CTCS 469 the STYLE of MARTIN SCORSESE Summer 2016
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CTCS 469 THE STYLE OF MARTIN SCORSESE Summer 2016 Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3:00pm to 7:20pm SCA 108 Instructor: Dr. Drew Casper The Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Professor of American Film Course Description & Course Methodology: An in-depth analysis of the style of Martin Scorsese: its respective periods, development, extra- cinematic determinants (major historical events, economic situation, societal issues, and other popular leisure activities) and cinematic determinants (film business, technology, generic patterns, and other pre-existing/co-existing styles), production methods, techniques, themes, and finally Scorsese’s significance to popular culture. Office Hours for Dr. Casper: SCA 320: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 2:00 to 2:45pm (please call 213-740-3334 to sign up for an appointment) Teaching Assistant: Cliff Galiher ([email protected]) Office Hours – SCA 220: Wednesdays from 1:30 to 2:30pm Required Readings: Copies of this book are on reserve at the circulation desk on the ground level of Leavey Library, and are available for purchase at the USC bookstore. - Schickel, Richard, ed. Conversations with Scorsese (Updated and Expanded). U.S.: Knopf, 2013. Required Viewing: In addition to the films screened in class you will be responsible for viewing these additional films outside of class. - Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (WB, 1974) - Bringing Out the Dead (Touchstone/BV, 1999) - New York, New York (UA, 1977) - Gangs of New York (Miramax, 2002) - The Last Waltz (UA, 1978) - The Aviator (WB/Miramax, 2004) - The Color of Money (Touchstone/BV, 1986) - Shutter Island (WB, 2010) - Kundun (Touchstone/BV, 1997) - Hugo (Paramount, 2011) 1 Notebook Assignment: After each session, a topic will be assigned for you to address in the form of a 300 to 600-word written response. Each response must posted to the class Blackboard forum within one week from the day it is assigned. These due dates will be clarified on the assignment handout. All assignments must be uploaded to Blackboard by 11:59pm on Friday, July 1st in order to pass the course. Each assignment will be graded out of 10 points. Final grades will be determined by these assignments as well as by attendance and active participation in the class. Penalty for Late Assignments: Assignments are to be posted on Blackboard by 11:59pm on their respective due dates. Do not turn in assignments as physical copies and do not email your assignments to Dr. Casper or a TA. Late assignments will be docked ½ point for every day (or fraction thereof) past the due date. Late penalties will only be excused in cases of documented illness or a family emergency. Failure to submit all assignments by 11:59pm on Friday, July 1st will result in an automatic “F” for the course. Attendance and Participation: Attendance is mandatory for both the lecture and film screenings in SCA 108. It is every student’s responsibility to have completed each week’s assigned reading before the beginning of lecture, and to be prepared to discuss this material, as well as previous screenings, during class. FAILURE TO COMPLETE ANY COURSE REQUIREMENT (INCLUDING ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION) WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC “F” GRADE FOR THE COURSE. Note on OutsiDe Research: Any outside research or knowledge incorporated into paper assignments must be cited using a standard academic format (MLA, Chicago, etc.) and must be accompanied by a works cited page. Failure to provide proper citations for any outside materials may result in an “F” for the assignment and possibly be investigated for plagiarism. Any research completed to fulfill an “outside research” requirement must come from legitimate academic sources (i.e., academic books and articles). If you are unclear about what constitutes an appropriate academic source, consult your TA. WIKIPEDIA AND OTHER USER-GENERATED WEB SOURCES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE ACADEMIC SOURCES. Academic Integrity: USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless an instructor allows otherwise, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus contains a Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions for violating this code are located in Appendix A, both can be found at http://webapp.usc.edu/scampus/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-and-appropriate- sanctions. Should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty, students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for review. The review process can be found at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/. Keep in mind that PLAGIARISM (WHETHER DONE INTENTIONALLY OR NOT) WILL BE REPORTED, WILL MOST LIKELY RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE, AND COULD LEAD TO DISMISSAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY. If you have any questions about academic integrity, plagiarism, or if you have any questions or doubts about how to properly cite a source, see your Teaching Assistant, drop by the Writing Center (Taper Hall 310) or consult the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards Guide http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/forms/tig.pdf. 2 Turnitin: All papers for CTCS 464 must be uploaded to Blackboard’s Turnitin system before midnight on the listed due date. Turnitin will scan your paper against other student submissions and existing print/web publications to ensure there is no improper unoriginal content. Papers will be considered late until both an online and hard copy version of your paper is submitted to your TA. Disability Services: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification from DSP must be delivered to the lead TA by the end of Week 3. DSP is located in STU 302 and is open from 8:30am- 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, (213) 740-0776. Course Exam, Project and Paper Retention Policy: It is the responsibility of all students in Critical Studies courses to retrieve all papers, projects, assignments and/or exams within one academic year of completion of a course. These records may be essential in resolving grade disputes and incompletes as well as assist in verifying that course requirements have been met. The Critical Studies Division will dispose of all records from the previous academic year in May of the current academic year. No exceptions. Please be in contact with your TAs about collecting these documents while you are taking the course. TECHNOLOGY IN CLASS Students are allowed to use laptops to take notes during lecture. However, it is expected that students are not to use laptops for other purposes that do not pertain to the material of the class (i.e. email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). During screenings, the use of laptops or cell phones is not permitted. You will be asked to leave the class if you violate this policy. 3 CTCS 464 SYLLABUS (Spring 2016) Session 1 – Monday, June 6 I. Starting Out § Biographical Materials and Determinations § Reactionary/Revolutionary Culture, 1963-1976 § Business Practices § Genre: Thriller – Gangster Mean Streets (Taplin-Perry-Scorsese Productions, 1973, 112 minutes) Producers: E. Lee Perry, Jonathan T. Taplin • Screenwriters: Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin • Cinematography: Kent L. Wakeford • Editing: Sid Levin • Production Design: David Nichols • Costumes: Norman Salling • With: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel ReaD: Schickel, “Little Italy”, “Cuts and Angles”, “Turning Pro”, “Woodstock/Hollywood” (p. 3-46, 67-87) Session 2 – WeDnesday, June 8 II. On the Map § Technology and Censorship § Tradition: Noir § Genre: Horror of Personality § Influences: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, Vincente Minnelli, Murder by Contract (Columbia, 1958) Taxi Driver (Columbia, 1976, 113 minutes) Producers: Julia Phillips and Michael Phillips • Screenwriter: Paul Schrader • Cinematography: Michael Chapman • Editing: Tom Rolf, Melvin Shapiro • Production Design: Charles Rosen • Costumes: Ruth Morley • Music: Bernard Herrmann • With: Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel ReaD: Schickel, “Boxcar Bertha”, “Mean Streets”, “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, “Taxi Driver” (p. 88-121) View: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (WB, 1974) Session 3 – Friday, June 10 III. Recharging § Postmodern Culture: 1977-present § Business Practices § Genre: Biography § Influences: Sam Fuller Raging Bull (United Artists, 1980, 129 minutes) Producers: Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler • Screenwriters: Mardik Martin, from the book by Joseph Carter and Jake La Motta • Cinematography: Michael Chapmen • Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker • Production Design: Gene Rudolf • Costumes: John Boxer, Richard Bruno • Music: Pietro Mascagni • With: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty ReaD: Schickel, “The Ford Connection”, “New York, New York”, “Raging Bull”, “Music” (p. 47-51, 122-130, 137-149, 339-352) View: New York, New York (UA, 1977) 4 Session 4 – Monday, June 13 § Genre: Black Comedy The King of Comedy (20th Century Fox, 1982, 109 minutes) Producers: Arnon Milchan • Screenwriter: Paul D. Zimmerman • Cinematography: Fred Schuler • Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker • Production Design: Lawrence Miller, Edward Pisoni • Costumes: Richard Bruno • Music: Robbie Robertson • With: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis After Hours (Warner Bros., 1985,