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RLG101H FILM PARAGRAPH – ADVICE
Assignment
As explained in the Film Paragraph instructions, your task is to write a single paragraph analyzing a “non-
religious” film using one of the following theories from chapter 5 of Nye’s Religion: The Basics:
reductionism (p. 108–9); cognitive vs. affective beliefs (p. 117); habitus (p. 124–6)!. You must use ONE of
these three theories; if you use a different theory, you may be penalized up to 10 marks (out of 20).
Assignment Goals
One aim of this project is for you to see something that is familiar to you (a film!) in a new way, by
looking at it through the lens of a particular theory from the academic study of religion.
Another aim of this assignment is for you to become familiar with the application of theoretical material
to data, which is a key activity of scholars in most disciplines.
A final goal is for you to (hopefully!) have fun with this assignment. Really!
Film Analysis
Repeat viewings: We strongly recommend that you watch your film at least twice in order to do your
Film Paragraph assignment. When you go to write the final Film Analysis due on Feb. 16 (which will
require you to use two additional theories), you should watch your film at least one more time again.
As you start to develop your analysis, each new time you see the movie you should notice details and
connections that you missed before.
Theory: The first step in your analysis will be to fully understand the theory you have chosen. Read over
Nye’s explanation carefully, summarizing what you see as the key elements of the theory. The next
step is to look for possible connections between the theory and the film. These connections could
involve any aspect of the film – images, words, songs, plot, etc. Feel free to focus on any part of the
movie you like — you can look at a minor character, or just one scene. The point is to think about the
connections that you see and find interesting or meaningful.
Analysis: Once you’ve identified connections between the theory and the film, you must use these links to
analyze the film. It’s not enough to simply identify the connections themselves; you have to try to
understand what these connections might mean. In other words, when you look at the film using the
theory you have selected, what message do you think the film is trying to convey?
Message: The message that you identify must be applicable to the world outside of the film (i.e., our
world!). In The Lion King, for example, you can use Richard Gombrich’s theory of cognitive and
affective beliefs to show that Simba should accept his responsibilities to the community as king of the
Pride Lands. And so the question is: how is this message relevant to the film’s viewers? Most of us
aren’t lions or kings (!). However, it is possible to argue that the film is saying that we ALL have
responsibilities in life, and that each of us must live up to these responsibilities.
“Religion”: Do not concern yourself with explicitly identifying “religious” aspects of the film. We simply
want you to apply a theory of belief to a film. We are not asking you to argue that the film is
“religious” in any way.
No research: It is critical that you do this assignment using only Nye’s description of the theory you have
chosen, and your own observations of the film. Do not use any additional research on the theory or
the film. We want you to engage both the film and the theory directly, and tell us what you think.
Ultimately, your analysis will be evaluated on how well you have understood the theory, taken into
account evidence from the film, and reasonably supported your analysis using only that evidence.
