This pack has been designed for the updated EDUQAS Film Studies specification; first teaching SEPTEMBER 2023
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This pack contains 1 52-slide PowerPoint presentation, and an accompanying 23-page student booklet
This lesson has been designed to cover the key social and political contexts surrounding the production of *Alien. *
1 - starter task - students to discuss then share/debate their own readings of the film
**2 - Starter Task 2 **- Students to review their own knowledge of 1970s America - feedback
**CONTEXT: 1970s USA was a time of immense upheaval across all levels of society **
Major social/political issues are listed and discussed
Key social issues relating to the study of the film are highlighted and reinforced here
Discussion about the use of CORPORATIONS as antagonist in 70s/80s ‘liberal science fiction films’ - establishes that Alien was part of larger trend that tapped in to social issues of the time
CONTEXT continued:
GLOBALISATION - defined and discussed
Consequence of GLOBALISATION on the US workforce/economy
Rise of corporations
Union busting / anti-union sentiment and action
Strikes and calls for workers rights dominate the era
Rise of NEOLIBERALISM as a formative force in US society
FILM ANALYSIS
Task - students reflect on their new contextual knowledge; create mind-map of all elements of Alien that link to, comment up or reflect these social issues
Analysis - Part 1 - The Nostromo - Workplace of the Future
Analysis of the film’s opening sequences
Student analysis task
Feedback with students - detailed notes are included in the PowerPoint to help students develop and consolidate their learning
What do the academics say? - a series of quotes from academic papers that reinforce and support our reading of the film
Analysis - Part 2 - Character introduction -
Student scene anlaysis - Breakfast / roles within the organisation
**Identify key themes that are established: **workers pay, exploitation, bonuses, working conditions!
Feedback with students - detailed notes are included in the PowerPoint to help students develop and consolidate their learning
**Character types/roles - **
Several short scenes are chosen and analysed. Extracts from the screenplay are highlighted, with specific links between character dialogue/characterisation and contextual issues studied earlier
Discussion of each crew member; their role and what they represent within the NEOLIBERAL structure of the CORPORATION
Analysis Part 3 - Character types
A discussion and break down of each character’s role on The Nostromo - a look at how each crew member represents a different type of worker
Ripley as ‘the perfect worker’
Analysis Part 4 - The Xenmorph
Xenomorph - scene analysis
Representation of ‘physical emodiment of the Corporation’s greed’
Analysis Part 5 - Ripley
Detailed analysis of Ripley from a feminist perspective - all points linked to contextual issues re: 2nd wave feminism
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This was a great resource - I modified the slideshows to customise the information for my students, and there were a few small errors/broken links. But in terms of the analysis and breakdowns of key scenes, this was a fantastic overview of the different "readings" of the film, and the contextual information was really useful.
So very helpful in my first year teaching of this film - thank you so much! You tube links missing? References to ideas like the monstrous feminine would be helpful as we discussed the gender of the Alien and idea of Predator as male.
Very detailed, comprehensively researched which has saved me hours and hours! I may split this into Representation/narrative using the Ripley slides towards the end. But there are some spelling mistakes, some repetition of the same things in places, the full slide video of someone being interviewed in the Ripley section has been removed from YouTube. Definitely worth checking it through to get it perfect. I have bought your other Alien lessons so will review as I start to use them.
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£15.00