● University of Prešov ● Faculty of Arts ● Institute of British and American Studies ●

● Mgr. Marek Tomášik, PhD. ● American film

● British and American Studies ● Summer Semester 2010/11 ●

Course description The present survey introduces American cinema through a selection of issues and topics, namely those of race, gender, class, ideology, sexuality, nation, and ethnicity. In addition, various film genres will be discussed in relation to the issues and topics above.

Course syllabus

Session #1 Introduction: Film, culture & ideology (February 8, 2011)

Race and ethnicity I – The colour white

Films discussed: The Lion King (1994) • Avatar (2009) • Indiana Jones and the Temple Session #2 of Doom (1984) • The Jazz Singer (1927) • Gentleman's Agreement (1947 ) • Star Wars: (February 15, 2011) Episode II (2002) • Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) • The Lord of the Rings (trilogy) (2001-2003) • The Matrix (1999) Seminar reading: Nelmes et al. (2002: 91-124) • Benshoff & Griffin (2004: 3-22; 49-74) • Belton (1994: 21-40; 41-60) • Lehman et al. (2003: 283-306)

Race and ethnicity II - African/Native Americans Films discussed: Bamboozled (2000) • Do the Right Thing (1989) • The Color Purple Session #3 (1985) • The Birth of a Nation (1915) • Little Big Man (1970) • Smoke Signals (1998) • Dances With Wolves (1990) • Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) • Their Eyes (February 22, 2011) Were Watching God (2005) • Avatar (2009) • The Lord of the Rings (trilogy) (2001-2003) Seminar reading: Benshoff & Griffin (2004: 75-95; 96-115) • Belton (1994: 109-112; 275-297; 136-139) • Lehman et al. (2003: 283-306)

Class, money & the American dream Films discussed: The Gold Rush (1925) • Falling Down (1993) • Easy Rider (1969) • Session #4 Titanic (1997) • Pretty Woman (1990) • Superfly (1972) • Avatar (2009) • Star Wars: (March 1, 2011) Episode II (2002) Seminar reading: Benshoff & Griffin (2004: 157-177; 178-199) • Lehman et al. (2003: 307-330)

The relativity of femininity/masculinity Films discussed: Thelma and Louise (1991) • The Maltese Falcon (1941) • Detour (1945) • The Killers (1946) • Raging Bull (1980) • Rambo: First Blood Part II (1982) • Commando Session #5 (1985) • Full Metal Jacket (1987) • Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) • Robocop (March 8, 2011) (1987) • Aliens (1986) • Pretty Woman (1990) • Avatar (2009) • The Lord of the Rings (trilogy) (2001-2003) • The Matrix (1999) Seminar reading: Benshoff & Griffin (2004: 249-270) • Belton (1994: 197-200; 168-170) • Nelmes et al. (2002: 267-290; 332-340) • Lehman et al. (2003: 112-114; 264-282)

Sex(uality), bi -/hetero -/homosexuality Films discussed: The Maltese Falcon (1941) • Go Fish (1995) • The Celluloid Closet Session #6 (1995) • Boys Don't Cry (1999) • Thelma and Louise (1991) • Desert Hearts (1985) • The Living End (1993) • Rambo: First Blood Part II (1982) • Robocop (1987) • Pretty Woman (March 15, 2011) (1990) Seminar reading: Belton (1994: 275-297; 335-340) • Nelmes et al. (2002: 267-290; 332-340) • Benshoff & Griffin (2004: 249-270) • Lehman et al. (2003: 264-282)

American genres: Film noir, gangster, war, Western & sci-fi films Films discussed: Goodfellas (1990) • Detour (1945) • The Maltese Falcon (1941) • Rambo: First Blood Part II (1982) • Pulp Fiction (1994) • Taxi Driver (1976) • Full Metal Session #7 Jacket (1987) • Murder, My Sweet (1944) • The Great Train Robbery (1903) • Star Wars: (March 22, 2011) Episode IV (1977) & Episode II (2002) • Dances With Wolves (1990) • Little Big Man (1970) • The Searchers (1956) • Unforgiven (1992) • The Matrix (1999) • Robocop (1987) • Aliens (1986) Seminar reading: Gehring et al. (1988: 47-104) • Belton (1994: 164-183; 184-205; 305-309) • Lehman et al. (2003: 99-119) • Gehring (1988: 25-46; 229-268) • Belton (1994: 206-230; 245-247) • Lehman et al. (2003: 99-119)

Consolidation Session #8 Films discussed: All of the above. (March 29, 2011) Seminar reading: See the individual seminar requirements above.

Session #9 CREDIT WEEK EVALUATION (April 5, 2011) Written test/composition (timed) & overall evaluation

Compulsory secondary literature Belton , John. 1994. American Cinema/American Culture . New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. (only selected chapters) Benshoff , Harry M. & Griffin , Sean. 2004. America On Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies . Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. (only selected chapters) Gehring , Wes D et al. 1988. Handbook of American Film Genres . Westport: Greenwood Press, 1988. (only selected chapters) Neale , Steve. 2000. Genre and Hollywood . London: Routledge, 2000. (selected passages only) Nelmes , Jill (Ed.). 2002. An Introduction to Film Studies (2 nd ed.). London and New York: Routledge, 1999. (only selected passages) American Cinema (video series). Retrieved February 20th, 2007 from the World Wide Web: .

Recommended secondary literature Auster , Albert & Quart , Leonard. 2002. American Film and Society since 1945 (3 rd ed.). Westport: Praeger, 2002. Austin , Thomas & Barker , Martin (Eds.). 2003. Contemporary Hollywood Stardom . London: Arnold Pub., 2003. Beach , Christopher. 2002. Class, Language, and American Film Comedy . Cambridge: CUP, 2002. Belton , John. 1994. American Cinema/American Culture . New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc, 1994. Christopher , Nicholas. 2006. Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City. Emeryville: Shoemaker & Hoard, 2006. Cohan , Steven & Hark , Ina Rae (Eds.). 1993. Screening the Male: Exploring masculinities in Hollywood cinema . London and New York: Routledge. Curran , Daniel. 1998. Guide to American Cinema, 1965-1995 . Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998. Daniel , Lisa & Jackson, Claire. 2003. The Bent Lens: A World Guide to Gay and Lesbian Film . Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, 2003. Dixon , Wheeler Winston. 2003. Visions of the Apocalypse: Spectacles of Destruction on American Cinema. London and New York: Wallflower Press, 2003. Gianos , Phillip L. 1998. Politics and Politicians in American film . Westport: Praeger, 1998. Hayward , Susan. 2000. Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (2 nd edition). London and New York: Routledge, 2000. Lehman , Peter & Luhr, William. 2003. Thinking about Movies: Watching, Questioning, Enjoying (2 nd edition). Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2003. Lewis , Jon (Ed.). 1998. The New American Cinema . Durham & London: Duke University Press, 1998. McCaffrey , Donald W. & Jacobs , Christopher P. 1999. Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1999 Monaco , James. 2000. How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory (3 rd edition). New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Müller , Jürgen (Ed.). 2006. Best Movies of the 70s/80s/90s . Cologne: Taschen GmbH, 2006. Nelmes , Jill (Ed.). 2002. An Introduction to Film Studies (2 nd ed.). London and New York: Routledge, 1999. Orr , John. 1998. Contemporary Cinema . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998. Persson , Per. 2003. Understanding Cinema: A Psychological Theory of Moving Imagery . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Schwartz , Ronald. 2001. Noir, Now and Then: Film Noir Originals and Remakes (1944-1999). Westport: Greenwood Press, 2001. Schwartz , Richard B. 2002. Nice and Noir: Contemporary American Crime Fiction . Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2002. Tasker , Yvonne. 1993. Spectacular Bodies: Gender, Genre, and the Action Cinema . London/NY: Routledge, 1998. Tasker , Yvonne. 1998. Working Girls: Gender and Sexuality in popular cinema . London/NY: Routledge, 1998. Tuska , Jon. 1984. Dark Cinema: American Film Noir in Cultural Perspective . Westport: Greenwood Press, 1984.

Compulsory films See the session lists above.

Credits and evaluation You will get your credits provided that you: (1) actively participate in the seminar sessions. Every course attendee is expected to produce an organised draft of seminar notes (i.e. homework) concerning the scheduled seminar readings/films (ready to be submitted). The homework notes should contain various observations and interpretations of the texts/films assigned as homework (not just plot summaries!). (2) pass the final comparative reaction paper test (topic chosen just before writing; time limit: 90mins) scheduled for the credit week session. The reaction paper test can only be retaken once - within two weeks of receiving the result of the first version (given that the first version was submitted in the first place) or by the end of April (whichever is the last). If you fail to take the first test, you will only have a single try left. Should anyone fail to take the scheduled test(s) completely or show no effort ot participate in seminar discussions, there will be no other way of getting the required credit. All results will be posted on the Institute web page and/or emailed to your email address.

Further terms and conditions • Please note that any failure to contribute to the class discussions under way will be reflected in your evaluation. • You will be expected to get/make your own copies of the materials required for the seminar sessions. Each and every student in class has to have their own original copy of seminar notes (based on your film and secondary literature analysis done as homework). Should anyone fail to bring their own materials for a particular seminar session, their presence in class will not count. • Any absence from the scheduled sessions must be substantiated. All absentees are obliged to discuss this matter with their teacher without being reminded (within 1 week of the end of the absence period. Any failure to do so in good time will be reflected in your final result. Given the conditions above, you can only miss out on two seminar sessions. Should your absence extend beyond that, you will receive no credit no matter what your overall results. Similarly, any form of cheating in the final test will result in failure. • If you follow a special programme (individual study programme), you must contact your course supervisor by the end of the first week of the course to discuss special terms and conditions (official faculty regulations apply). Your special programme granted, you must not miss out on more than 4 core weeks of the seminar sessions (n.b. the core includes week 2 through to week 7). Furthermore, any absence is to be subsequently compensated for in the form (1) an individual meeting with your teacher, and (2) an organised draft of seminar notes regarding the seminar readings and film discussions that the student missed out on. • Your mobile phone must be SWITCHED OFF (NOT in silent mode). Should it start ringing/vibrating, your presence in the seminar under way will not count. Unless your teacher has given you permission, you are not allowed to drink or eat in the course of your lecture/seminar session. Last update: February 8th, 2011