Multimedia Resources

Papers on Politics and Film

Williams, John W. 1997. "The Player: Introducing Undergraduates to the Art of Film."
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association The
Washington Sheraton, August 28-31, 1997.

| paper |

The Player, directed by Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, Nashville), written by Michael Tolkin
(based on his novel), stars Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Whoopi Goldberg, Fred Ward,
Peter Gallagher, Brion James (1992, 125 minutes, rated R, available on video).
One of the first challenges of teaching with film or of a course on politics and film
is that most undergraduates have no training in understanding or analyzing film as a form
of communication. Certainly one could read Shakespeare tragedies and discuss political
issues, but the process is greatly enhanced by appreciating the literature. The same is true
with film. The following activity as a way to introduce the process of the study of film in
a condensed, accessible manner.

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Teaching Politics is published by William J. Ball (ball@tcnj.edu)