Assessment discussion of Shall We Dansu?: The first half of class is a discussion about the camera movement in Shall We Dansu?. These questions may help prompt students:

• What were your observations about the camera movement in Shall We Dansu??
  
• How were different meanings conveyed by the different styles of camera movement?
  
• When did the camera dance with the characters? When did it not? What was the purpose for this difference?
  
• Why do you think these specific camera movements were chosen?

Since their responses should already be turned in, it will be helpful to review the students' responses. From these responses, choose particular interesting/competent portions of responses and have those students comment on what they have written.

Anticipatory set: Transition from the discussion of camera movement by asking the students to think about how the shots were framed in the films that they have already watched. The shots in Amélie utilize a variety of depths of field—some more shallow than others, while Kurosawa used quite a bit of deep focus in Rashomon. Shall We Dansu? was also fairly typical in its depth of field, mostly using selective focus. The comparison of these films should lead to a discussion about the different choices in depth of field and the meaning (or lack thereof) that derives from the depth of field. Questions such as these may help prompt discussion:

• How does the depth of field in these films differ?
  
• Considering what you have already thought about these films, what additional support or lack thereof is given by depth of field to what you have derived from these films? How is this accomplished?

This should lead into a discussion about the significance of depth of field—the meaning and connotation inherent in choosing what is in focus in the frame and what is not.

Lecture: Depth of field in a film can be deep or shallow. These different depths have different associated connotations. “Depth of field is the range of distances before the lens within which objects can e photographed in sharp focus . . . Depth of field is a property of the photographic lens, affecting what planes of the image are in focus . . . .

“If depth of field controls perspective relations by determining what planes will be in focus, what choices are open to the filmmaker? He or she may opt for what is usually called selective focus—choosing to focus on only one plane and letting the other planes blur” (Bordwell and Thompson 242).

“Before 1940 it was common Hollywood practice to shoot close-ups in selective focus, making the faces sharp and the foreground and background planes hazy . . . Sometimes objects near the camera were thrown out of focus so that the sharper middle ground would claim the viewer's attention . . . Selective focus typically draws the viewer's attention to the main character or object . . . The technique can be used for a more abstract compositional effect as well . . . .

“In Hollywood during the 1940s, partly due to the influence of Citizen Kane, Hollywood filmmakers began using faster film, shorter-focal-length lenses, and more intense lighting to yield a greater depth of field. The contract-signing scene from Citizen Kane . . . offers a famous example. This practice came to be called deep focus” (Bordwell and Thompson 269).

While selective focus is often used to direct the spectator's attention, deep focus can provide the spectator with more freedom to choose what to focus on. This is important to understand when discussing the theories of Andre Bazin, who believed that deep focus allowed for greater reality to be revealed in a film.

Discussion: After these remarks on how filmmakers choose different depths of field to direct the focus of the spectator, prompt discussion about structure by asking questions such as:

• What other films have you seen that employed significant depth of field? Was the focus depth shallow or deep?
  
• How did the depth of field direct your focus? How did this affect you? What meaning did it convey in the film?
  

Classroom practice: This discussion should prepare the class for the next segment of the lecture, in which the class will watch a clip from Shall We Dansu? and a clip from Citizen Kane. The clip from Shall We Dansu? should help to reinforce camera movement as well as introducing the concept of selective focus. By comparing this clip to Citizen Kane (specifically the contract-signing scene), students should be able to compare the different depths of field.

To prepare the students, inform them that you will be watching a clip from Shall We Dansu? to build on their initial approach to the film by looking for something new. This time they will be looking for depth of field in the film. In addition, prepare them to watch the clip from Citizen Kane by encouraging them to look for the multiple planes of action that are observed in the clip.

Check for understanding: After showing the clip, have students share their observations about depth of field and the meanings/messages conveyed through it. These questions may help to prompt discussion:

• Can you describe the different depths of field in these clips?
  
• Drawing from what you know about Shall We Dansu? having seen it, on what is the spectator supposed to focus and why?
  
• How is this different in Citizen Kane? Why?
  

Introduction of The Scent of Green Papaya: The practice with Shall We Dansu? and Citizen Kane should prepare the students to observe different depths of field in The Scent of Green Papaya, the film that they will watch during the week. Background information: The Scent of Green Papaya was made in 1993. It was written and directed by Tran Anh Hung, who was born in Vietnam but moved to France with his family when he was an early teen. His films, including this one deal quite a bit with what it means to be Vietnamese and how war helped shape this identity and the country itself. Though set in Vietnam, The Scent of Green Papaya was actually shot in a French studio, which adds an interesting layer of irony to the entire film.

In the film, the main character, Mui (which actually means “scent” in Vietnamese), is a servant girl who works in the home of a Vietnamese family. The story takes place in two different times. The first portion of the film is set in 1951, when Vietnam is under French occupation. Then, the second portion of the film is set ten years later in 1961. The film shows how Mui changes over the years and yet how she remains fresh like green papaya. In the film, Mui falls in love and eventually ends up finding happiness with a man, even though there remain unanswered questions. There are some very poignant scenes that are shot in deep focus, placing a specific importance on the multiple planes of action that are all in focus.

Film clip: After setting up the film, show a clip from the film itself. During the film, there is a scene when Mui is on the stairs that lead up to the grandmother's room. She sits on the stairs in the foreground listening as the mother speaks with the grandmother in another plane of action. This is a good introduction to depth of field, specifically deep focus allowing for multiple planes of action. Follow up the clip by asking students to share their observations about the depth of field in the clip. This should help them be prepared to look for depth of field as they watch the film on their own.

Closure: This discussion should lead into a wrap-up about depth of field—selective focus and deep focus. Re-emphasize the importance of how specific choices of what to put in focus create meaning in addition to the other elements of the film. Introduce the assessment assignment.

Each student will write a 1-2 page response paper to their out-of-class screening of The Scent of Green Papaya, focusing their remarks on the depth of field in the film. The response papers should be turned in before the next class. Also, the first half of the next class will be a discussion about The Scent of Green Papaya for which they should be prepared.

Written by Brett Stifflemire.