Cultural History of Film (412-0-1)

Instructors

Ariel Rogers

Meeting Info

Helmerich Auditorium: Thurs 1:00PM - 2:50PM
Annie May Swift Hall 109: Thurs 3:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course introduces graduate students to the cultural history of film with a focus on the period spanning from cinema's emergence through the 1950s. In addition to examining the rise of Hollywood cinema, the course explores several other national cinemas and international trends, addressing the multiple roles cinema played as it rose to prominence as a vital component of the art and culture of the twentieth century. Topics covered include the cinema of attractions; cinema's relation to colonialism; the development of narrative filmmaking; studio systems; audiences; exhibition practices; the concept of national cinemas as exemplified by the cinemas of the United States, France, Germany, the Soviet Union, Japan, India, and China; the avant-garde and cinema's relation to art movements; the coming of synchronized sound; animation; documentary cinema; and diverse conceptualizations of cinema's political possibilities and dangers.

Teaching Method

The first half of our weekly four-hour session will be devoted to screenings and the second half to discussion.

Class Materials (Required)

Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, Film History: An Introduction, 2nd,3rd, 4th, or 5th edition
(ISBN: 978-0071151412, 978-0073386133, 978-0073514246, or 978-1260837476)
• Between $4 and $80, depending on edition, format, and vendor (5th edition available at NU Bookstore, and earlier editions widely available online)
All other readings will be available through Canvas.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Screen Cultures PhD students or by permission of instructor.