Media Studies 144
Code 1774 Sec. 9R4A
Spring 2008 Thurs. 9:15-1:05
History of Cinema 2: 1930-1970
Instructor: Prof. Amy Herzog
Email: amyherzog@mindspring.com
Phone: 718-997-2956
Office: G-102C
Office Hours: Thursdays 1:30-2:15; 5:45-6:30;
Wednesdays by appointment
Description:
This course will provide a survey of film history from the 1930s through the 1960s,
examining institutional and aesthetic shifts in the film industry, as well as significant
movements and genres in world cinema (musicals, melodramas, film noir, Neorealism,
the French New Wave, Direct Cinema). Readings and class discussions will consider the
historical, political, aesthetic, and cultural contexts of these cinematic trends, and will
present an overview of the development of film criticism and theory during this period.
Requirements:
Attendance and Participation: You are expected to attend and actively participate
in each class. Participation includes reading assigned material prior to class,
asking questions, taking notes, and contributing to discussions. Please arrive
on time: two “lates” will count as an absence. Leaving class during the break
or during a screening will count as an absence. STUDENTS WHO MISS MORE
THAN 3 CLASSES WILL BE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO WITHDRAW. Because
the syllabus may be modified, you are responsible for contacting the
instructor should you miss a class. TURN OFF ALL CELLULAR DEVICES before
class begins—no text messaging.
Screenings: Attendance at screenings is mandatory. Disruptive behavior during
screenings (including entering and leaving the classroom mid-film, talking,
text messaging, phone calls) will not be tolerated. Treat the films as seriously
as you would the lectures: pay close attention and take careful notes.
Journals: Each week, you will be asked to hand in an informal “journal” response to
the readings and the film screenings. I am not expecting a polished essay—I
am more interested in your candid response to the texts: what did you like?
What didn’t you understand? How do the author’s ideas relate to your own
understanding of film history? I am also interested in hearing your thoughts
about the class discussions and screenings from the previous week. It is
mandatory, however, that you write about EACH of the assigned readings
due on that particular date.
Journals should be typed, between 1-2 pages long. Given your busy
schedules, it is understandable if there are weeks when you fall behind—thus
you can take 2 “freebie” weeks during the semester when you will not be
penalized for missing a journal. Journal entries are due at the beginning of
class, and will be graded on a scale of 0-3 points. You can earn extra credit
points by not taking advantage of your freebie weeks and handing in journals
for those readings. Remember to hand in journals for any classes you miss
before the next class to receive credit (journals more than one week late will
not be accepted).
Plagiarism is an EXTREMELY serious offense. All work submitted must be the original
work of the student whose name appears on it. ANY text or idea taken from an
outside source—including websites—MUST be carefully cited. Plagiarism and other
acts of dishonesty will result in an automatic grade of zero for the assignment and
notification of the department. Cases may incur further academic penalties,
including a failing grade for the course and disciplinary action.
Exams:
Each exam will include a multiple-choice test and a take-home essay portion, which
will be distributed in class prior to the exam. The take-home portion will be due at the
time of the exam—no exceptions. Plan in advance to avoid printer mishaps!
**All exam essays must be submitted through Turnitin, via the Blackboard site. In
addition, bring a hard copy to class the morning of the exam.
Grading:
Journals:
Midterm Exam:
Final Exam:
30%
35%
35%
Textbook:
Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell, Film History: An Introduction, 2nd Ed. (NY:
McGraw Hill, 2002).
Syllabus:
1/31: INTRODUCTION / THE TRANSITION TO SOUND
Screening: M (Fritz Lang, Germany, 1931)
2/7:
THE GANGSTER FILM / THE STUDIO SYSTEM I
 Thompson & Bordwell chp. 9 & 10
 William Wellman interview (on Blackboard)
Screening: The Public Enemy (William Wellman, US, 1931)
2/14:
MUSICALS AND SCREWBALL COMEDY / THE STUDIO SYSTEM II
 Thompson & Bordwell chp. 14
 James Harvey, “Sturges: Genius at Work” (on Blackboard)
Screening: Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, US, 1941), excerpts from
42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, US, 1933), Dames (Ray Enright/Busby Berkeley, US, 1934),
Golddiggers of 1933 (Mervyn LeRoy, US, 1933)
2/21:
MAJOR FIGURES: ORSON WELLES
 Robert L. Carringer, “Orson Welles and Gregg Toland: Their Collaboration on
‘Citizen Kane’” (on Blackboard)
 Excerpts from Citizen Kane: A Casebook (on Blackboard)
Screening: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, US, 1941)
2/28:
FILM NOIR
 Paul Schrader, “Notes on Film Noir” (on Blackboard)
 Janey Place, “Women in Film Noir” (on Blackboard)
 Billy Wilder interview (on Blackboard)
Screening: Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, US, 1944)
3/6:
ITALIAN NEOREALISM
 Thompson & Bordwell chp. 12 and 16
 Andre Bazin, “An Aesthetic of Reality” (on Blackboard)
Screening: Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica, Italy, 1952)
3/13:
MAJOR FIGURES: YASUJIRO OZU
 Thompson & Bordwell p. 246-260 and chp. 18
 Nick Wrigley, “Yasujiro Ozu,” biography on Senses of Cinema
(http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/03/ozu.html)
Screening: Japanese post-war cinema: Early Summer (Yasujiro Ozu, Japan, 1951)
Take-home portion of exam distributed
3/20:
Midterm (10-11:30)
Screening (at noon): Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, US, 1956)
3/27:
1950s US CINEMA: COLD WAR PARANOIA / MELODRAMA
 Thompson & Bordwell chp. 15
 Tom Ryan, “Douglas Sirk,” biography on Senses of Cinema
(http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/04/sirk.html)
 Douglas Sirk interview (on Blackboard)
Screening: Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk, US, 1956)
4/3:
MAJOR FIGURES: ALFRED HITCHCOCK
 Hitchcock interview with Francois Truffaut (on Blackboard)
 Tania Modleski, “Femininity By Design: Vertigo” (on Blackboard) [Warning:
Spoilers! You can turn in the journal for this reading after the film screening (via
email or in my office), but you MUST discuss the article IN DETAIL]
Screening: Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, US, 1958)
4/10:
INDIAN CINEMA
 Nasreen Munni Kabir, “Playback Time: A Brief History of Bollywood ‘Film
Songs,’” (on Blackboard)
 Bert Cardullo, “Revisiting Satyajit Ray,” Bright Lights Film Journal,
(http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/50/rayiv.htm)
Screening: Charulata (Satyajit Ray, in Bengali, 1964), clips from Kaagaz Ke Phool
(Guru Dutt, in Hindi, 1959), Mother India (Mehboob Khan, in Hindi, 1957), Apna
Desh (Jambu, in Hindi, 1972)
4/17:
THE FRENCH NEW WAVE
 Thompson & Bordwell chp. 13 and 20
 Jean-Luc Godard, “From Critic to Film-Maker” (excerpts from interview) (ereserve & Blackboard)
Screening: La Jetée (Chris Marker, France, 1962), Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard,
France, 1960)
4/24:
SPRING BREAK!
5/1:
POLITICAL CINEMA FROM AFRICA & LATIN AMERICA / U.S. AVANT GARDE FILM
 Thompson & Bordwell chp. 21
 Margot Kernan, “Cuban Cinema: Tomas Guiterrez Alea” (on Blackboard)
 Ousmane Sembene interview (on Blackboard)
Screening: Borom Sarret (Ousmane Sembene, Senegal, 1963)
Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968) (excerpts)
Excerpts from shorts by Maya Deren, Stan Brakhage, and others TBA.
5/8:
U.S. INDEPENDENT FILM OF THE 1960s
 Matthew Bernstein, “Perfecting the New Gangster: Writing ‘Bonnie and
Clyde’” (on Blackboard)
 Excerpts from Cassavetes on Cassavetes
Screening: excerpt from Shadows (John Cassavetes, US, 1959), Bonnie and Clyde
(Arthur Penn, US, 1967)
Review for final, take-home portion of exam distributed
Final Exam: Date TBA
Resources:
Sources for Video Rentals:
If you love cinema, avoid Blockbuster! They edit films for content and don’t always
indicate that they have done so. Better options:
 Netflix: www.netflix.com
 Kim’s Video (6 St. Mark’s Place, NY, 212-598-1131)
 TLA Video (52 West 8th Street, NY, 212-228-8282)
 Photoplay (933 Manhattan Ave., [Greenpoint] Brooklyn, 718.383.7782)
 For Indian films: Melody Stop (73-9 37th Road, Jackson Heights, 718-429-2578)
Important Film Venues in NY:
 Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St., NY: http://www.filmforum.org/
 American Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Ave. @ 36th St, Asotoria:
http://www.ammi.org/
 Film Society at Lincoln Center, W. 65th Street near Broadway & Amsterdam:
http://www.filmlinc.org/
 Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd St., NY:
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/index.html#FilmMedia
 Anthology Film Archives, E. 2nd Street @ 2nd Ave, NY:
http://www.anthologyfilmarchives.org
 Brooklyn Academy of Music, Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn:
www.bam.org
Article Databases:
Available in the library, or you can access from home online from this site:
http://libraries.cuny.edu/resource.htm
 JSTOR
 Project Muse
 Academic Search Premier
 Communications & Mass Media Complete
 Lexis Nexis (for newspaper & magazine reviews)
Web Resources:
 All Movie Guide: http://www.allmovie.com/
 Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/
 Senses of Cinema online journal: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/
 New York Times—free access (with registration) to all reviews written since 1960,
also box office data, news, features, etc.:
http://movies.nytimes.com/ref/movies/reviews/index.html
 Jumpcut Magazine, with early issues available online: http://www.ejumpcut.org