History and Theory of Film


Early Film

August

Week 1        
Introduction
17
Introduction to course, policies, etc.


19
Introduction to Silent Film

Reading: Mast, Chapter 2

In-class Screening: Selection of shorts by Lumière brothers and Edison


Week 2
Silent Narrative Film
24
Reading: Mast, Chapter 3

In-class Screening: Méliès and Porter


26
Discussion of Griffith

Reading: Mast, Chapter 4 (p.45-59)

In-class Screening: Griffith blockbusters


Week 3
Russian Formalism and Film Form
31
Reading: Mast, Chapter 8

Screenings: October (Eisenstein, 1927)  [STUDENTS MUST VIEW October BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY]

QUIZ #1 (Silent Film and Beginnings of Narrative Film)
September
2
Discussion of October and "montage"


Week 4

7
Labor Day - NO CLASSES


9
Comedy and Early Hollywood

Reading: Mast, p. 66-84

In-class Screening: Chaplin and Sennett shorts


Week 5
Early German Cinema to Sound
14
Reading: Mast, Chapter 7

Screening: M (Lang, 1931)  [STUDENTS MUST VIEW BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY]


16
Discussion of M and cinematic language

QUIZ #2 (Griffith, Comedy/Early Hollywood, and Russian Formalism)


Week 6
Classical Hollywood
21
Readings: Mast, Chapters 9 & 11

Screenings: The Little Foxes, (Wyler, 1941)    [STUDENTS MUST VIEW Little Foxes BEFORE WEDNESDAY]


23
Discussion of The Little Foxes and "realism"


Week 7

28
In-Class Essay


30
Classical  Hollywood (cont.)

Reading: Mast, Chapter 11

Review for Midterm


October

Post-War Changes and New Film Movements

Week 8

5
MIDTERM EXAM

6th =  LAST DAY to withdraw with grade of W


7
The Studio System in Transition

Reading: Mast, Chapter 12
Week 9

12
Post-war period and auteurs

Screening: The Searchers (Ford, 1956)    [STUDENTS MUST VIEW Searchers BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY]


14
Discussion of The Searchers


Week 10 The French New Wave
19
Readings: Mast, Chapter 13 (p.251-69)

Screening: Les Quatre Cents Coup [400 Blows] (Truffaut, 1959)
[STUDENTS MUST VIEW 400 Blows BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY]


21
Discuss Les Quatre Cents Coup and the "jump cut"


Week 11
Post-Colonial and Documentary Cinema
26                
Reading: Mast, Chapter 16 (p.350-363)

Screening: La Battaglia di Algeri (Pontecorvo, 1965)
[STUDENTS MUST VIEW Battle of Algiers BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY]


28
Discuss La Battaglia di Algeri and "post-colonialism"


November
Week 12
New American Cinema, Ideology, and Auteurs

2

Reading: Mast, Chapter 15


Screening: Badlands (Malick, 1973)  [STUDENTS MUST VIEW Badlands BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY]


4
Discuss Badlands and "independent" visions

QUIZ #3  (Post-war Hollywood, French New Wave, and Post-colonial cinema)



New Hollywood, Global Cinemas, and Others



Week 13
New Hollywood Myth and the Blockbuster Industry
9
Reading: Mast, p.390-424

Screening: Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)


11
Discuss Jaws and myth


Week 14
Three Chinas and Other National Cinemas
16
Reading: Mast, p.295-314

Screening: Chungking Express  (Wong Kar-Wai, 1994)


16
Discuss Chungking Express and "postmodernism"


Week 15

23
QUIZ #4 (New American Cinema, Hollywood Blockbusters, and Cinemas East)


24-29
THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO CLASSES


30
Digital Cinema

Reading: Mast, Chapter 19
December

2
Last Day of Classes 

Review for Exam

Presentation Essay  DUE


7
FINAL EXAM - from 2-4 pm