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Ethics and Film: Messages, Themes, and Techniques Module 1: Part I – Triumph of the Will; Part II - Casablanca Magaret Haun, PhD Development Team Reviewed 1/08 Click Here for Lesson Plans
	Introduction In this era of high-stakes testing, the tendency is to view movies in the classroom as a distraction, at most a deserved respite from the serious work of preparing students for the minimum competency assessments they must pass to graduate. The guiding principle of this series of modules , however, is that films provide students an opportunity to think critically about plots or events, characters, techniques, themes, and social issues. In other words, bringing movies into the classroom in a viable and engaging way enables students to build on skills they already possess—thinking critically, framing arguments, decoding images—skills essential to success in high school, college, and the world of work. From a values standpoint, films provide their viewers, young and old alike, with an opportunity to take a stand on important and often controversial issues, to accept or reject radically different interpretations of the world, to find confirmation of their own beliefs, or begin the process of questioning long-held assumptions about the world and their place in it. View More
	Key Concepts and Vocabulary Do film directors or producers have the responsibility to create morally acceptable films? Who determines what is morally acceptable? Can a film be good if it relies on racist, sexist, or anti-semitic content? Why do we sometimes find ourselves resisting a film’s “argument”? How do films pull us in to their worlds? How do films communicate their values? How important is it for our experiences as viewers that we share the values of a film? What is the difference between a fiction film and a documentary? Do the ethical responsibilities of a film director extend beyond the honest management of the actors and film crew? Can something as straightforward as the camera angle in a particular shot or series of shots be immoral, even sinister? How important is point of view as an element of both technique and content? What is the connection between a film’s formal techniques (camera angle and distance, lighting, edits, etc.) and its content? View More
	Background for for Teachers Leni Riefenstahl first came to Hitler’s attention—and indeed to the attention of much of Germany—as an actress and dancer. Her “mountain” films, which extolled German athleticism and commitment and turned the countryside into an Aryan landscape replete with gentle green hills, snow-capped mountains, and the well-toned thighs of happy German climbers, proved to be an important preparation for the grander, darker, and more powerful film, Triumph of the Will, which documents the 1934 National Socialist Party rally in Nuremberg. Clearly, the simple symbology of the films in which she acted (eg., clear blue skies/white clouds/pastoral landscapes=German purity) provided Riefenstahl with an understanding of the power of the image. View More

	Core Subject Areas and Grade Level		Description of Classroom Activities
	Objectives from Competency-Based Curriculum		Case Studies for Further Discussion and Exploration
	Correlations to Language Art Benchmarks (Sunshine State Standards)		Assessment for Activities
	Core Values Emphasized in this Learning Module		Extension Activity
	Suggested Time for Instruction		Bibliography and Web Resources

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