Lake Superior State University
HU 256: Introduction to Film
Tuesdays, 5:00-9:00 pm / Crawford 207
Professor: Dr. Mary Been
Office: Library 320
Office Phone: 635- 2116
Office Hours: Monday: 11:00-12:00; Tuesday: 9:00-10:00 p.m. (please notice: Tuesday is p.m.!);
Wednesday: 11:00-12:00; 2:00-3:00; Friday: 2:00-3:00
E-mail: mbeen@lssu.edu
Texts
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The Film Experience: An Introduction. Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White. Boston & New York:
Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2004
Additional readings will be announced from time to time in class. These readings will be made available
as handouts, reserve readings in the library, or readings online.
Course Description
Catalog Description:
An exploration of film as an image of our culture in both its technical sense and in its role as a contemporary art
form which conveys and delimits our aesthetic and social values. Focus on the visual elements of film, historical
development of the medium, and its narrative modes through screening of significant films.
Dr. Been’s addition to the above:
Our focus in this class will be on how to read film as a text. We will be looking less at the technical side of film
and more at the cultural side of film in its multiple roles: as escapist comfort, as soothing balm, as agitator for
change, and as propagandizer for existing power structures. Our focus will be on examining the methods film
employs in evoking those responses.
Please be aware: This course will screen several films that contain profanity and some nudity. If you feel you
cannot—for whatever reason—view films that contain this type of content, this is not the class for you. You
should consider taking a different Humanities course.
Course Objectives






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Build a vocabulary of basic film terminology
Develop familiarity with some of the most well-known film genres
Learn strategies for evaluating a film’s impact on the viewer
Learn how to read beneath the surface of a film
Develop a healthy skepticism about a film’s ability to direct our emotions and responses
Learn to write about film
Have some fun with film
Attendance
It is crucial that you be here for all classes. Your grade on your quizzes and exams will not be as strong if you are
not here to participate. If you miss more than three classes during the term (not including college-excused
absences) I reserve the option of deducting points (generally five points per absence) from your total class points
for each additional absence. If you must be absent, you are responsible for following the syllabus in order to keep
up. You should also find out from a classmate what happened and the details of the homework. Although I am
always available to you during office hours or by e-mail for assistance with your writing or other projects, I do not
answer questions such as, "What happened in class today?" or "What is the homework?" You may find out the
answers to these questions by consulting the syllabus and/or a classmate. I am here to teach the class at the
assigned time; I expect you to be here at that time too. I do not do one-on-one reviews of missed material except
under extraordinary circumstances.
Instructor Availability
I encourage you to stop by or call during office hours if you have questions, problems, or even just want to chat for
a couple of minutes. If you want to talk with me but my posted office hours conflict with your class or work
schedule, let me know and we will work out an alternative meeting time. I am also available to you on e-mail
(mbeen@lssu.edu). Please see restrictions on e-mail questions under "attendance."
E-mail: The subject lines of all messages to me should say Hu256, along with a brief description of your
message's subject (for example: Hu256: Quiz Two question). Please always remember to give your full name and
e-mail address at the end of your message. Keep in mind that you will receive formal notification of college and
class business ONLY at your lssu.edu e-mail address.
Class Protocol on Electronic Devices
Cell phones need to be turned off during class. If you have an emergency that requires you to have your cell
phone on, please see me. Computers may be used for taking class notes, but not for other uses unless that use is
part of a class project. Ipods, blackberries, etc., all need to be put away during class.
Reading
In addition to reading from the assigned text, we will also be raising our film consciousness by reading the work of
film critics. Our readings will be close, textually-based readings; I will expect you to read the pieces assigned in
that manner.
Grading
Project
Points
Quizzes: 12 at 10 points apiece (No makeups! I give two extra quizzes during the semester. If you have
taken all twelve quizzes at the end of the semester, I drop your two lowest grades.)
100
Midterm
100
Final
200
Paper
100
Total:
500
Distribution of Grading Points
98-100%
A+
490 - 500
93-97%
A
465 - 489
90-92%
A-
450 - 464
88-89%
B+
440 - 449
83-87%
B
415 - 439
80-82%
B-
400 - 414
78-79%
C+
390 - 399
73-77%
C
365 - 389
70-72%
C-
350 - 364
68-69%
D+
340 - 349
63-67%
D
315 - 339
60-62%
D-
300 - 314
Note: ALL projects must be completed in order to receive a passing grade in the course.
Calculating your own grade
You may figure out what your overall progress grade is at any given point in the term. Take the number of
POSSIBLE points for the papers finished thus far and divide that number into the ACTUAL points you've
received on those papers. So, let's say that you're at week six, and you've taken the first five quizzes. The total
possible points for the first five quizzes is 50. If you have received 43 points thus far, you divide 50 into 43 and
get .86. An 86 is a mid-range B. Remember that within the 90 percentile range is an A, 80 percentile a B, etc.
Late Papers
Take-home quizzes, exams, and papers are due at the beginning of class on the day they are listed as due in the
syllabus. Unless you have made special arrangements with me before the work is due, any late work will lose five
points for each day it is late, including weekends. After one week, late work will not be accepted at all.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty, or plagiarism, is not just copying; it can also be a reference--without attribution--to another
person's ideas, even if that reference is entirely in your own words. The penalties for plagiarism are severe, from
failure in a course to expulsion from the college. We will be reviewing academic standards of appropriate use of
other people’s work. MAKE SURE you are in class on those days. You are responsible for understanding and
applying the guidelines of appropriate use of sources in all of your written work, in this class and in other classes.
Protect yourself! In addition to being in class on the days we review these guidelines, you may want to review the
guidelines for appropriate use of outside sources in your handbook from English 111.
Student Accommodation and Support Services
In compliance with Lake Superior State University policies and equal access laws, disability related
accommodations or services are available to students with documented disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and you think you may require accommodations you must register with
Disability Services (DS), which is located in the KJS Library, Room147, (906)635-2355 or x2355 on campus. DS
will provide you with a letter of confirmation of your verified Disability and authorize recommended
accommodations. This authorization must be presented to your instructor before any accommodations can be
made.
Students who desire such services should meet with instructors in a timely manner, preferably during the first
week of class, to discuss individual disability-related needs. Any student who feels that an accommodation is
needed–based on the impact of a disability–should meet with instructors privately to discuss specific needs.
IPASS/ Student First
If at midterm your grades reflect that you are at risk for failing some or all of your classes, you will be contacted
by a representative of IPASS/Student First. The IPASS/Student First programs are designed to help you gain
control over your learning through proactive communication and goal setting, the development of intentional
learning skills and study habits, and personal accountability.
If you have questions about the IPASS/Student First programs, please contact Carolyn Rajewski (ext.2294) or
Jillena Rose (ext.2228). They will be happy to answer your questions.
COURSE CALENDAR
This syllabus is subject to modification; the needs of the class will determine additions, deletions, or changes. Any
changes in scheduling or assignment requirements will be announced in class.
Work Due/
Exams/
Quizzes
Topic
Week
One
9/11
Week
Two
9/18
Week
Three
9/25
Mise-en-Scène
Jean Cocteau
”La Belle et La Bête” (1946)
More Mise-en-Scène
Spike Lee
“Do the Right Thing” (1989)
.
Reading Due
.
Corrigan/White
pp. 42-74
.
(9/12: Last day to drop
classes with 100% refund)
.
.
Quiz One
Cinematography
Orson Welles
”Citizen Kane” (1941)
Quiz Two
Corrigan/White:
pp. 75-109
Editing
Week
Four
plus
.
Writing About Film
10/2
Sergei Eisenstein
“Battleship Potemkin” (1925)
Quiz Three
Corrigan/White:
pp. 110-165; 474-516
.
.
Quiz Four
Corrigan/White:
pp. 166-213
.
.
Quiz Five
Corrigan/White:
pp. 213-256
.
.
Midterm
Corrigan/White:
pp. 257-287
Guidelines for using outside sources and for
writing about film
Week
Five
10/9
Week
Six
10/16
Week
Seven
10/23
Film Sound
Jane Campion
“The Piano” (1993)
Narrative Film
Francis Ford Coppola
“Apocalypse Now” (1979)
Documentaries
Barbara Kopple
“Harlan County, U.S.A.” (1976)
More on Documentaries
Week
Eight
plus
.
Writing About Film
10/30
Werner Herzog
“Grizzly Man” (2003)
Quiz Six
(Last day to drop class)
Week
Nine
Movie Genres: Horror
.
.
Quiz Seven
10/6
Week
Ten
10/13
Week
Eleven
10/20
Week
Twelve
10/27
James Whale
“Bride of Frankenstein” (1935)
Rough Draft
of Paper for
Peer Review
Session
(required)
Evolutions, Masterpieces, and
Periodization
D. W. Griffith
“Birth of a Nation” (1915)
Beyond Hollywood: German
Expressionism
F. W. Murnau
“Nosferatu” (1922)
.
Quiz Eight
.
Corrigan/White
pp. 327-364
.
Quiz Nine
Paper Due
Beyond Hollywood: German
Expressionism
Fritz Lang
“Metropolis” (1926)
Corrigan/White:
pp. 288-323
Quiz Ten
Corrigan/White
pp. 365-414
(Thanksgiving recess
starts at 10:00 pm)
Week
Thirteen
12/4
Week
Fourteen
Beyond Hollywood: Japanese
Cinema and Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
“The Seven Samurai” (1954)
Quiz Eleven
Beyond Hollywood: Japanese
Cinema and Kurosawa
Quiz Twelve
12/11
FINAL
EXAM
PERIOD
Akira Kurosawa
“Ran” (1985)
Wednesday, December 19
3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM
Review for
final exam
Final Exam