Studies in Film, Media, and Visual Culture (305-0-20)

Topic

Intro to Japanese Cinema I: Early Cinema to the Go

Instructors

Patrick Noonan
847/467-0283
Kresge Hall - Office 4-550
Office Hours: Varies quarter to quarter, please check with instructor.

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 224: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course offers a history of Japanese cinema from its earliest days through the so-called "Golden Age" of the 1950s. We will consider how film and other moving image technologies have reflected historical moments and shaped cultural discourses in modern Japan. Focusing on films that raise disciplinary questions related to both the cinematic medium and Japan, we will examine, among other topics, the era of silent cinema; the relationship between nationhood and the formation of a "national" cinema; technological transformations and the coming of sound; the wartime period; cinema during the occupation; and 1950s modernism. We will also study the place of important individual directors - Ozu, Mizoguchi, and Kurosawa - within the broader economic and institutional contexts of Japanese cinema and its global circulation. Students will learn how to critically analyze various films from multiple theoretical perspectives while gaining an understanding of the major figures and movements in the history of Japanese cinema. Syllabus subject to change. (Please note that the specifics of this course syllabus are subject to change in the case of unforeseen circumstances. The instructor will notify students of any changes as soon as possible. Students will be responsible for abiding by the changes.)

Teaching Method

Lecture, Discussion

Evaluation Method

1. Class Participation 25%
2. Quizzes 15%
3. 3 Short Essays (3-4 pages) 60% (20% each)

Class Materials (Required)

*All readings are available on Canvas as individual files.
*All films will be screened in class and can be streamed through Canvas

Class Materials (Suggested)

We will be watching a series of videos on how to analyze cinema, but if you would like to further familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of film studies, techniques of cinema, and/or writing about cinema, I would suggest consulting the following (both books are on reserve):
* Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film (New York: Longman, 8th Ed. 2012).
* Thompson, Kristen and David Bordwell. Film Art: An Introduction (any edition)
* Yale Film Analysis Website: http://filmanalysis.yctl.org

We will discuss the historical context in which these films were made. But if you would like to familiarize yourself with modern Japanese history more broadly, I recommend:
* Christopher Goto Jones, Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2009)
* Kenneth Pyle, The Making of Modern Japan (Cengage, 1995) [on reserve]

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area