Contemporary popular film
L Naughton
6 points * 4 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton
The focus of this introductory subject will be primarily upon contemporary film. Topics to be discussed will include the characteristics and conventions of popular film, which will be considered in relation to alternative film practices. Attention will be paid to the principles of genre (eg melodrama, horror, `teen pics,' detective fiction or comedy) and of Auteur criticism. Students will be encouraged to engage with recent theories of film, including those which address the socio-political significance of the medium and the ways in which it may reinforce conceptions of social and sexual identity. A diverse range of material will be shown and will include New Hollywood film, independent cinema and commercial mainstream cinema.
Assessment
Short essay (1200 words): 25% * Long essay (2300 words): 50% * Visual test (1 hour): 25%
Prescribed texts
Berger J Ways of seeing Penguin, 1975
Cook P The cinema book: A complete guide to understanding the movies Pantheon, 1985
Ellis J Visible fictions RKP, 1982