HRS 180: (Introduction to) The FilmFall 2003Thursday 5:30-8:20 pmMND 3013George S. CraftOffice: Tahoe 3080 (History Department Office) Telephone: 278-6400Office Hours: W 9:00-11:00 am email: [email protected] 4:00-5:00 pmAfter Class on ThursdayCatalog Description: HRS 180. The Film. Introduction to the esthetics of cinema with special attention to the evolution of critical theories of cinema within the framework of twentieth century arts and ideas. 3 units.Course Description: This course assumes that you, the students, are not very familiar with film outside the popular cinema, but that you, like me, have a love of movies and would like to learn more about them. It also assumes that you are willing to change your approach to movies bybroadening your familiarity with films and sharpening your appreciation of themMost of us go to the movies for escapist entertainment and to watch a film star, to see special effects, or to be caught up in an engaging plot. We are the “victims” of Hollywood’s high concept idea of a movie that, in order to make a good profit, appeals to a wide audience by homogenizing and standardizing movie materials. Without perhaps realizing it, you are yearning to see a wider diversity of films!The course will attempt to change the attitudes of many of you about films. It will focus on film as art and on our appreciation of film, and on the film author (the producer, writer, or mostoften the director) rather than on the star or special effects. We will study the main elements of film (photography, sound, acting, editing, etc.), and begin to develop an understanding of what makes good (and bad) movies. Using the Giannetti paradigm (dividing movies into realist, classical and formalist categories for analysis), we will develop our skills of film critique, i.e., evaluating movies and giving reasons for our opinions.During the semester we will also develop a feeling for the history of the movies and begin to appreciate some of the great film artists from the 1920s to the present. We will view mostly English language films, although you may have to read subtitle once or twice. Since I am a great admirer of old sound movies, you will see several films in black and white.This course works on the assumption that a study of movies increases the pleasure of viewing them! You should emerge from this course not only knowing more about movies, but enjoying them more.1Course Objectives By the end of the course students should have acquired the following:- A fundamental understanding of concepts and terms relevant to film criticism.- A rudimentary familiarity with film history, especially in the United States.- A beginning familiarity with some of the great film artists and some of the film masterworks from the 1920s to the present.- The ability to critique a film, i.e., by means of analysis to be able to distinguish good from bad movies and to give reasons for your opinions.- A better understanding of the phenomenon of Hollywood and of the diversity of movies in regard to style, national origin, gender of filmmakers, etc.Readings: (available in the CSUS Bookstore)Louis Giannetti, Understanding Movies (Ninth edition). First-rate text that introduces you to the elements of film appreciation. Pay special attention to the illustrations and their captions.E.M. Forster, Room With a View. A highly enjoyable turn-of-the-century English novel upon which the celebrated movie of the same name in based. You are required to read this book.There will be extensive course materials posted on the course website. It can be found at the following address: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/c/craftg/index.htm. For this course you must have access to a computer that has access to the worldwide web.Web materials will include study outlines to help you read the chapters in the Giannetti text; study lists for preparing for the tests; sample questions that might be used on the tests; and other enrichment materials.Excellent online reference sources include www.mrqe.com, which consists of reviews of more recent movies (especially since the 1980s); www.imdb.com, which has a wealth of factual information about anyone having something to do with the movies; and www.AFI.com, the site of the American Film Institute.Class ScheduleYou should come to class with that day’s study materials downloaded from the course website – film reviews, chapter outlines, study questions, sample test questions, etc. We will begin with a short discussion of the text chapter assigned for that week. Given the course’s focus on viewing of films, we will not be able to discuss the text in depth. It will be your responsibility to become familiar with the text by a conscientious use of the study sheets and lecture remarks.I will then give a short introduction to the film scheduled for that week, after which we will roll the film. Because of time limitations, I have selected films that run for less than two 2hours, but we will always be pressed for time. Some days we will have a little time left to discuss the film after the movie. I will sometimes “talk over” the film while it runs.Due to the length of the films, we will sometimes not have a formal break; take time out for essential activities during the showing of the film. The class will normally be dismissed at 8:30 pm, about ten minutes “late.”The semester schedule:Date Film Reading AssignmentSept 4 Laura (Otto Preminger: USA, 1944, bw, 88 min) ----Sept 11Les quatres cents coups (Francois Truffaut: France, Giannetti, chap. 11959, bw, 93 min) PhotographySept 18 House of Games (David Mamet: USA, 1987 chap. 11color, 102 min) TheorySept 25 Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen: USA, chap. 21986, color, 106 min) Mise en Scène*** Dry Run Critique Due ***Oct 2 *** TEST #1***Assorted film clips.Oct 9 Blood Simple (Coen Brothers: USA, 1974, color, chap. 397 min) MovementOct 16 Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly: chap. 5USA, 1952, 102 min) Sound*** Film Critique #1 Due ***Oct 23 Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock: USA, 1959, color, chap. 4120 min) EditingOct 30 Tender Mercies (Bruce Beresford: USA, 1982, chap. 6Color, 89 min.) Acting Nov 6 *** TEST #2***Film clips or shorts.Nov 13 Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder: USA, 1950, bw, chap. 8110 min) StoryNov 20 Craft Potpourri (film clips) chap. 10 Ideology*** Film Critique #2 Due ***3Nov 27 Thanksgiving holiday.Dec 4 Room With a View (Merchant/Ivory, GB, 1986, chap.