Peter and the Wolf
Suzie Templeton
Poland, 2007
ACTIVITIES
GENERAL DISCUSSION
- Who is the main character of the movie – Peter? Briefly describe this character.
- What characteristics are attributed to the outside world, which is located outside the fence of Peter and Grandpa’s house?
- Who represents the danger and the evil of the outside world in the film?
- Why does Peter try to get outside the house fence?
- How does Peter react to his friend’s – the Duck – death? What kind of feelings does he experience? Name these emotions and try to define them.
- Why does Peter free the Wolf in the last scene of the movie?
- How does the attitude of the townspeople towards Peter change after the adventure with the Wolf?
FILM EXTRACTS
00:35:20 - 00:39:25
01:13:00 - 01:15:00
ACTIVITY 1
- Maturation, entering adulthoo
- In a brainstorming session, name all the associations that come to your mind in connection with the term: “childhood”. Then think of associations with the term: “adulthood”. Discuss the individual ideas with the classmates and then write down the most relevant concepts in the table below.
Childhood Adulthood - Which scenes from the film illustrate the Peter’s childhood, and which show his entering into adulthood? Give examples from the movie.
- Why do kids yearn to be adults? Why do adults miss the time when they were children? Refer to your own opinions and arguments used by your adult relatives.
- Match the titles listed below to the appropriate movie scenes. Divide the scenes into those that refer to Peter’s childhood world and those that illustrate his path to maturity.
Self-confidence Breaking the bans Curiosity of the world Creative fun
Mature decisions Sense of responsibility
- What other (than those shown in the film) experiences may be stages in reaching adulthood? Give examples from your own experience.
- Can the periods of childhood and adulthood be defined as closed? Give examples of children behaving like adults and adults behaving like children (a topic for discussion or a written essay).
ACTIVITY 1
The evil that is in us
- What situations bring out the worst in us?
- What situation triggered bad emotions in Peter?
- Complete the diagram by analysing Peter’s emotions caused by the loss of his friend and his behavior resulting from the emotions
- What does it mean “a worse version of yourself”? Recall your own experiences that made you behave differently (worse) than you usually do.
- Does defeating the Wolf make Peter happy?
- A successful fight with the Wolf changes the attitude of Peter to the outside world, but also causes the transformation that has taken place in the boy himself. Consider the two portraits of Peter: before the fight with the Wolf and after the victory. Create two Peter’s portraits referring to the table below:
- Is the transformation that occurred in Peter after he lost his friend positive or negative, in your opinion? What does Peter lose, and what does he gain through this experience? (a topic for a group discussion or a written essay).
Responsibility and courage
- What do you associate with terms: “responsibility” and “courage”? Finish the sentence, giving the first associations that come to your mind:
Responsibility is………………
Courage is……………..
When I behave responsibly, it means that ………….
Demonstration of courage means that …………
- Why does Peter liberate the Wolf?
- Why did Peter change his attitude towards the Wolf?
- What do you understand by “justice”? Do you think Piotr’s behavior towards Wolf was just?
- Picking a fight with the Wolf was not the only decision that required courage from Peter. Which his decisions also required courage?
- What does it mean for young people to be courageous in their everyday life (in relationships with relatives, with peers, with teachers, with the society)? Give examples of courageous and responsible behavior of youth in daily life.
ACTIVITY 3
Film Language Questions:
- What type of animation is used in “Peter and the Wolf” movie?
- How can you describe the scenography that creates the world presented in the film? What features does it have?
- How does the narration work in this film, despite there being no dialogues?
- What is the role of music in the narrative?
- How does the music complement the portraits of the characters? Are you able to tell what instruments are assigned to each character?