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Lesson 2

We will be introduced to various film techniques that directors use to convey pacing, mood, characterization, and theme. We will view the prologue and Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 of the film version of Romeo and Juliet by director Franco Zeffirelli, and we will use the Film-Theme Note-Taking Tool and capture how the thematic ideas of the scenes are developed through the director’s choices.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret the film techniques and directors’ choices to deepen my understanding of visual texts?

  • Can I use connections among details, elements, and effects to make logical deductions about the purpose and meaning in the Zeffirelli film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet?

  • Can I recognize points of connection between the play Romeo and Juliet and the film adaptation to make logical, objective comparisons?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2004
  • Multimedia
    • Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli, Paramount Pictures, 1968

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Write – Discuss

We will examine key terms and prepare to view film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet.

Examine the following question:

  1. How do Zeffirelli's and Luhrmann's directorial adaptations enhance or detract from the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare?

As you obtain their definitions, add the words adapt, enhance, and detract to your Vocabulary Journal.

If someone adapts something, they modify or alter it for a new use. Adaptation is the process of being modified for a new use. With a partner, discuss the following questions:

  1. What changes might a film director make when adapting a play for the big screen?

  2. What changes might college students have to adapt to if they move into a dorm versus living at home?

To enhance something is to intensify or improve the quality of it. Discuss with a partner the following questions:

  1. What might be a way to enhance the suspense of a film or novel?

  2. What might be a way to enhance the quality of your writing?

To detract from something is to diminish its value or worth. Discuss the following with a partner:

  1. How might a film detract from the meaning of an original novel?

  2. How might a mistake detract from a person’s trustworthiness?

Activity 2: Read

We will prepare for viewing and analyzing films by examining a list of possible Director choices in film.

Film directors make decisions about how to adapt a text into film. Some audience members might feel that these choices in adaptation enhance the meaning of the text, while others may feel that they detract from the meaning of the text.

We are going to now examine the reference table on the first page of the Film-Theme Note-Taking Tool to learn what director choices we should consider when analyzing a film.

As you read, guide your thoughts with the following questions:

  1. What film elements are you already familiar with?

  2. Which film elements do you not know the meaning of?

  3. Which film elements do you think will be easiest for you to analyze?

  4. Which film elements do you think will be the most difficult to analyze?

Activity 3: View – Discuss – Write

We will view the prologue and Act 1, Scene 1 of the film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zeffirelli. We will Capture our analyses in the film-theme Note-Taking Tool.

Step 1

Keep your Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool at hand so that you can reference it.

As you view the prologue and Act 1, Scene 1, pay attention to the following director choices:

  • costumes

  • soundtrack

  • camera shots

  • acting (facial expressions and body language)

View the prologue and Act 1, Scene 1 of Zeffirelli’s film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Write down your notes in your Learning Log.

Reference the thematic ideas captured in your Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool.

Step 2

Respond to the following questions about the Zeffirelli Film Adaptation of the Prologue and Act 1 in your Learning Log:

  1. How does the director transform the source material?

  2. What thematic ideas from the text are emphasized in the film scene? Which, if any, are not?

  3. How did the director’s choices emphasize the thematic ideas? What evidence from the film supports your claim? Be sure to cite specific details from the film as evidence.

Discuss your answers as a class, taking notes in the Film-Theme Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 4: View – Discuss – Write

We will view Act 1, Scene 2 of the Zeffirelli film version of Romeo and Juliet and Capture our analyses in the film-theme Note-Taking Tool.

Step 1

As you view Act 1, Scene 2, pay attention to the director’s choices on the following:

  • acting (facial expressions and intonation)

  • location

  • soundtrack

View Act 1, Scene 2 of Zeffirelli’s film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Write down your notes in your Learning Log.

Reference the thematic ideas captured in your Text-Theme Note-Taking Tool.

Step 2

Respond to the following questions for the Zeffirelli film adaptation of Act 1, Scene 2 in your Learning Log:

  1. What thematic ideas from the text are emphasized in the film scene? Which, if any, are not?

  2. How did the director’s choices emphasize the thematic ideas? What evidence from the film supports your claim? Be sure to cite specific details from the film as evidence.

Discuss your answers with a partner, taking notes in the Film-Theme Note-Taking Tool.