CULS5218 Practical and Critical Film Criticism Writing

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1 CULS5218 Practical and Critical Film Criticism Writing (1 st Term, ) Time: 6:45pm 9:30 pm, Wed. Classroom: Room 207, Esther Lee Building Lecturer: Dr Li Tiecheng Office: 313 Leung Kau Kui Building Office Tel: Course Description: In this course, students will acquire the skill to read film texts against their specific discursive background, and to dissect, deconstruct and critique the ideology behind the cinematic images; also will learn to integrate one s cinematic experience in terms of emotion and reason, and to develop one s unique style in film criticism writing. In the course of teaching, three aspects will be highlighted including the critical, functional and practical ones, and students ability for critical exchanges and practical writing training in film criticism will be emphasized. COURSE CONTENT & SCHEDULE PART I: Textual Analysis Approaches Week 1 (3/9). Introduction to the course Lecture: Course Introduction 1. Christopher Nolan, Memento (2000) 2. Alison Klayman, Ai Weiwei Never Sorry (2012) * *22-24 Week 2 (10/9). The Narrative Approach: Film Language and Narrative 1 Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941) 1

2 1. Seymour Chatman, what novels can do that films cannot (and vice versa), Film Theory and Criticism, 6 th, Andre Bazin, The Evolution of the Language of Cinema, Film Theory and Criticism, 6 th, De Sica: Metteur-en-Scene, Film Theory and Criticism, 6 th, Week 3 (17/9). The Narrative Approach: Film Language and Narrative 2, (1948) 1. Sek Kei, "The Journey of Desires," in Hong Kong International Film Festival Catalogue: A Study of Hong Kong Cinema in the Seventies (Hong Kong), Wong, Ain-ling. Fei Mu: A Different Destiny. Cinemaya 49 (2000): Robert Stam, Literature through film: realism, magic, and the art of adaptation, Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., Submission: Assignment 1, To write a film review.english: 2 pages, or Chinese: 1000 words Week 4 (24/9). The Narrative Approach: The Narrative and the Narrator Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941) Simon Barrett, Jason Eisener, etc. V/H/S/2 (2013) 1. Christian Metz: Notes Toward a Phenomenology of the Narrative in Film Language: A Semiotics of the Cinema. Translated by Michael Taylor (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), Nicholas, Rombes: The Camera as Narrator V/H/S/2, Week 5 (1/10). National Day Week 6 (8/10). The Semiology of the Cinema Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) 2

3 1. Jerome Ashmore, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as Fine Art, College Art Journal, Vol. 9, No.4, (summer 1950), Peter Wollen, The Semiology of the Cinema, in Signs and Meaning in the Cinema (London: British Film Institute, 2013), Stuart Hall, Encoding, Decoding, in The Cultural Studies Reader, edited by Simon During (New York and London: Routledge, 1993), PART II: Auteurship, Spectatorship and Genre Week 7 (15/10). Audience Expectations, Darkness and Light(1999) 1.Vol.2,No.2(2005 9) Maria Pramagiore, Tom Wallis, An Approach to Film Analysis, A Critical Introduction, (Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon, 2011), 9-15 Week 8 (22/10). Auteur Theory I Films: Alfred Hitchcock s, The Birds (1963) 1. Andrew Sarris, Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962, Film Theory and Criticism, 6 th edition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004) Peter Wollen, The Auteur Theory, Film Theory and Criticism, 6 th edition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004) Christine Etherington-Wright and Ruth Doughty, Case Studies: Alfred Hitchcock and Guillermo del Toro, Understanding Film Theory, (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) Week 9 (29/10). Auteur Theory II: The Case of Takeshi Kitano Films: Takeshi Kitano, Hana-bi (1997) Takeshi Kitano, Kikujiro (1999) 3

4 1. Darrell William Davis, Reigniting Japanese Tradition with Hana-Bi, Cinema Journal, Vol. 40, No. 4, (Summer, 2001): Sean Redmond, Time, Space and Whatever, in The cinema of Takeshi Kitano : flowering blood, (London ; New York : Wallflower Press, 20013) * Submission: Assignment 2 (Midterm Paper) To write a critical essay.english: 4 pages, or Chinese: 2500 words Week 10 (5/11). The Genre Analysis & the Action Film Films: Jams Steven Sadwith, Elvis (2005) Wong Kar-Wai, The Grandmaster() (2013) Reading: 1. Genre: The Conventions of Connection, Film Theory and Criticism, 6 th edition, Types, Cycles as Genres, Film Theory and Criticism, 5 th, Week 11 (12/11). The Fixing of the Truth Films: 1. Jia Zhangke, 24City (2008) 2. Jean Rouch, Les Maîtres Fous (1955) 3. Jean Rouch, In the Land of the Black Magic ( ) 1. Kevin B. Lee, 24 City, Cinéaste, Vol. 34, No. 4 (FALL 2009), p Paul Henley, The Fixing of the Truth, in The Adventure of the Real, (Chicago: University of Chicago,2009),

5 PART III: Practice Week 12 (19/11). Critical Writing Workshop Guest Speaker s Lecturer Films: Gallants2010 Teddy Chan, Bodyguards and Assassins(2009) Reading: Week 13 (26/11). Angle 1: Genre Analysis 1. Johnnie To, Drug War (2012). 1. David Bordwell, Mixing business with pleasure: Johnnie To s DRUG WAR, David Bordweell s website on cinema, July 8, e-tos-drug-war/ 2. ( ) Week 14 (3/12). Angle 2: Auteur Theory 1. Johnnie To, Drug War (2012). Assessment - Attendance and participation 20% - Group Presentation 20% - Assignment1 (English: 2 pages, or Chinese: 1000 words) 10% - Assignment2: Mid-term Paper (English: 4 pages, or Chinese: 2500 words) 20% 5

6 - Assignment 3: Final Paper (English: 8-9 pages, or Chinese: no more than 4000words) 30% Learning Outcomes After completing the course successfully, students would be able to read and analyze deeply in divers ways of critical thinking on a single film or a group of films, such as the views of genre, auteurship, and spectatorship, and grasp the ways to utilize these different analytical frameworks for the writing of film criticism. Supplementary Readings 1. Andre Bazin. What is cinema? Berkeley: University of California Press, David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction, 6th edition. 3. Haskell, Molly. From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies, New York: Holt, Joseph M. Boggs, Dennis W. Petrie. The Art of Watching Films, Boston: McGraw-Hill, Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen, ed. Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, 6th Edition. New York: Oxford UP, Marsh, C. and Ortiz, G. Explorations in Theology and Movies and Meaning. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, Tim Bywater, Thomas Sobchack. An Introduction to film criticism: major critical approaches to narrative film, New York: Longman, Wright Will. Six Guns and Society: A Structural Study of the Western. Berkeley: University of California Press, J (Timothy Corrigan), , ;, :, André Bazin

7 Honesty in Academic Work: A Guide for Students and Teachers The Chinese University of Hong Kong places very high importance on honesty in academic work submitted by students, and adopts a policy of zero tolerance on cheating and plagiarism. Any related offence will lead to disciplinary action including termination of studies at the University. All student assignments in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes should be submitted via VeriGuide with effect from September 2008: Although cases of cheating or plagiarism are rare at the University, everyone should make himself/herself familiar with the content of this website and thereby help avoid any practice that would not be acceptable. Section 1 What is plagiarism Section 2 Proper use of source material Section 3 Citation styles Section 4 Plagiarism and copyright violation Section 5 CUHK regulations on honesty in academic work Section 6 CUHK disciplinary guidelines and procedures Section 7 Guide for teachers and departments Section 8 Recommended material to be included in course outlines Section 9 Electronic submission of assignments via VeriGuide 7

8 Section 10 Declaration to be included in assignments 8

CULS5218 Practical and Critical Film Criticism Writing

CULS5218 Practical and Critical Film Criticism Writing (1 st Term, 2017-18) Time: 6:45pm 9:30pm, Wed. Classroom: Rm 201, YIA Lecturer: Dr Li Tiecheng Email: tcli@cuhk.edu.hk Office: 313 Leung Kau Kui Building