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Course Description

Course Requirements

Film History, 1960-1988
    Comparative Literature 312
Spring 2006

Professor James Tweedie
Email: jtweedie@u.washington.edu
Screenings: MW 3:30-5:30 JHN 075
Lecture/Discussion: TTh 3:30-5:30 MGH 241

Course Description:
This course will provide an introduction to several important tendencies in world cinema from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. The course will address the following topics: the rise of “art cinema” in the post-WWII era, the international “new waves” of the 1960s and after, the decline of the Hollywood studio system, American independent cinema of the 1970s, the blockbuster, and China’s “fifth generation” filmmakers.

After successfully completing the course, students should be able to

•    identify crucial films, figures, and events in
world cinema during the period covered in the course;

•    situate individual films and artists within that historical context;

•    understand and apply various methodological approaches to the writing of film history;

•    analyze and criticize those approaches;

•    communicate a critical analysis of both films and historical methods in discussion and in writing.

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Course Requirements:
Readings: The readings will consist of essays and book excerpts that introduce both the content of the course (the crucial films, figures, and events that shaped world cinema from 1960 to 1988) and its methodology (the various approaches to writing a history of this period). Those methods range from the close analysis of particular films to studies of national film industries (e.g., Geoff King’s The New Hollywood Cinema), from auteurist approaches (Antoine de Baecque and Serge Toubiana on François Truffaut or Robert Kolker on Martin Scorsese) to star research (Ginette Vincendeau on Jeanne Moreau), from reviews written just after the release of the films to important documents that themselves altered film history (Truffaut’s “A Certain Tendency” essay and the manifestoes for “Third” and “imperfect” cinema by Fernando Solanas, Octavio Gettino, and Julio García Espinosa). Because these readings will provide background for and supplement the lectures, they should usually be finished before the first class meeting each week. Reading that addresses a specific film should be completed after the screening of that film. The exams will focus in part on these accounts of film history, so it is important to remain current on the reading.

Screenings: The films screened for the class will provide a point of departure for the lectures and readings. Study questions for each film will be posted on the course website soon after each screening (they will be hyperlinked to the film title on the schedule), and they should serve as a guide for class discussions and your exam review.

Assignments: There will be two exams, a midterm and a final (each 25% of the final grade). The exams will consist primarily of short-answer questions, some of which will be adaptations of questions posted on the course website. There will also be two major written assignments for the course: one sequence analysis (5 pages; 25% of final grade); and one final paper (5 pages; 25% of final grade). The topics and format of the papers will be explained in forthcoming handouts, but their overall purpose will be to allow students to analyze one particular film in detail (the first paper) and to examine historical documents, develop a method for approaching films from the period, and begin to write film history (the second paper). Because deadlines are a regular and necessary part of academic and everyday life, late papers are only barely acceptable and will be penalized by one quarter of one grade point for each day late. Students are required to complete all evaluated assignments. Non-fulfillment of any individual assignment listed above may result in a non-passing grade for the course as a whole.

Participation: You will be expected to participate actively in class discussions.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious offense. It undermines the fundamental mission of the university and sanctions are therefore severe. For information about the definition of plagiarism and the mandated UW penalties, please see the following website:
http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm.

Disability-Related Needs: To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact UW Disabled Students Services, and please contact me as soon as possible to discuss any necessary accommodations.

Required Text:
1) A course reader (Ram’s Copy Center, 4144 University Way NE)

Additional Resource: www.imdb.com has an extremely comprehensive and easily searchable database with information about films, directors, actors, and producers, as well as links to reviews and other useful information.

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Last Updated:
03/28/06

Contact the instructor at: jtweedie@u.washington.edu

Home Syllabus contents: Course Description Course Requirements	Film History, 1960-1988 Comparative Literature 312 Spring 2006
	Professor James Tweedie Email: jtweedie@u.washington.edu Screenings: MW 3:30-5:30 JHN 075 Lecture/Discussion: TTh 3:30-5:30 MGH 241
	Course Description: This course will provide an introduction to several important tendencies in world cinema from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. The course will address the following topics: the rise of “art cinema” in the post-WWII era, the international “new waves” of the 1960s and after, the decline of the Hollywood studio system, American independent cinema of the 1970s, the blockbuster, and China’s “fifth generation” filmmakers. After successfully completing the course, students should be able to • identify crucial films, figures, and events in world cinema during the period covered in the course; • situate individual films and artists within that historical context; • understand and apply various methodological approaches to the writing of film history; • analyze and criticize those approaches; • communicate a critical analysis of both films and historical methods in discussion and in writing. <-- Return to Top Course Requirements: Readings: The readings will consist of essays and book excerpts that introduce both the content of the course (the crucial films, figures, and events that shaped world cinema from 1960 to 1988) and its methodology (the various approaches to writing a history of this period). Those methods range from the close analysis of particular films to studies of national film industries (e.g., Geoff King’s The New Hollywood Cinema), from auteurist approaches (Antoine de Baecque and Serge Toubiana on François Truffaut or Robert Kolker on Martin Scorsese) to star research (Ginette Vincendeau on Jeanne Moreau), from reviews written just after the release of the films to important documents that themselves altered film history (Truffaut’s “A Certain Tendency” essay and the manifestoes for “Third” and “imperfect” cinema by Fernando Solanas, Octavio Gettino, and Julio García Espinosa). Because these readings will provide background for and supplement the lectures, they should usually be finished before the first class meeting each week. Reading that addresses a specific film should be completed after the screening of that film. The exams will focus in part on these accounts of film history, so it is important to remain current on the reading. Screenings: The films screened for the class will provide a point of departure for the lectures and readings. Study questions for each film will be posted on the course website soon after each screening (they will be hyperlinked to the film title on the schedule), and they should serve as a guide for class discussions and your exam review. Assignments: There will be two exams, a midterm and a final (each 25% of the final grade). The exams will consist primarily of short-answer questions, some of which will be adaptations of questions posted on the course website. There will also be two major written assignments for the course: one sequence analysis (5 pages; 25% of final grade); and one final paper (5 pages; 25% of final grade). The topics and format of the papers will be explained in forthcoming handouts, but their overall purpose will be to allow students to analyze one particular film in detail (the first paper) and to examine historical documents, develop a method for approaching films from the period, and begin to write film history (the second paper). Because deadlines are a regular and necessary part of academic and everyday life, late papers are only barely acceptable and will be penalized by one quarter of one grade point for each day late. Students are required to complete all evaluated assignments. Non-fulfillment of any individual assignment listed above may result in a non-passing grade for the course as a whole. Participation: You will be expected to participate actively in class discussions. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious offense. It undermines the fundamental mission of the university and sanctions are therefore severe. For information about the definition of plagiarism and the mandated UW penalties, please see the following website: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm. Disability-Related Needs: To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact UW Disabled Students Services, and please contact me as soon as possible to discuss any necessary accommodations. Required Text: 1) A course reader (Ram’s Copy Center, 4144 University Way NE) Additional Resource: www.imdb.com has an extremely comprehensive and easily searchable database with information about films, directors, actors, and producers, as well as links to reviews and other useful information. <-- Return to Top
Return to Top Last Updated: 03/28/06	Contact the instructor at: jtweedie@u.washington.edu