YOU MUST HWVE WATCHED THE FILM ATLANTIC CITY BY LOUIS MALLE IN 1980
In what ways can both the city itself and the people within be seen as simultaneously dying and being reborn in Louis Malle’s 1980 film Atlantic City? Direct references to specific scenes from the film are required. The use of two outside sources is required, one on the film itself and one on urban revitalization. An MLA works cited page is required. One peer review is required.
Basic Requirements:
* The essay must have a total of five paragraphs (intro, three bodies, conclusion)
* The essay must utilize a total of three sources: The film itself, an outside source based on the film and an outside source based on urban revitalization
* There has to be at least one quotation from each of the outside sources, in addition to references from specific scenes from the film
* The essay has to have a clear thesis and points
* There must be an MLA works cited page with at least three entries (the film and two outside sources)
What you can do for this essay that you cannot do in more traditional ones:
* Change the question! We will be coming up with alternative questions about the film during group work, so if you don’t like the question listed above, feel free to choose one of the others – or another that is not suggested in class! That said, if you’re okay with the more traditional question above, feel free to use it for your essay.
* Change the essay type! While we have been concentrating on standard persuasive essays up to this point, there are many other types of essays: Descriptive, narrative, division and classification, cause and effect, just to name a few.
* Change the diction! In more traditional essays, you usually have to stick to a more academic form of writing. Here, you can make use of such concepts as slang, first person, personal reflection, etc.
* This list is not meant to be exhaustive. If you have further suggestions, I’d love to hear them!
Sources on the Film
* https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-atlantic-city-1980
* https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/03/movies/screen-atlantic-city-louis-malle-ghost-story.html
* https://hollywoodsuite.ca/atlantic-city/
* https://schusteratthemovies.blogspot.com/2013/01/atlantic-city-1980.html
* https://wildfiremotionpictures.com/2018/11/29/classic-movie-of-the-week-atlantic-city-1980/
* https://cinephiliabeyond.org/atlantic-city/ –
* https://thefilmstage.com/the-atlantic-city-story-review-a-quietly-profound-character-study-from-terrence-malick-collaborator-henry-butash/#:~:text=Despite%20a%20relatively%20unassuming%20title,City%20as%20a%20possible%20escape
Sources on Urban Revitalization
* https://www.britannica.com/topic/urban-renewal
* https://law.shu.edu/clinics/urban-revitalization.html
* https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol9/iss4/3/
* https://www.loc.gov/item/sn89053699/
* https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89053699/
* https://dlg.usg.edu/records?collection_record_id=dlg_ghn&f%5Bsubject_facet%5D%5B%5D=Atlanta+%28Ga.%29–Newspapers&only_path=true&per_page=10&range%5Byear_facet%5D%5Bbegin%5D=1900&range%5Byear_facet%5D%5Bend%5D=1924&sort=year+asc
* https://www.atlantahousing.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2015.0005-Urban-Renewal-Program-records.pdf
* https://journalistsresource.org/economics/legacy-cities-challenges-opportunities-urban-regeneration/
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Atlanta
* https://www.visitatlanticcity.com/about-atlantic-city/whats-new/development-infrastructure/
* https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/urban-revitalization-transforming-underutilized-areas
Traditional Question
Atlantic City: Dying and Thriving Chart
Atlantic City Characters
Atlantic City is in the midst of gentrification. Lou: In Lou’s prime he was a small-time crook affiliated with the mob. As he grew older and mob activity diminished, he fell further from his prime. He runs a small numbers game for the impoverished people of Atlantic City.
• He first becomes rejuvenated after meeting Sally’s husband and handling large amounts of cocaine.
• He forms a connection with Sally, leading to the two sleeping together, and Lou once again being rejuvenated.
• He is reminded of his age and the fact that he is past his prime, when the two thugs assault Lou and Sally.
• Upon shooting the two crooks, Lou made his first ever kills, and in a sense came back to life.
Buildings and homes are being torn down and are slowly being replaced with large-scale casinos. Sally: She was a waitress from a casino with the desire blackjack dealer. She is encouraged to go to France to become that. After her husband and sister show up to sell a bag of cocaine that was stolen, Sally is upset as Dave got Chrissie pregnant
The performers that were paid to sing at the casinos would joke about getting mugged but then sang about how Atlantic City was coming back (Alyssa) Grace: In her heyday Grace was a model and beauty pageant contestant. We first see her in bed, where she remains for most of the film. At the end of the film when Lou comes back to her, Grace becomes revitalized and the two take off.
Sally’s sister, Chrissie, was at a low point, pregnant and relying on selling drugs. Now with Grace she’ll be able to go and get a fresh start with her future kid (Alyssa)
Alternative Questions
* How does the culture of Atlantic City affect the main characters?
* In being able to make themselves anew, have Lou and Sally reached satisfying conclusions. What about characters like Dave and Christie who constantly spoke about the ideas of reincarnation, have they successfully achieved something new.
* Why does Lou succeed where Dave fails, and how are they characters reflections of each other.
* Explore the theme of nostalgia in Atlantic City. How do characters like Sally reminisce about the past, and what impact does this have on their present-day lives?
* Discuss the significance of Atlantic City as a setting in the film. How does the city itself play a role in shaping the characters and their actions?
* Discuss the relationship between Lou and Sally, particularly how their dynamic evolves over the course of the film. What motivates their interactions, and what ultimately brings them together or drives them apart?
* How did the dynamic of Lou and Dave affect the story and the characters around them?
