Baylor University Dept. of Communication Studies, Film & Digital Media Division Fall 2009

Transcription

1 Baylor University Dept. of Communication Studies, Film & Digital Media Division Fall 2009 Screening: Wednesday 6:30 10:00 p.m., Castellaw 101 Seminar: Thursday 3:00 6:00 p.m., Castellaw 142 Professor: Dr. James Kendrick Office: Castellaw 119 Office Hours: By appointment Phone: Web Site: Course Description This purpose of this graduate seminar is twofold. First, it will cover the major issues and concepts that have been taken up by contemporary film theorists in the years following World War II, with particularly concentration in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. While theory during the first half of the 20th century (often referred to as classical film theory) was mostly concerned with questions of ontology and aesthetics, contemporary film theory has been heavily influenced by cultural studies and ideological criticism and has therefore delved into previously ignored questions of race, gender, politics, and spectatorship. However, in recent years, with the advent of digital cinema and the profound impact it is having, film theory has started to circle back into questions of technology and ontology. The second purpose of the seminar is to familiarize you with the nature and history of film studies as an academic discipline and how its formulation has affected and been affected by changes in film theory.

2 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 2 Required Texts Braudy, Leo and Marshall Cohen, eds. Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, 7th ed. New York: Oxford UP, Grieveson, Lee & Haidee Wasson, eds. Inventing Film Studies. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, Rodowick, R. N. The Virtual Life of Film. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP, All other readings available on Blackboard ( Course Requirements Your grade in this class will be based on the following: Theorist Overview Paper / Presentation (30%) Each student will select one important theorist/critic (either classical or contemporary) who we are not reading as part of the course and research his or her contributions to film theory. This will require that you read a substantial amount of this theorist/critic s theoretical writings (i.e., you should not rely heavily on secondary interpretations of his or her works, but rather form your own opinions). You will then write an 8- to 10-page paper summarizing and critiquing the most important elements of this theorist s work and also present your findings to the rest of the class (one or two students will present during each class meeting starting on Oct. 1). The paper should be type-written and double-spaced, use MLA style, and include a complete bibliography. On or before September 16th you must me the name of the person you wish to write about/present on and briefly justify his or her importance to film studies. Critical Theory Paper (50%) On the last day of the semester you will submit a 15- to 20-page critical paper (including a complete bibliography) that uses film theory to interrogate a pertinent question regarding any of the issues we have raised in class. The paper should demonstrate a strong understanding of the theory or theories you are utilizing to illuminate a film or body of films. It should be type-written and doublespaced using MLA style. On or before October 15 you must submit a two-page proposal for your paper to be approved by me. This proposal should outline (1) why your topic is interesting, (2) how your thesis relates to the theoretical issues we have been discussing in class, and (3) how your paper will be organized, and it should also include a representative bibliography with at least five sources. Class Discussion Leader and Participation (20%) Your participation grade is based on regular attendance and your active involvement in class discussions. As this is a discussion-based seminar, it is imperative that you participate regularly in every class session, which invigorates our discussion of the topic with multiple points of view and

3 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 3 also illustrates to me that you have adequately prepared for class by carefully and studiously reading everything that was assigned. In addition, each week one student will be assigned to each of the readings and will be an expert on that reading, which means you should come to class armed with thought-provoking questions and additional background material to illuminate the assigned reading. Also, the night before you are to present you must me an outline of the reading for which you are responsible and a list of questions/issues you plan to raise in class the next day. Academic Integrity In this class, there is an absolute zero tolerance policy on cheating in any form, including plagiarism. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the university s policies and what constitutes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty in the Baylor Student Handbook ( student_policies). If you are caught cheating in any way, at the minimum you will receive a zero for that assignment, although the penalty may be more severe, depending on the circumstances. All instances of cheating will be reported to the university s Honor Council. Students With Special Needs If you have any special learning needs, please see me during the first week of class so we can be sure you get the proper accommodations. However, before seeing me you must first register with the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) (

4 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 4 Course Schedule Week 1 (Aug ) Introduction to Film Studies as a Discipline Wednesday Screening: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) Grievson and Wasson, The Academy of Motion Pictures, in Grievson & Wasson Rodowick, The Virtual Life of Film Part I Week 2 (Sept. 2 3) Film Art, Theory, and the Academy (or, Where Did Film Studies Come From?) Wednesday Screening: Intolerance (D.W. Griffith, 1916) Erwin Panofsky, Style and Medium in the Motion Pictures, in Braudy & Cohen Grievson, Cinema Studies and the Conduct of Conduct in Grievson & Wasson Anderson, Taking Liberties: The Payne Fund Studies and the Creation of the Media Expert in Grievson and Wasson Polan, Young Art, Old Colleges: Early Episodes in the American Study of Film in Grievson & Wasson Week 3 (Sept. 9 10) Revisiting Classical Film Theory: Formalism and Questions of Realism Wednesday Screening: The Earrings of Madame de (Max Ophuls, 1953) Pudovkin, On Editing in Braudy & Cohen Eisenstein, Beyond the Shot and The Dramaturgy of Film Form in Braudy & Cohen Kracauer, Basic Concepts in Braudy & Cohen Bazin, The Ontology of the Photographic Image and The Myth of Total Cinema in Braudy & Cohen Arnheim, Film and Reality in Braudy & Cohen Week 4 (Sept ) Reading Films Ideologically Wednesday Screening: It s a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946)

5 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 5 Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction in Braudy & Cohen Comolli and Narboni, Cinema/Ideology/Criticism in Braudy & Cohen Wood, Ideology, Genre, Auteur in Braudy & Cohen (By September 16th you must me the name of the theorist/critic you will be writing about/presenting on and briefly justify his or her importance to film studies.) Week 5 (Sept ) The Apparatus and Ideology Wednesday Screening: Young Mr. Lincoln (John Ford, 1939) Bazin, The Evolution of the Language of Cinema in Braudy & Cohen Baudry, The Apparatus: Metaphysical Approaches to the Impression of Reality in Cinema in Braudy & Cohen Comolli, Technique and Ideology: Camera, Perspective, Depth of Field [Parts 3 &4] [Blackboard] Week 6 (Sept. 30 Oct. 1) Structuralism and Semiotics Wednesday Screening: Au hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson, 1966) Metz, Some Points in the Semiotics of Cinema and Problems of Denotation in the Fiction Film in Braudy & Cohen Harman, Semiotics and the Cinema: Metz and Wollen in Braudy & Cohen Week 7 (Oct. 7 8) Deleuzian Time, Movement, and The New Image Wednesday Screening: Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais, 1961) Herzog, Images of Thought and Acts of Creation: Deleuze, Bergson, and the Question of Cinema [Blackboard] Totaro, Gilles Deleuze s Bergsonian Film Project Parts 1 & 2 (online at Deleuze, Preface to the English Edition, The Origin of the Crisis, and Beyond the Movement-Image in Braudy & Cohen

6 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 6 Week 8 (Oct ) No class or screening (Dr. Kendrick at the Literature/Film Association conference). By 5:00 p.m. on Thursday you need to submit your two-page critical theory paper proposal, which I will return to you in class next week. You may either leave the proposal in my mailbox or slide it under my office door. Week 9 (Oct ) Spectatorship and the Look Wednesday Screening: Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) Dayan, The Tutor-Code of Classical Cinema in Braudy & Cohen Christian Metz, From the Imaginary Signifier, in Braudy & Cohen Silverman, Suture [Blackboard] Rothman, Against the System of Suture in Braudy & Cohen Week 10 (Oct ) Gender and the Feminist Turn Wednesday Screening: The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991) Hastie, Joyrich, White, and Willis, (Re)Inventing Camera Obscura in Grievson & Wasson Laura Mulvey, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema in Braudy & Cohen Rich, In the Name of Feminist Film Criticism [Blackboard] Freeland, Feminist Frameworks for Horror Films in Braudy & Cohen Week 11 (Nov. 4 5) Critical Race Theory Wednesday Screening: Eve s Bayou (Kasi Lemmons, 1997) Stam and Spence, Colonialism, Racism, and Representation: An Introduction in Braudy & Cohen Diawara, Black Spectatorship: Problems of Identification and Resistance in Braudy & Cohen hooks, The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators [Blackboard]

7 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 7 Week 12 (Nov ) The Future and/or End of Cinema Wednesday Screening: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher, 2008) Rodowick, The Virtual Life of Film Part II Week 13 (Nov ) The Future and/or End of Cinema continued Wednesday Screening: Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sokurov, 2002) Rodowick, The Virtual Life of Film Part III Week 14 (Nov ) No class Happy Thanksgiving! Week 15 (Dec. 2 3) No Wednesday Screening Final Paper presentations on Thursday

8 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 8 Screening List Week : A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick min. Week 2 Intolerance D.W. Griffith min. Week 3 The Earrings of Madame de Max Ophuls min. (Madame de... ) Week 4 It s a Wonderful Life Frank Capra min. Week 5 Young Mr. Lincoln John Ford min. Week 6 Au hasard Balthazar Robert Bresson min. Week 7 Last Year at Marienbad Alain Resnais min. (L'année dernière à Marienbad) Week 8 No screening Week 9 Psycho Alfred Hitchcock min. Week 10 The Silence of the Lambs Jonathan Demme min. Week 11 Eve s Bayou Kasi Lemmons min. Week 12 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button David Fincher min. Week 13 Russian Ark (Russkiy kovcheg) Aleksandr Sokurov min. Week 14 Week 15 No screening Happy Thanksgiving! No screening Paper presentations

9 FDM 5356 Fall 2009 Syllabus page 9 Course Readings on Blackboard Comolli, Jean-Louis. Technique and Ideology: Camera, Perspective, Depth of Field [Parts 3 and 4]. Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology, ed. Philip Rosen. New York: Columbia UP, Herzog, Amy. Images of Thought and Acts of Creation: Deleuze, Bergson, and the Question of Cinema. Invisible Culture 3 (2000). Online: issue3/herzog.htm hooks, bell. The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators. Black Looks: Race and Representation. Boston: South End Press, Rich, B. Ruby. In the Name of Feminist Film Criticism. Issues in Feminist Film Criticism, ed. Patricia Erens. Bloomington: Indiana UP, Silverman, Kaja. Suture. The Subject of Semiotics. New York: Oxford University Press,