangering the rest of the universe, the
Earth itself is in danger. The civilizations
in the universe that Klaatu represents will
not tolerate Earth’s reckless and dangerous
use of atomic power.
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2
3
4
TWO
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-3:
Weapon of War or Weapon of Peace? (continued)
Think More About It
1. In what way is Gort like a soldier? In what way is he like a weapon? Provide an explanation for your
answer. Answers will vary. He is a soldier in that he defends Klaatu, serving a commander and his planet. He is
like a weapon in that he can use his power to protect and destroy.
2. Is Klaatu a messenger of peace? Or is Klaatu an alien invader who wishes to dominate Earth? Provide
an explanation for your answer. Answers will vary. Encourage students to view Klaatu in both roles, as a being
of superior intelligence to Earth’s people—his civilization has mastered interplanetary transportation and peace—
and also as a being who has, in fact, threatened the planet with total destruction if its inhabitants do not bend to
the will of his people. Emphasize this important fact—Klaatu’s people have learned to live peacefully and without
wars because they invented robots like Gort who police them.
Close
Return to the question that began this activity: Is peace possible without the threat of violence? If students initially wrote a response
to this question, have them now reread what they wrote and revise. If they initially discussed the question as a class, ask them
now to write a short essay on the possibility of peace without the threat of violence. What would such a peace require of the people
on Earth?
Klaatu, Barada, Nikto—The Sequel
A sequel is a work of fiction in literature, film, and other
creative areas that is the continuation of a previously existing story.
Learn more about sequels—including how to write a sequel for
The Day the Earth Stood Still, by going to The Story of Movies
Web site, www.storyofmovies.org.
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Lesson 3 Our Film Heritage
Future generations will be interested in what kind of movies made us laugh, cry, or cringe.
But equally the future generations, students and scholars will be searching for visual
documents of our daily life, the movies that recorded our daily activities, our weddings,
our birthday parties, our children growing up. Yes, even our home movies.
—Jan-Christopher Horak, George Eastman House
Teacher Overview
Although motion pictures were among the most influential communication and entertainment media of the 20th century,
more than half of the films made before mid-century have been lost forever. Some early films were lost through chemical
deterioration. These early films used film stocks which were highly flammable or over time simply crumbled into dust.
Attitudes began to change, however, as the film industry continued to grow and its influence spread. In 1935, New York’s
Museum of Modern Art began collecting films for preservation. In 1947, The George Eastman House International Museum
of Photography and Film was chartered with the specific mission to collect, preserve, and exhibit the history of photography
and film.
Today, America’s film heritage is at a critical stage. Film archivists across the country identify and preserve endangered films,
but their work is a race against time. This lesson introduces students to early cinema and the steps involved in film preservation. They learn about the National Film Registry and complete a research and writing assignment on nominating a film
of cultural and historical significance for preservation in the Library of Congress.
Learning Outcomes
Students will
understand that not all films are fictional narratives;
understand the ways in which film decays;
explain three steps in the film preservation process;
identify three characteristics necessary for a film to be nominated to the National Film Registry.
Key Terms
(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)
nickelodeon, chaser, actuality film, preservation, National Film Registry
Lesson Materials
Activity
DVD
Print
Activity A
An Introduction
to Early Films
Reading Activity 1-7: Panic at
the Nickelodeon
Activity B
What Is Film
Preservation?
Graphic Organizer 1-8:
Film Damage
Activity C
The National Film
Registry
Group Activity 1-9: Researching
the National Film Registry
Reading Activity 1-8: The Chasers
Still 1-4: The Mona Lisa
Graphic Organizer 1-9:
Three Steps in the Film
Preservation Process
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Activity A An Introduction to Early Films
Concept
The technology of early motion pictures in the first decades of the 20th century created new film narratives, including
documentary and actuality films.
Engage
Ask: Why do people make movies? Encourage critical thinking by guiding students to consider not just box office profits
but also the purpose or message of a film. Is the goal of a film simply to entertain audiences and make money? What other
purposes might a filmmaker have? Some students may suggest filmmakers simply want to tell a good story. Others may suggest that filmmakers want to express an idea or opinion about a subject. Accept all reasonable responses. Expand discussion
to explore nonfiction or documentary films and home movies. How do the subjects and purposes of these films differ, if at
all, from commercial films in theaters and on DVDs? Emphasize that not all films are traditional fictional narratives.
Explain & Explore
Distribute and read either silently or aloud
Reading Activity 1-7: Panic at the Nickelodeon. Note: Should some
students question whether this is a true story, respond by saying it was printed as such in a real newspaper and so
apparently was true. However, the news writer might have exaggerated the response of the audience in stating that the
people “panicked.”
Guided Discussion
1. What happened in the movie theater? The audience became frightened when seeing a house fly that had landed on the
lens of a movie projector and was magnified several hundred times on the movie screen
2. Describe the “monster,” using the reporter’s specific words. Legs like the limbs of a big tree, eyes as big as saucers,
a huge body covered with hair that looked like standing wheat
3. What type of movie was being shown that evening? a thriller
4. What is a nickelodeon? Students may or may not know that this was an early type of movie entertainment. For a
nickel, a person could look into a machine and see a short moving picture. Explain that movie houses or theaters were
also sometimes called nickelodeons.
5. When do you think this story took place – that is, approximately what year was this article published?
Since nickelodeons were an early type of movie machine, some students will deduce that the event happened sometime
in the past. However, many may not realize that the technology of moving images dates back more than 100 years and
that movies, in particular, were a popular amusement at the beginning of the 20th century. The actual date of this article
is February 7, 1914.
6. If this same thing were to happen in a movie theater today, would the audience panic? Why or why not?
Answers will vary but most students would likely agree that it would not cause a panic. Some audience members might
be alarmed by the magnification, but today’s audiences understand movie technology, that what is projected on the
screen is a visual image and cannot come to life.
7. What can you infer, or conclude, about early moviegoing audiences based on this story? Answers will vary.
However, if the audience was fleeing the theater in such a frightened state that many people were “bruised,” this suggests
that they thought the monster was real. Many thought this, no doubt, because the experience of going to movies and the
technology of moving images (rather than still photographs) was new for many.
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-8: The Chasers as a way to introduce students to early moving picture history.
Either read aloud or ask students to read silently. Then discuss the questions below.
Guided Discussion
1. What was vaudeville? Vaudeville was a type of entertainment popular in the 19th and early 20th century. A vaudeville
show usually featured ten acts which might range from musical performances and comedy routines to unusual feats like
fire-eating and hypnotizing.
2. Why were “chasers” shown at the end of the show as people exited? The first movies were silent. As people exited
the building noisily, they could see and enjoy the silent images.
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3. Why did most people think early movies were not worth saving? Most regarded movies as an amusement only, a fad.
Define actuality film. An actuality was a type of early documentary or nonfiction film that showed real life events, such
as a woman walking down a street or workers leaving a factory.
Share this information with students:
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Many of the early films shown as vaudeville acts were actualities. Others were “story” films with characters and conflicts.
One of the first films to tell a story was “The Great Train Robbery”(1903, directed by Edwin S. Porter). At the end of the
film, a mustached bandit stares levelly into the camera (and directly at the audience) and fires his pistol. Reportedly, many
members of the audience either screamed in terror or ducked for cover!
As film technology continued to develop in the 1920s and 1930s, including the development of sound, movies likewise
changed. The technological developments provided the opportunity for filmmakers to create new types of narratives, including
longer feature-length films, and to present these narratives in new ways, experimenting with light and camera angles.
Explain that these early films—the actualities and short story films as well as the feature documentary and fictional
narratives—are part of this country’s cultural and artistic heritage. Like the “chasers” of vaudeville, many of these early
documentary and silent story films have been lost. The films were either destroyed because no one thought they were
important enough to save, or the film stock deteriorated over time.
Close
Ask: What value might these lost films have to people living in the 21st century? Encourage discussion to focus on what the films
could reveal about our American society in the first decades of the 20th century. Not only could we see people doing everyday things and note details of dress and behavior, but we could also gain insight to what people of that time period found
funny or frightening, desirable or undesirable.
Activity B What Is Film Preservation?
Concept
Film preservation is a complicated process that involves, at minimum, three steps: locating and
acquiring endangered films; physically preserving and maintaining the endangered film; and
making the film available for public screenings.
Engage
Display
Still 1-4: The Mona Lisa. Ask students to identify the painting’s title and artist
and the date of creation. The image, which may be familiar to some but not to others, is
the Mona Lisa, an oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci began painting this portrait of
a woman from Florence in 1502 and completed it four years later.
Share this information with students:
Today, the French government owns the Mona Lisa painting and it hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. In 1911, someone
stole the painting from the wall of the museum. For two years, the investigation into the theft and the painting’s whereabouts
continued until the thief tried to sell it in Italy. He was arrested and the Mona Lisa returned to the Louvre.
Today the Mona Lisa hangs in the museum, enclosed by a climate-controlled, bulletproof glass shield. Estimates indicate the
insurance value is more than 600 million dollars.
Ask: Why is the painting encased in climate-controlled and bulletproof glass? While most might state the shield is a way to protect
the painting from being stolen again, encourage discussion to include the fragility of a work of art that is more than 500
years old. The effects of air and light and moisture could cause the painting to deteriorate.
Explain & Explore
Define film preservation. Film preservation is the process of identifying historically and culturally significant films which
are in danger of being lost or damaged through improper storage or chemical deterioration. In some instances, the
process involves restoring the film to its original format and in other instances it is repairing damage caused by natural
elements such as humidity, heat, mold, and overuse which results in tears in the film stock.
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Display
Graphic Organizer 1-8: Film Damage. Review the key points on the graphic, as suggested below.
Physical Damage
Scratches on the film surface, tears in the film, and water spots are three examples of physical damage. This type
of damage results from improper handling or storage of the film and from machine usage. Often normal usage over
time will cause “wear and tear.”
Biological Damage
Because film used in making a movie often contains a thin layer of gelatin, molds and bacteria as well as insects,
such as cockroaches, silverfish, and beetles, may feed on the film.
Chemical Reactions
The substances that make up a strip of photographic film have certain characteristics that change over time or
under certain conditions. The chemical substances in film give off gases. When these gases mix with moisture,
decomposition occurs, often rapidly. Chemical reactions can cause colors to fade, the gelatin to dry out and become
brittle, and the film to shrink or curl. Controlling humidity and temperature can slow the decomposition process.
Other substances used in film, especially film made prior to 1950, were highly flammable.
Display
Graphic Organizer 1-9: Three Steps in the Film Preservation Process. Review the key points on the
graphic and the problems which can arise, as suggested below.
1. Locate and Acquire the Endangered Film.
Endangered films may exist in some likely places (movie studios and laboratory vaults) but also some unlikely
locations as well (the attics and basements of ordinary people). Finding existing copies of films can be at times
much like a scavenger hunt. Once found, ownership of the film and copyright laws must be researched and
permission secured for preserving and distributing.
2. Physically Preserve and Maintain the Film.
Proper storage is part of the preservation process. Storing film in cool, dry vaults can slow the natural deterioration
process. Preservation also includes cleaning dirt from the film, repairing scratches and tears, restoring faded colors,
and replacing missing images and sounds.
3. Make the Film Available for Public Screenings
One of the purposes of film preservation is to make the film accessible to audiences either for pleasure or for scholarly
study. Screening films at neighborhood theaters and as part of film festivals are two ways of reaching an audience.
The film might also be made available on DVD.
Close
Return to the subject of the Engage section in this activity. Ask students to compare and contrast the efforts to preserve
artwork such as the Mona Lisa and the efforts of film historians and archivists to save endangered films. Is a film also a work
of art? Ask students to explain why they do or do not think so. Likely some students will argue that some films are better
than others, just as some paintings are valued more highly than others. Encourage students to explore what criteria they
might use to evaluate a film as not just entertainment but also something of artistic merit.
Activity C The National Film Registry
Concept
The United States Congress formed the National Film Preservation Board and the National Film Registry to safeguard the
country’s film heritage.
Engage
Share these facts with students:
1.
Only about 10 percent of the movies produced in the United States before 1929 still exist.
2.
Only by storing films in low-temperature and low-humidity environments can the natural processes of decay be
slowed. However, the majority of American films, from newsreels and documentaries to fictional narratives, do
not receive this type of care and are in critical need of preservation.
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3.
In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed into federal law the Film Preservation Act. This act gave authority to the Library
of Congress to form a National Film Preservation Board for the purpose of safeguarding and restoring the country’s
film heritage.
4.
Each year, the National Film Preservation Board selects up to 25 films for preservation or restoration. The films
must be at least 10 years old and they must be culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
5.
From 1989, when the National Film Registry was created, up until 2006, 450 films have been named to the
National Film Registry. In 1994, the Librarian of Congress added The Day the Earth Stood Still.
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Explain & Explore
Write these three terms on the chalkboard or overhead projector and discuss the meaning of each. Emphasize that films
are nominated to the National Film Registry based on these three considerations. The final decision about which films
will be added to the list is made by the Librarian of Congress after reviewing all the films nominated.
Cultural Significance
Culture encompasses the beliefs and values of a society. A culturally significant film, therefore, reveals or provides
insight into the beliefs and/or values of a society. Share these examples with students: The 1976 documentary film
Harlan County, U.S.A. by director Barbara Kopple tells the true-life story of a bitter miner's strike in Kentucky which
occurred in June 1973. The 1966 documentary film The Endless Summer by director Bruce Brown tells the true-life
story of two surfers who travel the world in search of the perfect wave. Both Harlan County, U.S.A. and The Endless
Summer are listed on the National Film Registry.
Historical Significance
Historical refers to a society’s past events. A historically significant film, however, is not necessarily a nonfiction
movie or documentary, nor need it be a film which is historically accurate. Historical significance can refer to
scientific technology, such as that used in Toy Story (1995, directed by John Lasseter), which was the first-ever
entirely computer-generated feature film. The Librarian of Congress selected Toy Story to the National Film
Registry in 2005. Historical significance can also refer to a film which provides insight into history. Film footage
of San Francisco taken in the days following the great earthquake of 1906, for example, has become historically
significant because it documents the disaster. The film San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, April 18, 1906 was also
added to the National Film Registry for preservation in 2005.
Aesthetic Significance
Aesthetic refers to artistic appreciation – that is, the qualities a society finds beautiful or pleasing. An aesthetically
significant film is one that is exemplary and considered an artistic achievement. This may be for cinematography,
set design, the use of sound or musical score, film editing, or any number of other filmmaking techniques.
For example, the 1951 musical An American in Paris (directed by Vincente Minnelli) was praised for its innovative set
design and costumes as well as its musical compositions, choreography, and Technicolor cinematography. The film’s
finale is an impressionistic "dream ballet" sequence. An American in Paris was added to the National Film Registry
in 1993.
Discuss with students why The Day the Earth Stood Still was nominated and selected to the National Film Registry.
Review each of the key points above: the film’s cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. Have students suggest
how this film was significant in each of those three ways.
Distribute
Group Activity 1-9: Researching the National Film Registry. Explain that students will work
in groups to research and discuss the merits of a single film from the National Film Registry. Teachers may wish to
encourage or assign each group a different type of film to investigate, as the National Film Registry includes not only
feature fictional narratives but also documentaries, newsreels, and home movies. Review both the Word Builder box
and the steps on the list, then allow students sufficient time to research and plan their discussion.
Allow each group to present their film to the class—either through a short presentation or through a poster or other
documentation for display in the classroom.
Close
Share, then discuss this statement, made by the Librarian of Congress in 2005, about films on the National Film Registry:
The films we choose are not necessarily either the “best” American films ever made or the most famous. But they are films
that continue to have cultural, historical or aesthetic significance—and in many cases represent countless other films also
deserving of recognition. . . . The Registry stands among the finest summations of American cinema's wondrous first century.
—James H. Billington
Prompt critical thinking by asking students to explain why, if the films aren’t “the best”, they are on the national list.
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Film Ownership and Copyright Laws
Who owns a film? Is it against the law to download a film from
the Internet, make copies and sell or give them away to friends?
Learn more about film as intellectual property and U.S. copyright
laws by visiting the Story of Movies Web site, www.storyofmovies.org
and clicking on “Film Piracy” in the Film Lesson Library.
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