LLC 440/HUMA 592: Cultural Approaches to Film and Fascism
University of New Hampshire, Spring 2011
MW, 1:10-3:00 Murkland G17. Professor: Catherine Peebles
Office hours: MW, 12:15 -1:00, and by appointment. Huddleston 104.
e-mail: catherine.peebles@unh.edu phone. 862.3638
In this course we will be studying films that have to do with fascism, and we will be trying at the
same time to learn something about how to read a film as an art form, and how to understand
fascism, both historically and conceptually. We will devote most of our reading attention to one
important and demanding work: Hannah Arendt’s seminal book, The Origins of Totalitarianism,
completed in 1949, just four years after the Allies defeated Nazi Germany in World War II.
Before that, we’ll get started with Kevin Passmore’s Fascism: A Very Short Introduction. There
will also be at least two readings posted on Blackboard: an article that interprets Fritz Lang’s
film, “M,” and Susan Sontag’s “Fascinating Fascism” (an essay about Leni Riefenstahl and
fascist aesthetics). Students must print Blackboard materials and bring them to class. The rest of
our “texts,” of course, will be the films.
Film Screening: We screen each film in class. Films will also be on reserve in the library (Media
room – down one floor), and students will need to view the films more than once in order to
know them well enough for our purposes. (This is why we are screening them in class, in
addition to your own screenings.) All students should view the films on their own and/or in
groups in the library’s media room. Students should take careful notes during screenings, and, as
soon as possible after the screening, complete those notes. On screening days, the class will go as
long as necessary for the screening (up to 3:00 p.m.). On non-screening days, we will meet until
2:30 p.m.
Class Preparation: Preparing for this class involves reading and rereading (and viewing and reviewing) the assigned work carefully, underlining important passages, making notes in the
margins, and making notes in your notebook. Your own notes should range from copying
significant passages of text and definitions of new vocabulary words, to writing down questions
you have, to formulating critical responses and interpretations and questions (for films) about
narrative, editing, directorial style, etc. Careful reading or viewing and critical questions will
unfailingly improve student performance on exams. Students’ final grades for the course are
computed as an average of three exams given throughout the semester and in-class work and
participation:
In-class participation, group work: 15%
Exam 2 (short-essay): 30 %
Exam 1 (short-answer):
20%
Exam 3 (take-home essay): 35%
Required Texts (available at the Durham Book Exchange, on Main Street)
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Harcourt Brace, 1973.
Kevin Passmore, Fascism: A Very Short Introduction
Blackboard Reading
Susan Sontag, “Fascinating Fascism,” from Under the Sign of Saturn, New York, N.Y.: Farrar,
Strauss and Giroux, 1980. pp. 73-105.
Horst Lang, “Nazis vs. the Rule of Law: Allegory and Narrative Structure in Fritz Lang's M.”
Monatshefte für Deutschsprachige Literatur und Kultur, 2009 Summer; 101 (2): 170-85.
Films
Casablanca, Michael Curtiz (1942, 102 mins.)
M, Fritz Lang (1931, 110 minutes)
Sophie’s Choice, Alan Pakula (1982, 150 minutes)
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, Ray Müller (1993, 180 minutes)
Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl (1934, 114 minutes)
Cría Cuervos, Carlos Saura (1976, 109 minutes)
Death and the Maiden, Roman Polanski (1984, 103 minutes)
The University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to
all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring
accommodations, you must register with Disability Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at
(603) 862-2607. If you have received Accommodation Letters for this course from DSS, please
provide me with that information privately, in my office, so that we can review those
accommodations.
Academic honesty is a core value of the University, and I hold it dear. Any instance of academic
dishonesty, including plagiarism, will be reported to a student’s college dean, and will result in a
failing grade for the course. Sanctions for plagiarism include expulsion from the university.
Time-table / Reading Schedule (Readings must be completed by the date assigned.)
W 1/26
Introduction to the course
M 1/31
W 2/2
Screening Casablanca (1:00 start time)
Discussing Casablanca and Passmore, pp. 1-32
M 2/7
W 2/9
Screening M (1:00 start time). Passmore, pp. 33-61
Discussing M , Horst Lang, “Nazis vs. the Rule of Law: Allegory and Narrative
Structure in Fritz Lang's M,” and Passmore, pp. 33-87.
M 2/14
W 2/16
Arendt, Prefaces (pp. vii-xl) and pp.3-88
Arendt, through page 88
M 2/21
Sophie’s Choice (1:00 start time)
Arendt, through page 157
Sophie’s Choice (1:00 start time), discussing Sophie’s Choice
Arendt, through page 157
W 2/23
M 2/28
W 3/2
Discussing Arendt, through page 157
Discussing Arendt, through page 157
M 3/7
W 3/9
Review
Exam #1
M 3/14
W 3/16
Spring Break: no class
Spring Break: no class
M 3/21
W 3/23
Arendt, 158-221
Arendt, 158-221
NOTE: We will be focused on Riefenstahl, Müller, and Sontag for the next
two weeks, but you should continue reading in Arendt, as we will be picking
up our discussion of her work on April 11th, and you will need to have read
and made notes on pp. 222-388 by that time.
M 3/28
W 3/30
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1:00 start time)
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1:00 start time)
M 4/4
W 4/6
Triumph of the Will (1:00 start time)
Discussing Sontag’s “Fascinating Fascism,” Triumph of the Will, and The
Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
M 4/11
W 4/13
Continuing Wednesday’s discussion of Sontag, Müller, and Riefenstahl, and
beginning discussion of Arendt, 222-388
Arendt, 222-388, and Review
M 4/18
W 4/20
Exam #2 (short essays)
Cría Cuervos (1:00 start time)
M 4/25
W 4/27
Discussing Cría Cuervos, and Arendt, 389-479
Arendt, 389-479
M 5/2
W 5/4
Death and the Maiden (1:00 start time)
Discussing Death and the Maiden
M 5/9
Recapitulation and Review
Final exam handed out (take-home, essay format)
Due in my office (Huddleston 104) by noon on Thursday, May 12.