Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema Lesson Plan

Watching Dietrich

Kind of Activity:

Group Discussion

Objective:

Students will perform their own analysis of a film.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.A, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1

Structure:

Mulvey often refers to Josef von Sternberg's movies starring Marlene Dietrich in the second half of the essay. She argues that these scenes not only fetishize Dietrich but also teach the viewer how to view women by showing men watching women in the film. Students will perform their own analyses in groups.

Process:

1. Break the class into groups of 3 - 4.

2. Show the class this scene from Sternberg's...