Read the discussion of this film in our textbook (Bordwell and Thompson, 393-399). How does Lee pull together his narrative? Which dramatic conflicts get resolved in the course of the film, and which ones don't? To what extent is the film continuous with the classical tradition of narrative filmmaking, and to what extent is it innovative, in its forms, and in its ways of telling a story?
What sorts of visual, cinematographic, and editing techniques does Lee employ in the course of the film? What points of view are thereby established? What perspective or perspectives does the film promote? Can we separate the action of the film from a particular stance or position concerning (and judging) that action? To what extent is the film 'realistic', and to what extent is it stylized, calling attention to itself as a film?
How does Lee treat character and narrative? Which is more important for the overall structure of the film? Is the story told as a straightforward linear progression? If not, what sense do you make of the numerous digressions? How do we judge the various characters? Are they particularized as individuals, or are they identifiable general types?
In what position does this film place the audience? Are we asked to make a critical judgement? If so, how? Does the film address all its spectators in the same way? Or do things like race and gender come into the relation of the film to its audience, as well as being themes in the film itself?