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Essay Instructions: I have a 5 question from pfof, but you can choose just two question. So, you can write 450 words for each question.

1. Compare and contrast the depiction of the "west" in RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE with either SHANE or LITTLE BIG MAN.

2. Compare and contrast the film version of LITTLE BIG MAN with the novel. Which did you prefer? why?

3. Discuss the depiction of Narative American in THE SEARCHERS and LITTLE BIG MAN. What differences do you see in these films from 1956 and 1970.

4. THE SEARCHERS is regarded by many critics and scholars as the greatest western ever made( a few even regard as the greatest American film). Do you agree or disagree with the claims to its greatness? If it is a great film, why? If it isn't, why?

5. Discuss THE BALLAS OF LITTLE JO as both a traditional and non-traditional western. Compare the depiction of woman in this film with any of the other western film. (SHANE, THE SEARCHERS, LITTLE BIG MAN)

Essay Instructions: watch the film "McCabe & Mrs. miller" director: robert altman
answer questions individually or combine in a inified response
1)how does the director use the elements of the film, such as music, photography, sets, dialogue,etc., to give the story a sense of relism? give examples from the film to explain

2) the protaganist in realist fiction is often with a moral delimma or ethicall question. what are the main conflicts, crises and contradictions for the character,mccabe? do you see him as a character faced with realist moral dilemmas or ethical questions? give examples from the film to explain

3) the image og cowboy in american popular mythology is often a macho man who defends the honor and physical well being of women and children. how is the character mccabe an "anti-hero" - the opposite of the typical, ruggared individual of the western film genre? give example from the film to explain

4)often in western film genre, the image of women is often either they are the hard working, loyal, backbone of the home and family matriarch or the prostitute with a heart of gold(good girl gone wrong,waiting for a man who will enable her to become the matriarch). in what ways does the film support and /or debunk this methology? explain and find specific example from the film to support your oppinions

5)in popular mythology, the american west has often been portrayed as realm of freedom and independence, where a hard -working,dtermined individual can carve an empire from the wilderness. in what ways does the film support and /or debunk this methology? explain and find specific examples from the film to support your opinion

6)according to critic roger ebert:"death is very final in this western, because the movie is about life. most westerns are about killing and getting killed, which means theyre not about life and death at all. we spend a lot of time in the life of a small frontier town, which goes up before our eyes out of raw, unpainted lunber and tubercular canvas tents. we get to know the town pretty well, because altman has a gift for making movies that seem to eavesdrop on activity that would have been taking place any way." how does this assessment of the film relate to the genres of local color, realism and naturalism? give examples from the film to explain