Assignment task: Consider the connections between the themes in this film and what you have observed about film in general throughout this semester.
In a well-organized essay, compare the idea of what it means to be human using the film, Bicentennial Man, and comparing that idea against another example from another work of art (painting, photography, poem, literature, film, etc.) with the goal of creating your own definition of contemporary human experience.
Discuss the expression of human ideas and of human behavior depicted in the film through various choices in storytelling, cinematography and sound. What emotions does the film cause you to feel, and what ideas does it cause you to consider?
Make sure to address the diverse nature of the human experience (given factors such as time, culture, setting, or medium). Explain how your ideas connect to themes from throughout the semester.
Reflect upon how this contemporary/futuristic search for meaning relates to works of art from other time periods. In your conclusion, reflect upon how your understanding of the human experience has been challenged, deepened, or changed.
In the body of your essay:
- Consider the connections between the themes in this film and selections from the online textbook,
- Reflect upon how this contemporary/futuristic search for meaning relates to works of art from other time periods (past or present).
- Discuss the ways in which using a movie to tell a story helps to address the topics in Her, and whether the film medium poses any limitations to telling the story.
- Identify what three challenging and thoughtful questions you would ask Robin Williams' character, if you could. Why do you think these questions matter?