Ideas to guide your responses...

Here are some questions to guide your writing. If there is something that strikes you and it is not on the list, PLEASE feel free to write about it. Remember to fully explain your thoughts and to expand on each point that you make (clearly state your idea, bring examples, refer to the texts, and raise questions). Also, remember to include your new terminology research!

This week, you are charged with the task of writing about “Salt of the Earth" (film & reading) as well as the readings for "This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated". You are welcome to weave these together into one post, a post with two parts, or two separate posts. There are a lot of connections to be made regarding government control, social mores, as well as the socio-economic and political contexts and effects of censorship.

For “Salt of the Earth":
Now that you have seen the film you've been reading so much about, I'd like you to revisit your writing and consider it in light of the screening. I recommend that you begin with a brief synopsis of the film (something that you might like to read if you wanted to know more about a film before seeing it) and then launch into the juicier questions/issues. For example:

What stood out most for you in the film? Explain why. Be specific and relate your observations to the reading &/ other materials.
What are your thoughts on how good and evil portrayed in the film?
Discuss how the social and political climate of the time affected how the film was made and received?
Do you think there are their topics or stories that might be equally controversial today? What do you think is or could be suppressed today?
Do you think there are issues presented in the film that are still relevant today?
How does the film portray social struggle and social change?
How do you think this film affected the social and political climate (both when it was made and afterwards)?

For "This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated": You will have a chance to revisit your writing after you have seen the film, for now focus on the reading. This will give you a chance to create a strong and interesting context for when we watch the film.

Censorship and Culture:
Censorship makes a claim that what you see, hear, and experience can directly affect you. But, what is the causal relationship between the two? And, can it be easily detected or illustrated? Can you write a few sentences about what you think are the dangers of uncensored media? How do you think media affects individuals and society?

Censorship and Media Ownership:
Having seen “Salt of the Earth” and having read about the censorship of that film, what are your thoughts on the current state of film censorship? What has changed? What has remained the same? Be specific and give examples. What kind of censorship do filmmakers (and audiences) face today and what are your thoughts on its validity, justice, and efficacy? Can you please talk about the different “agendas” that different groups &/ agencies might have pushed for (in the past) and continue to demand today (i.e. big Hollywood studios, independent filmmakers/distributors, clergy, government agencies, and others). Bring in your knowledge about US censorship history. What do you think about “economic censorship” (i.e. films are not distributed because private media corporations will not release or distribute them)? Can you connect this information with ideas about what the general public can and cannot easily see?