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Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of American and international film history from the
1950s to the present.
2. Recognize and distinguish films according to the period in which they were produced.
3. Examine the evolving art of the motion picture in social, cultural, artistic, technological,
and economic contexts.
4. Evaluate the contributions of significant historical movements and filmmakers in shaping
the history of motion pictures.
5. Relate the transformation of film technology to the evolution of film form, with particular
attention to narrative and aesthetic developments.
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I. American Cinema in the 1950s
A. The Hollywood studio system after the "Paramount Decision"
B. TV competition, wide screens, and technical innovations
C. The influence of theatre: Method acting
D. The Red Scare
E. Major American directors of the 1950s
II. International cinema in the 1950s and 1960s
A. Politicization of mainstream narrative cinema
B. Auteurism: postwar film theory and the international development of auteur cinema
1. Rossellini, Visconti, Pasolini, Fellini
2. Bresson, Godard, Truffaut
3. Buñuel
4. Polanski
5. Dreyer
6. Bergman,
7. Hitchcock, Welles
8. Others
C. Italian Neorealism, epics, and Spaghetti-Westerns
D. French Nouvelle Vague
E. Documentaries (ethnographic cinema, direct cinema, cinema vérité)
F. British Free Cinema
G. African Cinema
H. New avant-gardes: abstract films, and underground cinema
III. The Fall and Rise of Hollywood (1960-1980)
A. The crisis of the film industry
B. The influence of the New Waves
C. New trends
D. The Vietnam-Watergate Era
E. The "New Hollywood" and independent directors (Altman, Allen)
F. The Hollywood Brats (Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas) and the return of the Blockbuster
G. The rebirth of the studio system
IV. 1980s to the Digital Age
A. Blockbusters, sequels, franchises, marketing
B. Sundance and the festival circuit
C. New women and minority filmmakers
D. Mainland China: The Fifth and Sixth Generation
E. Dogme 95
F. Hollywood: megapictures and multiplexing; digital cinema
G. Emerging cinemas and artists
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1. Weekly reading assignments from 40-60 pages
2. 2-4 critical essays, totaling 10 to 20 pages, one requiring research
3. 2-3 exams including final exam
4. Individual or group presentation or final project
5. Other assignments may include journals, film reviews, quizzes, blogs, etc.
| Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing. | Writing
35 - 65% |
| Written homework, Essays, Term papers | |
| Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills. | Problem Solving
0 - 0% |
| None | |
| Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams. | Skill Demonstrations
0 - 0% |
| None | |
| Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams. | Exams
35 - 65% |
| Multiple choice, True/false, Matching items, Completion | |
| Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories. | Other Category
0 - 20% |
| Class Participation, Group Projects, Presentations, Final Project | |
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A History of Film (7th ed.). Wexman, V. W. Allyn & Bacon: 2009
A Short History of the Movies (11th ed.). Mast, G. & Kawin, B. Longman: 2010
Film History: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Thompson, K. & Bordwell, D. McGraw-Hill.: 2009
Flashback: A Brief History of Film (6th ed.) Giannetti, L. & Eyman, S. Prentice Hall.: 2009