FilmBlog

Hidalgo

Hidalgo is based on the 'true story' of Frank Hopkins, an American cowboy who took part in a 3,000 mile desert horse race from Arabia to Iraq. Or did he? There's been some controversy surrounding this film and not only because of its dubious historical claims (see here too). The cultural stereotyping of the Arabs has also been criticised. Several intestesting themes to explore then, with plenty of discussion material available on the Internet.

Slap Her, She French

This teen revenge comedy is not the greatest film ever made, but there are very few films which can't be exploited in some way for teaching purposes. This one is good for looking at stereotypes. It gives the impression that the typical French girl wears a beret, scarf and frilly blouse. Oh, and speaks English with an excruciating French accent. The bit about the beret might have been true in the 1940s but it's 'un peu passé' now. See Green Card for a more a more 'realistic' French stereotype (played by a real Frenchman, Gérard Depardieu).

Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde has a lot of themes which could be exploited for teaching purposes: the American education system, class, success and business ethics to name but a few. I used this scene where Elle attends her first law class at Harvard to illustrate differences between American and French teaching styles.
Download legally_blonde.doc