ENGL245
FILM FORM AND CULTURE
SPRING 2011
Instructor: Marianne Conroy
Teaching Assistants: Uchechi Okereke-Beshel (0101 and 0102); Mike Quilligan (0103 and 0104)
Lecture: Tu and Th 1-1:50 (Tawes 1100)
Screening: Tu 2-3:50 (Tawes 1121–Ulrich Recital Hall)
Discussion Sections (0101-0104): Fridays as assigned
OFFICES AND HOURS:
Marianne Conroy Uchechi Okereke-Beshel Mike Quilligan
Office: 3225 Tawes 2230 Tawes 2222 Tawes
Hours: Th 2-3:30 or by appt.Th 2-5 Tu/Th 11:30-12:30
Mailbox: 2119G Tawes 2106 Tawes 2106 Tawes
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This class introduces students to film as an art form and teaches some approaches for understanding how films create meaning. Students will learn basic film terminology as well as fundamental principles of film form, film narrative, and film history.
Using examples from world cinema as well as from mainstream Hollywood entertainment, we will examine how film technique and style have developed over the past one hundred years of film history. Students will develop their visual literacy and critical understanding by amassing a detailed knowledge of how film works as visual and aural communication, how narrative techniques engage viewers, and how cinema has served important social and economic functions. By the end of the class, students should be able to look at any given film critically, understand its formal structure, and place it within its broader institutional, economic, and cultural contexts.
This is a course designed to introduce students to the way film scholars think about an important aspect of our social and cultural environment. By looking at this key discipline in the humanities, students will become better acquainted with the ways in which scholars understand and make sense of media and popular culture both in this country and around the world.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
This course satisfies the Learning Outcomes for General Education Humanities courses. By the conclusion of this course, students will be able to
Demonstrate familiarity and facility with fundamental terminology and concepts in the analysis of narrative film.
Demonstrate understanding of the methods used by scholars in a specific field in the humanities.
Demonstrate critical thinking in the evaluation of visual media and popular culture through a cross-cultural and broadly historical perspective on the film medium.
Demonstrate the ability to formulate a thesis related to narrative film and to support the thesis with evidence and argumentation.
TEXTBOOK:
Richard Barsam and Dave Monahan, Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film, 3rd edition (W.W. Norton, 2010). ISBN 393932796
Assignments from the textbook are indicated in the syllabus by the abbreviations LM (for the text) or LM/DVD (for the DVD supplement). The textbook is available in ebook format through the UMCP Bookstore, the MBX, and W.W. Norton (www.wwnorton.com). Print copies are available through W. W. Norton, Amazon.com, and other online retailers.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADE DISTRIBUTION:
Discussion section*10%
Presentation10%
Paper 115%
Paper 215%
Paper 315%
Midterm15%
Final20%
*The discussion section grade may include attendance, participation in class and/or on ELMS discussion groups, announced and unannounced quizzes, in-class or online writing exercises, and group work.
FILMS/SCREENINGS:
The films assigned for the course will be screened every Tuesday during the lab period; be aware that start times will vary from week to week, owing to the differing lengths of the films. Should you need to make up a screening on your own or re-view a film for an assignment, all films will be available on course reserve at the NonPrint Media facility in Hornbake Library for individual viewing on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note: the films are reserved for the instructors’ use on class days.
ELMS:
This class maintains a space on the ELMS system. You can access the syllabus, Power Point slides from the lectures, assignments, paper topics, and other course documents by logging into www.elms.umd.edu. Please check the course space regularly--at least weekly--for announcements and discussion section assignments. In the event of instructor absences or campus closures, the ELMS system will be used to facilitate ongoing learning.
EMAIL:
You are welcome to send questions or comments to your instructors via email whenever you like. Bear in mind, though, that ENGL245 does not operate a 24/7 call center, and all of your instructors have other obligations. You might get a quick response sometimes, but not always. In general, you can expect answers to your email inquiries within 24 hours during the workweek; on weekends, all of us are likely to be offline for extended periods. In general, it is best not to leave questions about assignments to the last minute. PLEASE INCLUDE ENGL245 AND YOUR SECTION NUMBER ON THE SUBJECT LINE OF ALL EMAILS.
NOTES ON CLASS DECORUM:
1.By taking this course, you are agreeing to treat the films assigned as objects of serious study. Our class screenings thus differ from the usual experience of "going to the movies." The films are required texts for this class and need your full attention. You may want to get in the habit of taking notes.
2.When you come to class screenings, stay for the ENTIRE film. Please do not disrupt the screening by leaving early.
3.This course requires some fairly complicated technological setups each day. Please allow the instructors uninterrupted time before class to get the all the visual materials up and running. We will be happy to answer questions AFTER class.
4. Please be patient during the changes between devices and/or discs. The technology sometimes breaks down and/or bogs down—more often than we’d like or than we can anticipate.
5.While students are permitted to use laptops during lectures in order to take notes and consult the textbook, the instructors reserve the right to ask students to submit copies of their notes as proof that the computers are being used appropriately.
6.Please turn off and put away your cell phones during lectures, discussion, and screenings.
7.ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR DRINK CAN BE BROUGHT INTO ULRICH RECITAL HALL.
A FURTHER NOTE:
As a course that explores the history of film art, ENGL245 includes films that will challenge students who are familiar only with mainstream commercial Hollywood entertainment. Hollywood studios make films within a very limited—and limiting--aesthetic framework. In this class, by contrast, we will see films that portray a much wider range of artistic possibilities and political viewpoints. On occasion, students may find some films offensive, confusing, disquieting, or even downright boring. But every film on the syllabus is worth studying and represents some important dimension of film art. I expect and encourage healthy critical discussion, debate, and disagreement about the films.
COURSE SCHEDULE
WEEK 1: ORIENTATION
Tu 25 January
Introduction and course objectives
Th 27 January
Pre-cinema and the history of motion picture technology; Edison kinetoscopes; Lumière actualitiés
F 28 January
Intro to discussion section
WEEK 2: FROM THE CINEMA OF ATTRACTIONS TO THE CINEMA OF NARRATION--EARLY FILM
Tu 1 February
Screening:The Great Train Robbery (USA, dir. Edwin S. Porter, 1903, 12 min.); Une voyage dans la lune [A Trip to the Moon] (France, dir. GeorgesMèliés, 1902, 12 min.)
Th 3 February
LM: 2-6; 28-55 and 412-423
Early cinema
F 5 February
Discussion
WEEK 3: NARRATIVE FORM IN CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD CINEMA
Tu 8 February
LM: 114-142
Screening: Stagecoach (USA, dir. John Ford, 1939, 97 min.)
**NOTICE OF ABSENCES FOR RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES DUE TO INSTRUCTORS
Th 10 February
LM: 142-153; 78-83; 95-98; 430-434
LM/DVD: Ch. 2 (Form and Content) and Ch. 3 (The Western)
F 11 February
Discussion
WEEK 4: ALTERNATIVE NARRATIVE FORMS: THE ART CINEMA
Tu 15 February
LM: 28-42
Screening: Do the Right Thing (USA, dir. Spike Lee, 1989, 120 min.)
Th 17 February
LM: 42-56
LM/DVD: Ch. 1 (Film Analysis) and Ch. 4 (Elements of Narrative)
F 18 February
Discussion
WEEK 5: MISE-EN-SCENE: STYLIZING REALITY
Tu 22 February
LM: 156-175
Screening: Ying xiong [Hero] (People’s Republic of China, dir. Zhang Yimou, 2002, 99 min.)
Th 24 February
LM: 175-194
LM/DVD: Ch. 5 (Setting and Expressionism)
F 25 February
Discussion
PAPER 1 DUE
WEEK 6: MISE-EN-SCENE: NEOREALISM
Tu 1 March
LM: 434-437
LM/DVD: Ch. 5 (Lighting and the Familiar Image)
Screening: Ladri di biciclette [Bicycle Thieves] (Italy, dir. Vittorio de Sica, 1948, 89 min.); Borom Sarret [The Wagoner] (Senegal, dir. Sembène Ousmane, 1963, 18 min)
Th 3 March
LM/DVD: Ch. 5 (Composing the Frame; The Lumière Brothers)
F 4 March
Discussion; presentations
WEEK 7: ACTING
Tu 8 March
LM: 270-300
LM/DVD: Ch. 6 (Lighting)
Screening: Raging Bull (USA, dir. Martin Scorsese, 1980, 130 min.)
Th 10 March
LM: 300-317
LM/DVD: Ch. 7 (Persona and Performance)
F 11 March
Discussion; Review for midterm
WEEK 8: CINEMATOGRAPHY: THE SHOT
Tu 15 March
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Screening: Lola rennt [Run Lola Run] (Germany, dir. Tom Tykwer, 1997, 81 min.); Duck Amuck (USA, dir. Chuck Jones, 1953, 7 min.)
Th 17 March
LM: 208-235
LM/DVD: Ch. 6 (Shot Types, Camera Angles, Point of View)
F 18 March
Discussion
WEEK 9: SPRING BREAK
M 21 March—F 25 March: No classes
WEEK 10: CINEMATOGRAPHY: CAMERA MOVEMENT AND THE LONG TAKE
Tu 29 March
LM: 236-247
Screening: Children of Men (UK, dir. Alfonso Cuarón, 2006, 110 min.)
Th 31 March
LM: 247-266
LM/DVD: Ch. 6 (Zoom and Moving Camera, The Moving Camera, Focal Length)
F 1 April
Discussion; presentations
WEEK 11: EDITING: THE CONTINUITY SYSTEM
Tu 5 April
LM: 320-335
Screening: The Life of an American Fireman (USA, dir. Edwin S. Porter, 1902, 8 min); Psycho (USA, dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1960, 109 min.)
Th 7 April
LM: 335-347
LM/DVD: Ch. 8 (The Evolution of Editing: Continuity and Classical Cutting; The 180-Degree Rule)
F 8 April
Discussion
PAPER 2 DUE
WEEK 12: ALTERNATIVES TO CONTINUITY EDITING: SOVIET MONTAGE
Tu 12 April
LM: 426-430
Screening: Bronenosets Potemkin [Battleship Potemkin] (USSR, dir. Sergei Eisenstein, 1925, 74 min.)
Th 14 April
LM/DVD: Ch. 8 (The Evolution of Editing: Montage; The Kuleshov Experiment)
F 15 April
Discussion; presentations
WEEK 13: ALTERNATIVES TO CONTINUITY EDITING: THE FRENCH NEW WAVE
Tu 19 April
LM: 347-365
Screening: À bout de souffle [Breathless] (France, dir. Jean-Luc Godard, 1960, 90 min.)
Th 21 April
LM: 437-440
F 22 April
Discussion; presentations
WEEK 14: SOUND
Tu 26 April
LM: 368-383
Screening: Citizen Kane (USA, dir. Orson Welles, 1941, 119 min.)
Th 28 April
LM: 383-407
F 29 April
Discussion
PAPER 3 DUE
WEEK 15: DOCUMENTARY FORM AND THE DIGITAL AGE
Tu 3 May
LM: 471-491
Screening: Vals im Bashir [Waltz with Bashir] (Israel, dir. Ari Folman, 2008, 90 min.)
Th 5 May
LM: 65-70; 103-108
F 6 May
Discussion; presentations
WEEK 16: CONCLUSIONS
Tu 10 May
Conclusions and Review
FINALS WEEK
Tu May 17
FINAL EXAMINATION, 1:30-3:30 in Tawes 1100
Note: Since this class meets at a non-standard time, the day/time of the final may change.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
PREPARATION: You are responsible for completing all readings by the day they are listed in the syllabus in order to be prepared for the lectures and discussion. You should try to read the textbook and to view the films carefully, critically, and in depth.
PARTICIPATION: For your own intellectual growth and for the success of the class as a whole, it is essential that each of you contribute your ideas and questions to the discussion sections and to the email discussion lists. As a matter of course, everyone is expected to participate regularly and actively in the discussion. And please note that in cases where students' marks fall between two grade ranges, class participation determines the final grade.
DISCUSSION SECTION: Each student will receive a discussion section grade--worth 10% of the final course grade--from his or her discussion section instructor. The discussion section grade may include attendance, class participation, announced and unannounced quizzes, in-class or online writing exercises and group work.
PRESENTATION/WIKI: As part of the requirements for the course, students will work in teams of four or five to create a 15 minute presentation on a particular scene from that week's assigned film, to be delivered to their discussion section. The presentation should be organized around issues of film narrative and technique, and should include a written summary to be distributed to the discussion section and to the discussion section instructor as part of the assignment. Instructors may opt to have students create and submit their summaries through the ELMS Wiki module. A detailed assignment for the presentation will be posted in the ELMS course space.
PAPERS: This course aims to teach you how to interpret film and how to articulate your ideas about film. Accordingly, there will be three papers required in connection with this course.
Paper 1: Mise-en-scene Analysis, due Friday, February 25.
Paper 2: Shot Analysis, due Friday, April 8.
Paper 3: Editing Analysis, due Friday, April 29.
Each essay should be 3 to 4 pages long (double-spaced). Detailed assignments for each essay will be posted on the ELMS course space.
PLEASE NOTE: All course papers must be submitted in hard copy form. Because of the size of the course, the instructors will not accept papers in the form of email attachments.
EXAMINATIONS: There will be two examinations required in this course.
Midterm: A 50-minute exam, consisting of short answer, fill-in, true/false and multiple choice questions, covering the ideas and concepts discussed in Weeks 1-7. SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 15.
Final exam: A two-hour comprehensive examination, covering material from the entire semester. The final exam will consist of identification, definition, and essay questions. SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY MAY 16 AT 1:30 PM IN TAWES 1100.
COURSE POLICIES
ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is expected and required. Attendance will be taken at every discussion section meeting. Students who have more than two unexcused absences will face an automatic reduction of their discussion section grade by one full letter. In order to be excused from class--for reasons of illness, family death, religious observance, or required attendance at another university function--you must provide a written explanation for your absence and documentation from your advisor, family, or medical caregiver.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES: Students must inform their instructors in writing about ALL of their likely or intended absences for religious observances FOR THE ENTIRE SEMESTER by TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8. In keeping with the University of Maryland policies, all students will be given the opportunity to make up any academic assignments that are missed due to individual participation in religious observances.