Persona
Screening: Persona (Sweden: 1966)
Reflection Questions
Use the guide linked here to write your essay. The reflection questions might also be helpful but they are designed to guide our class discussion.
1. How does this film challenge stereotypes of black people? Cite specific scenes to support your argument.
2. Discuss the character development of Chiron in each of the three “chapters” of the film. Discuss the casting of the actors in each role. Was there one particular actor who you felt embodied the character better than the others or did you think all three of them reflected the character’s stage of development well? Was the evolution cohesive and believable in spite of the huge jumps in time?
3. Discuss the use of music in the film. How does it enhance the narrative? How does it conform to or deviate from what you expected to hear in this kind of a film?
4. Discuss the cinematography in the film. How is the use of color, camera angles and framing used to enhance the story and the message? Cite specific scenes to support your argument.