1 Stills from films by Paul Clipson PHDS-217 // Film, Truth and Value: metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics of documentary film. Skidmore College Professor William Lewis Spring 2017 [email protected] Mon & Wed 02:30-03:50 PM Office: Ladd 216 Ladd 307 Office hours: by appointment Goals and Overview What is the real? Can we faithfully represent the world and its history? Is reality truth? Is there such a thing as objectivity? If so, how do we achieve it? Using various films from the history of documentary as examples, this class will attempt to answer such questions. To do so, it will examine the history of documentary practice as well as the history of thinking about documentary film. The course will include units on mimetic theory, narrative realism, scientific truth, juridical truth, institutional truth, film truth, direct cinema, self-reflexive cinema, and constructivism. As envisioned, this class will integrate methods and insights from philosophy, aesthetics, and film studies. In addition to being an interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationship 2 among image, truth, and reality, this is a course about knowing, particularly about ways to come to knowledge, as well as how to present this knowledge truthfully. Students in this course will cultivate their ability to recognize and formulate philosophical questions; to understand difficult philosophical texts, and to explain and critically examine philosophical arguments. In addition, they will learn to engage in philosophical dialogue with their peers and to mutually support their arguments using evidence and reason and the philosophical knowledge that they have gained. In addition to applying these skills and knowledge to the analysis of documentary film, students will learn the basics of film and documentary theory and will cultivate the ability to “read” films as texts as well as the basics of critical viewing. Materials Required Media • Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. • Course Packet (includes all other readings) • “Before-Class Screening” films are available on this course’s Blackboard site. • “In-Class Screening” films are available either at the Blackboard site or via the hyperlink in the electronic version of this syllabus. Most major films shown are also on DVD reserve at library. Assignments and Grading Written Assignments and Presentations* • Reading Responses, Film Responses, and Discussion Prep Questions 15% o To facilitate class discussion, about once a week I will ask you to prepare responses to the reading or to issues which are to be raised in class. • Competing Truths Paper 20% • Documentary Article, Summary and Presentation 20% • Representing Reality Presentation 5% • Representing Reality Term Paper 25% *No late assignments will be accepted without express permission of the instructor obtained at least 24 hours before the assignment’s due date. Violations of the Skidmore College Honor Code will result in an “F” for a class grade as well as all penalties imposed by the Honors System. Class Participation and Attendance 15% Many of the texts we will discuss in this class are very difficult and very hard to understand on our own. Because of this, and because this class includes discussion and discussions need participants, attendance is mandatory and you are expected to pay attention to and take part in all class discussions. This should also be an easy portion of your grade, given that this participation is basic to the class and demands no more of you than showing up ready to express an informed opinion after having read the texts assigned for the day and having thought about the discussion questions. This grade is based upon the quality (not necessarily quantity) of your participation. However, it is very hard to participate well if you don’t show up to class and if you rarely volunteer to speak. 3 Disabilities If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need academic accommodation, you must formally request accommodation from the Skidmore Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. You will also need to provide documentation that verifies the existence of a disability and supports your request. For further information, please call 580-8150, or stop by the office of Student Academic Services in Starbuck Center. Title IX Skidmore College considers sexual and gender-based misconduct to be one of the most serious violations of the values and standards of the College. Unwelcome sexual contact of any form is a violation of students’ personal integrity and their right to a safe environment and therefore violates Skidmore’s values. Sexual and gender- based misconduct is also prohibited by federal regulations. Skidmore College faculty are committed to supporting our students and upholding gender equity laws as outlined by Title IX. If a student chooses to confide in a member of Skidmore’s faculty or staff regarding an issue of sexual or gender-based misconduct, that faculty or staff member is obligated to tell Skidmore’s Title IX Deputy Coordinator. The Title IX Deputy Coordinator will assist the student in connecting with all possible resources for support and reporting both on and off campus. Identities and details will be shared only with those who need to know to support the student and to address the situation through the college’s processes. If the student wishes to confide in a confidential resource, The Counseling Center Staff, Health Services, and Victim Advocates are all options available. More information can be found at https://www.skidmore.edu/sgbm/ or by contacting the Title IX Deputy Coordinator. 4 5 SCHEDULE Introduction Week 1 January 22-28 Monday • Introduction o Film and Philosophy, Film as Philosophy • In-Class Screenings o Lumière Brothers. La sortie des usines Lumière (3 versions), France: 1895 (1m55s). o Lumière Brothers. L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat, France: 1897 (49s). o Méliès, George. Visite sous marine du « Maine », France: 1904 (55s). o Méliès, Georges & Urban, Charles. The Coronation of Edward VII UK/France: 1902 (5m39s). o Godard, Jean-Luc. La Chinoise, France: 1967 (96m); selections. Wednesday • Exercise: How to watch a film for analysis & reflection. • Before-Class Screening o Cousins, M., The Story of Film: An Odyssey, episode 1: “Birth of the Cinema.” UK: 2013 (60m) • In-Class Screening o Kenji Mizoguchi. Ugetsu Monagatari, Japan: 1953 (97m). o Walsh, Raoul. The Thief of Baghdad, USA: 1924 (155m). • Readings: o Corrigan, Timothy. Chapters 1 & 2 in "Short Guide." o Film Vocabulary Hand-out [or in CP] Expository Truth Week 2 January 29-February 4 Monday • Before-Class Screening o Lorentz, Pare. The River, USA: 1928 (32m). o Kirk, Michael, The Secret History of ISIS, USA: 2016 (55m); selections. • Readings o Currie, Gregory. “Visible traces” o Nichols, Bill, “The Expository Mode” Wednesday • Readings o Dewey, John. Freedom and Culture; selections. o Corrigan, Timothy. "Film Terms and Topics," Chptr 3 in "Short Guide." 6 Reality, Representation, and Reconstruction Week 3 February 5-11 Monday • Reading: o Republic. Plato. Bk VII: 514a--522a, BK 10 sections 595a-608b. o Evans, James. “Narrative Outline of the Republic.” Wednesday • Before-Class Screening o Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack : USA/Thailand [Siam]1928 (79 min). • In-Class Screening o British Movietone. Assassination attempt on King Edward VIII, UK: 1928 (5m27s); selections. o Ruttman, Walter. Berlín. Die Sinfonie der Großstadt/Symphony of a Great City, Germany: 1927 (72m); selections. • Reading o Grierson, John. “First Principles of Documentary.” (1932-34). Reality and Scientific Truth Week 4 February 12-18 Monday • Before-Class Screening o Nillson, Lennart. The Miracle of Life, USA: 1983 (59m); selections. o Mead, Margaret. Bathing Babies in Three Cultures, USA: 1954 (12m). • In-Class Screening o Asch,Timothy & Chagnon, Napoleon.The Ax Fight, Brazil: 1975 (30m). Wednesday • Readings o Winston, Brian. Claiming the Real, pages 127-142. o Urban, Charles. The Cinematograph in Science, Education and Matters of State (1907). Film Truth Week 5 February 19-25 Monday • Before-Class Screening o Vertov, Dziga. Man with a Movie Camera, USSR: 1922 (1h27m) • In-Class Screening o Vertov, Dziga. Kino Pravda, USSR: 1922; selected shorts. • Reading o Feldman, Seth. “Peace between Man and Machine.” 7 Wednesday • Readings o Petric, Vlada. “Vertov’s Cinematic Transposition of Reality.” o Corrigan, Timothy. " Style and Structure in Writing," Chptr 5 in "Short Guide." • Competing truths paper assigned. Week 6 February 26-March 4 Monday • Before-Class Screening o Dziga Vertov Group: British Sounds UK: 1967 (49m); selections. • Reading o Brecht, Bertolt, “Epic Theater”; selections. Wednesday • Before-Class Screening o Dziga Vertov Group, Ici et ailleurs, France/Palestine: 1976 (55m) • Reading o Foreman, Donal. “Godard and the Dziga Vertov Group.” Paper writing Week 7 March 5-11 Monday • Exercise o How to write a philosophy and film paper o Sharing of paper theses with peers • Readings o Corrigan, Timothy. "Style and Structure in Writing," Chapter 5 in "Short Guide." Wednesday • NO CLASS MEETING TODAY Week 8 March 12-18 Monday • SPRING BREAK Wednesday • SPRING BREAK 8 Direct Cinema/Cinéma Vérité Week 9 March 19-25 Monday • Before-Class Screening o Allan King, Warrendale, Canada: 1967 (101m) • In-Class Screening o Maysles Brothers & Zwerin, Charlotte. Salesman. USA: 1969 (90 minutes), selections. o Maysles Bros. “Interview with Jack Kroll.” USA: 1969 (53m) • Readings o Mamber, Stephen. Cinéma Vérité in America (1974); selections. • Competing truths paper due Wednesday • Before-Class Screening o Rouch, Jean. Chronique d’un Été, France: 1961 (85m). • Reading o Winston, Brian. Claiming the Real, pages 143-158. o Self-Reflexive Cinema & Hermeneutic Truth Week 10 March 26-April 1 Monday • Before-Class Screening o Shirley Clarke, Portrait of Jason, USA: 1967 (105m). • Reading (very long) o Gadamer, Hans-Georg. "The Universality of the Hermeneutic Problem" & "On the Scope and Function of Hermeneutical Reflection." Wednesday • Before-Class Screening o Riggs, Marlon.