EGL 288 - Film as Fictive Art: World Cinema - History and Analysis

Course Units: 1

(Fall; Troxell) (Offered most years) The designation “world cinema” has customarily denoted cultures of filmmaking existing outside the Hollywood monolith and has generally focused on traditions of national cinema. Today more than ever, however, the film industry is enmeshed in systems of TV and cable networks, digital technologies, and capital flows, which exceed national boundaries. Over the course of the term, we will investigate the heuristic, political, and affective force of the concept of “national cinema,” while at the same time, analyzing the complex formations of identity, citizenship, and ethics, portrayed on screen and constructed through transnational networks of production, exhibition, and distribution. We will play close attention to methods, terminology, and tools needed for the critical analysis of film and will link the analysis of such formal features as editing, mise-en-scene, and sound design to specific historical and cultural distinctions and changes, ranging from the coming of synchronized speech to the digital convergences that shape screen studies today. Prerequisite(s): EGL 100 or EGL 101 or EGL 102 or a grade of 5 on the AP English Literature or Language test. CC: HUM