To complete the discussion post assignment, each student must respond to the prompt in their own post. Discussion posts should range between 150-250 words. Students are welcome to respectfully comment on the discussion posts offered by their peers, but responses to other posts will not be graded as participation in discussion. To best respond to the prompt below, students will have to analyze details from the selected primary and secondary materials: Meek’s Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt, 2010), Levy “Introduction” from Cinema of Outsiders, and A.O. Scott “Neo-Neorealism.”
Select one scene from Meek’s Cutoff (it can be a scene we studied together or did not study together). In the scene, identify the formal elements Reichardt is taking from Italian Neorealism to present either Objective Realism or Subjective Reality. According to Mr. McKenna, Reichardt explains reality to be something more than ambiguity or authenticity. Using the formal details you address above, how does Reichardt construct/define “realism?” Then, provide an analysis explaining how these formal elements and/or approach to realism reveals the film’s major themes/commentaries (on political philosophy, social/gender dynamics, or current events at that time, etc.).
