Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I wasn't sure how this would play with 14 year olds. I used the English audio track instead of the subtitles since it is really difficult to read small pring on a tv screen from more than 15 feet away.

I was very impressed with the resosponse Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received from my students. Of course, it was probably a bit easier for them to understand than the literature I was aksing them to compare it to.

I decided to finish the school year with Romeo and Juliet as a way of going out with a bang not a whimper. I had used excerpts from the Zefirelli version and the Luhrmann version throughout the unit, so I was reluctant to show either film in their entirety. As I began thinking about some of the themes in the film, I decided that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon shared quite a few similarities. I knew that there were enough action sequences to keep the boys interested, but I wasn't sure how most of the girls in class would respond.

Overall the students did an impressive job with their compare/contrast essays. Since I got such a strong response to the film I have also used it as an example of the hero's quest in conjucntion with The Odyssey.

Misunderstood misfits or Romantic Heroes?

It is interesting to see how different generations react to heroes.

When I was in school reading The Catcher In The Rye was something that could get you in trouble or get you labeled as a rebel. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case today. My students thought of Holden Caulfield as a "loser that needs to get on with his life and stop whining about stuff." Bewildered, I looked for a way to demonstrate Holden's contempt for a society of "phonies." What other character questioned the rules of society?
Cool Hand Luke

Just be careful with this one. I had forgotten about the car washing scene and almost got myself into a lot of trouble. But there are a lot of opportunities to look at the individual vs. society, and characteristics of a Romantic Hero.