260.232 World Film: Politics and Family
Time: MW 12:30-1:50 Instructor: Dr. Hollis Robbins
Place: 303C Office: Centre Street, #33
hrobbins@jhu.edu
I. Course Objectives:
You will be exposed to (and with work begin to understand) the basics of film: form, content, production values, cinematic language, genre, cinematography, acting, editing, sound, lighting, theory, meaning.
II. Course Requirements:
Attendance/Class participation
Oral Presentation (10 minutes and handout)
Midterm exam
Two analytical papers (4-6 pages, 6-8 pages)
You will be required to watch closely and be prepared to discuss all of the films. The schedule below indicates the date on which a film will be shown in class; however, if you are presenting on the film, you should watch it prior to the class. You will be required to lead class discussion by giving a substantial presentation on a film once in the course of the semester.
Grade: Your grade will be calculated as follows:
Class Participation: includes attendance, presentations, possible quizzes, contributions to class discussion: 20%
Presentation: 15%.
Two papers: Midterm paper (20%), final paper (30%) Total: 50%.
Midterm Exam: 15%
III. Required Texts:
Book: Looking at Movies, Richard Barsam
Films: Battleship Potemkin, Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925, 75 mins
Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl, Germany, 1935 114 mins
Rules of the Game, Jean Renoir, France 1939 106 mins
Stagecoach (1939) John Ford USA, 96 mins
The Bicycle Thief, Vittorio De Sica, Italy,1948, 93 mins
The Third Man, Carol Reed, UK, 1949, 104 mins
Rashomon, Akira Kurosawa, Japan 1951 88 mins
Seventh Seal, Bergman, Swedish, 1957 92 mins
Aguirre, Wrath of God, Werner Herzog, Germany 1972, 94 mins
Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Jacques Demy, France 1964, 92 mins
The Fireman�s Ball, Czech, Milos Forman, 1967, 73 mins
IV. Schedule and Reading
Week 1 Intro & backgrounds
M Jan 14 Intro
W Jan 16 Screen Battleship Potemkin
Week 2 Film: Eisenstein, Battleship Potemkin (1925)
M Jan 21 No Class � Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
W Jan 23 Battleship Potemkin (Dr. Robbins presenting)
Week 3 Films: Potemkin and Ford, Stagecoach (1939)
M Jan 28 Screen Stagecoach
W Jan 30 Finish Stagecoach
Week 4 Films: Stagecoach and Kurosawa, Rashomon (1951)
M Feb 4 Stagecoach (Vikki, Malori, Lisa presenting)
W Feb 6 Screen Rashomon
Week 5 Film: Rashomon
M Feb 11 Finish Rashomon (Kyle, Ashton, Mary presenting
W Feb 13 Discuss Rashomon (Kyle, Ashton, Mary presenting)
Week 6 No Classes � Auditions
Week 7 Film: Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will (1935)
M Feb 25 Screen Triumph of the Will
W Feb 27 Screen Triumph of the Will
Week 8 Film: Triumph of the Will
M Mar 3 Triumph of the Will
W Mar 5 Compare with end of Star Wars
F Mar 7 1st Paper Due
Week 9 Film: Renoir, Rules of the Game (1939)
M Mar 10 Screen Rules of the Game
W Mar 12 Finish Rules of the Game (Amos, Gabrielle, Gregory presenting)
Week 10 No Class: Spring Break!
Week 11 Film: De Sica, Bicycle Thief (1948)
M Mar 24 Screen Bicycle Thief
W Mar 26 Finish Bicycle Thief (Matt, Hakim, Adrienna presenting)
Week 12 Film: Reed, The Third Man (1949)
M Mar 31 Screen The Third Man
W Apr 2 Finish The Third Man (Demitry, Teneea presenting)
Week 13 Film: Bergman, Seventh Seal (1957)
M Apr 7 Screen Seventh Seal
W Apr 9 Finish Seventh Seal (Ben, Jacob presenting)
Discuss 2nd Paper (Due May 2)
Week 14 Film: Forman, Fireman�s Ball (1967)
M Apr 14 Screen Fireman�s Ball
W Apr 16 Finish Fireman�s Ball (Vieen, Anna presenting)
Week 15 Film: Herzog, Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)
M Apr 21 Screen Aguirre, Wrath of God
W Apr 23 Finish Aguirre, Wrath of God (Peter, Amanda presenting)
Week 16 Film: Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
M April 28 Screen Umbrellas of Cherbourg
W April 30 Finish Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Ilya, Bob presenting)
F May 2 2nd Paper Due
