Guide to GCSE English Enrichment - · PDF file2. Create a storyboard for Chapter 1 of the ... is a criminal wears a black hoodie, ... man falsely accused of committing an awful crime

See, think, make. Imagine

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Guide to GCSE English Enrichment

See, think, make. Imagine www.intofilm.org

Our downloadable resources are designed to be used in conjunction with selected film titles, which are available free for clubs at www.filmclub.org

Guide to GCSE English enrichment

Guide to GCSE English Enrichment

Key Stage Target: KS4

Curriculum Links: English Literature

This resource is designed to enhance the teaching of novels at GCSE level by encouraging students to think critically about film adaptations and will increase students’ appreciation of a range of prose texts used at Key Stage 4. It will appeal to all students aged 14-16, regardless of ability, because of the universal appeal of film to engage, enthrall and inspire.

The films for this resource are adaptations of popular novels that are included in the specifications across the various GCSE exam boards. Film can generate a multitude of discussions ranging from the interpretation of an author’s work by a director, the suitability of actors to portray the novel’s characters, to how e!ectively the narrative elements such as structure, themes, setting, point of view and symbolism are adapted for film.

Running an Into Film club in your school can enrich the curriculum, and may allow young people to experience cultures beyond their own, explore a wide variety of issues and stimulate their imaginations. After watching a film, students can comment during a post-screening discussion with their peers, before writing reviews on the Filmclub website (which has a real audience of other young people) where they can analyse the film and develop their independent critique while relating it to the original literary text. Above all, students and teachers can enjoy the shared experience of watching and discussing a film together.

Please visit www.intofilm.org for further details.

The films in this resource are:

Anita and Me 2002 | Cert: 12

BBC Films © (2002) All rights reserved

Tsotsi 2005 | Cert: 15

Miramax © (2005) All rights reserved

To Kill A Mockingbird 1962 | Cert: PG

UI © (1962) All rights reserved

Touching the Void 2003 | Cert: 15

Newline © (2003) All rights reserved

Of Mice and Men 1939 | Cert: PG

United Artists © (1939) All rights reserved

Great Expectations 1946 | Cert: PG

BFI © (1946) All rights reserved

The Great Gatsby 2013 | Cert: 12

Warner Bros © (2013) All rights reserved




Anita and Me 2002 | Cert: 12

Enrichment FocusThis resource is aimed at GCSE English students but is also suitable for use with ages 12+. Suggested subjects for discussion are racism and growing up.

What’s this film about?Coming of age comic-drama, Meena is a young Anglo-Asian girl who comes to idolise the older white Anita, whilst struggling with entrenched prejudice.

Why this film? Meera Syal’s wonderful coming-of-age novel makes a successful transition to the big screen here. Set in the Midlands of the 1970s, the story concerns Meena, a young Anglo-Asian girl starting to navigate the path between innocence and maturity. Her parents want her to be a good Punjabi girl, but Meena wants to decide her own future and finds herself drawn to the rebellious older white girl, Anita. This is a funny, moving and thought-provoking film with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue, subtitled in English.

What the critics think

“It maintained humour whilst addressing some serious issues at the same time.”- Into Film club Leader, Adair.

“Anita & Me is an intelligent rites-of-passage tale o!ering more than its teen story suggests.” - Empire Online






Before the film: Starter Activity

What qualities make a best friend?

For what reasons might people stop being friends?

After the film: Discussion Questions

1. How is the theme of racism tackled in this film?

2. The film has a di!erent structure to the novel, what impact does this have on the overall storyline in your opinion?

3. How has the director created mood in the film through the soundtrack, lighting and camera shots in the opening scene?

Teacher Notes

1. Meena su!ers racism from the local boys and indirectly through the attack on Mr Bhatra. In the novel it ranges from Sam’s racist remark at the fête to Harrinder Singh (characterized as The Yeti in the film) who refuses to leave the safety of The Big House except at night. How is racism from Meena’s Aunties in the kitchen shown? (jokey and gossip)

2. The film starts with Meena and Anita falling into Hollow Pond before cutting to Meena showing us round the village and then escaping a family gathering. The novel starts with Meena stealing sweets from the shop. The change helps to introduce the viewer to the setting of the village where all the events will take place in the film.

3. When Anita and Meena fall into the water, the director has used pathetic fallacy as the thunder clap reflects the tension between the girls. What other examples can the children think of? (When Anita is depressed in her room it is raining and riding through her bike it is sunny and she is happy with her life at the start)

Next Steps

1. Get your students’ voices heard by starting an Into Film club and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org

2. Create a storyboard for Chapter 1 of the novel. How does it di!er from the opening of the film?




Tsotsi 2005 | Cert: 15

Enrichment FocusThis resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are crime, apartheid and class.

What’s this film about?Hard-hitting, Oscar-winning film about a South African gangster who finds himself in charge of a baby.

Why this film? This won an Oscar for best foreign language in 2005. In the street slang of South Africa’s Johannesburg, “Tsotsi” means gang member, and the story follows one such gangster as he goes about his life of violent crime and mindless thuggery. But when a carjacking goes nightmarishly wrong, he finds himself looking after a baby boy - and the responsibility for this new life means he starts to take a long, hard look at his own. Make no mistake, Tsotsi is a powerful movie, and it does contain depressingly realistic scenes of violence - but it’s also a film with a hugely important message. It is based on the novel by Athol Fugard and has English subtitles.


“Parts of the film made you want to cry, but I was too involved in the tension and uncertainty of the film that I was kept glued to the screen for the whole session.”- Into Film club member Poppy, aged 15.

“A movie where a bad man becomes better, instead of the other way around… a film of deep emotional power.”- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times.







Can you think of a time when you have been responsible for someone?

How did that a!ect the way that you interacted with other people and handled everyday situations?


1. In what way has the storyline been changed? Why do you think this is?

2. How does the lighting a!ect the overall mood of the film?

3. How does Tsotsi reflect modern day South Africa compared to Fugard’s original novel?

4. The ending is left open. What do you think happens next and what impact do you think it will have on the viewer?

Teacher Notes

1. Makes it work better as a film and reflect modern life by adding more tension.

2. The events take place at night time or in the early morning/ dusk light. How does Tsosti’s clothing reflect his state of mind ?(When he is a criminal wears a black hoodie, at the end when returns the baby he is wearing a light coloured shirt).

3. There is a train station billboard about HIV/AIDS; rich black South Africans live in gated communities and the poor black South Africans live in the townships; AIDS orphans living in the drainage pipes; violent crime is prevalent; mine workers such as the beggar Morris do not receive any compensation for injuries sustained in the mines.

4. Was the director Gavin Hood right to do this? Options that students might come up with: a) Tsotsi is killed - depressing, too predictable. b) He is shot and wounded but escapes back into the township - sentimental and possible romantic ending if he runs back to Miriam. c) Police shoot and kill him and a baby bottle falls from from his pocket to the ground - very sad and shows police reactions to people from the townships.

Next Steps


2. Create a voiceover for both Tsotsi and the baby when he first takes him from the car back to his place. Why does Tsotsi take the baby? Play the scene without sound and students can read their scripts as the images play.




To Kill A Mockingbird 1962 | Cert: PG

Enrichment FocusThis resource is aimed at GCSE English students but is also suitable for use with ages 9+. Suggested topics for discussion are racism and injustice.

What’s this film about?This film is an adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel about an idealistic white lawyer in 1930s Alabama who takes on the case of a black man accused of an awful crime.

Why this film? Set in Depression-era Alabama in the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of an idealistic white lawyer who takes the case of a black man falsely accused of committing an awful crime against a white woman. With six-year-old Scout as the storyteller, we see the e!ects of racism, ignorance and injustice. This excellent film is a thought-provoking interpretation of the Pulitzer Prize winning book by author Harper Lee and features a strong cast of actors that suck you in as the story unfolds.


“The narrator is Scout, and there is an almost surreal e!ect about seeing the story unfold from her innocent childish view, adding to the overall shock at the events of the film.”- Into Film club ,member Luke, aged 14.

“To Kill a Mockingbird is a faithful adaptation of one of the 20th century’s most important American works of literature. It is also a masterpiece in its own right. This is one of those rare productions where everything is in place - a superior script, a perfect cast, and a director who has a clear vision and achieves what he sets out to do.” - James Berardinelli, Reel Views.net







Describe a time when you stood up for somebody else? How did this feel?

What did other people think and do?


1. Why do you think that the film was shot in black and white instead of colour?

2. What was the purpose of the title sequence?

3. How does the soundtrack contribute to the drama in the scene where Jem and Scout are attacked on their way home from the pageant?

4. During the scene where Atticus is keeping a vigil at the jailhouse on the night before the trial, how is tension, drama and mood created by the lighting and camera angles?

Teacher Notes

1. The film is about a grown-up Scout’s memories of bygone days; it is a hint about the race issue in the film; it symbolises how things are not just black or white but many shades of grey; a lot of the key scenes take place in the dark so the director can use the shadows to gain maximum impact and tension.

2. The items are foreshadowing the events to come such as Boo Radley’s involvement in the children’s life. The camera is meant to be like a child’s gaze and the soundtrack heightens this because the sound of a child humming can be heard.

3. There is a piano and accordion motif after Scout shouts which creates sense of foreboding and fear; when Jem is grabbed the volume increases and the high string notes become more frantic and fast paced until it reaches crescendo; during the struggle, notes are played on the brass instruments in very short sharp bursts; Boo is symbolized by the drums which echo his footsteps.

4. When the children run to Atticus, the camera has a child’s point if view as we can see the men’s legs and guns; the camera looks up at Atticus when he speaks to the children and it is angled downwards when they speak to him; Mr Cunningham is never seen in a frame by himself you can always see other men to show that he has taken on the mob’s mentality.

Next Steps


2. Write the script of the scene where Scout and Jem are attacked but with Boo Radley as the narrator. How did he know they were in trouble? What were his emotions when he killed Mr Ewell ? How did it feel to finally meet the Finch children?




Touching the Void 2003 | Cert: 15

Enrichment FocusThis resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested topics for discussion are determination and overcoming adversity.

What’s this film about?A combination of documentary and re-enactment about a treacherous Andes mountain climb by two Brits, in which one was injured on the descent. It is based on Joe Simpson’s account which was published in 1998.

Why this film? In the mid-80’s Two British climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates tackled the treacherous Siula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes, South America. Reaching the summit without trouble, their descent hits crisis as an injured Simpson relies on Yates to lower him down. When he is lowered accidentally over a steep crevice with no way back, Yates cuts the rope to save his life but to Simpson’s certain death... miraculously he survives. The film is a combination of real-life documentary interviews with the two climbers and reenactment of the events on the mountain, focusing on Simpson’s incredible journey back to base camp.


“An amazing story, and an amazing re-enactment by the three actors with beautiful story telling by the original trio.” - Into Film club member George, aged 16.

“Touching The Void manages to be deeply a!ecting and inspiring without resorting to mushy sentimentality. A film to make you believe in heroes again.” - Film4.com

Discussion Questions







Have you had to deal with a di"cult experience when it seemed that everything was against you?

How did you overcome the factors that you faced?


1. What impact does hearing the climbers’ stories in their own words have on you?

2. How is tension and drama created in the part when Simpson climbs out of the crevasse?

3. In your opinion, should the film have been just a dramatic re-telling of the events instead of including the climber’s interviews?

4. How does hearing from Simon Yates and Richard Hawking a!ect your views on the events in the book?

Teacher Notes

1. Students may say that it makes it more realistic to see then climbers and hear their memories of the ordeal.

2. Ask students to listen to the soundtrack, which includes sound e!ects such as the wind, noises made by Joe, atmospheric music and point of view camera shots. When he exits the crevasse the music becomes more uplifting.

3. Would it have the same impact if it was a feature film rather than a documentary? Students might suggest that the documentary is more honest because it is based on the climber’s interviews and has not been elaborated.

4. It is more reliable than just Joe’s view because he was fading in and out of consciousness; can see how the others felt; Simon is only the narrator for some parts of the book; less likely to blame Simon for cutting the rope.

Next Steps

1. Get your students’ voices heard by starting and Into Film club and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org

2. Create a storyboard for a Hollywood blockbuster adaptation of the scene where the men are reunited at the end. How did you include information from both the book and the interviews from the film? Do you think that your version is true to the original book or have some parts been included for entertainment purposes?




Of Mice and Men 1939 | Cert: PG

Enrichment FocusThis Film Resource is aimed at GCSE English students but is also suitable for use with ages 11+. Suggested subjects for discussion are The Great Depression and racism.

What’s this film about?Adapted from John Steinbeck’s novel, this is a powerful drama about friendship and poverty in 1930s rural America.

Why this film? George and Lenny are two friends drifting around and looking for work in the rural California of the 1930s, when times were hard and jobs were scarce. Lenny is physically huge, emotionally child-like, and sometimes violent - George tries to keep him out of trouble while the pair pursue distant dreams of money and success. But when they finally find work at a farm, that stroke of good luck seems destined to end in disaster. This powerful drama is adapted from a novel by John Steinbeck.


“I thought this film was a great take on the Steinbeck novella and I would recommend it to anyone who is studying the book for GSCE’s and to people who aren’t as well!”- Into Film clubs member Adele, aged 14.

“Under skillful directorial guidance of Lewis Milestone, the picture retains all of the forceful and poignant drama of John Steinbeck’s original play and novel.” - Variety Online

Discussion Questions







Do you have any dreams for your future?

How do you plan on achieving them?


1. Why did the film start before the title credits?

2. How does the film reflect the reality of life during The Great Depression?

3. Why were the scenes with Curley and his wife Mae at home added to the film?

4. In your opinion how successful was the bunkhouse scene when Candy’s dog was shot?

Teacher Notes

1. It shows events which happened in Weed before the events in the novel but are mentioned in the text.

2. George and Lennie are itinerant workers and Lewis Milestone the director had been an iteinerant worker himself during the Depression. The film was made only two years after the novel was published so the actors had lived through the period and it shows the racist attitudes of the time.

3. To make her more of a rounded character than in the novel. It makes her more human so that we can empathise with her when she is killed.

4. Ask students to re-read that scene in the novel. Steinbeck’s prose is very much like a screenplay. Ask them if anything was changed? The scene is made more emotional when the music is paused when the actual gunshot is heard to reflect Candy’s heartbreak.

Next Steps


2. Rewrite one of the scenes featuring Curley and his wife in Steinbeck’s prose style. Look carefully at the film and try to describe how each character is feeling during the scene.




Great Expectations 1946 | Cert: PG

Enrichment FocusThis Film Resource is aimed at GCSE English students but is also suitable for use with ages 11+. Suggested subjects for discussion are social class, crime and ambition.

What’s this film about?David Lean o!ers a gripping and haunting depiction of this familiar tale of class, ambition and desire.

Why this film? Adapted from the classic novel by Charles Dickens. Pip is a young orphan being raised by his sister and her husband, a blacksmith. He is sent to the sinister Miss Havisham’s house, where he meets her adopted daughter, the beautiful Estella. But Pip is not grand enough for Estella, or to take a place in high society. Later, a mysterious benefactor grants him a fortune, and he moves to London to learn how to be a gentleman. However, Pip will find that moving up in the world has an emotional, as well as a financial, price.


“I thought this film was a great take on the Steinbeck novella and I would recommend it to anyone who is studying the book for GSCE’s and to people who aren’t as well!”- Into Film club member Joseph, aged 9.

“Immediately grabbing the audience’s attention with a heart-stopping opening scene in a dark graveyard...and the result is considered by many to be one of the finest literary adaptations ever made as well as one of the greatest British films of all time.” - More Review Query Engine Online







Can you think of a time when somebody expected great things from you?

How did you meet their expectations?


1. The character of Pip is older than in the novel - does this a!ect your viewing of the film?

2. How does the director build up tension and suspense in the scene where Pip’s benefactor is revealed?

3. In your opinion, how accurately is Victorian England reflected in this film?

4. How is Pip’s development from a blacksmith’s apprentice to a gentleman shown on screen?

Teacher Notes

1. In the novel Pip is around 17 or 18 when his “great expectations are announced” but in the film he is 20. This is to shorten the length of time that Pip received his gentleman’s training from Hubert before he receives his inheritance.

2. Tension is built through Pip’s expressions; the howling of the wind and rain echoing the conditions on the marsh when the characters first met; the shadows on the wall; shots of Magwitch’s face obscured by shadow while Pip is bathed in light; Magwitch looking down on Pip in an imposing way.

3. It shows life in poor rural and rich urban Victorian society. Students may find that it is not as gritty as described in the novel.

4. As his financial and social status rises, his moral status declines. This is shown when he is ashamed of Joe when he arrives in London. Ask students about his relationship with Joe and Miss Havisham changes during this period.

Next Steps


2. Watch the 2012 adaptation of Great Expectations. How has David Lean’s 1946 version influenced this modern adaptation?

Related Resources

www.filmclub.org/behind-the-scenes/details/289/great-expectations

www.filmclub.org/discover-more/details/64/david-lean




The Great Gatsby 2013 | Cert: 12

Enrichment FocusThis Film Resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested topics are deception, The American Dream and the class system.

What’s this film about?A flamboyant, visually sumptuous adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s homage to the Jazz Age, centring on a mysterious story of love and tragedy.

Why this film? Several filmmakers attempted to adapt F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most well-known novel before Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 version, but none did so with the Australian director’s trademark flair for mixing flamboyant costumes, outrageous performances, spectacular visual e!ects and surprising musical choices. Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway, whose charismatic neighbour, Jay Gatsby, throws frequent, lavish parties. As the two men’s social circles collide, a mysterious story of love and tragedy unravels.


“It was a good movie because it tackled the adaptation of a strong literary classic in an innovative and intriguing way.”- Into Film club member Joshua, aged 13

“A hugely elaborate, well-cast adaptation of an American classic that will provoke every possible reaction.” - Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood reporter







Why do some people pretend to be what they are not? What are the dangers of doing this?


1. How e!ective, in your opinion, is the scene when Daisy and Gatsby are reunited?

2. How is the theme of appearance and reality, which is central to the novel, reflected in the film?

3. This version of The Great Gatsby uses the latest technology in film including CGI and 3D technology. Does it add to or detract from the storyline?

4. How does the soundtrack help to reflect the characters and the text’s social and historical setting?

Teacher Notes

1. The soundtrack includes high strings to represent tension but detracts from the action; the camera firstly focuses on Gatsby and Daisy in turn to gauge their emotions; when Nick leaves them there is a point of view shot where they share the same frame to represent that their feelings have been rekindled for one another; the scene has been shot in soft focus to create a romantic mood.

2. Mirrors are used in the scenes such as when Daisy first reunited with Gatsby and when she explains to him that she changes her mind. They represent that all is not as it seems. Ask students does the film hold up a mirror to life today?

3. Director Baz Luhrmann is known for adding a sense of theatricality to his previous films such as Moulin Rouge. This film is no exception with it’s anachronistic soundtrack, and swooping camera shots. Even when watching in 2D you can see how the film has been tailored towards 3D screenings. Ask students to pick these features. Students may feel that the style overpowers the story or they may think that it enhances it for a modern audience.

4. The soundtrack is a combination of modern hip-hop, pop and rock music and artists. Songs such as “Bang Bang” by will.i.am fit in perfectly with the decadent party scenes and “Back to Black” sung by Beyonce hints at the darker edge to life in the a#uent party scene of 1920s. The song “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey is a musical motif that is repeated throughout the film and comes to be closely associated with Daisy. Ask students to listen out for it during the screening.

Next Steps


2. Watch the 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby (12). How does it di!er from Luhrmann’s adaptation? Which do you prefer and why?

Documents

Guide to GCSE English Enrichment - · PDF file2. Create a storyboard for Chapter 1 of the ... is a criminal wears a black hoodie, ... man falsely accused of committing an awful crime