Artist Biopics: Movies About Historical Artists
Focal Point Seminar; LSP 112/202 course #20962
Monday/Wednesday 1:00-2:30, Arts and Letters, LPC, # 401
Salma Hayek in Frida (2002); (right): the painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
I think that every so-called…film biography should be
prefaced by the statement that what follows is the
[director’s] rendition of events and circumstances.
Barbara Kruger, contemporary artist
Art is the closest we can come to
understanding how a stranger really feels.
Roger Ebert, film critic and historian
Instructor: Mark Pohlad, Ph.D., Dept. of History of Art and Architecture (HAA)
(773) 325-2569
mpohlad@depaul.edu
Office: #420, in suite 411, Arts and Letters Hall
Office Hours: Mon/Wed. 12:00-1:00, before class, and by appointment at your convenience
(including phone and Zoom)
Course Description and Objectives: These days most people learn history from movies. And
there have been dozens of American and international films about historical artists––many
produced in the last two decades. They offer an intriguing way to learn about art history, film
studies, and history—the three approaches we’ll use to examine them. This course will consider
the production and reception of studio films about artists, including how they reflect history, how
they function as cultural artifacts, their place in the history of film, and their representation of
diverse populations. The class concentrates on ten films, but we’ll also see and discuss scenes
from several other movies.
Through intensive reading, discussion, writing, and group work, students will engage the
question: How do movies portray the lives of artists? How do they reflect historical realities, or
do they? And how do these movies reflect what and how we think about artists? PowerPoint
presentations on the artworks by the artists in our films provide crucial background. More
generally, this course helps you be more critical movie-watchers, provides you with a
background in film history and history in general, and invites you to think more meaningfully
about media and popular culture. We devote a big portion of our lives to movies; we should
know what we’re doing!
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Course Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking this course, you will be able to….
o
Explain that movies about artists comprise a separate film genre with its own history, style, production, and
reception.
o
Gauge the historical accuracy of these movies, both in terms of the artists they portray and the historical
period in which they are set.
o
Critique and evaluate films—verbally and in formal writing––in a more informed, authoritative way.
o
Communicate specialized concepts and vocabularies of art, art history, film, and history.
Focal Point Learning Outcomes
1. Students will discuss and analyze work from at least three different fields in their written work for the course.
2. Students will participate actively in advancing the collective intellectual understanding of the course topic through
class discussions.
3. Students will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, and to assess varying degrees of
mediation and interpretation in specific source materials.
4. Students will construct arguments based on evidence and the work and interpretations of other sources.
5. Students will revise papers in response to the instructor’s comments.
6. Students will produce a project with a central argument, in which all parts of the project support the
central argument.
In this class you watch films on your own first: It will be your responsibility to watch the films on
your own on Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, YouTube, the internet, or any other platform. The DePaul
University library will have some of these films (we’ve bought them for this class) and you can stream
them for free. We’ll discuss how to do this in the first week of class. Finally, we’ll view selected scenes
from many movies in class and discuss them in detail. A short, true/false quiz tests you on the film
being discussed that week. I will drop your lowest quiz grade or excuse one missed quiz.
Writing Assignments
The first project is a two- to three-page paper that asks you to consider the “look” of the
biopics we’ve seen to that point. This means writing about “production,” that is, what goes into
actually making the movie....backgrounds, locations, props, costumes, etc. Production is crucial
to making a biopic about a historical artist where everything has to be accurate and also engaging.
The second paper (4-5 pages with revisions) asks you to compare and contrast the films that
have dealt with women artists up to this point (Big Eyes, Maudie, Camille, and Frida). You will
discuss how each movie portrays women’s challenges in male-dominated artworlds—describing
the institutions and conditions that comprise those artworlds––while providing specific detail on
the different historical settings and conditions in each. Papers will demonstrate an understanding
of varying use of film techniques and production aspects in each film. Revision: You will
receive my detailed feedback as well as some peer reviewing from classmates. In your next draft
of the paper, you address those revisions, and hand in the paper again. The final grade is a
combination of both drafts and on how well you have incorporated the revisions.
The final paper (7-8 pages) is about the representation of artists of diverse backgrounds (in
terms of gender, race, class, disability, nationality, and so forth). You will be advancing a thesis
and arguing for your point of view using the critical tools we’ve learned in class. For this
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assignment, you must use both primary and secondary sources. Papers will have a fairly strict
scholarly apparatus (footnotes) and a bibliography.
Participation: The way you conduct yourself is extremely important in this class and in professional
situations in general. A major goal is to help you find and refine your voice––in speaking and in writing.
Try to contribute at least one thoughtful remark each day. Consistent participation—in the form of
reading-based and meaningful comments and honest attentiveness—will improve your final grade.
Additionally, you will be asked to give one or two short in-class reports—"mini-presentations”––about
various aspects of artists, directors, actors, or historical events. These are also considered part of your
participation grade.
Professional Expectations: Attendance is essential to doing well. But please do not come to class if you
aren’t feeling well. If you do miss a class for any reason, be sure to check D2L, our syllabus, and ask a
classmate for class notes and announcements. If you miss class because you aren’t well, be in contact
with me right away. In general, you are responsible for everything that goes on in this course…the
discussions, readings, lectures, films, and assignments. Everyone is allowed three absences; more than
these results in a lowered overall course grade.
Please come to class on time. Also, please don't leave class during lectures—we’ll have a 5-minute
break halfway through the class––and remember to turn off your cell phones before class. Also, there is
no need for laptops in class; let’s take traditional pen-and-paper notes. For some in-class work, we’ll use
our phones to access the internet.
Plagiarism and using AI: of any kind (including borrowing text from a friend’s paper, one of your old
papers, or taking material directly from the internet) will result in failing grades and official
administrative action. Do not use AI to generate content for your written work. That will result in office
visits and official action. Remember: it’s always better to do your own work, no matter how rough you
think the result is. Here’s the statement on plagiarism from DePaul’s Student Handbook:
The DePaul Student Handbook defines plagiarism as follows: “Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following: (a) The direct
copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether
published or unpublished, in whole or in part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else’s. (b) Copying of any source in
whole or in part with only minor changes in wording or syntax even with acknowledgement. (c) Submitting as one's own work a
report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment which has been prepared by someone else. This includes
research papers purchased from any other person or agency. (d) The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper
acknowledgement.” Plagiarism will result in a failure of the assignment or possibly of the course. If you are unsure of how to cite a
source, ask!
Field Trip: We’re so lucky! Until February 19th the Art Institute of Chicago is displaying the sculptures
of Camille Claudel. Camille is one of the movies we’re watching and writing about. On a Thursday
evening (or perhaps a Friday afternoon) we will be meeting at the AIC where, as DePaul students, you get
free admission. I’m happy to contact your instructors and bosses about letting you attend (and/or be late).
I’m also happy to ride down to the AIC with those of you who aren’t totally confident going alone. But
please don’t invite friends or family on this trip as this is a class event.
D2L: “Desire to Learn,” is DePaul’s online learning platform for classes. Please get in the habit of
checking it daily. Announcements will help keep us on track from class to class. All the content for this
class including this syllabus, the assignments, and extra readings will be posted there. If you can’t access
D2L or have any questions at all about it, please speak to me asap. And when you submit a document to
D2L, please try opening it. Documents that don’t exist, even if accidental, will be counted late. We’re
beyond the era of computer excuses!
Optional Extra Credit assignment: You are invited to write and post an original, well-written, 350word movie review for IMDB. This can be on any film from the list at the end of this syllabus that we
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did not cover in class and which you have not written on in an earlier assignment. A separate handout
will explain the specific requirements and IMDB protocols for doing so. This is a way to have your wellinformed opinion made public for years to come!
I’m here to help! I deeply want students in this class to succeed, and I’ll do whatever I can to create a
productive, rewarding learning experience. Please be in contact about any aspect of this course or your
relationship to DePaul University. Also consider dropping off or emailing (mpohlad@depaul.edu) rough
drafts, outlines, notes, intros/conclusions, etc., before any of the papers are due. The university’s Writing
Centers (Loop/Lincoln Park) are also very helpful. Please consider a visit there; papers are significantly
better as a result. Please tell me (or have them send an email) if you have visited or had work reviewed
there. https://condor.depaul.edu/writing/
If you have any health-related issues that you feel would prevent you from doing your very best in this
course, please alert me, if you feel comfortable. Additionally, consider contacting the Center for Students
with Disabilities (csd@depaul.edu; 312-362-8002 /773-325-1677). If you are already registered with
them, I have been contacted about the accommodations we can make for you.
If you should have a long-term change of circumstances, family or health crises, be in touch with the
Dean of Students Office. Deanofstudents@depaul.edu 773-325-7290. The Dean of Students is your
advocate at times like this and will be in contact with your instructors on your behalf.
Grading totals:
1st Paper………………..…
2nd Paper and revisions…...
Final Paper…………...…..
Quizzes………………...
Class Participation…….......
[Extra credit……………….
15%
20%
20%
20%
25%
Up to instructor’s discretion; up to 10%]
Textbook and Readings:
There are no textbooks you need to buy for this course, but you may have to pay to watch the films on
your own. All our readings will be found on our D2L site or online or handed out as hard copies in
class.
1. Robert A. Rosenstone, History on Film/Film on History (Routledge, 2nd ed., 2012). Not
specifically on artists in film—there is no textbook on this topic precisely—it asks important
questions about fictionalizing history in feature films. Select chapters.
2. Cartmell, Deborah and Ashley D. Polasek (editors, A Companion to the Biopic (Wiley-Blackwell,
2020). Select chapters.
3. A group of biographical texts about the artists who are portrayed in the films we watch. Posted
on D2L or the links provided as the class progresses.
4. Primary texts on history in film, including contemporary film reviews of the ones we watch.
Posted on D2L or handed out as hard copies in class.
In addition to these readings and sources, I may ask you to read articles that can be found on JSTOR
(through the library’s webpage). I will also place readings under “Content” in D2L.
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Schedule of classes:
Week 1: 1/8 and 1/10 Introductions, syllabus, viewing selected scenes from some of our
movies, Big Eyes (2014; Tim Burton)
Short Quiz—Wedns., 1/10
Readings:
Jon Ronson, “The Big-Eyed Children: The Extraordinary Story of an Epic Art Fraud,” The
Guardian [newspaper], 26 October 2014:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/26/art-fraud-margaret-walter-keane-timburton-biopic
Student mini-presentation on 1/10:
Margaret Keane (b. 1927)
Tim Burton
Week 2: 1/17 Monday, Jan. 15th MLK Day—NO CLASS
Maudie (2016; dir. Aisling Walsh). On Canadian self-taught artist, Maud Lewis (1903-70).
Short Quiz—Wedns., 1/17
Readings:
Nell Minow, “A Portrait of the Outsider Artist: Aisling Walsh on “Maudie”, Roger Ebert
Interviews: https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/portrait-of-the-outsider-artist-aisling-walshon-maudie
Susan Stamberg, “Home is Where the Art Is: The Unlikely Story of Folk Artist Maud Lewis
(NPR/WFMT Chicago), https://www.npr.org/2017/06/19/532816482/home-is-where-the-art-isthe-unlikely-story-of-folk-artist-maud-lewis please watch the videos embedded in the story.
Student presentations on 1/17:
Nova Scotia
Henry Darger, Chicago self-taught artist
Sally Hawkins
Week 3: 1/22 and 1/24 Britain’s greatest painter: “Mr. Turner” (2014; Mike Leigh,
2014)
Short Quiz--Monday, 1/29
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Readings:
1. Khan Academy: “Who is J.M.W. Turner?”
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/england-constableturner/a/who-is-jmw-turner
2. Chapter on “Production” from Ann Hornaday, Talking Pictures (2018). Posted on D2L.
Student mini-presentations:
Joseph W. M. Turner
Mike Leigh, director
First Paper—Film Production Assignment––due Saturday, Jan. 27th by 11:59PM
(see separate handout posted on D2L)
Week 4: 1/29 and 1/31 The Most Recent Vincent Van Gogh movie directed by a famous
painter: At Eternity’s Gate (2018; dir. Julian Schnabel)
Short Quiz--Monday, 1/22
Readings:
Reading on Vincent Van Gogh’s biography (1853-90): https://www.biography.com/artist/vincentvan-gogh
Student mini-presentations:
Julian Schnabel
Willem Dafoe
Theo Van Gogh
CANCELLED (to be rescheduled) Thursday, Feb. 1st 6:00-7:00PM OPTIONAL EXTRA-CREDIT
FIELD TRIP to the ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
Week 5: 2/5/ and 2/7 Frida Kahlo––A Modern Mexican Master: Frida (2002; dir. Julie
Taymore)
Short Quiz—Monday, 2/5
Reading: Biography of Frida Kahlo: https://www.fridakahlo.org/frida-kahlo-biography.jsp
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Student mini-presentations:
Diego Rivera
Surrealism
Mexico during the Revolution
2nd Paper Due: Saturday, Feb. 17th, by 11:59 to D2L
An analysis of three of our films on women artists (see rubric posted to D2L)
Week 6: 2/12 and 2/14 A Troubled Abstract Expressionist: Pollock (2000; dir. Ed Harris)
Short Quiz—Monday, 2/12
Readings:
Helen A. Harrison, “Recreating Pollock, Gingerly,” (review) The New York Times, Feb. 16th,
2001. Find this through the DePaul Library website.
Watch: Charlie Rose interview (Youtube: 2001) with Ed Harris and curator/art historian
Kirk Varnedoe (31:16): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJiSfzR2woc
Student mini-presentations:
Lee Krasner
Peggy Guggenheim
Week 7: 2/19 and 2/21 A Woman Artist in the Genocidal West: Woman Walks Ahead (2017;
Susanna White, dir.)
Short Quiz—Monday, 2/19
Readings:
Chapter on “The Screenplay,” from Ann Hornaday, Talking Pictures (2018). Posted on D2L
Roger Ebert review of Woman Walks Ahead (2018): https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/womanwalks-ahead-2018
Student mini-presentations:
Catherine Weldon
Wounded Knee Massacre
Week 8: 2/26 and 2/28 Art, Love, and Growing Up in Post-War East Germany:
Never Look Away (2018; dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Short Quiz—Monday, 2/26
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Video: “Gerhard Richter: 40 Years of Painting,” YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE5EMVR7SWE (13:54)
Reading: Henri Neuendorf, “After Gerhard Richter Disavowed a New Movie Based on His
Life…” Artnet News, Jan. 15, 2019. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/gerhard-richter-disavowsnew-movie-1440160
Student mini-presentations:
East Germany (in the Post-War period)
The Nazi “Degenerate Art” Exhibition (1937)
2nd Paper Revisions due: Saturday, March 2nd by 11:59 PM. Address the suggestions you were given
from your first draft, keep making your own revisions, and re-submit to D2L folder.
Week 9: 3/4 and 3/6 A 20th-Century Photographer and his Environmental Activist Partner:
Minamata (dir. Andrew Levitas, 2020)
Short Quiz—Monday, 3/4
Readings: Brian Salisbury, “Biopics are the New Books” at:
https://www.hollywood.com/movies/biopics-are-the-new-books-the-pros-and-cons-of-learninghistory-from-movies-59096205
“Eugene Smith’s Warning to the World”:
https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/w-eugene-smithminamata-warning-to-the-world/
Student mini-presentations:
Life magazine
Aileen Mioko Smith
Week 10: 3/11 and 3/13 New York in the 1980s: Basquiat (1996; dir. Julian Schnabel)
Short Quiz—Monday, 3/11
Readings:
Janet Maslin, "Basquiat: A Postcard Picture of a Graffiti Artist" New York Times, August 9,
1996. Access this through “DePaul Libraries” to “A-Z data bases” to “New York Times” to type
in “Maslin” and “Basquiat.”
Read first few pages from the shooting script, Basquiat, at International Movie Script Database
(IMSDB): https://imsdb.com/Movie%20Scripts/Basquiat%20Script.html
Student mini-presentations:
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Andy Warhol
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Catching up, last min-presentation(s), finishing old business, what we’ve accomplished (review of learning
outcomes). Celebration!
Extra Credit Assignment—to be announced—due Saturday, March 23rd, by 11:59PM.
Final Papers are due on the day designated for our final exam—Wednesday, March 20th,
by 1:45PM—submitted to the appropriate D2L dropbox submission folder as a doc. or dox
file
SPRING QUARTER REUNION: Some time after our quarter is over, I’ll contact all of you for an
optional meet-up at the Music Box Theatre, on Southport Avenue to watch a movie together. It may not
necessarily be about an artist, but it will be about history, and it will be good!
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Biopics About Historical Artists
Although we’ll watch important scenes from many of these movies in class, students are
responsible for watching these on their own before we discuss them in class. Be sure to check
our library (we’ve bought several of these for this class), your apps and cablevision networks,
and YouTube.
The titles in red are those that we’ll examine closely in our class. Every other film is a candidate
for the final paper and/or optional extra credit assignments.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965; dir. Carol Reed). On Michelangelo di Ludovico Buonarroti (14751564), Pope Sixtus, and the creation of the Sistine Ceiling.
Andrei Rublev (1966; dir. Andrei Tarkovsky). On the 15th-century Russian icon painter (c. 1360s-c.
1430).
Artemisia (1997; dir. Agnes Merlet). The life and rape (trial) and aftermath of Baroque master, Artemisia
Gentileschi (1593-1656).
At Eternity’s Gate (2018, dir. Julian Schnabel). On the Post-Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh (18531890).
Basquiat (1996; dir. Julian Schnabel) About the 1980s New York City graffiti artist.
Big Eyes (2014; dir. Tim Burton) Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz as the 1960s West-coast painters, the
Keanes.
Camille Claudel (1988; dir. Bruno Nuytten). Gerard Depardieu as August Rodin (1840-1917), the
greatest sculptor of the nineteenth century.
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Camille Claudel 1915 (2013; dir. Bruno Dumont, in French). Juliet Binoche as Claudel (1864-1943),
Rodin’s talented assistant with whom he had an affair; this film set in the asylum to which she was
committed.
Caravaggio (1986; dir. Derek Jarman).
Carrington (1995; dir. Christopher Hampton).
Charlotte (2021; dir. Tahir Rana, Eric Warin) Animated film about the WWII-era German-Jewish artist
Charlotte Saloman.
Chi-hwa-seon/Painted Fire (2002; dir. Kwo Taek) Jang Seung-eop (1843–1897) (commonly known by
his pen name Owon (1843-1897) was a painter of the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea.
The Colour Room (2021; dir. Claire McCarthy) on Clarice Cliff, the pioneering pottery designer in 1920s
England.
Dalí (1991; dir. Antoni Ribas). On the Spanish Surrealist.
The Danish Girl (2015; dir. Tom Hooper), loosely about a trans pioneer, painter Elnar Wegener/Lili Elbe
(1882-1931).
Eadweard (2015; dir. Kyle Rideout, Canadian). About 19th-c. motion photographer, Eadweard
Muybridge (1830-1904).
Effie Gray (2014; dir. Richard Laxton, UK). About Euphemia Chalmers Millais, Lady Millais (née Gray;
dir. 7 May 1828 – 23 December 1897) the wife of John Ruskin, the most famous art critic of the 19th
century.
Egon Schiele: Tod und Mãdchen [Death and the Maiden] (German, 2016; dir. Dieter Berner).
El Greco (2007; dir. Iannis Smaragdis).
The Eyes of Van Gogh (2005; dir. Alexander Barnett).
Factory Girl (2006; dir. on Edie Sedgwick) Depictions of Warhol’s famous studio, “The Factory.”
Final Portrait (2017; dir. Stanley Tucci). Based on the later career of the Swiss modern sculptor, Alberto
Giacometti (1901-66), played by Jeffrey Rush.
Foujita (2015; dir. Kōhei Oguri). Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (November 27, 1886 – January 29, 1968)
was a Japanese–French painter and printmaker born in Tokyo, Japan, who applied Japanese ink
techniques to Western style paintings.
Frida (2002; dir. Julie Taymore). Salma Hayek plays the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo (1907-54).
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006; dir. Steven Shainberg). A fantastical treatment of the
1950s-60s photographer.
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Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti (2017; dir. Eduard Deluc). Gauguin’s relationship with a young Tahitian
woman.
Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003; dir. Peter Webber).
Goya’s Ghosts (2006; dir. Milos Forman).
Goya in Bordeaux (1999; dir. Carlos Suara).
Hilma ( 2022; dir. Lasse Hallström), on the pioneering Swedish painter, Hilma af Klint (1862-1944).
Hokusai Manga (Japan, 1981; dir. Kaneto Shindô).
Klimt (2006; dir. Raul Ruiz). Klimt (1862-1918), Austria’s greatest painter, played by John Malkovich.
Lautrec (1998; dir. Roger Planchon).
Les Amants de Montparnasse (1958; dir. Jacques Becker), about the “doomed painter,” Amedeo
Modigliani.
Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998; dir. John Maybury). Derek Jacobi as the
modernist artist.
Loving Vincent (2017; dir. Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman)
Lust for Life (1956, dir. Vincent Minelli/George Cukor).
Mapplethorpe (2018; dir. Ondi Timoner).
Marie Kroyer (2012; dir. Billie August). On the Danish painter Marie Krøyer (1867-1940), commonly.
Maudie (2016; dir. Aisling Walsh). On Canadian self-taught artist, Maud Lewis (1903-70).
MGC Presents Red (2018; dir. Michael Grandage, Nick Morris). On Abstract Expressionist Mark
Rothko and a challenging commission; a filmed stage play.
Mill and The Cross (2011; dir. Lech Majewski). Recreates the style of Pieter Breugel the Elder and his
major painting, The Procession to Calvary (1564).
Minamata (2020; dir. Andrew Levitas), on the photojournalist Eugene Smith and his partner,
environmental activist Aileen Mioko Smith as they expose a pollution disaster in Japan.
Modigliani (2004; dir. Mick Davis), Andy Garcia as the doomed artist in 19-teens Paris.
The Monuments Men (2014; dir. George Clooney) The WWII Army soldiers tasked with protecting art
masterpieces from the Nazis.
Moulin Rouge (1952; dir. John Huston); Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his milieu in 1890s Paris.
Mr. Turner (2014; dir. Mike Leigh). On the later career of Britain’s most famous painter (1789-1862).
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Mrs. Lowry and Son (2019; dir. Adrian Noble).
My Left Foot (1989; dir. Jim Sheridan) Daniel Day-Lewis as artist Christie Brown.
Naked Maja (1959; dir. Henry Koster). On the Spanish Romantic artist Francisco Goya’s scandalous
portrait.
Never Look Away (2018; dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck). Inspired by the life of Gerhard Richter.
Set in post-war East Germany.
Oviri [The Wolf at the Door] (1986; dir. Henning Carlsen), Gauguin in Tahiti.
The Painter and the Thief (2019), semi-documentary but excellent.
Paula (German/French, 2016; dir. Christian Swochow, German). On the German Expressionist Paula
Modersohn-Becker.
Pollock (2000; dir. Ed Harris) Ed Harris as the troubled Abstract Expressionist; excellent evocation of his
partner and fellow artist, Lee Krasner.
Postcards from America (1994; dir. Steve McLean). On artist David Wojnarowicz and the AIDS crisis.
Rembrandt (1936; dir. Alexander Korda, UK).
Rembrandt (1999; dir. Charles Matton, in French).
Renoir (2012; dir. Gilles Bourdos, in French).
Rodin (2017; dir. Jacques Doillon, French).
Séraphine (2008; Martin Provost, French). On the early 20th-century French self-taught artist, Séraphine
de Senlis and her relationship to the dealer, German Wilhelm Uhde.
Surviving Picasso (1996; dir. James Ivory). Anthony Hopkins as Picasso.
Tom of Finland (2017; dir. Dorne Karukoski). The life and work of illustrator Touko Valio Laaksonen
(aka Tom of Finland), a hero to twentieth century gay culture.
Utamaro and his Five Women (1946; dir. Mizoguchi, Japanese).
Woman Walks Ahead (2018; dir. Susanna White). On the New York portraitist, Catherine Weldon
(1844-1921).
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Bibliography
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We’ll be using these “secondary” sources for our class readings and discussions. These will also be useful for your
final paper. Our “primary” sources—movie reviews, actors’ memoirs, period documents, etc.-- are not included
here. Those will be announced in class from day to day and posted on D2L. Anderson, Steve F. Technologies
of History. Visual Media and the Eccentricity of the Past. Hanover, NH 2011.
Artwork Archive, “What is the Artist’s Role in Society?” blog, c. 2015:
https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/what-is-the-artist-s-role-in-society
Barber, Sian. Using Film as a Source. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2015.
Baron, Jamie. The Archive Effect: Found Footage and the Audiovisual Experience of History. London
2014.
Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida, translated by Richard Howard. New York 1984.
Bartlett, Frederic. Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology. London 1932.
Brooks, Michael. “Portraits of the Artists,” BFI (October 31, 2014): https://www2.bfi.org.uk/newsopinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/portraits-artists
Brown, Christie. My Left Foot (Vintage Editions, 2014).
Butler, Andrew C. / Zaromb, Franklin M. / Lyle, Keith B. et al. “Using Popular Films to Enhance
Classroom Learning: The Good, the Bad, and the Interesting.” In: Psychological Science 20.9.
(2009).
Carnes, Mark C. Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies (Henry Holt, 1995).
Cartmell, Deborah and Ashley D. Polasek (eds.), A Companion to the Biopic (Wiley-Blackwell,
2020).
Cartmell, “The Hollywood Biopic of the Twentieth Century: A History,” in Cartmell and
Polasek, Companion to the Biopic, p. 89-102.
Caryl, Christian. “A Poor Imitation of Alan Turing” [review of The Imitation Game (2014)],
The New York Review of Books (Dec. 19, 2004).
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