CINE 373: Film and Society

Hollywood Films of the 1950s:

Cultural Contradictions, Cinematic Myths
Spring 2013
Professor:
Jennifer Hammett
Email:
mailto:cine373s13@gmail.com
Course URL: http://www.cinemasfsu.com/cine373jh
Office Hours: By Appointment

COURSE OUTLINE
The films of the 1950s may be thought of as the midwives of contemporary U.S. culture.
Carrying the genes of the New Deal, the Atomic bomb, the Cold War, and racial
apartheid, and nurtured by a booming economy, the 1950s gave birth to consumer
capitalism, the suburbs, the nuclear family, and the radical individualism that continue to
characterize U.S. culture today. Today, we experience the mature version of 50s culture
as the way things are. By contrast, the films of the period were keenly aware that a
radically different culture was being born. As witnesses to the birthing pains of
contemporary society, the films of the 50s gave moving testimony to what was lost and
what was gained in the process. At the same time, they constructed powerful myths
designed to reconcile the contradictions that were the new societys birthright. We study
them, then, as earlier, more self-aware versions of the cultural formation we both live and
continuously recreate.
You are expected to engage in all learning tasks, many of which are located on the class
website. To access the class website, you can use your personal computer, or computers
in the library and computer labs of SFSU.
Screenings: The primary texts in this class are the films themselves. You are
responsible for screening one film per lesson. The specific titles are listed in this
syllabus. All of the films for the course are available online for either streaming,
rental, or purchase (See the Note on Film Availability on ilearn.) Most are also
available at your local video rental store. Finally, many are available for
screening at Media Services in the SFSU library or may be checked out at your
public library. It is your responsibility to secure and watch the films. In order to
produce passable work in this class, it will be necessary to take notes on the films
and to watch them more than once. As famed movie critic Pauline Kael once
said, You havent seen a movie until youve seen it twice.
Reading: You will also be reading a number of articles, all of which are available
on the course website under the Learning Tasks section. Given that the focus of
the course is reading films in their cultural context, you will be tested on the
readings, which provide the cultural background against which we will read the
films.
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Academic Integrity: You are expected to turn in original work for this course.
Quotations or ideas paraphrased from other work must be properly cited. THIS
INCLUDES INFORMATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET. Taking credit for
anothers ideas or writing is plagiarism, which is a serious violation of the College
of Humanities code of academic integrity: Plagiarism is a form of cheating or
fraud; it occurs when a student misrepresents the work of another as his or her
own. Plagiarism may consist of using the ideas, sentences, paragraphs, or the
whole text of another without appropriate acknowledgment, but it also includes
employing or allowing another person to write or substantially alter work that a
student then submits as his or her own. Academic dishonesty, including
inappropriate collaboration, will not be tolerated. There are severe sanctions for
cheating, plagiarizing and any other form of dishonesty.

GRADED WORK
We expect every student to leave this course with a better more insightful
understanding of U.S. films and culture of the 1950s and how the cultural contradictions
and cinematic myths of those years continue to influence us today. Students will also
have developed skills in analyzing the symbolic functions of popular films.
Participation (25% of grade): eBoard discussions are a vital and integral part of
this course. eBoard discussions will be guided by questions posed each week. In
order to respond to these questions you must first complete that weeks reading,
view the assigned film in its entirety and then either view it a second time, or
review sections of the film relevant to your response.
In order to receive a C grade for participation in any given week, you must:
1. Contribute at least one response.
2. Your response must refer to at least one detail from the reading, lecture or film.
NOTE: Details from the film include what you see on the screen, how what you
see on the screen is filmed, and what you hear on the soundtrack.
(See:
Basics of Film Form Lesson 01)
In order to receive a B grade for participation in any given week, you must:
1. Contribute at least two responses to that weeks discussion.
2. Each response must refer to at least one detail from the reading, lecture or film.
3. Your second response must also contribute to the on-going discussion, either
by agreeing with, respectfully disagreeing with, or elaborating upon earlier
responses.
In order to receive an A grade for participation in any given week, you must:
1. Contribute at least three responses to that weeks discussion.
2. Each response must refer to at least one detail from the reading, lecture or film.
3. Your second and third responses must also contribute to the on-going
discussion, either by agreeing with, respectfully disagreeing with, or elaborating
upon earlier responses.
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NOTE: Agreeing with an earlier post is not sufficient to count as a new response:
you must somehow elaborate upon the earlier post.
NOTE: All responses must be posted before the next lesson in order to be counted
toward your participation grade.
eQuestions (20% of grade): Questions about the lectures will be posted as ilearn
quizzes. There will be a total of 14 quizzes and your grade will be computed on
the basis of your top 12 scores.
Writing Exercise (15
% of grade): Writing about films requires analytical skills that may be new to
some of you. This exercise will give students practice in writing the kind of
analytical paragraphs typical in the critical study of films. Complete instructions
will be posted on ilearn.
Please submit your writing exercise as a word document via email to
cine373s13@gmail.com. Include CINE 373 is the subject line of your email.
Short Paper (20% of grade): Based on the experience gained in the writing
exercise, students will be expected to write a four to five page paper in response
to a prompt. Papers will be evaluated based on the clarity, strength and
persuasiveness of their argument. Complete instructions will be posted on ilearn
Please submit your paper as a word document via email to
cine373s13@gmail.com.
Exam (20% of grade): The exam covers material from Lesson 1 through 15 and
will be based on the lectures, readings and films. It will consist of true/false,
multiple-choice, identification, and fill-in-the-blank questions. Since the exam is
open-book, the questions will be tough and grading standards high.

SCHEDULE
This course is comprised of 15 lessons, which include the following tasks:
1. Screening:
2. Readings:
3. Lecture:
4. eQuestions:
5. eBoard:
Lesson 01:
Reading:

Screen and Study Assigned Film

Complete Assigned Readings
Listen to Streaming Audio Lecture with PowerPoint Slides
and Media Clips
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompts and Engage Classmates in Discussion
and Debate

The 1950s in Context (Friday, 02/01)

Habits of the Heart, pp. 2839 and 333-346 (Robert N. Bellah, et. al.)
The Fifties, pp. 506-507 (David Halberstam)
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Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:
Lesson 02:
Screening:
Reading:

Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:
Lesson 03:
Screening:
Reading:

Basics of Film Form (Hammett)

Why study films of the 1950s anyway?
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate
The Lone Hero (Friday, 02/08)
On the Waterfront (Kazan, 1954)
HUAC, the Blacklist, and the Decline of Social Cinema (Brian Neve)
The Great Fear from Gods Country: America in the Fifties
(J. Ronald Oakley)
A Statement by Elia Kazan The New York Times 4/23/1953
I coulda had class; I couldna been a contendah.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

The Companionate Marriage and the Domestic Ideal (Friday, 02/15)

Marty (Mann, 1955)
Home Sweet Home from Gods Country: America in the Fifties
(J. Ronald Oakley)
Bread Winners and Losers from The Hearts of Men
(Barbara Ehrenreich)
She dont look like Italian girl to me.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 04:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

What Does a (1950s) Woman Want? (Friday, 02/22)

The Bigamist (Lupino, 1953)
The Bigamist (1953) from The Queen of the `Bs (Ellen Seiter)
Which woman will take him back.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 05:
Screening:
Reading:

Post-War Corporate Manhood (Friday, 03/01)

Rebel Without a Cause (Ray, 1955)
Recent Conceptions: Has the American Character Changed? (David
Riseman: From Inner-Direction to Other-Direction)
You did all a man could do, son.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:
Lesson 06:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:

The Cynical Suburbanite (Friday, 03/08)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Siegel, 1956)
Science Fiction Films and Cold War Anxiety (Victoria ODonnell)
Early Rebels: The Gray Flannel Dissidents from The Hearts of Men
(Barbara Ehrenreich)
Youre next!
Take quiz on ilearn
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eBoard:

Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 07:
Screening:
Reading:

Romance on Walden Pond (Friday, 03/15)

All That Heaven Allows (Sirk, 1956)
Sirk on Sirk (Jon Halliday) [excerpts]
TV Turns on America (Advertising Age)
Habits of the Heart, pp.65-75 and 333-336 (Robert N. Bellah, et. al.)
To thine own self be true.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:
Lesson 08:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

The R&R Revolution (Friday, 03/22)

The Girl Cant Help It (Tashlin, 1956)
More Than a Music from The Fifties: The Way We Really Were
(Douglas T. Miller and Marion Nowak)
Rock Around the Rock Pile
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Writing Exercise due as an email attachment by midnight PST, Friday, March 22nd
Lesson 09:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

Alternative Lifestyles in the 50s (Friday, 04/05)

Some Like it Hot (Wilder, 1959)
Laughing Hysterically (Ed Sikov) [excerpt]
Oh boy, am I a boy. I wish I were dead.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 10:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

The Reality of Racial Conflict, the Myth of Rights (Friday, 04/12)

Eyes on the Prize, Episodes 1 & 2 (of Season 1) (Hampton, 1987)
The Politics of Rights (Stuart A. Scheingold)
Baseball teams dont strike themselves out. You gotta putem out.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 11:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

The End of Ideology (Friday, 04/19)

12 Angry Men (Lumet, 1957, 96)
We the Jury: 12 Angry Men and the Anatomy of Consensus from Seeing
is Believing (Peter Biskind)
Its hard to keep personal prejudices out of these things.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt: Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 12:
Screening:

The Man of Law (Friday, 04/26)

High Noon (Zinnemann, 1952)
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Reading:

Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

Habits of the Heart, pp.65-75 and 333-336 (Robert N. Bellah, et. al.)
[Review]
Do Not Forsake Me [The Ballad of High Noon] (Lyrics by Ned
Washington, Music by Dmitri Tiomkin)
Im the same man with or without this [badge].
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt: Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 13:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

The Law Man (Friday, 05/03)

Rio Bravo (Hawks, 1959)
Six Guns and Society (Will Wright) [excerpt]
My Rifle, My Pony and Me.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt: Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 14:
Screening:
Reading:
Lecture:
eQuestions:
eBoard:

The Rule of Law (Friday, 05/10)

Paths of Glory (Kubrick, 1957)
Military-Industrial Complex Speech, (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html
Well take the Anthill.
Take quiz on ilearn
Respond to Prompt; Engage Classmates in Discussion and Debate

Lesson 15:
Lecture:

Cultural Contradictions, Cinematic Myths: Review (Friday, 05/17)

Paths of Least Resistance

Short Paper

Due as email attachment no later than midnight PST on Friday 05/17

Exam:

On ilearn; must be completed by 11:55 pm PST on Friday, 05/24