Paper #1 Assignment Nosferatu by F. W. Murnau

Spring 2026 Paper #1 Assignment Due Date: Wednesday, February 25 by 11:59 p.m., submitted via Turnitin on the course Moodle website Approximate length: 1500 words (roughly 5 double-spaced pages). Percentage of Grade: 30% During our class session on Thursday, February 19, we will screen F. W. Murnaus Nosferatu (Germany, 1922), which was placed on the Moodle website for viewing on Thursday, February 12. Your assignment is to watch the film and then write an essay of approximately 1500 words in which you answer BOTH of the following questions. 1) Murnau made Nosferatu when Expressionist films were being produced in his home country of Germany and Impressionist films were being made in neighboring France. Soviet Montage cinema did not yet exist. Please analyze the extent to which Murnau appears to make use of techniques that characterize the German Expressionist and French Impressionist movements, and discuss how these techniques are used to tell Nosferatus story. For Expressionism, is Murnau making a full-blown expressionist film (in the manner of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), or is the style more akin to the toneddown, expressive approach found in his later The Last Laugh? What are some key examples, and how does the films use of such techniques aid the story and affect the audience? For Impressionism, which technique(s) resemble Impressionism, when can they be found, and how do these choices affect the audiences experience with the story? 2) Please re-watch the four-minute clip posted on Moodle, paying particular attention to moments when the shots alternate between Nosferatus castle and Ellen back at home (or vice versa). Of the editing techniques weve covered in the course, which term do you feel best describes this type of editing? Why do you feel this is the case? Why might Murnau have selected this kind of editing at this moment in the story? In other words, how does this editing choice aid the story and affect the audience? General tips -This is a short (five-page) paper designed to help you a) demonstrate your mastery of a variety of stylistic concepts that emerged during the silent era, and b) show your understanding of how such concepts function within a larger film. For question number one in particular, your goal should be to make choices about what you feel are especially important techniques found the film, while providing enough examples and explanations to demonstrate that you understand what those techniques are and how they function in this movie. In other words, you do not need to identify every pertinent technique, but you should be giving me sufficient details for the techniques you DO select to prove to me that you understand them. -A good general rule of thumb for introductory-level formal analysis is to make sure that for the techniques you describe, you are 1) identifying a technique, 2) arguing that it has a particular effect on the viewer, and 3) explaining why the technique has that effect. You may need to do 2 other things as well depending on the prompt (such as tying a technique to a particular movement), but these three items should be present. Format: This is entirely up to you. You may divide your essay into separate responses to the two questions, you may vary the order of the questions, or you may write a single essay that responds to both questions. What matters most is that you adequately address both sets of questions in your essay. Your grade will not be affected by which format you choose. Please also note that while you should provide one or more thesis statements (depending on how you structure the essay), you neednt devote space to a lengthy introduction or conclusion. Jump in quickly and start analyzing! A Note on the Page Length: I am requesting a paper of approximately 1500 words. You may go a bit over, or under, this if you wish, but please do your best to stick close to this total. Please do NOT exceed 2000 words. A Note on Writing Style: Your goal here should be to communicate your ideas as clearly as possible. Clear writing is not only a mark of intelligence, but it enables others to better engage with your ideas. Proper grammar, spelling, and well-constructed sentences help you present your points more effectively, so these elements could factor into your grade. A Note on Secondary Sources: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate your ideas about and your understanding ofsilent-era techniques. You may consult sources other than course readings if you wish. However, I do not recommend doing this, and it is certainly not needed to receive a top grade. If you DO choose to consult other sources (including internet sources), please remember to 1) focus the bulk of the paper on your ideas, and 2) give credit to any idea that you read elsewhere (not doing so is considered cheating and is grounds for failing the course). Please also do not make any use of Artificial Intelligence on this paper. The paper needs to reflect your understanding of course concepts, your ideas, and your writing. Using AI is grounds for failing the course. In sum: remember, the purpose of the paper is to prove to me that you: Can identify important stylistic features of a film Can link those stylistic elements to particular film movements or existing editing strategies Can advance plausible claims for why stylistic choices are made at particular moments in a film Can assess how an isolated clip can fit within the larger narrative goals of a film Good luck! Im looking forward to reading your work

PLEASE ANALYSE ONLY OFF OF VIDEO PROVIDED NOT OFF YOUTUBE. short clip = mins: 29.05-33.21

if unable to see vid pls reach out