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Film Media Criticism & Theorv

TFT 341
Spring, 2012
TuTh 2:45-4:1 0
Professor: John R. Hamilton, Ph.D. Film producer and director for over 25
years, and former head of World Vision film production unit. Author, film
reviewer, university faculty member in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C, and
Chicago. Wrote bi-weekly critical film review column, Media Lens, for two
newspapers for seven-year period
Office Hours: West Campus TFT 166 (next to Duplicating Services, all the way
in back of West Campus)
MW 3:15-4:15 p.m. or by appointment
E-mail: jrhamilton@apu.edu; phone ext. 5541
Course Description: A deeper look at the medium of motion pictures from the
point of view of film theorists, ranging from semiotics (film as language), realism,
expressionism, auteur theory, cinema as art, montage, film as narrative, literature
and adaptations to the screen, documentary and propaganda approaches, genre
conventions, psychology, sociology, mythology, and ideology. Discussion of the
film audience and the role of the Christian critic. Foreign films will be a special
focus of study, together with unusual examples of cinematic expression, story
films, drama as social comment, and the musical.
Required texts:
Leo Braudy & Marshall Cohen, eds., Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory
Readings, 7th ed. NY: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Brian Godawa, Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and
Discernment, 2nd ed., Downers Grove: lnterVarsity, 2009.
Reserve Room books:
Michel Chion, The Voice in Cinema, ed. and translated by Claudia Gorbman,
New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
Louis Giannetti, Understanding Movies, 9th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice, Prentice Hall, 2002.
Phillip Lopate, Totally, Tenderly, Tragically: Essays and Criticism from a Lifelong
Love Affair with the Movies, NY: Anchor Books, 1998.
Robert Sklar, Film: An International History of the Medium, 2nd ed., Englewood
Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2003.
and ... handout readings, including
Pauline Kael, "Circles and Squares, Joys and Sarris."
Pauline Kael, "Is There a Cure for Film Criticism?"
plus ... articles from the 1920's film journal, Close Up, with contemporary
monographs on the issue of the new sound film medium.
Suggested Sites for Christian Film Reviews:
http://www.christiananswers. net/spotlight/home. html
http://www.gospelcom.net/hollywoodjesus/?ifc
Suggested Reviewers for Nonconformist, Non-Starstruck Film Criticism:
John Simon in National Review magazine (retired--no current reviews).
Ross Douthat in National Review
Pauline Kael in The New Yorker (retired--no current reviews).
Anthony Lane and David Denby in The New Yorker
Joe Morgenstern in The Wall Street Journal
Other Publications for Scholarly & Critical Film Reading:
Film Comment
Film Quarterly
Film Culture
Films in Review
Literature Film Quarterly
Cineaste
See APU Library periodical database.
Student Scholarly Film Journal New!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/26032519/Film-Matters
The Arcane World of the MPAA Rating System:
http://www. mpaa.org/movieratings/aboutlcontent4. htm
Film Screenings: Every week films will be screened, usually in their entirety for
artistic integrity. Foreign films, comedies, westerns, the offbeat and the unusual
may be expected, as they contribute to our inductive approach to film theorizing,
and are the subjects of a deductive approach working from general theories to
specific applications. There may be occasional assignments for viewing on one's
own (such as The Passion of the Christ) or via cable TV.
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Policies:
Attendance is required. An excused absence must be approved in advance. More than
two unexcused absences will significantly affect class participation grade.
Plagiarism: Copying material from any source, the internet, or other students will be
cause for course failure and may result in suspension from the university.
All work for this course must be original. The student may not turn in the same paper for
this class as for another, without prior approval from both professors.
Proper citation of Internet sources: A web site URL address is not an acceptable
bibliographical source. That would be like giving merely the library call number of a book. A
bona fide source must have a known author or organization, title, and date of publication. If you
found the source on the Internet instead of hard copy, then you may append this note, "available
at http://www. whatever.com/infoworld/wisdom.html."
Students with disabilities: Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent
them from fully demonstrating their abilities should meet with an advisor in the Learning
Enrichment Center as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss
accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion
of course requirements.
Other Policies: The document, "Scholarly Guidelines for Intrepid Christian Students," is
also incorporated as part of this syllabus. Be sure to read it regarding Wikipedia, Plagiarism,
Attendance, Nonduplication of work from other courses, Cell Phones, Laptops, etc.
The Azusa Pacific University Mission and Purpose Statement Azusa Pacific University
is an evangelical Christian community of disciples and scholars who seek to advance the work of
God in the world through academic excellence in liberal arts and professional programs of higher
education that encourage students to develop a Christian perspective of truth and life.
Grading procedures:
Three short papers @ 15% each
Midterm exam
Term Paper
Final Exam
A= 90-100%
8= 80-89
C= 70-79
D= 60-69
45%
15%
25%
15%
Media Film Criticism & Theorv
TFT 341 -- Spring 2011 -- Dr. Hamilton
Term Paper-- at one-quarter of your semester's grade, it is considered to be a
thoughtful project over which you have ruminated and researched during the
term.
Firstly, consider at the major theories that crop up over and over again in film
theory books:
1) Realism or expressionism, "art"?
2) Genre approach
3) Auteur approach
4) Semiotics, the "language" of film
plus our special studies this semester ...
5) The (disembodied) Voice in Cinema
6) Christian analysis of film worldviews
Or if we do get something different in the literature of film, it's usually politically
correct stuff like gay/lesbian/feminist or Afro-American or other race-based
"critiques." Or it is non-cinematic philosophical criticism such as
deconstructionist, postmodern, or psychological approaches.
Let's have some fun: invent your own film theory, a theory of analysis and
criticism: "Magee's Working Class Marginal Utility Theory of Multiplex Movie
Selection" or whatever.
Try looking at films, for example, from one or more of these points of view:
societal mores
contemporary culture
history
theology
a philosophy
economics
social class
ludenic or "play" theory
star system
avant garde
hunger, sex, music, sensory deprivation, whatever!
--------------
Do the following in your 7 -8-page paper:
A. Show that you understand the major 4-plus approaches listed above
by telling what you agree with and disagree with as you abandon them or modify
them in developing your theory.
Quote from their advocates, and crush the opposition!
Give specific film examples of their failings (or virtues), and footnote
everything with credible bibliographical sources (not just URLs). Include films
seen in class.
B. Develop and explain your system, your theory of film:
define it
show how it explains "What is cinema?"
show how to use your theory briefly to critique at least three motion
p'ictures irom thts pers-pecl'tve tnot o'o\itous \nat
theory either--at least one apparent "deviant")
CAUTION: Your theory should NOT be so eclectic and subjective that no others
could explain it, repeat it, and apply it themselves.
Details on short papers
3-4 pages; research papers with proper citations:
I. Lopate Paper Two choices:
1. Your response to the Lopate article, agreeing or disagreeing with his ideas about "fidelity to the shot"
and a "grammar of the film," and especially versus the close-up, and using the other articles on the face and
the films and clips we've seen to answer.
2. Explain the issues and arguments, along with your own analysis, of the articles for this week on
montage, the problem of sound, and realism (Bazin, Eisenstein, etc.)
II. The Acousmetre
From the assigned readings in Chion, class lecture/discussion, and the depths of your own analysis, show
that you understand the problem or issues of the acousmetre and how it functions in cinema, particularly in
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Cavite, and also in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Psycho, and (at least one page)
on some other examples from your own knowledge of films. (Give page references from your reading in
Chion.)
III. Sarris paper
Explain the auteur theory according to Andrew Sarris, review his detractors such as Pauline Kael, and
apply the theory to several films and directors of your choosing.
Week of Blue Reader pages
Jan.9 Belasz, 273-281
Barthes, 471-473
Jan. 16 Eisenstein, et al,
315-317
Bazin, 41-53
Jan.23 Doane, 318-330
Jan.30 Warshaw, 576-580
Cavell, 307-311
Feb.6
Feb. 13
CIIIBD/8 141 - lpr/116 2112
li/DI Cr/1/CIBDI & TIIBIIr
Other readings Assignments Due Lecture topics
Lopate, "Dumbing Down" Discuss Lopate The Human Face,
1/12/12 plain and simple
Eisenstein in Lehman, 17-37 Reader or Sergei Eisenstein
Sklar photospread, 140-141 Lopate paper Sound of Silents
Close Up articles on sound Due 1/19/12
Chion, ix-57, 163-174 The Disembodied
Voice
Acousmetre paper Genre: Western
Giannetti, 362-372*
Godawa, Chapters 4, 5, 6
(Chapters 3, 4, 5 in 1
51
ed.)
Due 2/2/12
The Psychological
Western
World views:
Existentialism &
Postmodernism
Films Screened
100 Years of Cinema
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Fargo (clip)
Girl with a Pearl Earring (clip)
Stagecoach (clip)
The Wild Bunch (clip)
Strike (clip)
There Will Be Blood
Wall-E
Psycho (clip)
2001 (clip)
Cavite
Pale Rider
Naked Spur
Magnolia (clips)
Saved!
Week of Reader pages Other readings Assignments Due Lecture topics Films Screened
Feb.20 Godawa, Chapters 7 & 8 Christian themes Changing Lanes
(Chapter 6 in 1
51
ed.)
Feb.27 Kracauer, 141-158 Sklar, Ch. 13** Expressionism or Metropolis
Bazin, 159-166 Kael, "Is There a Cure?" Realism THX1138
Arnheim, 167-170
Mar. 5 Sklar, Ch. 11 ** Take-home Nonfiction fiction Land Without Bread (clip)
Lopate, "Sidney Lumet" Midterm Due Fictional Realism Network (clip)
(pp.188-194) 3/18/12 El Norte (clip)
Pontecorvo The Battle of Algiers
Mar. 12 Sarris, 445-454 Kael, "Circles & Squares" Auteur Theory Vertigo (clip)
Wood, 592-601 Lopate, "Andrew Sarris," French New Wave The 400 Blows (clip)
(251-258) Tout Va Bien (clip)
David Puttnam on the
"Nouvelle Vague"
Mar. 19 Wollen, 455-470 Sklar, 316-349** Howard Hawks To Have and Have Not
Dyer, 480-485 Multiple approaches
Star as Auteur
Mar. 26 Haskell, 501-514 This too is Hawks? Bringing Up Baby
Jewell, 515-522
Week of Reader pages
April 9 Deleuze, 216-226
Pudovkin, 1-12
Eisenstein, 13-40
Metz, 65-77
April16 Altman, 552-563
Schatz, 564-575
April 23 Mulvey, 711-722
Allen, 824-833
Other readings
Sklar, Chapter 23**
Tuesday, May 1, FINAL EXAMINATION, 12:15-2:15 p.m.
Assignments Due Lecture topics Films Screened
Sarris paper
Due 4/12/12
TERM PAPER
Due 4/26
Avante Garde
Self-referential
media
Semiotics &
Structuralism
Deconstruction &
Post-Modernism
Un Chien Andalou
Meshes of the Afternoon
Film
Blowup
Run Lola Run
Semiotics & Genre Rashomon
Texts in cinema
Misc. Theories: Water
Mass Culture
Historical Poetics
Marxism
Psychoanalysis
Race, Gender, Sexuality
Reception Theory
*NOTES: Overview of the four major theoretical approaches may be found in Giannetti, Understanding Movies, 9th ed., (on
reserve), Chapter 11 and pp. 362-372. **All Sklar readings are optional enrichment.