COMM 309 (CRN 17030) Film Analysis

COMM 309 (CRN 17030) Film Analysis Spring 2015 Department of Communication State University of New York at Fredonia Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-4:50 p.m. (Fenton Hall 164) Professor: Dr. Chiara De Santi Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1:00 pm 3:00 pm (Fenton Hall Room 2104) and by appointment on campus (Monday-Friday) and on Skype* (account: dr.desanti) Phone: (716) 673-4496 (during Office Hours) E-mail: Chiara.DeSanti@fredonia.edu * Contact through Skype is limited to issues that cannot be solved over email, and when it is not possible to meet on campus. Prerequisites COMM 155 (Rhetoric of Vision and Sound). Course Description The purpose of this course is to compare and contrast contemporary Hollywood cinema with classical Hollywood in terms of both story construction and style. We will explore the economic, social, historic, technological, and aesthetic reasons for changes in Hollywood films. Rationale Film critics and scholars freely toss around the idea of a post-classical (post-modern) Hollywood, that contemporary film is radically different from studio era films. On closer study, there is greater continuity between the two eras than current criticism takes into account. Students who wish to work in feature films or television drama need to be aware of contemporary trends and how they developed from the classical models. Required Texts Timothy Corrigan. A Short Guide to Writing about Film. 8 th edition. New York: Pearson, 2012. ISBN: 978-0205236398. (Corrigan in the Course Schedule) Mark Harris. Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. New York: The Penguin Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0143115038 (Harris in the Course Schedule) 1

David Bordwell. The Way Hollywood Tells It: Story and Style in Modern Movies. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0520246225. (Bordwell in the Course Schedule) Recommended Text Kristen Thompson. Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Technique. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0674839755. [This book is absolutely crucial if you want to be a scriptwriter]. Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster. 21 st Century Hollywood: Movies in the Era of Transformation. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0813551258. Course Goals, Objectives and Outcomes This course is designed to enable students to be: Inclusive: understand, evaluate, and communicate creatively within and across technically and culturally diverse groups in ways that responsibly confirm the value of all members. Analytical: evaluate and creatively consider communication locally, globally, and historically through perspectives relevant to their specific major. 1. Apply rhetorical principles to evaluation of mediated messages a. Explain the differences in film language and how they affect the message. 2. Recognize and explain the relevance of key historical and socio-cultural phenomena to the evolution and development of mediated communication a. Compare and contrast studio era films with contemporary Hollywood films. b. Apply the concept of belatedness to postmodern films. c. Apply the concept of intensified continuity to contemporary films. Ethical: understand and apply ethical principles to the practice of communication in research, interactions, and creative processes in diverse social, cultural, and professional spheres. Instructional Methods and Activities Lectures are used to introduce the concepts. Screenings of clips or entire films illustrate the topics and act as a springboard for discussion. There will be a discussion following each lecture/screening to foster students critical thinking skills in analyzing what are effective story telling techniques and what is the response the techniques try to elicit from the audience. Students will be expected to compare and contrast films and to analyze in depth both the technical aspects and content/themes of the screened films. They will also be expected to incorporate concepts from the readings and to draw upon knowledge gained in other classes. It is essential for students to come to class having done the readings and prepared to talk. Course requirements 1. Active participation (7%). Active participation in class is a vital element of your success. It will be graded throughout the semester based on your effort to participate in the classroom, your preparation for class (readings), your contribution to a cooperative classroom atmosphere, and the quality and quantity of your participation in class discussions. 2. Reaction papers (33%). Eleven (11) reaction papers of at least 250 words on the films screened in class are required and must be submitted in class on the Tuesday following the screening or during the professor s office hours that day. 2

3. Paper (45%). Paper on a film NOT screened in class representing the New Hollywood (see the book by Bordwell). Length: 8 pages excluding the bibliography, double-spaced, Times New Roman, size 12, standard margin. See the weekly plan for the deadlines related to topic choice and the bibliography (at least 5 peer-reviewed articles must be included). 4. Oral presentation (15%). Presentation on the final paper. 10 minutes will be allotted for each presentation (5 minutes to present the paper and 5 minutes for Q&A). Missing deadlines If a student is unable to meet the deadline for an assignment, he or she must make arrangements with the instructor in advance. Otherwise there will be a substantial penalty for late submission (5 points for each day of being late). Classroom Policy Cell phone use is forbidden. Laptops are NOT allowed. Attendance Attendance is expected in all classes and it will be taken on a regular basis. With the exception of those due to officially documented university-related activities or university-recognized religious observances, students are allowed up to TWO (2) absences throughout the semester. With the THIRD absence, 1 (one) percentage point for each absence will be deducted from their final grade. More than 10 unexcused absences will result in failure of the class. Students need to inform the professor in advance when they need to leave the class. If a student leaves the class early without approval, it will be counted as ½ absence. Department of Communication Philosophy The faculty of the Department of Communication encourages projects and behaviors that are undertaken with thoughtful respect and consideration for others. We support and encourage work that is both ethical and enriching to the students community and to personal and professional relationships. All students should review the Department of Communication Professional and Ethical Standards http://www.fredonia.edu/department/communication/standards.asp Student Code of Conduct Students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the policies set forth in the Student Code of Conduct, which can be found at: http://www.fredonia.edu/judicialaffairs/rights.asp Plagiarism (Academic Integrity Policy: http://fredonia.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/catalog/academic-policies/copy-of-academic-integrity-policy) Plagiarism consists of presenting the work of others as one's own. It is unethical to copy directly the words or work of other authors or artists without giving them credit. It is also unethical to rearrange or add a few words to another author's text while leaving the majority unaltered or to take an author's unique idea or discovery and to represent it as one's own. Specific examples of plagiarism include, but are not restricted to, the following examples: 1. Copying the work of another author and/or artist without giving proper credit in the text or reference to the artwork, presentation or performance; neglecting to cite the original in a footnote; and/or failing to identify full and proper documentation in the list of works cited or sampled for presentation or performance. 2. Implying that another author's words, works, or ideas are one's own. Quoting without the use of quotation marks falsely implies originality and is, therefore, an act of plagiarism. 3

3. Incorporating into a paper or assignment without acknowledgement verbatim corrections or other suggestions that were made by someone other than oneself, the instructor, or an assigned editor. 4. Taking information from one source (such as the Internet) and citing it as coming from another source (such as a required text or article). University Policy on Different Abilities State University of New York at Fredonia encourages qualified persons with different abilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please contact the Office for Disability Services as soon as possible. For more information, please see the Academic Catalog (Academic Policy and Procedures in Regard to Students with Disabilities). For specific information about services and facilities for students with different abilities, students should contact Mr. Adam Hino, coordinator of Disability Support Services for Students, Reed Library (fourth floor), by telephone at (716) 673-3270, by TTY at (716) 673-4763, or by e-mail at disability.services@fredonia.edu. Students should see the website at http://www.fredonia.edu/tlc/dss/index.asp Grading Scales: A 100-93 B- 82-80 D+ 69-67 A- 92-90 C+ 79-77 D 66-63 B+ 89-87 C 76-73 D- 62-60 B 86-83 C- 72-70 F 59-0 This is a dynamic class, which may be modified according to the needs and interests of the instructor and/or students. Therefore the syllabus is subject to change during the semester. Course Schedule Date Readings Screenings Notes Week 1 January 22 January 27 Classic Hollywood Cinema Corrigan: chapters 1 and 2 (Writing about the movies & Beginning to think, preparing to watch, and starting to write). Week 2 The Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland, 1927) Course introduction January 27: final day to DROP courses January 29 Classic Hollywood Cinema Corrigan: chapters 3 and 4 (Film terms and topics for film analysis and writing & Six approaches to writing about film). Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) 4

3 French New Wave Corrigan: chapters 5 and 6 (Style and structure in writing & Researching the movies). Week 3 Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) Reaction paper #1 on The Jazz Singer AND Citizen Kane due. 5 Italian Cinema Corrigan: chapter 7 (Manuscript form). 8 and ½ (Federico Fellini, 1963) 10 Harris: Introduction and chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-46). Week 4 Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) Reaction paper #2 on Breathless AND 8 and ½ due. 12 17 19 24 Bonnie and Clyde Harris: chapters 4-6 (Arthur (pp. 47-84). Penn, 1967) continue Week 5 Harris: chapters 7-9 (pp. 85-122). The graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967) The graduate Harris: chapters 10-12 (Mike (pp. 123-161). Nichols, 1967) continue Week 6 Harris: chapters 13-15 (pp. 162-202). Guess who is coming to dinner (Stanley Kramer, Reaction paper #3 on Bonnie and Clyde due. Reaction paper #4 on The Graduate due. 5

26 March 3 March 5 March 10 March 12 March 24 March 26 1967) Guess who is Harris: chapters 16-18 coming to (pp. 203-244). dinner (Stanley Kramer, 1967) continue Week 7 Harris: chapters 19-21 (pp. 245-285). In the Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison, 1967) In the Heat of the Harris: chapters 22-25 Night (pp. 286-336). (Norman Jewison, 1967) continue Week 8 Harris: chapters 26-28 (pp. 337-379). Harris: chapters 29-31 and Epilogue (pp. 380-426). Bordwell: pp. 1-18. Doctor Dolittle (Richard Fleischer, 1967) Doctor Dolittle (Richard Fleischer, 1967) continue Week 9 Reaction paper #5 on Guess who is coming to dinner due. Reaction paper #6 on In the Heat of the Night due. Spring break: March 16-20 Reaction paper #7 on Doctor Dolittle due. March 26: Mid Semester Grades available to students UNIVERSITY WORKSHOP to be held in Fenton Hall 164 6

(attendance will be taken). March 31 April 2 April 7 April 9 April 14 April 16 Bordwell: pp. 19-50. Bordwell: pp. 51-71. Bordwell: pp. 72-103. Week 10 Kramer vs. Kramer (Robert Benton, 1979) Jerry McGuire (Cameron Crowe, 1996) Week 11 A Beautiful Mind (Ron Howard and Todd Hallowell, 2001) Love Actually Bordwell: pp. 104-114. (Richard Curtis, 2003) Week 12 and Remakes Bordwell: pp. 115-138. and Remakes Bordwell: pp. 139-157. The Thomas Crown Affair (Norman Jewison, 1968) The Thomas Crown Affair (John McTiernan and John Work on paper topic and bibliography March 30-April 3: Advising Week Reaction paper #8 on Kramer vs. Kramer OR Jerry McGuire due. Paper topic and bibliography due. April 10: Final Day to WITHDRAW from courses Reaction paper #9 on A Beautiful Mind OR Love Actually due. 7

April 21 April 23 Bordwell: pp. 158-189. Sullivan, 1999) Week 13 Two Weeks Notice (Marc Lawrence, 2002) Reaction paper #10 on The Thomas Crown Affair (original and the remake) due. Course conclusion April 28 Week 14 Reaction paper #11 on Two Weeks Notice due. April 30 May 5 Week 15 May 7 Paper due on Thursday, May 14 th, 2015, 4:00-6:00 p.m. (Fenton 2104) 8

Bibliography Allen, Robert C., and Douglas Gomery. Film History: Theory and Practice. New York: Random House, 1985. Altman, Rick. Sound Theory Sound Practice. New York: Routledge, 1992. Andrew, J. Dudley. Concepts in Film Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. Andrew, J. Dudley. Major Film Theories. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976. Bazin, André. What is Cinema? Trans. Hugh Gray. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1967. Boggs, Joseph M., and Dennis Petrie. The Art of Watching Films. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004. Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction New York: McGraw Hill, 2001. Brownlow, Kevin. The Parade s Gone By. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968. Deleuze, Gilles. Cinema 1: The Movement-Image. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Deleuze, Gilles. Cinema 2: The Time-Image. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Dixon, Wheeler Dixon, and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster. 21 st -Century Hollywood: Movies in the Era of Transformation. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2011. Douglas, John S., and Glenn P. Harnden. The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996. Eisenstein, Sergei. Film Form. Trans. Jay Leyda. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977. Eisenstein, Sergei. Film Sense. Trans. Jay Leyda. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975. Elsaesser, Thomas, and Warren Buckland. Studying Contemporary American Film: A Guide to Movie Analysis. London: Arnold, 2002. Geiger, Jeffrey, and R.L. Rutsky. Eds. Film Analysis: A Norton Reader. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005. Gianetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1999. Kalinak, Kathryn. Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992. Kolker, Robert. Film, Form, and Culture. New York: McGraw Hill, 1999. Lack, Russell. Twenty-four Frames Under: A Buried History of Film Music. London: Quartet Books, 1997. Mercado, Gustavo. The Filmmaker s Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition. New York: Focal Press, 2011. Monaco, James. How To Read a Film: The Art, Technology, Language, History and Theory of Film and Media. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981. Thompson, Kristin. Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Techniques. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999. Thompson, Kristin, and David Bordwell. Film History: An Introduction. New York: McGraw Hill, 1994. Weis, Elisabeth, and John Belton. Eds. Film Sound: Theory and Practice, New York: Columbia University Press, 1985. Key Journals American Cinematographer American Film Cineaste Film Comment Film and History Film Quarterly Jump Cut Screen Sight and Sound Variety ** This syllabus has been adapted from Prof. McDonough s syllabus ** 9