“PHILOSOPHY OF FILM -

PROJECTION AND REFLECTION”

Syllabus

Course: PHIL-V294-001 (Spring 2011) Schedule: T, TR 2:00–3:15 (Bobet 101) Instructor: Dr. Dittmar Dittrich Office: Bobet 439 A Office hours: T 5-6, W 2:15-3:15, and by appointment Phone: (504) 865-2289 E-Mail: [email protected]

Textbook: Noël Carroll; The Philosophy of Motion Pictures; Malden, MA, (Blackwell Publishing) 20081.

Course Description:

This course will undertake a philosophical examination of film and motion pictures. Three general areas that will be of particular importance for this project are a differ- entiated characterization of film as a medium and an art form and of the nature of film; the analysis of distinctly philosophical topics as they are treated in or even uniquely ex- pressed through films; and the understanding of the viewers’ perception and responses -conscious or unconscious- when watching motion pictures.

By means of an in-depth interpretation of central theories as well as the integrated study of outstanding cinematic works, it will be attempted to develop a critical conception of the fundamental form and function of film. Basic questions and methods from principal philosophical disciplines, such as aesthetics, ethics, psychology and epistemology, will be used to shed light on problematic issues and competing explanations with regard to essential aspects of motion pictures. It will thus be investigated in how far they can be characterized as a genuinely independent art form and which are the relevant criteria in this regard; how the diverse artistic contributions that constitute the process of making a film can be understood; which importance technical innovations like sound, color or digital processing possess; in how far realism might represent an adequate explanation of the medium of film and its epistemic status; whether essentialist definitions are necessarily reductionist; why and how filmic fiction can produce affective responses; whether films have the potential or the obligation to promote moral or political ideas or ideals; whether the expression in films ought to be restricted and, if so, for which reasons. Eventually, the course will focus on clarifying whether film can present conclusive arguments -or at least ideas- and, therefore, on its exact philosophical capacity.

1 Film Schedule:

The Loyola Film Buffs Program will screen the following movies almost precisely in the order listed below. For the most part, the films will be shown on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM in Bobet Hall. The exact venue and show times and the complete Film Buffs program can be found on their website at:

http://chn.loyno.edu/filmbuffs/schedule.html

These films are also available in the Monroe Library and can be streamed (for staggered periods of approximately 14 days each) through Blackboard as well.

1/12/2011 COLD FEVER (1995)

1/19 (1999)

1/24 BOXING GYM (2010; DIRECTOR: WISEMAN) 1/26 WHEN WE WERE KINGS (1996)

1/31 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (2008) 2/1 THE SHINING (1980) 2/2 IRREVERSIBLE (2002)

2/7 RICHARD III (1995) 2/8 AVALON (2001; DIRECTOR: MAMORU OSHII) 2/9 BATTLE ROYALE (2000)

2/14 GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995) 2/16 AKIRA (1988)

2/21 EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE (2007) 2/23 LES TRIPLETTES DE BELLEVILLE (2003)

2/28 L'AVVENTURA (1960; DIRECTOR: ANTONIONI) 3/2 BLOW UP (1966)

3/14 BEING (1999) 3/15 ETERNAL SUNSHINE (2004) 3/16 INCEPTION (2010)

3/21 INLAND EMPIRE (2006) 3/22 SANS SOLEIL (1983) 3/23 THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS (2003)

3/28 FIVE EASY PIECES (1970) 3/29 DEAD MAN (1995) 3/30 SHADOWS (1959)

2 4/4 HOWL (2010) 4/5 BEFORE NIGHT FALLS (2000) 4/6 SOY CUBA (1964; U.S. RELEASE 1995)

4/11 AMORES PERROS (2000) 4/13 CIDADE DE DEUS (2002)

4/27 AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE (2010)

5/2 THE WRESTLER (2008) 5/4 BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS (2009)

Goals and Objectives of the Course:

Please, consult the Department of Philosophy: Goals and Learning Objectives (http://cas.loyno.edu/philosophy/programs.html) -Upper Level Philosophy Common Curriculum- and also the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences: Goals and Objectives of the Common Curriculum (http://cas.loyno.edu/common/purpose.html)/. This Course has been designed to satisfy Objective 1, Sub-Objective b of the Department of Philosophy: Objectives for Upper Level Philosophy Common Curriculum Courses. It has also been designed to satisfy the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences’ Common Curriculum Objectives by helping students to develop effective skills in research, writing, speaking, reading and listening. Furthermore, the course is designed to fulfill the Humanities & Natural Sciences’ Goal for Advanced Common Curriculum Courses to achieve substantially the following: contribute to a values-based critical un- derstanding of our lives and beliefs, as well as of society and its institutions.

General Policies and Assignments:

The attendance of all classes is essential and mandatory, particularly since the participation in the class and in the discussion of the assigned readings constitutes a substantial part of the course work. Also, the contribution to the class will be reflected in the final grade. Four or more unexcused absences will result in a failing grade. Absences may only be excused -at the instructor’s discretion- after the presentation of written documen- tation certifying significantly serious reasons, viz. illness or family emergencies. This documentation, if needed, should only be presented at the end of the semester. If unable to attend a class, it is the student’s responsibility to make up the work from other students.

The current assignments consist of the preparation of the respective readings from the textbook and on Blackboard (cf. infra) and of the viewing and analysis of the scheduled movies (cf. supra). To this end five questions or theses have to be formulated about each movie that focus on its cinematic dimension and elucidate relevant philosophic issues in relation to the motion picture. Each student will give an oral presentation on the topic of the student’s final paper and will lead the following classroom discussion.

3 The principal assignments will be a mid-term essay (of approx. 1000 words) and a concise research paper of approx. 2,000 - 3,000 words on a freely chosen topic covered by the scope of the course. The essay and the paper should explore a relevant question in the realm of the philosophy of film by means of circumspect and insightful reasoning, and they should reach clear and substantial conclusions. As the length re- quirements of the essay and the paper are rather limited their form is expected to be flawless. The specific formal requirements for the essay and the paper will be explained during the course of the semester.

The mid-term grade will be based upon the grade of the mid-term essay. The following four components will determine the final grade for the course according to the subse- quent differentiation:

Mid-term essay …………………………………………………. (25%) Final paper ……………………………………………………… (50%) Participation including the oral presentation …………………… (25%)

The mid-term essay is due on February 10 and has to be posted on Blackboard as a .doc or .odt file. The presentation of the proposal for the final paper shall be given on a regular class day (March 22 through 31) as assigned at the beginning of the semester. The final paper will be due on April 14 and has to be posted on Blackboard as a .doc or .odt file.

General Observations:

• Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations in this class should contact Disability Services at 865-2990 as soon as possible so that warranted accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion. Disability Services are located in the Academic Resource Center, Monroe Hall 405.

• Classroom conduct as well as integrity of scholarship must be in accordance with the regulations in the Undergraduate Bulletin. http://bulletin.loyno.edu/2006undergraduate/academic_regs/index.html

Observance of the Philosophy Department's Policy Concerning Plagiarism re- quires all of the following three sanctions in every case of academic dishonesty:

(1) a report of the incident to the Dean's Office and to the Department Chair; (2) a zero on the particular assignment; (3) a failing grade in the course.

• Neither cell phones nor laptop computers may be used during the class unless their use is explicitly permitted by the instructor.

4 Evacuation Guidelines:

In case of a longer-term evacuation, please, follow the instructions laid out on Loyola’s ‘Emergency and Safety Preparedness’ Web page and of the corresponding links: (http://www.loyno.edu/emergency/index.html)

• Log on to university Web site within 48 hours. • Log on to the course through Blackboard within 48 hours. • Log on to the university Blackboard site (http://loyno.blackboard.com/) within 48 hours of any evacuation to receive further information regarding contacting the course instructor for assignments, etc. Students will be required to do assigned course work for any evacuation of more than 48 hours. Students should also monitor the university site (www.loyno.edu) for general information.

Class Topics:

January 11 presentation of the course and the course materials 13 explanation of the syllabus 18 Thomas Wartenberg, “Philosophy of Film” (in SEP) 20 N. Carroll, The Philosophy of Motion Pictures: Introduction: From Film Theory to the Philosophy of the Moving Image; Analysis of “Fight Club” 25 chapter 1: Film as Art 27 ch. 2: Medium Specificity

February 1 ch. 3: What Is Cinema? 3 ch. 4: The Moving Picture - the Shot 8 ch. 5: Moving Images - Cinematic Sequencing and Narration 10 deadline for mid-term essay 15 ch. 6: Affect and the Moving Image 17 Daniel Shaw, “A Rejoinder to Noël Carroll's The Philosophy of Motion Pictures” 22 ch. 7: Evaluation 24 Terrence Rafferty, “Everybody Gets a Cut: Give Viewers Dozens of Choices -- and That's the Problem” (on Bb)

March 1 Jinhee Choi, “Documentary” (on Bb) 3 Paisley Livingston, “Cinematic Authorship” (on Bb) 15 Daniel Shaw, “On Being Philosophical and Being John Malkovich” (on Bb) 17 Christopher Grau, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the Morality of Memory” (on Bb) 22 presentations of final paper proposals 24 presentations of final paper proposals 29 presentations of final paper proposals 31 presentations of final paper proposals

5 April 5 Jinhee Choi, “National Cinema, the Very Idea” (on Bb) 7 Noël Carroll, “Film and Ethics” (on Bb) 12 Noël Carroll, “Film and Knowledge”; & “Philosophizing Through the Moving Image: The Case of Serene Velocity” (Bb) 14 deadline for the final paper; Chris Marker, “La Jetée” 26 Thomas Wartenberg, “Can Philosophy Be Screened?”; & “Are There Limits to Film's Philosophical Capabilities?” (on Bb) 28 Jancovich, Reboll, Stringer & Willis, “Defining Cult Movies: the Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste”; & Joan Hawkins, “Midnight Sex-Horror Movies and the Downtown Avantgarde”

May 3 concluding discussion, request for feedback

In spite of the fact that the syllabus determines a fixed sequence of readings, it will be attempted to leave a certain room for flexibility with regard to the classroom discussions and to allow for the incorporation of supplementary sources from the internet. Additio- nal assignments will be posted on Blackboard in a timely fashion and have to be follo- wed with diligence.

This syllabus is subject to change.

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