Teaching Film as Literature in High School

Introducing films into literature classes is a great way for students to explore stories in an exciting and interactive way. Movies capture attention and help us understand characters and themes in a different light.

They’re visual stories that also show us a lot about the world and society. By watching and discussing films alongside books, students can improve their understanding of stories and develop important thinking skills as they look closely at how visuals and words work together. It’s an engaging and contemporary way to explore literacy skills!

This blog post offers a plethora of ideas and resources to add more film as literature analysis in your high school classroom! Since we are focusing on high school students, all of my suggestions are for PG-13 and below rated movies. Let me know in the comments if there are any you would add to this list.

Movies to Teach The Hero’s Journey

There is sooooo much you can do with this! I actually like to start the year off with my 10th grade World Literature students with a Hero Worship unit and what it says about the culture. The Hero’s Journey serves as a fascinating lens through which students can dissect the cultural significance embedded in stories- both in text and film.

What’s great about teaching this archetype and then analyzing a movie (or even a couple) is that students can see how for thousands of years human beings (no matter where they are from) love this one storyline.

For the classic introduction to The Hero’s Journey there are literally dozens of movies you could choose from (I often let each class vote on which one they want to analyze). Some of my top choices are:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Shrek
Batman Begins
Moana
Star Wars- A New Hope
Mulan

Beyond the Hero’s Journey, we explore the realm of Epic Heroes, often associated with mythology. However, in the contemporary classroom, we seize the opportunity to bridge the gap between ancient tales and modern storytelling. Movies like “Man of Steel” offer a lens through which students can distinguish between a conventional hero and a god-like epic hero, sparking discussions on the nuances of heroism in our evolving culture.

For example- I like to use Batman v. Superman to discuss the difference between the a “regular” hero on the journey and a god-like epic hero. Both types of heroes offer codes of conducts we can aspire to, but which feels more obtainable?

Or you could look at our love of anti-heroes (like Deadpool and Venom) to discuss that sometimes a hero does the most good by not following the conventions of society.

Fun fact- there was a PG-13 version of Deadpool 2 that was released called “Once Upon a Deadpool”!

One last idea before we leave the land of the heroes.

What happens when our hero FALLS?

I love diving into this question with two movies (depending on the class).

Star Wars Episode 3– I first show a few clips of Anakin as a child and his Hero’s Journey, but then he falls… HARD! We specifically hone in on the Devil Figure (Palpatine) and this scene. This is where you truly see Anakin begin his descent into one of the best known villains of our age.
Beowulf– I LOVE me some Beowulf! I quite honestly have 4 different versions of the text and I teach this unit every year with my World Lit class. However, with this unit, we also look at Neil Gaiman’s movie and consider what would happen if our beloved hero made ONE major mistake. One “small” action that he thought no one would ever find out about. It actually changes everything.

Movies to Use for Teaching Critical Lens Theory and Fairytales

This is always a big hit with my high schoolers! We look at 5 different fairytales and their Disney versions through various critical lenses. The movies I focus on in this unit are: The Little Mermaid, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Cinderella.

I have written several blog posts on some of these if you want to take a detailed look at a few: The Cultural Lens and The Princess and the Frog, The Marxist Lens and Rapunzel, and Critical Lens Theory and Cinderella

What I love about this approach is that students are familiar with the stories already, but adding in these lenses has students analyze them far more deeply than they even thought possible!

With this unit, we spend about 7-8 weeks analyzing the stories and the movies while also completing a PBL unit in which students create a new Disney movie pitch! They research a culture, create a new story (or revamp an old one), and then create a sales pitch around it. I bring in members of the community to hear their pitches and provide feedback. It ends up being the highlight of the year!

Westerns to use in Your Classroom

In college, I took a film class. What I HATED about it was that the professor decided to make the entire semester about Westerns (not what the class description said).

But, I now have a wealth of knowledge on Westerns and how they impacted American film culture (and others around the world).

2 Westerns I would share with my high school students though are:

The Quick and the Dead– really interesting twist on having a female gun smoker as the lead and it is also a classic revenge story (like The Count of Monte Cristo)
Tombstone– this is a great movie about the historical people of the time (mostly Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday). This could be paired with some meaningful research into the time and people. Also, the storyline is unique as it doesn’t follow the traditional plot diagram we are used to teaching in literature class. This could also teach our students how to vary their own writing. Check out this article for more on the storyline!

Foreign Films to Use in High School

As I have shared before, World Lit is my jam! But, I really do consider foreign movies as part of this.

Song of the Sea is by far one of my most loved movies and a big favorite with my students as well! I pair this up with a mini unit on Celtic mythology. There is so much to analyze in this movie from symbology, to parallel plots, to deep cultural dives. Plus the animation and story are just beautiful.

The creators of Song of the Sea have also made other award-winning movies that you may want to look into: The Breadwinner and Wolfwalker. Both are great vehicles for discussing political oppression.

Another film I use is the Persepolis adaptation. The graphic novel and the movie both work as a memoir of a young girl’s experiences during the Iranian Revolution. With all of the unrest in Iran last year, this ended up being an incredibly powerful unit for my World Lit students.

One last foreign film I would suggest is The Tale of Princess Kaguya. This Japanese animated film has won so many awards and is (to date) the most expensive anime movie ever produced. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. It is a wonderful look at societal expectations for girls as well as a look at social class.

Classic Movies to Teach

It’s a Wonderful Life is a classic movie that I love to watch every Christmas Eve. However, it’s not really a Christmas movie. With this movie you can have wonderful discussions about the idea of Manifest Destiny or the American Dream.

You can also look at the David and Goliath archetype, but discuss the implications of the ending. George is saved, doesn’t go to jail, and learns to appreciate all that he has. However, NOTHING happens to Potter. He’s still the richest man in town and continues on his merry way.

Jaws– this is a little unconventional, but hear me out! It’s a classic Man vs. Nature story, but it also has fantastic examples of building suspense. In fact, I use this scene during my suspense unit to show how a scene can suddenly rise in suspense with just the story of a scar. You can also discuss how Jaws (unfortunately) lead to a terrible increase in fear of and culling of sharks around the world.

Pop Culture

Barbie– What CAN’T you analyze with this movie?! Social expectations for both age and gender, mother-daughter relationships, Weird Barbie acting as a shaman/guide due to all of the trauma she has endured, Ken continuing a cycle of hurt after he has been hurt, and so much more. This monologue alone is a gem just waiting to be dissected and discussed! This was a phenomenal movie that gives so much to be discussed and analyzed.

Final Thoughts on Teaching Film as Literature

Using movies in high school lit class is fantastic for both teachers and students. It’s not just about books anymore – films give us this meaningful way to dive into classic stories, explore different cultures, and see how storytelling has changed over time. Whether we’re riding along the Hero’s Journey, looking at literature from different angles, or checking out Westerns, Foreign Films, and Classics, it’s like opening doors to a deeper understanding of lit.

So, as we wrap up this cinematic adventure, let’s give a nod to how movies inspire us, make us think, and add that extra layer to our love for storytelling and the amazing worlds it reveals.

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