Short Paper 3 (View your choice of film): Saturday Night Fever (1977); Taxi Driver (1976); Mrs. America (a 2020 miniseries about Phyllis Schlafly). (Note: Saturday Night Fever contains a rape scene; Taxi Driver is quite violent and involves child prostitution ). Choose one you have not seen before and really watch it carefully!
Write a brief summary of the film. What themes in this movie did Shulman discuss? What were some aspects of 1970s culture and politics you noticed that Schulman might not have mentioned? How can you connect the film to people, events, and cultural trends of the 70s? Pay attention to details of plot, character, costume, and set to answer these questions.
Optional discussion questions:
Saturday Night Fever: What kind of family and neighborhood does Tony live in? What has changed for these people by the mid 70s? What does Tony aspire to? How is Tony different from most disco creators and fans? How do you think the movie’s reception at the time was different from how we might remember or perceive the movie today?
Taxi Driver: Is Travis Bickle a hero? How is the viewer supposed to feel about him and his actions? How is the city portrayed in this film? What had been happening in US cities in the years before the 1970s? How do you think the movie’s reception at the time was different from how we might remember or perceive the movie today?
“Mrs. America:” How is Schlafly’s career path contrasted with her opposition to the ERA? How does she build support and connections? How does our present context affect the director’s presentation of Phyllis Schlafly and the feminist characters?
