Film+Studies


 * A History on Film and the Making of Movies **
 * Link to the Comment and Discussion Page: **
 * Film Studies Discussions and Comment Page **

Films transport us. To other places, other cultures, other periods. Since their inception at the turn of the 20th century, motion pictures have been one of the most crucial and universal mediums of mass entertainment and culture, indeed of mass transport. For this very reason, movies have also become one of the most vital and widespread means of interpreting the past, a, mirror to our place in a larger society. This course is titled “History on Film,” as distinct from the History of Film, meaning this is not a study of motion picture history so much as the film industry’s engagement with History in general. That can mean either history through film (the past interpreted by making movies) or film itself as history (the past interpreted retrospectively by watching movies). We will do a bit of both: studying movies that attempt to revive and recapture history (as most recently, Lincoln) and using films to understand the history of the eras in which they were created and shown. On one hand, we will examine the ways in which self-consciously “historical” films and filmmakers portray (and often oversimplify and distort) the past; on the other, we will analyze films that only later become historical in passing, as artifacts of the society and period in which they were created. After all, just about any film becomes, in one way or another, a time capsule, a historical document that speaks to the culture and the political and social assumptions of its time. (Disclaimer: while the history of film, and history on film, has been part of global culture from the beginning, and while much of the very best in cinematic achievement has come from overseas, this course will focus on American film and American history.) In the process of doing this study of History on Film we will study the components of movies, including such things as sound effects, continuity, direction, lighting, and many others. (a partial list is below) In this class we will attempt to play the part of historian, critic, detective, and moviegoer. In these roles, we will be entertained, as audiences have always been, yet we will learn to train a critical eye on what we see with that power of hindsight often deprived of contemporary audiences. We will discuss such issues as audience reception, film-as-industry, the articulation of social norms (including prevailing and at times subversive race, class, and gender relations), films as propaganda, even as instruments of international relations. As you know, participation in class discussions is part of your grade. As we watch excerpts from films from various eras of motion picture production and from various film genres, we want to explore several subjects concerning the films. These include, among other factors: To that end, we want to talk about the films, and we will do so before, during, and after screening. From childhood, we are taught to be quiet in a movie theater. However, this is a classroom, not a movie theater. We are studying the films, not just watching them for enjoyment. Making comments, asking questions, and having discussions while the film is playing is not only allowed, it is encouraged. If, in my opinion, the discussion warrants it, I may pause the film. As the year progresses, I will expect that the quality and insight of your comments and questions will improve.
 * Introduction: **
 * Directorial Style
 * Use of Sound
 * Use of Lighting
 * Camera Angles
 * Stead-i-cam Shots
 * Establishing Shots
 * Transitions
 * Production Codes
 * Rating Systems
 * “Backstage” Work
 * Acting
 * Continuity
 * Cutting
 * Related Social Issues


 * Partial Film List: **
 * The following is a partial list of the films we will be using in this class. This list is only a guideline as to films for concepts and ideas. We will not be watching the whole film only excerpts unless otherwise noted on the schedule. **


 * American Graffiti (1973) **
 * Godfather (1972) **
 * Singing in the Rain ** ** Jaws ** ** High Noon ** ** Citizen Kane **
 * Rocky (1976) **
 * Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) **
 * The Sting (1973) **
 * African Queen (1951) **
 * Casablanca (1942) **
 * Mrs. Miniver (1942) **
 * Serenity (2005) **
 * Much Ado About Nothing **
 * Fargo (1996) **
 * An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) **
 * Chocolat **
 * Henry V (1989) **
 * Father Goose (1964) **
 * Dirty Dancing **
 * Rebel Without a Cause **
 * Bell, Book, and Candle **
 * Big Lebowski **
 * Mystic Pizza **
 * Beaches **
 * Mr Roberts **
 * Star Wars IV A New Hope **
 * Operation Petticoat **
 * Harry Potter (one of the 8 films) **
 * Music Man **
 * Dancing With Wolves **
 * Vertigo **
 * Amistad **
 * The Apartment **
 * Die Hard **
 * The Devil’s Own **
 * Marty **
 * The Milagro Beanfield War **
 * Annie Hall **
 * On the Waterfront **
 * Grumpy Old Men **
 * Rebecca **
 * Rear Window **
 * Glory Road **
 * The Snake Pit **
 * How the West Was Won **
 * It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World **
 * Psycho **
 * The Kid (1921) **
 * Nosferatu **
 * The Hunchback of Notre Dame **
 * La Voyage dans Luns (1902) **
 * The Great Train Robbery (1903) **

** Below is are links which might help you in this class: **

 * [|AMC Film Terms] **

__//** [|Internet Movie Data Base Film Vocabulary Glossary] **//__