Jeremy Butler (jbutler@bamanet.ua.edu), Telecommunication and Film Department, P.O. Box 870152, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487.
Spring 1994 Instructor: Jeremy Butler Office: 430C Phifer Hall Teaching Assistant: Office hours: TBA E-mail: jbutler@bamanet.ua.edu COURSE OBJECTIVES: TCF 112 aims to introduce the student to the history of film and to explore some of the major conceptual models (e.g., formalism, genre theory, auteurism, and so on) that have been applied to that history. TEXTS: In a sense, there are three "texts" for this course: 1. The course readings: Douglas Gomery, Movie History: A Survey (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1991). 2. The course lectures 3. The course films Gomery and Bogle will supply the student with the basic facts of film history. The lectures augment those facts with specific interpretations of them. The films themselves illustrate both the readings and the lectures. ASSIGNMENTS: There will be three objective (multiple choice, true/false) "Readings Tests" over the course of the semester. These closed-book tests will consist of questions drawn from the readings and the films, but not the lectures. They will be worth 15 points each. Additionally, mid-term (25 points) and final (30 points) exams will be given. These exams will consist of open-note essay questions drawn from the lectures and referring to the films. (Photo-copied notes may not be used during these exams; any other notes or books are permissible.) Dates of the tests/exams are indicated below. Make-up test/exams will be given at the discretion of the instructor. No tests/exams will be given before their scheduled dates. GRADING SUMMARY: Readings Tests (3 @ 15) 45 Mid-Term Exam 25 Final Exam 30 100 TOTAL POSTING OF GRADES: Grades will be posted by your ID number. If you do not wish your grade to be posted in this manner, please notify me in writing. ABSENCE POLICY: The tests/exams' questions assume the student has attended all lectures and film screenings. FILM SCREENINGS: There will be no other opportunity to see the films other than the in-class screenings. Most are not available on videocassette. COURSE SCHEDULE DATE LECTURE/FILM READINGS 1/11 Introduction to the Course/Modes of Film LUMIERE SHORTS A TRIP TO THE MOON (Melies, 1902) PATHS TO PARADISE (Badger, 1925) Chs. 1, 2 1/18 German Silent Film: Expressionism & Kammerspielfilm THE LAST LAUGH (Murnau, 1924) Ch. 4 1/25 Silent Film Comedy: Buster Keaton SHERLOCK, JR (Keaton, 1924) Ch. 3 *Readings Test 1: Chs. 1, 2, 3, 4* 2/1 Russian Formalism: Dziga Vertov MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (Vertov, 1929) Ch. 5 2/8 Classicism and the Auteur Theory: Frank Borzage A MAN'S CASTLE (Borzage, 1933) Ch. 6 2/15 Bazinian Realism: Jean Renoir RULES OF THE GAME (Renoir, 1939) Ch. 8 2/22 **MID-TERM EXAM** Documentary Form NANOOK OF THE NORTH (Flaherty, 1922) NIGHT AND FOG (Resnais, 1955) 3/1 Auteur Theory II: Howard Hawks ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (Hawks, 1939) 3/8 Italian Neorealism: Roberto Rossellini OPEN CITY (Rossellini, 1945) Ch. 9 3/15 Genre Study I: Screwball Comedy MY MAN GODFREY (LaCava, 1936) *Readings Test 2: Chs. 5, 6, 8, 9* 3/22 French New Wave: Jean-Luc Godard THE MARRIED WOMAN (Godard, 1962) Ch. 12 3/29 SPRING BREAK 4/5 Feminism and Film REASSAMBLAGE (Trinh, 1982) 4/12 New German Cinema: Werner Herzog STROSZEK (Herzog, 1977) Ch. 13 4/19 Genre Study II: Film Noir BIG HEAT (Lang, 1953) 4/26 The Breakdown of Hollywood Classicism Course Summary TBA (recent release on videotape) Chs. 10, 11, 14 5/3 **Tuesday, 7:00-9:30 p.m.** **Readings Test 3: Chs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14** **FINAL EXAM**Jeremy Butler, jbutler@bamanet.ua.edu