WAR, FILM and HISTORY

Transcription

1 University f Calgary, Summer Semester 2009 Histrical Studies 495 Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday, 9am-11.50am, in SS 012 Instructr: Dr S. Cusineau scusine@ucalgary.ca Office: SS 615 Phne: Office Hurs: Mnday and Tuesday, , and by appintment WAR, FILM and HISTORY COURSE DESCRIPTION: This curse fcuses n films abut the Secnd Wrld War. Films, frm cartns t dcumentaries t features, can serve as tls fr histrical learning as much as texts d. Smetimes they teach abut the events they depict, and ther times, they give mre insight int the Zeitgeist (spirit f the time) f the era in which they were made. HTST 495 will strike a balance between the theries f using films as teachers f histry and the histry represented in the films, by examining a selectin f feature films f the Secnd Wrld War. These films will be used as dcuments t fill in a greater bdy f knwledge and understanding abut the Secnd Wrld War, the plitics f memry, and the prcess f bringing the past t life in the present. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Objectives in this curse are the fllwing: 1. Students will learn t lk at film as a histrical surce. That is t say, they will learn t view films and put them int histrical cntext. 2. Students will wrk n their skills f critical analysis and written expressin, including centring texts arund strng thesis statements. 3. Students will analyse the rle f film in public histry. REQUIRED TEXT: The fllwing text can be purchased at the University f Calgary Bk Stre: Williamsn Murray and Allan R. Millett, A War t be Wn: Fighting the Secnd Wrld War, (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press f Harvard University, 2000). COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Students must attempt ALL cmpnents f the curse (respnses, assignments and exams) t receive a passing grade Film Respnses: 5% each, equalling 15% f the final grade 3 submissins, varius dates OBJECTIVES: The purpse f the respnses is t practice the art f creative analysis f films as histrical surces. 1

2 Seven films will be viewed in HTST 495: Cnspiracy; Enigma; Letters frm Iw Jima; Indigènes (Days f Glry); Band f Brthers ( Why We Fight ); Dwnfall; and 49 th Parallel. Students cannt respnd t Cnspiracy (see Research Methds assignment); f the remaining six films, they must respnd t three. The first respnse must be submitted fr EITHER Enigma OR Letters frm Iw Jima; thereafter students chse their final tw respnses accrding t interest and their wn scheduling cnstraints. (Students can als submit n BOTH Enigma and Letters if they wuld like, thugh it might be advisable t see cmments frm the first respnse befre submitting a secnd.) The purpse f film respnse is nt t recunt r summarise the film we ve all seen it! Instead, students shuld practice creative analysis f the film, finding, fr example, a theme in the film t reflect upn. Students are nt t d external research fr respnses, they are instead places f analysis derived frm creative impulse. This des nt mean that students are t speculate instead f substantiating, but instead that these are nt research-centred assignments. The nature f respnses will be discussed at greater length in class n 7 July. Respnses shuld be n mre than 400 wrds, withut citatins, referring directly t the film, driven by a central pint, and analytical (nt descriptive). Respnses are due the next class after the film was viewed, i.e., respnses t Enigma (shwn n 9 July) are due n 14 July. N late submissins will be accepted fr respnses; because students set their wn deadlines (apart frm their first respnse), they must hand in n time. Research Methds 15% f final grade 14 July 2009 OBJECTIVE: The purpse f this assignment is t practice the methdlgy required t analyse film as a histrical surce; essentially, this is t ensure that students are clear n what it means t put a film in histrical cntext, which is the aim f the majr paper. On 7 July, we will watch the HBO film Cnspiracy in class. Afterwards, students will be given a questin based n events in the film, and they will undertake a research methds assignment t shw what steps wuld be taken t situate that tpic in its prper histrical cntext. Fr the assignment, students will find at least 5 quality secndary surces, all f which must be schlarly articles, bks r chapters in edited cllectins. N ther film surces are acceptable, nr are internet surces r the class textbk. Be aware that articles accessed nline thrugh library databases (i.e., JSTOR articles) are simply nline versins f print peridicals, and they therefre d nt cunt as internet surces. Please d nt give the URL fr a schlarly article that is available in print. In additin t the bibligraphy, students will write a maximum f 500 wrds explaining what steps they wuld take t answer the questin, hw they wuld seek t find ut hw representative that part f the film is f histry (based n what analysis the secndary surces prvide, i.e., the five surces they fund fr their bibligraphies), as well as frmulating a strng thesis statement. The written cmpnent and bibligraphy (n a separate page, frmatted accrding t Chicag Manual f Style specificatins see als the Histry Department s nline essay guide) are due in class n 14 July. Research Methds is due n 14 July, and is wrth 15% f the final grade. 2

3 Paper Prpsal 10% f the final grade 21 July 2009 OBJECTIVE: The purpse f this assignment is t ensure that the student s majr paper tpic fits within the tpical and theretical framewrks f this curse, by prducing a 2- paragraph (maximum) prpsal and relevant bibligraphy. Students have a chice in their majr paper tpics fr HTST 495 but their papers must deal with situating film(s) f the Secnd Wrld War in their histrical cntexts. Students can use any f the films viewed in class r in the cllectin listed n page seven f this syllabus. The restrictin here is that the instructr needs t have seen the film being analysed. The purpse f the majr paper is nt t get hung up n details f accuracy ; this curse is fcusing n representatin i.e., the questin is nt is this accurate?, but instead is this representative f this event / persn / time / theme in histry? Be sure nt t miss the bigger, thematic picture fr the sake f picayune details. Paper prpsals are t be n mre than 400 wrds, and may be written in pint frm. This assignment is nt a writing exercise, but is t identify the fllwing: a research questin; the film(s) t be analysed; a wrking thesis statement (which need nt be crrect, but must be strng, t indicate that the student knws what it takes t write a prper thesis); and sufficiently develped ideas t shw that the tpic f the paper is already understd, articulated, and underway. The bibligraphy shuld include eight surces, made up f a cmbinatin f mngraphs (bks), schlarly articles, and chapters in edited cllectins. Students wishing t use internet surces must anntate these surces, prviding justificatin fr why that surce is better than a print surce. See the sectin belw entitled On Internet Surces fr further details. Prpsals are due in class n 21 July, and are wrth 10% f the final grade. Term Paper 35% f the final grade 11 August 2009 OBJECTIVE: The purpse f the term paper is t analyse film as a dcument, putting the mvie(s) under examinatin int histrical cntext with secndary surce material. The results f this analysis will be expressed in a 3,500 wrd, thesisstatement driven essay, written in prper English, with prper structure. The term paper builds n the skills practiced in research methds: this time, instead f explaining hw students wuld g abut answering their questins, students will pse and answer a questin, in wellthught ut, well-researched analysis. Papers will include bth the film under examinatin and at least ten gd-quality academic secndary surces (i.e., bks, articles frm schlarly jurnals, r chapters frm edited cllectins). If a student uses several articles frm ne cllected wrk, it cunts as ne surce fr their tally even thugh there are multiple authrs. SEE ALSO THE NOTE ON INTERNET SOURCES BELOW!! Smetimes searching fr wrks by thse individual authrs appearing in the cllectin can lead t related tpical wrks and thus a wider array f surces. The curse text shuld nt be used as a surce it is a general histry, and all f what is fund n its pages can be fund elsewhere in academic wrks with prper referencing, based n primary surces. 3

4 Papers must be prperly cited; histrians use ft- r endntes but in HTST 495, all papers must have ftntes, nt endntes, and they must cnfrm t the Chicag Manual f Style. Failure t frmat ftntes prperly culd lead t students being asked t resubmit, accepting late penalties until their ntes are crrectly dne. Term Papers are due n 11 August 2009, and is wrth 35% f the final grade. Final Examinatin: 25% f the final grade 17 August, between 11am and nn OBJECTIVE: The final exam will test the students understanding f film as histry (i.e., a theretical cmpnent) as well as thematic learning regarding the films viewed in class (an applied cmpnent f cntextualisatin). The Final exam will be a take-hme exam. It will be distributed n the last day f class (13 August), t be fllwed by an in-class discussin. Take-hme finals call upn the same skill sets as scheduled finals, simply replacing the classrm envirnment with ne f the students chsing. Final exams are t be typewritten, withut citatins, and fllwing standard frmatting fr written submissins (duble spaced, with page numbers, ptinal duble-siding). Essay questins shuld be treated as frums fr develping an argument, nt infrmatin dumps. The Final Exam is due between 11am and nn n MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2009 in SS 615. The final exam is wrth 25% f the final grade. N assignment is accepted in electrnic frmat; please d nt submit anything by . Paper must be submitted, withut exceptin. On Internet Surces: A Histry class that uses film as heavily as HTST 495 des will likely lead t students using the internet far mre than they wuld rdinarily fr Histry classes (r that they shuld ). Students wuld d well t be aware f hw misleading the web can be, and t evaluate their surces carefully. When lking fr secndary materials fr cntext, it is critical that students lk specifically fr schlarly material t ensure surce quality. If yu are nt sure what cnstitutes schlarly material, read p. 5 f the University f Calgary s Histry Department essay guide nline ( Fr any use f internet surces utside f schlarly articles frm peridicals, students must always anntate their bibligraphical entry, t shw why that surce was necessary in place f mre traditinal surces. This is t say, students must defend their use f internet surces n their bibligraphies, r else find anther surce. Required Wrk: Cmpnent: Deadline: Value: Film Respnses / 3 f 6 films, thrughut semester 20% Participatin Research Methds 14 July 15% Paper Prpsal 21 July 10% Term Paper 11 August 35% Final Exam Due MONDAY 17 August, between 11am and nn 20% 4

5 COURSE POLICIES Late Plicy: The late plicy in this class is five percent (5 %) per day there are n extensins. Students wh d nt manage their time prperly shuld be prepared t accept the deductin. Shuld there be extenuating circumstances (illness, persnal emergency, etc.), please attach the apprpriate dcumentatin t the assignment upn submissin. In the case f persnal emergency, students are referred t cunselling services fr dcumentatin. Please be sure t back up cmputer materials prperly, because in n case is a crash/theft/technical failure an acceptable reasn fr late wrk. After a perid f seven (7) days, n wrk will be accepted withut prir permissin. Unless ther arrangements have been made, NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED ONCE THE ASSIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN RETURNED AFTER MARKING. Cmputer Plicy: Laptp cmputers are permitted during the lecture and discussin cmpnents, but nt during the films. The light given ff distracts ther students, and the internet and its varius fferings tend t distract the cmputer peratrs as well. Students shuld be sure t bring paper and writing implements t take ntes during films. Plagiarism: Plagiarism ccurs when ne submits r presents ne s wrk in a curse, r ideas and/r passages in a written piece f wrk, as if it were ne s wn wrk dne expressly fr that particular curse, when, in fact, it is nt. Plagiarism may take several frms: (a) Failure t cite surces prperly may be cnsidered plagiarism. This culd include qutatins, ideas, and wrding used frm anther surce but nt acknwledged. (b) Brrwed, purchased, and/r ghstwritten papers are cnsidered plagiarism, as is submitting ne s wn wrk fr mre than ne curse withut the permissin f the instructr(s) invlved. (c) Extensive paraphrasing f ne r a few surces is als cnsidered plagiarism, even when ntes are used, unless the essay is a critical analysis f thse wrks. The use f ntes des nt justify the sustained presentatin f anther authr s language and ideas as ne s wn. Plagiarism is a serius academic ffence. A plagiarized paper will autmatically be failed. Plagiarism may als result in a failing grade fr the entire curse and ther penalties. GRADING SCALE This class will fllw the University f Calgary Undergraduate Grading system, as it appears belw: Grade GPA Descriptin Grade GPA Descriptin A Outstanding t excellent C Satisfactry t adequate A 4.00 (superir perfrmance, shwing C 2.00 (average t belw average) A cmprehensive understanding) C Marginal (generally insufficient B Very gd t gd (abve D preparatin fr subsequent B 3.00 average with generally D 1.00 curses in the same subject) B cmplete knwledge f the F 0.00 Fail subject matter) I 0.00 Incmplete: unsatisfactry 5

6 COURSE READING SCHEDULE, FILMS AND TOPICS: This schedule is tentative and subject t revisin Week Date Tpic Reading Deadline 1 2 July Curse Intr & Syllabus Lecture: imprtant themes in Secnd Wrld War histry Selectins frm The Hlcaust, Dnald Niewyk, ed., and Dwrk & van Pelt s Hlcaust: A Histry n 2 7 July Lecture: Backgrund t the Hlcaust FILM: Cnspiracy (96 minutes) Skills Discussin: hw t write film respnses & creative analysis 9 July Guided discussin: films frm dcumentary histry & the mix f fact and fictin aka putting a stry nt histry FILM: Enigma (119 minutes) 3 14 July Discussin: n Enigma Thery Lecture: What is Public Histry? Lecture: Race and the Pacific War 16 July FILM: Letters frm Iw Jima (142 minutes) Discussin: the Pacific War in culture and memry 4 21 July Thery Lecture: the Past as Present Lecture: All Film is Plitical : cntemprary plitics thrugh films f the past Blackbard. Ch. 10: p Ch 7, 8, 9: p Ch 17, 18: p N assigned readings: WORK ON PROPOSAL Ch 5, part f Ch 11: p , p , p July NO CLASS Midterm break WORK ON PAPER!! 5 28 July Lecture: French Imperial trps and the liberatin f la mère patrie FILM: Indigènes (Days f Glry) (128 minutes) Ch 20: p , selectin frm Karl Jaspers, The Questin f German Guilt n Blackbard 30 July Discussin: n Indigènes Lecture: Germany and the weight f the war FILM: Band f Brthers: Episde 9 Why We Fight (55 minutes) Ch 16: p , Selectin frm Jachim Fest, Inside Hitler s Bunker: The Last Days f the Third Reich n Blackbard 6 4 Aug FILM: Dwnfall (156 minutes) Film and Prpaganda: 6 Aug Discussin: n Germany, pst-war Lecture: On prpaganda the few trying t impress the many Images f Overt Prpaganda: clips frm Prelude t War (1942) 7 11 Aug FILM: 49 th Parallel (123 minutes) discussin: Ethnicity and Wartime Images f the Enemy 13 Aug BONUS TRACK: Disney n the Frnt Lines TBD n Blackbard Selectin frm Film Prpaganda in Britain and Nazi Germany: Wrld War II Cinema n Blackbard FINAL EXAM REVIEW: Organise fr discussin Discussin: final exam FINAL EXAM DUE 17 August: 11am-nn in SS 615 Research Methds Due RESP 1 due tday r 21 July Paper Prpsals Due If n RESP 1 submitted n 14 July, RESP 1 due tday Term Papers Due 6

7 Dr Cusineau s Film Library: These films are in my pssessin, and yu can brrw them frm me. Yu must leave a depsit and can have n mre than tw at any time; therwise, these represent sme pssible surces fr yur term papers. Remember! Films are being analysed as histrical surces, which means yu will ask questins frm these films and seek answers in secndary wrks. Film: Year Film: Year Film: Year 49 th Parallel (E) 1941 The Dirty Dzen (E) 1967 Run Silent, Run Deep (E) 1958 Battle f Britain (E) 1969 Empire f the Sun (E) 1987 Sands f Iw Jima (E) 1949 Bent (E) 1997 Eurpa Eurpa (G) 1990 Saving Private Ryan (E) 1999 Best Years f Our Lives (E) 1946 The Grey Zne (E) 2002 A Sldier s Stry (E) 1984 The Big Red One (E) 1980 The Guns f Navarne (E) 1961 Stalingrad (G) 1993 Black Bk (D) 2006 Hpe and Glry (E) 1987 The Thin Red Line (E) 1998 Bridge n the River Kwai (E) 1957 Human Cnditin II (J) 1959 They Were Expendable (E) 1945 Catch-22 (E) 1970 Life is Beautiful (I) 1998 Three Came Hme (E) 1950 Clsely Watched Trains (C) 1966 The Lngest Day (E, G) 1962 Tra! Tra! Tra! (E, J) 1970 The Dam Busters (E) 1954 The Marriage f Maria Braun (G) 1979 Triumph f the Will (G) 1935 Das Bt (G) 1981 Open City (I) 1945 Tw Wmen (I) 1960 Days f Glry (F) 2006 Paradise Rad (E) 2000 Disney: On the Frnt Line (E) Pattn (E) 1969 Why We Fight (E)

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