Comparative Study Process

1. FILM Choices List

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Which films are you considering for your final Comparative Study? List as many as you wish below as part of an initial brainstorm. Remember that you must select ​​TWO​​ films from contrasting cultural contexts for this task.e.g. CITIZEN KANE Year, Country, and Director of the film. e.g. 1941, USA, Dir: Orson Welles
Roma 2018, Mexico, Dir: Alfonso Cuarón
Parasite 2019, South Korea, Dir: Bong Joon-ho
IP man 2008, Hong Kong, Dir: Wilson Yip

2. Areas of FILM FOCUS

Film Focus Possibility – identify the broad focus area and then add specifics (e.g. “THEORY – Auteur theory” or “GENRE – Horror”). Develop at least THREE options…you can create more by adding more rows. Justification for this Film Focus. Be as specific as possible.
Class Struggle In each film, the characters deal with the struggle of their own class. In Roma, Cleo deals with the constant state of being a part of and apart from the family she works with.
Marxist theory Each film deals with the imbalance of economic systems and how they are affecting the people and social dynamics of the plot.
Visual Inequality In both Parasite and Roma, the directors use height and structure differences to create visual contrast between classes and castes.

3. Chosen CULTURAL CONTEXT

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For this assessment task, “cultural context” involves consideration of some of the following factors, some of which may be blended (such as socioeconomic factors).

  • Economic, Geographical, Historical, Institutional, Political, Social, Technological
Identify at least TWO Cultural Context possibilities for your chosen films.
 Justification for this Cultural Context. Be as specific as possible.
Socioeconomic All the films are about economic disparity, Ip man is living in occupied china with the Japanese looming over daily life, making prestigious people such as IP man himself work in coal mines, In Roma, Cleo works as a nanny for a middle class family who is oblivious to her or the students social struggles as proletariat class people. In Parasite, the Kims are highly cunning people but their economic fortune forces them to stay impoverished, while their social status causes them to lack opportunities to use their brilliance without conning their way into an advantageous position.
Political The class disparity in South Korea portrayed in Parasite drives a parasitic lifestyle that doesn’t leave room for everybody. The occupation of China by Japan causes the main conflict and turmoil in the movie, forcing the Wing-Chun master, Ip Man, to use his defensive fighting for offensive purposes which goes against his own moral code. In Roma, the struggles of the lower class vs the upper and middle class is strong. The people of the lower class such as Cleo witness this when a middle-class child carelessly talks about a kid being shot by the military in the street.

4. RESEARCH QUESTION Possibilities

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Consolidate your thoughts above and develop at least ​THREE​​ different research question possibilities. More are possible by adding additional rows to the table below. FYI these will be shared with the full class for discussion of strengths and weaknesses.

Your Chosen Area of Film Focus Topic for Comparative Study (written as a research question)
Class Struggle How do the films Roma and Parasite portray classist imbalance?
Marxist Theory To what extent do the films Roma and Parasite equality using the concepts of marxist theory?
Political turmoil To What Extent do the films Roma and Parasite attempt to capture the political discord to their own respects?

 

5. Final Decisions

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Using your topic options in the table above, select ​ONE​​ to be your final topic for this Comparative Study task. NOTE: There are examples from the IB of what this should look like below this table.

Your Chosen Area of Film Focus Film 1 Film 2 Contrasting Cultural Context The topic for the Comparative Study practice task (written as a research question)
Marxist Theory Parasite Roma Socioeconomic How do the films Roma and Parasite use Marxist theory to portray socioeconomic classist imbalance?

6. Developing Your Topic

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Develop 3-5 main arguments that can be made about your topic based on your research question and chosen film focus. Brainstorm how you could support these arguments within your video essay.
Parasite describes a classist imbalance of opportunity rather than skill. The Kim family are all exceedingly talented but they lack opportunity due to their social class. The Kim family is shown being adept at all their jobs they inevitably obtain, however they only can obtain them by conning their way into the opportunity.
Roma shows the ignorance of the happy Mexican middle-class in the polarized social setting of 1970s Mexico using Cleo as a tool to demonstrate indifference. Parasite on the other hand uses stark movement tied seamlessly in with its plot to show the imbalance in the lives of the rich and poor. The middle class in Mexico was ignorant of the struggles of the lower class while the government was massacring civilians in a dirty war on their own people. At the beginning of the film, one of the kids brings up military personnel shooting a kid in the head immediately met by the mom dismissing it easily. Parasite
Parasite shows the stereotypically good family traits of the poorer Kim family in contrast with the family dynamic of the parks. In Roma, Cleo is treated as part of and apart from the family that she works for at all times. During Parasite, the Kims are close together and work with each other to help each other out while the parks are isolated, distant, and relatively utilitarian in their family dynamic. In Roma, the family around Cleo treats her as they would treat an object. When the family is in a good mood, particularly the mom, Cleo is given smiles and treated with respect, However, When the mom is upset she is rough with Cleo and uses her as an outlet for her anger. Because of Cleos’ lower economic status, he is treated however the family feels like treating her. Similarly to this, In parasite, the Kim’s are reminded that they are not friends or family of the parks even if they can be treated as such. Mr. Park tells Mr. Kim that he is getting paid extra to do extra after Mr. Kim shows a disgruntled attitude toward the party show he was asked to perform in.
No matter what, because the lower class is economically dependent on the upper class, they can never be equal. In Parasite and Roma, it is equally demonstrated how reliant equality is based on economic standing. The Kim’s are never treated as human beings even if they are kind to them. Mr. Park  grimaces from Mr. Kim’s smell while he holds a dying woman in his hands. This is metaphoric of the unmaskable trace of Mr. Kim’s poverty and where he comes from. Despite anything, Mr. Park expects him to serve him and is disgusted by his inner essence and character because he is a servant and will never have the same level of importance as Mr. Park or his family.
No matter what, the servant will always be the servant no matter how loved or essential. Additionally, Roma depicts the same scenario. Despite saving Sofia’s kids from drowning even though she couldn’t swim, Cleo will never fully be a part of the family even IF they all love her. While she stalls and sits she will eventually be asked to retrieve something, While she plays with the children and truly listens eventually Sofia though usually absent, will command Cleo to go back to being a servant and let her use her kids as outlets, not as actual responsibilities or relationships. Despite connecting and risking her life, Cleo will always go back to her isolated servants quarters far up and away from the family.

7. Selecting Supporting Evidence (Primary)

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Identify at least 15 scenes from your chosen films that will help support the arguments you have outlined above. Screen clip a frame from each scene below. Write notes about how this scene helps support your argument. (These notes will help form your voice-over narration.)

*Add more rows as needed.

8. Selecting Supporting Evidence (Secondary)

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Identify at least 3-5 secondary sources (articles, books, websites, video essays, etc.) which provide information that help support your arguments being made. In this column include the specific source citations. Summarize the detailed information from the secondary source that you can use in this column. (You can copy+paste if they are from online sources.)

*Add more rows as needed.

 

9. Writing Your Narration

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Using the information, scene choices, and external sources you have compiled in steps 6-8, you will now write your voiceover narration and match it up to your chosen visual examples.

Length (</= 10 Minutes)

  • For the final Comparative Study, your narration should be no longer than 10 minutes in length.

Remember that you need to:

“The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.” Karl Marx believed in the unstoppable and rightful power of the proletariat. In film, Marxist theory focuses on the struggle between classes.  Marx described the struggle as being “the real battle lines drawn… between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots,’ between the bourgeoisie—those who control the world’s natural, economic, and human resources—and the proletariat, the majority of the global population who live in substandard conditions and who have always performed the manual labor—the mining, the factory work…that fills the coffers of the rich.”

 Parasite describes a classist imbalance of this unequaled opportunity rather than one based on individual value of skills. The Kim family are all exceedingly talented, but they lack opportunity due to their social class. The Kim family is shown as being adept at all their jobs they inevitably obtain; however, they only can obtain them by conning their way into the opportunity.

Roma shows the ignorance of the happy Mexican middle-class in the polarized social setting of 1970s Mexico using Cleo as a tool to demonstrate indifference. Her day to day routine is long, with the opening scene of her washing the floor nearly a minute and thirty seconds. It is the lack of visual movement following the family in the film that removes any sense of urgency by making us watch and wait for her. Parasite, on the other hand, uses stark movement tied seamlessly in with its plot to show the imbalance in the lives of the rich and poor. The Kims are always ducking and standing lower than the Parks. The Kim family aids and compensates for the shortcomings of the Park family, yet they are awarded with much less. Marxist theory takes issue against the concept that “the idea that the poor are poor simply because they have not applied themselves” as we see in Parasite, The Kim’s apply themselves more than the Parks ever do, but they remain the subordinates.

 

At the beginning of Roma, one of the kids brings up military personnel shooting a kid in the head, which is immediately met by the mom dismissing it easily. The camera pans slowly across rooms and takes its time with each task as if it is all real. Parasite takes an abruptly different approach. When the storm comes, the Park’s are minorly inconvenienced, shown having to come home to a lavish meal and a house in a contrast series of long shots to the previous chaos of the Kim family. The design of the Park’s house always shows them going up confidently, just as they do back from their camping trip. The Kims must go down as long as they are not serving the Parks. When the storm comes, the Kims are in a place of comfort, lounging and drinking in the Parks house high above the city. and must go into their underground house to rescue their belongings. The contrast between the Park’s and the Kim’s predicaments is evident with every move of the characters. The Parks move confidently and deliberately, the Kim’s move hastily and abruptly.

Parasite shows the stereotypically good family traits of the more impoverished Kim family in contrast with the Park’s family dynamics. The In Roma, Cleo is treated as part of and apart from the family that she works for at all times.

During Parasite, the Kims are close and work together to help each other out; and often appearing close together and synergized, shown excellently in the montage of the plot to remove the housemaid. while the Parks are isolated, appearing physically distanced in each shot and relatively utilitarian in their family dynamic. Mr.Park expresses his lack of love for his wife, and the whole family seems to collide with each other more often than correspond. In Roma, the family around Cleo treats her as they would treat an object. When the family is in a good mood, particularly Sofia, Cleo is given smiles and treated with respect, closer to the center in each shot. However, when the mom is upset, she is rough with Cleo and uses her as an outlet for her anger, taking the children away and forcing Cleo to the outside of the frame. Because of Cleos’ lower economic status, she is treated however the family feels like treating her. Similarly to this, in Parasite, the Kims are reminded that they are not friends or family of the Parks even if they can be treated as such. Mr. Park tells Mr. Kim that he is getting paid extra to do extra after Mr. Kim shows a disgruntled attitude towards being asked to perform in a show at a party. Despite any respect for the Kim family, the Park family in a dominant class will always hold the Kim family as their subordinate.

No matter what, because the lower class is economically dependent on the upper class, they can never be equal.

In Parasite and Roma, it is equally demonstrated how reliant equality is based on economic standing. The Kim’s are never treated as human beings even if they are kind to them. Mr. Park grimaces from Mr. Kim’s smell while he holds a dying woman in his hands. This is metaphoric of the non-maskable trace of Mr. Kim’s poverty and where he comes from. Despite anything, Mr. Park expects him to serve him and is disgusted by his inner essence and character because he is a servant and will never have the same level of importance as Mr. Park or his family. The only way he can ever truly be free is when he is acting according to his need. Mr. Kim is only free when he takes the knife and stabs Mr. Park, freeing himself from the power he held over him; but losing his freedom as a wanted criminal.

No matter what, the servant will always be the servant, no matter how loved or essential.

Additionally, Roma depicts the same scenario. Despite saving Sofia’s kids from drowning even though she couldn’t swim, Cleo will never fully be a part of the family even if they all love her. While she stalls and sits, she will eventually be asked to retrieve something, While she plays with the children and truly listens; ultimately, Sofia, though usually absent, will command Cleo to go back to being a servant and let her use her kids as outlets, not her dutiful responsibilities or relationships. Despite connecting and risking her life, Cleo will always go back to her isolated servants’ quarters far up and away from the family. In both Parasite and Roma, the Servants are treated as underclass citizens. Throughout Roma, Cleo is constantly reminded of this. Whenever she is in a positive position, she is degraded for being a servant or talked around like she is an animal. Cleo is never given the respect that she gives others, even though she gives all the care and energy she can to make the best of all situations thrown at her throughout the whole film. 

Throughout Parasite, the Kim’s are talked about like replaceable machinery. Although they inherently did wrong to get to their positions, they are skilled and perform exceptionally well in their roles just as Marx urged the proletariat to take their right. The Parks, however, only expect the worst from them. As Cuaron has stated, “Mexico is a country in which it’s impossible to go through Mexico and not to see contradictions all the time, and not to see the most amazing, beautiful places; and the most beautiful expressions of generosity together with misery and atrocity.” This generosity is given to Cleo, but it is also just as easily taken. Cleo is treated as a tool for the people around her to use, and Inevitably always will be as long as she continues to just accept the demands of all those around her.

Which Visual Evidence/Scenes line up to this part of the narration? Voiceover Narration Ideas

Formatting Guidelines

Screenshot from Celtx.com

10. Assembling the Comparative Study

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Now you will collect all media resources needed for the task and construct your video essay.

REQUIRED STEPS

  • Import the digital copy of your chosen films into editing software
  • Identify and extract chosen scenes and clips
  • Place and edit clips into a rough timeline for your video essay
  • Record audio narration (both partners should participate in narrating this practice task)
    into an audio file using recording equipment (Zoom recorders, iPhone, DSLR Rode video
    mic, etc.)
  • Import your recorded narration audio file into your project timeline
  • Assemble, edit and fine-tune clips and narration until your video essay takes shape
  • Create and add any required textual information in the timeline (including black slate at the start)
  • Audio mixing of narration and movie clips (adjust levels so that narration and movie sounds complement each other)
  • Export the final video essay movie file
    • Upload Unlisted draft to YouTube for peer review

11. Create Works Cited

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  • Create Works Cited list separately (Google Doc)

Examples of Possible Task Components

Area of film focus Film 1 Film 2 A possible topic for comparative study
Film movement: German Expressionism The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Edward Scissorhands (1990) How and with what effect are specific film elements of German expressionism used within a chosen contemporary film?
Film movement: French New Wave Breathless (1960) Badlands (1973) The influence of the French New Wave on New Hollywood’s use of innovative film elements in its representation of youth and violence.
Film genre and film style: Black comedy No. 3 (1997) The Big Lebowski (1998) To what extent do “black comedy” films differ according to cultural context?
Film theory: Soviet Montage Battleship Potemkin (1925) Koyaanisqatsi (1982) To what extent are specific features of Soviet montage theory faithfully employed in a contemporary experimental film?

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