In this course, we will build a critical vocabulary for discussing film, in addition to analyzing and understanding film history through the viewing of seminal texts. Our engagement with film history will consider the role of studios, transformations in technology, the power of performance, and the vision of the director.
We will consider iconic and influential films, including:
Do the Right Thing
Inglorious Basterds
The Shawshank Redemption
as well as some of the most contentious films of all time, and those either emerged from or shaped film censorship standards, including:
The Birth of a Nation
Double Indemnity
Requiem for a Dream
As well as the films that have shaped both the idea of the “Blockbuster,” the “Event Film,” and the “Film Franchise” including:
Gone with the Wind
Star Wars
Iron Man
We will also discuss avant-garde film with independent works like Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon.
This class on the whole will give you a foundation in understanding and discussing film, from the smallest independent auteur to the biggest blockbuster.
Grading will be based primarily on a midterm, a paper, and a final project.