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DOCUMENTARY FILM and AMERICAN SOCIETY FM 382.01 Tuesdays 6:30-9:00 PM John J

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DOCUMENTARY FILM and AMERICAN SOCIETY FM 382.01 Tuesdays 6:30-9:00 PM John J DOCUMENTARY FILM AND AMERICAN SOCIETY FM 382.01 Tuesdays 6:30-9:00 PM John J. Michalczyk Required Books: Barnouw: Documentary (DOC) Jacobs: Documentary Tradition (DT) Doherty: Projections of War Hemingway: Fifth Column, etc. Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath Selected essays/American History/Literature (Check Amazon.com for used copies) CLASS DATE REQUIRED VIEWINGS REQUIRED READINGS (Media Department) 1. January 15: Birth of the Documentary Intro. Barnouw: Documentary Film Excerpts: DOC: 1-30; 31-50 Lumière Bros. Newsreels Burns’ Civil War “Letter to Sarah” Jacobs: Documentary Robert Flaherty: Tradition DT: 15-21 Man of Aran, Nanook of North, and Louisiana Story 2. January 22 : New Deal Film Pare Lorentz: River and DT: 123-125 Plow that Broke the Plains DOC: 111-30 The Great Depression (Episdode 1) Depression era letters Photography of the Period Grapes of Wrath (selections) Clips: Grapes of Wrath 3. January 29: Spanish Civil War Republicans vs. Nationalists (Propaganda) DT: 146-47 Spanish Civil War DOC: 125-26; 131-39 Good Fight Hugh Thomas: Spanish Civil War Forever Activists (recommended reading) Hemingway: Fifth Column *READ OVER NEXT CLASSES: Doherty’s Projections of War (WWII) 4. February 5:WWII [MEDIA DEPT.:ON RESERVE] Let There Be Light For Second Paper: DOC: 155-172; Prelude to War Memphis Belle, War 180-82; Rosie the Riveter Comes to America, DT: 133-42; Negro Soldier Battle of Britain, Color of 151-52; 281-82 Japanese Relocation Honor, etc Excerpts from Japanese-American memoirs FIRST PAPER DUE TODAY: A documentary film from origins through 1930's 5. February 19: McCarthy and Witch-Hunting McCarthy: Death of DOC: 221-28 a Witch Hunter Optional Reading: Hollywood on Trial A. Miller’s The Crucible Red Nightmare Lawrence/Lee: Inherit the Wind Seeing Red Film: High Noon (McCarthy allegory) 6. February 26: Filming the American Institutions Fred Wiseman’s opus: Titicut Follies and High School DT: 459-61; 477-82 Films clips from his other documentaries DOC: 244-48 7. March 12: America Revisited Media Dept.: Ken Burns’ opus (I) One episode of Burns' Civil War: Opening Jazz Statue of Liberty Lindbergh (Producer) Huey Long 8. March 19 Burns Redux Ken Burns’ opus (II) Poetry of Walt Whitman (Parks doc.) Frank Lloyd Wright One episode of Burns' Baseball Baseball: “Jackie Robinson” Unforgivable Blackness: Rise & Fall of Jack Johnson National Parks 9. March 26: In Your Face Approach Michael Moore’s opus: Roger and Me Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 Sicko 10. April 2: Social Justice Issues: Media Dept.: Eyes on the Prize Eyes on Prize II DT: 563-68 Harlan County, USA or DOC: 311-12 Malcolm X Optional: Writings of Malcolm X SECOND PAPER DUE TODAY : WORLD WAR II DOCUMENTARY, WISEMAN OR KEN BURNS FILM 11. April 9: New Approaches to Documentary Capturing the Friedman’s Murderball Supersize Me 12. April 23 : Further Approaches to Documentary: Errol Morris: Standard Operating Procedures and Fog of War Battle of Algiers (documentary style) Mockumentaries Standard Operating Procedure: Abu Graib 13. April 30: Review Film Clips for analysis 14. May 4: Final Exam REQUIREMENTS: CONTACT: 2 Short papers (3-4 pp.): * Office: Devlin 420 Feb. 5 and April 2 * Hours: Mon. and Wed. 11 am to noon Final Exam: May 4 Required readings By appointment & prior to class Required attendance Especially through email: [email protected] Phone: 552-4295 (dept) 552-3895 (office) Note: All late papers normally receive a grade lower. Please type all papers, double-spaced, using an acceptable stylesheet (e.g. M.L.A. Stylesheet, 3rd Ed., Chicago Manual of Style, etc.) Absenteeism is highly discouraged, as is leaving the class prior to its conclusion. Food in class is taboo.... WEB RESOURCES: www.bc.edu/libraries/research/howdoi/s-findfilm reviews www.bc.edu/libraries/research/guides/s-films DATABASES: International Index of Peforming Arts American Film Institute Catalog Expanded Academic ASAP (wide variety of disciplines) www.bc.edu/libraries/resources/databases (click Performing Arts and Film under Browse Databases by Subject) COURSE OBJECTIVE: The aim of this course is to provide a history of the evolution of the American documentary film, as well to develop a critical skill in interpreting documentaries. Parallels in American history and literature will be included through handouts and essays on reserve.. On occasion, there will be a supplementary viewing at the O’Neill Media Dept. where the films will be on reserve. At the close of the course there will be a Student Input sheet for the student to note what he or she has done for the course. This will count for 10% of the final grade. For extra-curricular viewing, please consult television programs on the A & E, Discovery, Military, and History Channels. The Media Department has an extensive collection of documentaries as well. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Please note the important university policy on academic integrity. Besides this policy, let us be mindful that any websource must be duly acknowledged in the footnotes and bibliography of each paper. Wikipedia should be avoided. .
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