Resources

• To make inferences about
  life in the 60s from images
  and sounds.
• To analyse the content of a film in order to work out what the film suggests about life in the 60s.
• How a view of life in the past can be put across using music, colour, action, etc.

• Prepare and display to pupils a PowerPoint show of images and music clips from the 1960s (e.g. ‘All you need is love’, flowery dress, mini-skirt, World Cup, Mini Cooper, “Italian Job” film poster, hippies, etc.) Be sure to check any copyright restrictions on the use of material. Distribute copies of the word cards listed in the resources column. Use the cards to express what life was like in this period. Pupils use the clues to work out what we are studying. When do you think this all happened? What is your impression of life in the 60s?
• Finally, examine the word ‘swinging’ and explain the session/day’s objective. Explain that they will examine how the 1960s has been portrayed in film more recently and what people who were not there THINK it was like.

Film Interpretation of the 1960s: Austin Powers

• Find an image showing the film poster for Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery. Place it in the centre of the layers of inference fact sheet listed in the resources column.
• In pairs pupils write notes under “what can you see?” around the picture itself in the first layer of the diagram. In the next layer, under “How does it compare to the first set of images and sounds?”, they note similarities and differences with the power point slide show. In the final layer, under “what does it suggest about life in the 1960s?”, pupils note what they think the image suggests about life in the 1960s. The teacher can then prompt discussion about what view of the decade the film is likely to give.
• Divide pupils into groups. Distribute copies of the film analysis role cards listed in the resources column. Explain that each pupil in a group will be allocated a different card with a role on it e.g. music, commentary, colours, camera angles, action, costumes. Show the opening clip of Austin Powers, which shows 60’s singing and dancing. In their groups, pupil’s watch for the aspect of the clip detailed on their card and afterwards discuss in their group. Watch again after class discussion and feedback from groups. Pupils may add details to their notes on the earlier “layers of inference” diagram.

Plenary class discussion

What does the film say about the 1960s and how does it say it? Were the 1960s swinging for Austin Powers?

DVD Cover: film interpretation summary

Give out individual copies of the DVD cover worksheet listed in the resources column. Explain that pupils are going to write a description for the back cover as if the Austin Powers film were to be viewed on DVD. They must use their knowledge and understanding of what the film suggests about the 1960’s to write the description.

• Use their reflections
  on 60s images and music to suggest what life was like in the 1960s.
• Explain how the film suggests that life in the 60s was swinging.
• Summarise the
  interpretation offered by the film and use
  period language to do so.

Resources:

• 60s images and music. Suitable images can be found at:
  www.fiftiesweb.com/
  fashion/fashion.htm.
• Word cards.
  Resource 1
• Austin Powers film poster “layers of inference” diagram.
  Resource 2
• The film “Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery”.
• Film analysis role cards.
  Resource 3
• DVD cover worksheet.
  Resource 4