E 344L Citizen Kane and Company: The

E 344L l Citizen Kane and Company: The Essential Films

Instructor: Kornhaber, Donna Areas: V / U Unique #: 34490 Flags: n/a Semester: Fall 2015 Restrictions: n/a Cross-lists: n/a Computer Instruction: No

Time and Location: TTH 12:30pm-2:00pm PAR 208

Prerequisites: Comparative Literature 315, English 603B, 316K, or Tutorial Course 603B

Description: This course presents a detailed examination of a select body of films that proved to be inflection points in the history of the cinema: pictures that changed the vernacular of filmmaking, that opened up new generic or stylistic directions, or that epitomized the work of a widely influential director. Through this examination, students can expect to obtain a solid grounding in film history and film theory as well as an introduction to the study of film genres and movements. Most of all, students will become versed in the major tactics and techniques of film analysis and in the rigorous study of filmic texts. Works to be considered range from the early sound era to the late twentieth century. You will be required to watch one film per week for this class; films will be screened independently, outside of class time.

Texts:

Author Title Publisher ©/ Ed. David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson Film Art McGraw Hill Any edition

*Please note: Additional required readings will be provided regularly in the form of handouts.

Requirements & Grading: The requirements for this class are as follows:

• Attend all scheduled classes and arrive on time • Complete all assigned readings/viewings • Complete all written assignments

The policy regarding attendance is as follows:

Missed Classes: In the event you must miss a class, you can do so on 3 instances without it affecting your final grade. These 3 missed classes do not need to be excused, but please let me know of your absence as far in advance as possible. Beyond these 3 classes, all absences must be excused. Reasons for excused absences include illness (with doctor’s note), team sports or approved activities, and family emergencies. Every unexcused absence beyond the allowed 3 missed classes will lower your final grade for the course by 1/3 of a letter (i.e. an A would become an A-, a B+ would become a B, and so on).

The policy regarding assignments is as follows:

• Papers and other assignments are due at the start of class on the dates listed in the Schedule unless otherwise rescheduled by the instructor. If you are absent on the day that a paper is due, you must submit it via email by class time on that day for it not to be considered late.

• Unless arrangements for an extension are made in advance with the instructor, late papers or assignments will be marked down 1/3 of a letter for every day they are late (please note that this is every day, not every class day).

Grades will be based on:

• Class Participation 15% • Essay #1 (5 pages) 25% • Essay #2 (5 pages) 25% • Final Essay (8-10 pages) 35% 1

Please note the following:

• Participation will be evaluated based on frequency of engagement in the classroom discussion. Engagement does not, however, mean verbal expression for its own sake. Active listening and responding to peers are critical components of classroom engagement. There is no particular quota for discussion contributions; rather the expectation is that all students will be continuously engaged in listening and responding to one another’s thoughts and opinions.

• Essays will be evaluated not only on the quality of the ideas and supporting analysis presented but also on the effectiveness of the organization and communication of those ideas. A choice of prompts will be provided for Essays #1 and #2; students will develop their own topics for the Final Essay in consultation with the Instructor. More specific expectations will be discussed in class. Any student with questions regarding paper expectations should speak individually with the instructor prior to beginning the paper.

Schedule:

Week Day Date Main Topic(s) Assignment/Event 1 Th 8/27 Introduction First Day of Class 2 T 9/1 M, Fritz Lang Th 9/3 M 3 T 9/8 City Lights, Charlie Chaplin Th 9/10 City Lights F 9/11 Citizen Kane, Orson Welles 12th Class Day 4 T 9/15 Citizen Kane Th 9/17 Citizen Kane 5 T 9/22 Citizen Kane Th 9/24 The Third Man, Carol Reed 6 T 9/29 The Third Man Th 10/1 Breathless, Jean Luc Godard Essay #1 Due 7 T 10/6 Breathless Th 10/8 The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut 8 T 10/13 The 400 Blows Th 10/15 Bicycle Thieves, Viittorio De Sica 9 T 10/20 Bicycle Thieves Th 10/22 8 ½, Federico Fellini 10 T 10/27 8 ½ Th 10/29 On the Waterfront, Elia Kazan Essay #2 Due 11 T 11/3 On the Waterfront Th 11/5 The Searchers, John Ford 12 T 11/10 The Searchers Th 11/12 Notorious, Alfred Hitchcock 13 T 11/17 Notorious Th 11/19 The Apartment, Billy Wilder 14 T 11/24 The Apartment Th 11/26 --- Thanksgiving Holiday 15 T 12/1 Final paper workshop Th 12/3 Wrap-up Th 12/10 --- Final Essay Due

Policies:

Documented Disability Statement: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone), or visit http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd.

Honor Code: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.

Academic Integrity: Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. For additional information on Academic Integrity, see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acadint.php.

Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of a pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

Web Site: A Canvas site will be available for this course.