Overview
Welcome to Module 2, and congratulations on successfully completing Module 1! There was quite a bit of information in those lessons, and I hope that you feel a sense of satisfaction that you have made it through and are moving on. I hope that it helped you build a reasonably strong foundation in the fields of energy and sustainability. There is a LOT more to learn (an infinite amount, really), but it should have provided you with a lot of the tools you will need to critically analyze sustainability- and energy-themed works.
In this Lesson, you will apply the knowledge that you have gained in Module 1 to analyze a movie. Movies tell stories and give messages, and like written and verbal stories, they can (and almost certainly do) contain rhetorical devices. Sometimes, the message can be sustainability-centric, whether sustainability plays a subtle or prominent role. Movies are much more likely to have mass popular appeal than books. Think about it - when is the last time a book was a major news item, in the way movies like Barbie, Oppenheimer, Black Panther, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Schindler's List, or Titanic have been? For better or worse, movies are probably the most widely consumed story-telling medium today, and so offer a great opportunity to get one's message "out there."
In this module, you will apply your now well-honed critical analysis tools and sustainability and rhetorical knowledge to the analysis of a movie. You will watch Interstellar, a very prominent movie that was released in November of 2014. This has proven to be a very popular movie, grossing more than $675,000,000 worldwide! It also won an Oscar for "Best Achievement in Visual Effects," and was nominated for four other Oscars. Contributing to its mass appeal is the fact that it stars prominent actors and actresses, including Matthew McConaughey (the McConnaisance continues!), Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and the legendary Michael Caine, and was directed by Christopher Nolan of Batman and Inception (and now Oppenheimer), fame. As you will see, sustainability - in particular, the ability of the earth to sustain life - plays a central role in this movie, which is one reason it was chosen for analysis. While the movie is about10 years old at this point, it is an ideal movie to analyze because the sustainability issue is sufficiently prominent, yet inspecific, which allows for multiple interpretations. It has also aged well, in my humble opinion.
I want you to think critically about the movie as you watch it, especially with regards to how the content relates to sustainability (all 3 E's) and the ability of humans to live within the ecological limits of the planet while maintaining and/or establishing a reasonable quality of life for the people on Earth. It is important that you think as objectively as possible, trying to see past preconceived ideas and consider the science behind the story and the rhetorical devices used. I strongly suggrest that you look at the discussion prompt for this lesson before you begin watching because it will indicate key pieces of information to focus on. Also, keep in mind as you watch this movie how you can apply some of the techniques in your Final Project.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- apply sustainability concepts to the analysis of the movie;
- critically analyze claims made in the movie; and
- assess the effectiveness of the rhetorical content of the movie.
Required Reading/Viewing
- Watch the movie Interstellar. This is provided for free to all Penn State students through the PSU library! There is a link on the left side of your course page.. This is also available in many DVD kiosks (e.g., Redbox, if that's still a thing), can be purchased from Amazon (and other retailers), and is available for digital viewing on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, and more. It may even be available at your local library.
- Suggested: Review key concepts in Module 1.
What is due this lesson?
Your assignment is to watch the movie, then post to Yellowdig, preferably using the prompts.
| Requirement | Submission Location |
|---|---|
| Yellowdig discussion board (suggested discussion prompt provided) | Canvas - Modules tab > Lesson 6 |
Questions?
If you have any general course questions or questions about this lesson's content, please post them to our HAVE A QUESTION? discussion forum located under the Modules tab. I will check that discussion forum regularly to respond as appropriate. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses and comments if you are able to help out a classmate. If you have a question but would like to remain anonymous to the other students, email me.
If you have something related to the material that you'd like to share, feel free to post to the Yellowdig forum.