Welcome

Welcome to the class blog. This website should be a resource for you, so feel free to share any web resources that you find that may help your classmates develop into better film-viewers, film-critics and film-theorists.

You may share resources by sending them to my email address, or, if you're interested, let me know, and I'll make you a co-contributor to the blog!

The easiest way to navigate the blog is by using the right hand menus. I'm regularly adding more of them, and better ways to navigate.

Assignments

You will watch films each week for this class. The list of films can be found here.

You will respond to each film that you want by responding to a "prompt" which can be found in the google doc called "FILM PROMPTS" in your google drive.

You will be assessed based on how you contribute to the learning community. Read more about that here.

There will be two essay exams at midterm and finals. They will be cumulative and integrative in nature.

You will write two critical essays.

You will work (in a group or alone) to develop a more in depth understanding of a filmmaker, a film critic or a film theorist. This will be your summative project.

List of Films

Metropolis  

Modern Times

Stagecoach

Citizen Kane

The Bicycle Thieves

Singin in the Rain

On the Waterfront

Vertigo

Breathless

Blow Up

Taxi Driver

Killer of Sheep

Annie Hall

The Thin Blue Line

Festen

The Piano

Community Involvement Advocacy

As you know, much of your grade for "Community Involvement" comes from the advocacy and support of your peers. Now is the time for you to spend a few moments advocating on their behalf.

You should type the name of the person you are advocating for first, and then on the next line, describe how this person helped your learning or the learning of others in the class. You are not obliged to advocate for everyone, but you may advocate for as many people as you'd like. You *must* advocate for yourself. Describe (in first person voice) how you helped the community learn.

Here's an example:

Sheila Peterman

Sheila always seems to have done the reading before class, because the questions she asks seem to be informed. I have also appreciated the examples she gave on the day we talked about formalism. I worked in two small groups with her, and she subtly kept the group "on task" the whole time.

Andrew Rudd (me)

I have been going over my notes with my roomate Sean and I listened to Tammie's presentation the night before she gave it. Even though I don't say very much in circle conversations, when we work in groups, I try to be a leader by making suggestions and connecting people's ideas to the ideas from the readings.

Your Community Involvement Advocacy is due in the email inbox by five p.m., Monday, October 8th. Please do *NOT* send your advocacy to my email; instead, send it to hatofinal [at] gmail [dot] com.

I will not accept any late advocacy. Please title your email "ComInv HATOF". If you do not turn in a community involvement advocacy sheet, your own community involvement grade (assigned by me) will automatically be reduced by 20%.

The Planimetric Shot

I've really appreciated how much David Bordwell (and his partner, Kristin Thompson) have taught me (through their writing) about filmmaking, film-viewing and film critique.

I'm working on a paper tonight that has me thinking about this post, so I thought I'd share it with you. It isn't directly related to what we've been talking about, but it is a nice discussion of a formalist strategy of filmmaking, that's both specific, deep and *really* really interesting when applied across a number of films.

Read about planimetric shots here.

Summative Project

On your own, or with a group, you will develop an in-depth understanding of a filmmaker, a film theorist or a film critic through their work and ideas written about their work. You should carefully “read” at least SEVEN texts to understand your subject. At least FIVE of these seven should be primary sources. You should consult at least TEN total sources. After you “read” and discuss these texts (films, essays, books, articles), you need to develop a clear summative and in-depth point of view about this person’s body of work. Your summative perspective should include connections to ideas from our class.

I will offer a list of great choices on the class blog, but you may choose other individuals as your subject. Everyone must get official approval before beginning their research. See the course blog for details on “official approval.” If you choose to work alone, I assume you will still do the same amount of research, but your presentation will be from 10 - 15 minutes instead of 15 - 20. Groups may not be larger than three individuals; you may self-form these groups based on your shared interest in various filmmakers, film theorists or film critics.

You will present a summary of your findings to the class in a 15 – 20 minute presentation which should include film images. You must submit your power-point (electronically), along with an outline and a REFERENCES page on December 1st. Please submit your materials to the following email: hatofinal at gmail dot com. All class members will be expected to integrate ideas and concepts from these presentations into their final essay exams.

Your presentation date will be assigned one week prior to presentations. No late presentations will be accepted.

Great Summative Project Topics

The following filmmakers, film theorists and film critics would make ideal topics for you to choose for your summative project. I do expect you to do some initial research about a number of these options so you can come to class prepared to collaborate with peers in choosing a group and choosing a project. You may (of course) choose to complete this project individually if you would like.

FILMMAKERS:

Hitchcock

Truffaut

D.W. Griffith

Akira Kurosowa

John Ford

Ingmar Bergman

Frank Capra

Charlie Chaplin

Stanley Kubric

Fellini

Howard Hawks

Jean Renoir

John Cassavetes

Woody Allen

Luis Bunuel

Jean-Luc Godard

Ozu

Speilberg

Wong Kar Wai

Tarkovsky

Ang Lee

Lars Von Trier

Pedro Almodovar

Wim Wenders

Jim Jarmusch

Errol Morris

Ken Burns


FILM THEORISTS

Laura Mulvey

Siegfried Kracauer

Mary Ann Doane

Thomas Schatz

Laura Marks

Gilles Deleuze

Andre Bazin

Tom Gunning

Andrew Sarris

Bela Belazs

Christian Metz

Slavoj Žižek


FILM CRITICS

Pauline Kael

Andrew Sarris

Roger Ebert

Armond White

Judy Gerstel

Carrie Rickey

Jonathon Rosenbaum

Todd McCarthy

Robert Sklar

Kevin Thomas

Rob Nelson