English 345: Cine/Technology
Article Critique Assignment
Length and Due Dates
Length: 4 to 5 pages, formatted as described in the “Article Critique” section of the syllabus
Proposal Due: Tuesday, February 20, by 2:30 p.m.; submit via electronic posting board
Final Draft Due: Friday, March 2, by 5:00 p.m.; submit via E-Submit
Assignment
For this assignment, you will compose a 4- to 5-page critique of one of the following packet or
electronic reserve articles:
· Kerman, Judith. “Technology and Politics in the Blade Runner Dystopia.”
· Maland, Charles. “Dr. Strangelove (1964): Nightmare Comedy.”
· Postman, Neil. “The Ideology of Machines: Computer Technology.”
· Stiller, Andrew. “The Music in Blade Runner.”
· Telotte, J.P. “The Terminator, Terminator 2, and The Exposed Body.”
The critique should communicate your understanding of the article’s main points and offer an analysis
of its strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the critique should comment on the article’s usefulness to
students analyzing Blade Runner, Brazil, Dr. Strangelove, or The Terminator.
Guidelines
1. Article critiques typically adhere to the following structure:
· Introduction: provides an overview of the article’s purpose and main argument and
offers the writer’s thesis regarding the article’s strengths and weaknesses.
· Summary paragraph: briefly reviews the article’s key points.
· Assessment paragraphs: analyze the article’s strengths and weaknesses. In
discussing strengths, the writer can point to the article’s inclusion of pertinent
historical context, persuasive interpretations, thorough explication of evidence, or
conclusions that apply to scenes not covered in the article. In critiquing weaknesses,
the writer can examine the article’s ineffective use of evidence, inaccuracy,
unconvincing readings of the film, failure to explore ideas within the scope of the main
argument or disregard of scenes that contradict or would better support the article’s
thesis.
· Conclusion: presents commentary on the article’s overall usefulness. The writer
should address the extent to which the article helps students to understand the film.
2. Effective critiques will cover the article’s significant points. A critique that ignores the article’s
main argument or concentrates on ideas mentioned parenthetically suggests a lack of
comprehension on the writer’s part.
3. Avoid composing a critique that solely addresses the article’s strengths. Such critiques tend to
read as summaries rather than assessments.
4. Although you need not present a balanced opinion of the article, you must be fair. A single
article cannot address every aspect of a film or touch on every scene that might support its
thesis. Consequently, a valid assessment of weaknesses will not raise points that fall outside
the article’s scope or purpose. This caution is particularly important if you write about
Postman’s chapter on computer technology; it does not specifically discuss Brazil, even if it
provides a framework for understanding the film’s story world.
5. Remember to justify your analysis of strengths and weaknesses with evidence from the article
and film. In assessing strengths, you may paraphrase compelling points or explain how the
author’s ideas illuminate a particular aspect of the film. In evaluating weaknesses, you may
offer contrary interpretations of the film, point to illogical passages or inaccuracies in the
article, explain how the author’s evidence does not sufficiently support his or her point, or
describe scenes, shots, or sounds the author should have considered.
6. Although you must recite the article’s key ideas in your critique, quote sparingly—for example,
only when the author’s language reveals distinctive phrasing or a lack of clarity. Summarizing
or paraphrasing points allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the author’s
arguments. If you quote, please use MLA format. Since the class has read the article, you
need not provide a works cited list.
7. When writing about the article or film to which it applies, use the present tense (for example,
“Maland contends that Dr. Strangelove critiques the Ideology of Liberal Consensus” or “When
analyzing Blade Runner’s various technologies, Kerman does not extensively consider the
Voight-Kampff testing equipment. However the Voight-Kampff test allows Deckard the
privileged vision and power Kerman associates with the Esper machine.”
8. If you’re having difficulty devising an approach to the article critique, or if you want to discuss
ideas-in-progress, email me or come to my office hours in Padelford A-305.


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