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Home , Dogville, Fanny and Alexander, Lars von Trier, My Life as a Dog, The Criterion Collection, The Phantom Carriage

© Lynn R. Wilkinson

UGS302 (64115): Nordic Light: Scandinavian Cinema from the Silent Era Prof. Lynn Wilkinson to the 2000s

COURSE DESCRIPTION: is perhaps the best known Scandinavian filmmaker, but Northern Europe has a remarkable tradition of filmmakers and filmmaking. Including films from , , and , this course will provide an introduction to some of the masterpieces of Scandinavian film from the Golden Age of through the 2000s and to the culture of Scandinavia.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING: One two-page paper (5%); one five-page paper which may be rewritten (20%); one storyboard (10%) accompanied by a five-page essay (20%); five quizzes (20%; you may drop the lowest grade); one class presentation (5%). Class participation will count 20%.

REQUIRED TEXTS: Bordwell and Thompson: Film Art: An Introduction. 10th edition (2009) McGraw Hill: ISBN 10: 0073386162 Earlier editions on reserve: PN 1995 B617 2004 TEXT; PN1995 B617 2001 TEXT

Recommended: Tytti Soila et al.: Nordic National Cinemas Routledge: ISBN-10: 0415081955 On Reserve: PN 1993.5 s2 s65 1998; also available as an electronic resource Braudy and Cohen: Film Theory and Criticism. 6th edition (FTC on syllabus) Oxford Univ. Press: ISBN 10 0195158172 On reserve: PN 1994 M364 2004 Mette Hjort: Purity and Provocation: On reserve: PN1995.9 E96 P87 2003 Mette Hjort: Italian for Beginners University of Washington Press, 2010 PN 1997 I51555 H56 2010 Björn Norðfjörð: Dagur Kári’s Nói the Albino University of Washington Press, 2010 PN 1997 N5255 N67 2010

Useful websites: For background information concerning the films and filmmakers: http://www.imdb.com On Ingmar Bergman: http://www.ingmarbergman.se The : http://sfi.se The Danish Film Institute: http://www.dfi.dk/english or http://www.dfi.dk

1 FILMS: Urban Gad: The Abyss DVD9219 Victor Sjöström: The Phantom Carriage DVD8296 Victor Sjöström: He Who Gets Slapped - Available online: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5767253815622002246 Mauritz Stiller: Erotikon DVD8109 : /The Word DVD825, disc 2 Ingmar Bergman: Wild Strawberries DVD768 Ingmar Bergman: DVD3754 Lasse Hallström: DVD881 : The Celebration DVD4314 Lone Scherfig: Italian for Beginners DVD8036 : DVD2828 : Brothers DVD4478, DVD8884 Dagur Kári: Nói the Albino Lucas Moodysson: Show Me Love DVD2502 Niels Arden Oplev: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo DVD10103 : The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo DVD11435

Films are on reserve at the Audio-Visual Library in the Fine Arts Library. In some cases, both videocassette and DVD versions are available. are almost always preferable, especially those put out by Criterion. Many films are also available through or for rental at video stores in town, especially Vulcan Video (both North and South), Waterloo, and I Love Video. Many films are also available for streaming on Netflix, , Hulu Plus, or elsewhere. Hulu plus offers online. You may also want to consider purchasing DVDs of films you choose to write on. You may be able to find inexpensive used versions at vendors such as Half-Price Books or Amazon.com.

POLICY MATTERS: Electronics: All electronic devices—including mobile phones, note- and netbooks, ipods, and ipads—must be turned off and put away before the start of class.

Attendance: Your attendance and participation are important. If you are absent for more than three classes, your grade will go down by 1/3 of a grade for every subsequent absence – i.e. from B to B-, etc. It is also important that you come on time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be counted absent for ½ of that class.

Please note, as well, that the quizzes will be given at the beginning of class and may not be made up!

Students with Disabilities: Please let me know by the third day of class at the latest if you have a disability that has been certified by SSD, Services for Students with Disabilities. See http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/resp_fac.php or the SSD website for more information.

Religious Holidays: We will make accommodations for students who wish to observe religious holidays. Please let me know at least one class day in advance if you need such accommodation.

2 WRITING:

This course carries the Writing Flag. Writing Flag courses are designed to give students experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and to read and discuss your peers' work. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work.

Please note that late papers will not be accepted unless you have made arrangements with me in advance.

Academic Honesty: Your writing must be your own work. If you plagiarize, I will report you to Student Judicial Services and you will fail the entire class. Simple rule of thumb: “If you use words or ideas that are not your own you must cite your sources. Otherwise you will be guilty of plagiarism.” If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please see the page on the Student Judicial website: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php

SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES: University Lectures: You may be required to attend a university lecture.

SYLLABUS

Week One: Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 4 Jan. 15 Introduction Jan. 17 Ingmar Bergman and Swedish Film Ingmar Bergman: Wild Strawberries

Week Two Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 5 Jan. 22 How to Read a Film? The elements Ingmar Bergman: Wild Strawberries Jan. 24 Television and the Ingmar Bergman: Fanny and Alexander Quiz 1

Week Three Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 6 Jan. 29 Ingmar Bergman: Fanny and Alexander Jan. 31 Lasse Hallström: Another View of Swedish (and American) Society Lasse Hallström: My Life as a Dog FIRST TWO-PAGE PAPER DUE IN CLASS (frame analysis)

Week Four

3 Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 3 Feb. 5 Lasse Hallström: My Life as a Dog Feb. 4

Week Five Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 7 Feb. 12 Thomas Vinterberg and the Founding of Dogme Thomas Vinterberg: The Celebration Feb. 14 Thomas Vinterberg: The Celebration Quiz 2

Week Six Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 8; Feb. 19 Comedy in the Danish Suburbs Lone Scherfig: Italian for Beginners Feb. 21 The Dark Sides of Comedy? Lone Scherfig: Italian for Beginners . Week Seven Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 9 Feb. 26 Lars von Trier’s Rebellion Lars von Trier: Dogville Feb. 28 Where is Dogville? Lars von Trier: Dogville

Week Eight Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 11 Mar. 5 Scandinavia and the War in Afghanistan Susanne Bier: Brothers Mar. 7 Susanne Bier: Brothers Quiz 3

S P R I N G B R E A K

Week Nine Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 1; *Balázs: “The Close-up” and “The Face of Man” Mar. 19 Dagur Kári and Icelandic Cinema Dagur Kári: Nói the Albino Mar. 21 Dagur kári: Nói the Albino FIRST FIVE-PAGE PAPER DUE IN CLASS

Week Ten Reading: Bordwell and Thompson: Chapter 2 Mar. 26 Lukas Moodysson and Swedish Cinema after 1990 Lukas Moodysson: Show Me Love Mar. 28 Gender and Sexuality in Scandinavian Film Lukas Moodysson: Show Me Love

Week Eleven Reading: Barthes: “The Face of Garbo” April 2 Stieg Larsson and the Scandinavian Crime Novel

4 Niels Arden Oplev: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo April 4 Niels Arden Oplev: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Quiz 4

Week Twelve April 9 American Versions, American Visions David Fincher: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo April 11 The Beginnings of Scandinavian Cinema Urban Gad: The Abyss

Week Thirteen Reading: Walter Benjamin: “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Reproducibility) April 16 Swedish Silent Cinema Victor Sjöström: The Phantom Chariot April 18 Swedes in Hollywood Victor Sjöström: He Who Gets Slapped

Week Fourteen April 23 Carl Theodor Dreyer and European Cinema Carl Theodor Dreyer: Ordet (The Word) STORYBOARD DUE IN CLASS April 25 Gender and Vampires? Carl Theodor Dreyer: Ordet

Week Fifteen April 30 LAST DAY TO TURN IN REWRITES May 2 Quiz 5 STORYBOARD AND STORYBOARD PAPER DUE IN CLASS

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