English 364 Syllabus

English 364 Introduction to Film Studies: Independent Filmmakers

Professor Dawn Dietrich Winter Quarter 2004 Office: 313 Humanities MWF 10:00-11:20, T 4:00-7:00 Phone: 650-3225 Class Room: HU 102 Office hours: MWF 2:30-3:30 Viewing Room: MH 163 and by appointment E-mail: [email protected]

Graduate Intern Tony Prichard Office: HU 254 Phone: 650-4254 Office hours: R 11:00-12:00 and by appointment E-mail: [email protected]

Required Materials Film Art: An Introduction (7th ed.), David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson The McGraw-Hill Film Viewer's Guide, David Bordwell (included with textbook) Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings (5th ed.), edited by Marshall Cohen and Leo Braudy Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (2nd ed,), Susan Hayward The International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers, v. 2, Directors (PN 1997. 8 F 555 2000--Reference)

Optional Reading A Short Guide to Writing about Film (5th ed.), Timothy Corrigan

Course Films Memento (2000), Christopher Nolan Waking Life (2001), Richard Linklater Wings of Desire (1987), Wim Wenders Blue Velvet (1986), David Lynch The Fourth Dimension (2001), Trinh T. Minh-Ha Crash (1996), David Cronenberg Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Pedro Almodóvar The Piano (1993), Jane Campion The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Joel and Ethan Coen

Student Film Presentation Projects Run, Lola, Run (1998), Tom Tykwer Buena Vista Social Club (1999), Wim Wenders Mulholland Drive (2001), David Lynch ExistenZ (1999), David Cronenberg All About My Mother (1999), Pedro Almodóvar Holy Smoke! (1999), Jane Campion

Course Description

This course will focus on an international range of independent filmmakers, their films, and an introduction to contemporary film theory. Cinematic fare will include a wide range of foreign and art films, documentaries, cult favorites, and films featured in festivals around the world. You will learn how to read film critically, including developing a technical and theoretical vocabulary. Please note that some of the films are controversial (Crash invoked a censorship campaign) and may contain disturbing subject material. I suggest previewing the material or reading critical reviews before enrolling in this course, as you are expected to see all of the films.

Course Requirements

Since this is a five-credit course, you should expect to spend at least fifteen hours of work per week preparing for it. This includes four hours in the MWF meetings, approximately two hours of film viewing, and nine hours outside of class (preparing the reading and writing assignments or conferring with me, Tony, or group members). Specifically, you will be expected to write screening reports, film reviews, or analytical essays on the films as well as participate in a New Film Presentation project (group assignment).

Film viewings are Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00 (approximately). Your attendance at these viewings is required. Even if you are familiar with a film, there is not a good substitute for watching it in a class environment--on a large screen, with the proper aspect ratio. If you have to miss a film viewing, you may check out the film on library reserve (restricted to library use only) or rent it on your own.

Evaluation

Your final grade will be averaged from the above assignments--plus class participation. Please note that you cannot receive an "A" in the course without regular class participation.

Attendance and Participation

This course is a collaborative enterprise, which deals with both technical and interpretative material. Active, productive contribution to the course will improve your grade (and your enjoyment). Since we only meet three times a week, your preparation and attendance are important. Please note that your final grade will be lowered a full grade after three absences, and more than five absences will result in failure of the course.

Resources

You will need to read critical biographies of all the directors before class discussion of their film(s). These biographies can be located in The International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers, v. 2, Directors (PN 1997. 8 F 555 2000), located in the Reference section of Wilson Library. You may also locate online information about films and directors at www.imbd.com and movie reviews at www.mrqe. Reference collections of filmographies, bibliographies, reviews, and dictionaries are available in the Reference room of the library (LC #PN 1993-PN 1998). For more details, see Film: A Guide to Research in Wilson Library (available in Reference). A good clearinghouse for film studies is Screensite: Film and TV Studies at www.sa.edu/TCF/welcome.html. The Arts and Humanities Citation Index online will lead you to journal articles about films. Wilson Library carries many excellent film journals, including Film Quarterly, Camera Obscura, Film Comment, Cineaste, Film, Cinema Journal, Film Culture, Film Review, Journal of Film and Video, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Screen, Sight and Sound, Films in Review, Take One, and Wide Angle. Essays or reviews in other publications can usually be obtained online or though inter-library loan. Tony and I will post these links and resources on Blackboard, so they'll be available for your use.

Course Schedule

01/07 Introduction to the course FA "Film Production, Distribution, and Exhibition," pp. 1-45; "The Significance of 01/09 Film Form," pp. 47-67; FTC "The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice," David Bordwell, pp. 716-724 FA "Narrative as a Formal System," 68-105; "Film Genres," pp. 107-127; FTC 01/12 "Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962," Andrew Sarris, pp. 515-518; "From Signs and the Meaning of Cinema, Peter Wollen, pp. 519-535 01/13 Film Viewing: Memento, Christopher Nolan 01/14 Discussion of Memento FA "Documentary, Experimental, and Animated Films," pp. 128-174; continued 01/16 discussion of Memento Screening Report due 01/19 Martin Luther King Day—No classes 01/20 Film Viewing: Waking Life, Richard Linklater 01/21 Discussion of Waking Life FA "The Shot: Mise-en-Scene," pp. 175-228; continued discussion of Waking Life 01/23 Screening Report due FTC "Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus," Jean-Louis 01/26 Baudry, pp. 345-355; New Film Presentation: Run, Lola, Run, Tom Tykwer Film Review due 01/27 Film Viewing: Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders 01/28 Discussion of Wings of Desire FA "The Shot: Cinematography," pp. 229-293; continued discussion of Wings of 01/30 Desire Screening Report due FTC "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," Laura Mulvey, pp. 833-837; New Film 02/02 Presentation: Buena Vista Social Club 02/03 Film Viewing: Blue Velvet, David Lynch 02/04 Discussion of Blue Velvet FA "The Relation of Shot to Shot: Editing," pp. 294-346; continued discussion of 02/06 Blue Velvet Screening Report due FTC "The Voice in the Cinema: The Articulation of Body and Space," Mary Ann 02/09 Doane, pp. 363-375; New Film Presentation: Mulholland Drive 02/10 Film Viewing: The Fourth Dimension, Trinh T. Minh-Ha 02/11 Discussion of The Fourth Dimension; writings by Trinh T. Minh-Ha (TBA) FA "Sound in the Cinema," pp. 347-388; continued discussion of The Fourth 02/13 Dimension Screening Report due 02/16 President's Day—No class 02/17 Film Viewing: Crash, David Cronenberg 02/18 Discussion of Crash FA "Style as a Formal System," pp. 389-412; continued discussion of Crash 02/20 Screening Report due FTC "Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess," Linda Williams, pp. 701-714; New 02/23 Film Presentation: ExistenZ, David Cronenberg Film Viewing: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro 02/24 Almodóvar 02/25 Discussion of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown FA "Film Criticism: Sample Analyses," pp. 413-462; continued discussion of Women 02/27 on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Screening Report due FTC "Colonialism, Racism, and Representation: An Introduction," Robert Stam and 03/01 Louise Spence, pp. 235-250; New Film Presentation: All About My Mother, Pedro Almodóvar 03/02 Film Viewing: The Piano, Jane Campion 03/03 Discussion of The Piano FA "Film Form and Film History," pp. 463-500; continued discussion of The Piano 03/05 Screening Report due

FTC "The Apparatus: Metapsychological Approaches to the Impression of Reality in 03/08 Cinema," Jean-Louis Baudry; New Film Presentation: Holy Smoke!

03/09 Film Viewing: The Man Who Wasn't There, Joel and Ethan Coen 03/10 Discussion of The Man Who Wasn't There FTC "The Discourse of Pictures: Iconicity and Film Studies," Stephen Prince, pp. 03/12 99-117; continued discussion of The Man Who Wasn't There Screening Report due Finals Week Analytical Paper due Wednesday, March 17th Printer Friendly Version