Me and Orson Welles

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

Orson Welles staged his adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar two years before the out break of World War II, dressing his players in uniforms his viewers would associate with the fascism movement happening in Europe at that time. What effect do you think the current political climate had on the audiences’ interpretation of the production? How can directors manipulate perspective (such as placing an old story in a modern setting) to change the message their work conveys? How does personal experience affect the way we receive media messages?

In the movie, many of the characters around Orson Welles tolerate or ignore his rude behavior. Why? What do they hope to gain from this “talented” man? What other things are they willing to do to advance their careers? What would you give for a chance at stardom? When would the price be too high?