Studies in German Film: Weimar Film ENG 494, FMS 494, GER 494/598, SLC 494/598 Spring 2009 Thursday: Class Meeting – 6:40-9:30 pm LL 013 Prof. Dan Gilfillan Office: LL 449C Office Phone: 480/965-8245 Office Hours: Mon/Thurs 3-5 pm E-Mail: [email protected] Course Texts (additional course readings made available as electronic texts) Ian Roberts, German Expressionist Cinema: The World of Light and Shadow (London: Wallflower, 2008). Janet Ward, Weimar Surfaces: Urban Visual Culture in 1920s Germany (Berkeley, CA: U of California Pr, 2001). Course Description and Goals The Weimar Republic (1919-1932) has been described by many historians as the crucible in which the roots of National Socialism were forged. Although characterized by economic depression, political factionism and social decline, Weimar Germany also experienced a profound cultural growth. With artistic trends like Expressionism, Neue Sachlichkeit, Dada and Bauhaus, artistic techniques such as photomontage, cabaret, mechanical music and serialized novels, and a panoply of ideologies marking each segment of the political landscape, the artistic role of film helped to articulate many of the advances that were making themselves felt within the artistic, political and economic arenas. This course will examine a handful of films from this exciting period in German cinema production, with an eye to engaging issues of otherness/alterity/heterogeneity and its filmic depiction within the cinematic genres of horror, science fiction and suspense, with a possible foray into film melodrama. Here, the concept of otherness as an embodiment of prevalent gender, race, social, spatial and political constructs, will be explored. Within this constellation of critical discussion are set some of the key questions that will guide this course: In what ways does a popular culture medium like film capture the political, social, and economic atmosphere/ mood of the Weimar Republic? How do the filmic examples explored reflect the notion of otherness as emblematic of Germany’s move into modernity? Assignments Participation/Discussion Boards 15% Critical Response/Film Analysis Papers (2-3 pp. each) 15%; 5% each Oral Presentation 15% Midterm (take-home) 20% Research Paper 35% Discussion Boards: students will be asked to respond to discussion board prompts on the Blackboard coursesite associated with this course, and then post response(s) to another colleague’s post. The goal here is to prepare you for that week’s in-class discussion and will have a direct correlation with your participation grade. There will be 10 of these throughout the semester, and they are graded on a point system: 7 points for the initial post, and 3 points for the response to another post. Timeliness of posts is important here, and points will be reduced for late posts.Oral Presentation: each student will participate in a solo or partnered oral presentation (suggested length: 15 minutes). Students will choose a particular essay or grouping of essays from the week’s critical and theoretical material and provide an overview and analysis of them in relation to the films under discussion. Presenters should deal with critical positions, historical development of theoretical discourses, and close readings of particular films (with clips where appropriate) and should provide questions for class discussion. Response Papers: students will submit short (2-3 page) responses to the film(s) and/or readings studied in the lead-up to the week the response paper is due. You will be asked to focus on course readings and films screened as part of class. Responses incorporating more than one text/approach should draw points of comparison or consider ways the articles contribute to your interpretations of course films. These should not involve doing any external research. Research Paper: students will write one major paper employing a particular critical methodology (or combination of methods) to analyze a film studied in class (or one that you choose in consultation with me). All written work submitted for the course must be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, with 1” margins. I require a write-up of an essay proposal in which you outline the subject and critical approach your essay will take, as well as list any outside sources you’ve already located. You may consult with me, briefly in class or in office hours, regarding your ideas for the essay. Optional thesis statements can be submitted until one week before the essay due date. Undergraduate students will write a 10-12 page paper; and graduate students will write an 18-20 page paper. Exam: the midterm will evaluate your knowledge and application of course materials. It will consist of essay questions asking you to engage with the theoretical and sociocultural materials we have read during the beginning part of the semester and relate these ideas to some of the film examples from the course. The midterm will be given as a take-home exam, picked up at the end of one class session, and due one week later at the beginning of that class session. Policies/Needs Attendance and Late Work: Regular attendance and participation is crucial to your success in this course. Since we meet only once per week to discuss reading and viewing materials, it is essential that you attend all course meetings. Please consult with me in advance if you must miss class, and make arrangements to get notes or other missed material from a classmate. With only 13 face-to-face meetings, it is imperative that you make every effort to come to class on time, and remain for the duration of the class session. With this in mind, if you miss 3 class meetings, I will lower your final grade by one full letter (i.e. A- to B-). If you miss 4 or more class meetings, you will automatically fail the course. Excuses must be verifiable. If you miss four or more classes, you will not pass the course. Late assignments will be penalized. You must complete all assignments to pass the course. Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy: Turn off all cell phones, pagers, iPods or other devices that might beep before class. Use of computers in class should be limited to note taking (i.e. no web-browsing or eMail checking). Violation of this policy will adversely affect your grade.Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: The aim of education is the intellectual, personal,