This section of an exam paper assesses students' knowledge and understanding of film as an audio-visual form of creative expression and its contexts of production and reception. Students must demonstrate their ability to analyze and compare films in terms of narrative, genre, representation, themes and how films reflect the times in which they were produced. The question will require students to compare and contrast two American films from the same genre or dealing with a specific theme in relation to narrative, context and representation. Past exam questions have focused on key themes, genre conventions, contextual knowledge and place.

1. Section C: US Cinema
Comparative Study
ROBERT MULLIGAN, 1962 JOEL SCHUMACHER, 1996
Two films must be chosen from a specific
genre or dealing with a specific theme. The
two films should enable sufficient
comparison and contrast to be made

2. What does this section of the exam
paper assess?
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of film
as an audio-visual form of creative expression
together with its contexts of production and
reception and of the diversity in filmmaking across
different historical periods
• Be able to understand and discuss how film
communicates and create links to circumstances
surrounding the film production and observe
differences according to the time when the film was
made

3. What does this section of the exam
paper assess?
• Apply knowledge and understanding, including
some of the common critical approaches that
characterise the subject, when exploring and
analysing films
• Be able to understand and discuss the structure and
style of film and how that gives meaning, also to be
able to understand and discuss the ideological
messages being communicated

4. Section C: US Cinema Comparative
Study
• Candidates are required to answer one question
from a choice of two. Candidates are required to
compare and contrast two films either from the
same genre or dealing with a specific theme. Both
questions will have an emphasis on the relationship
between aspects of the films' narrative in relation to
generic characteristics. The first question will be
based primarily on narrative study. The second will
be based on contextual study. Issues of
representation will be common to both questions.

5. US Cinema
Comparative Study
1. Compare the ways in which key themes in your chosen American films are presented.
2. With reference to your chosen American films, compare the extent to which their messages and values
reflect the times in which they were made
3. How important is place in contributing to key themes in the American films you have studied for this
topic?
4. Discuss similarities and differences in the representation of masculinity in your chosen American films.
5. How far do the American films you have studied for this topic depend on well established narrative
and/or genre conventions?
6. How far do the American films you have studied for this topic express similar messages and values to
one another?
7. Compare the ways in which narrative is used to create dramatic conflict in the American films you have
studied for this topic
8. How far do your chosen American films portray themes and ideas in similar ways?
TWO QUESTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM
• Narrative Study
• Contextual Study
Issues of representation will be common
to both questions

6. PAST EXAM QUESTIONS
• When looking at these questions it’s apparent that your knowledge of the
films must cover:
• Key themes/ Messages and Values
• Narrative and Genre Conventions
• Contextual Knowledge (place and time)
• Representation

7. Start comparing
1. Who are the main protagonists in each film? Compare and contrast
them
2. What other characters are important in the film?
3. What key themes do you think both films share? E.g. Justice & The Law
4. TKAM was set in the 1930s what was happening in America at this time?
5. Films often reflect the time they were made – TKAM was made in 1962
what was happening in America at this time?
6. Two big criminal cases in the 1990s involved O.J. Simpson and Rodney
King – find out about these cases and propose how links can be made to
ATTK
7. Where are the films set? Why is this important to what occurs in the
narrative of each film?
8. How are the themes you have listed communicated to you?
9. How do the themes help to communicate massages values?

8. Robert Mulligan, 1962 Joel Schumacher, 1996
When watching the films keep in mind the
questions you have written down and also write
down ‘timeline notes’