Write a jazz movie analysis
Humanities
View one of the movies listed below, or any other fictionalized film about the life of a jazz musician (not a live concert, documentary, or satire). Write a 750 word minimum essay contextualizing the movie within the matrix of concepts, personalities, and music examined in this course. In general, think of this essay as a “critical analysis” in which you need to explain any personal opinions that you assert. Please address the following points:
• Give a brief (1 paragraph) biographical sketch of the principal character/musician.
• Socially and musically, how is the principal character portrayed?
• What historical phase of the development of jazz does the principal character belong to?
• How does the life and music of the principal character reflect the issues we’ve examined in relation to that historical phase?
• Describe the narrative of the film. How does the story unfold? – This is the core of you movie review.
Possible movies:
- Young Man with a Horn (about Bix Beiderbeck) 1949
- The Glen Miller Story (1953)
- The Benny Goodman Story (1955)
- The Five Pennies (about Red Nichols) 1959
- Lady Sings the Blues (about Billie Holliday) 1972
- Round Midnight (about Dexter Gordon) 1986
- Bird (about Charlie Parker) 1988
- The Mambo Kings (about the Castillo brothers) 1992
- Sweet and Lowdown (about Emmet Ray) 1999
- For Love or Country (about Arturo Sandoval) 2001
- Ray (about Ray Charles) 2004
- De-lovely (about Cole Porter) 2004
- El Cantate (about Hector Lavoe) 2007
- Bolden! (about Buddy Bolden) 2015
- Miles Ahead (about Miles Davis) 2015
- Born to be Blue (about Chet Baker) 2016