WEEK 1: Course Overview and Point of Departure
JANUARY 15
MLK Day (No class)
JANUARY 17
Introduction and Syllabus
JANUARY 19
View (before class): Bicycle Thieves (Italy: 1948) by Vittorio de Sica
Study (before class): Camera Angle; Cinematography; Camera Movement; Point of View; Establishing Shot; High Angle Shot;
Low Angle Shot; Long Shot; Montage; Long Take; Mise-en-Scene; Tracking Shot; Pan Shot
WEEK 2: Neo-Realism
JANUARY 22
Read (before class): 1) “Italian Neo-Realism,” by Megan Ratner; 2) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini
Study (before class): Camera Angle; Cinematography; Camera Movement; Point of View; Establishing Shot; High Angle Shot;
Low Angle Shot; Long Shot; Montage; Long Take; Mise-en-Scene; Tracking Shot; Pan Shot.
Discussion Topic: Bicycle Thieves — film’s style (realism); technique (types of shots); film’s social critique
JANUARY 24
View (before class): Los olvidados (Mexico: 1950) by Luis Buñuel: WITH SUBTITLES ; WITHOUT SUBTITLES
Read (before class): Luis Buñuel’s biography (1940s and 50s)
Study (before class): Camera Angle; Cinematography; Camera Movement; Point of View; Establishing Shot; Montage;
High Angle Shot; Low Angle Shot; Long Shot; Long Take; Mise-en-Scene; Tracking Shot; Pan Shot
Discussion Topics: film’s style (realism); technique (types of shots)
JANUARY 26
Read (before class): “Cinema, Instrument of Poetry,” by Luis Buñuel
Review (before class): 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini;
Study (before class): Camera Angle; Cinematography; Camera Movement; Point of View; Establishing Shot; Montage;
High Angle Shot; Low Angle Shot; Long Shot; Long Take; Mise-en-Scene; Tracking Shot; Pan Shot
Discussion Topics: 1) film’s social critique; 2) confluence of Buñuel and Zavattini’s ideas about cinema in Los olvidados
WEEK 3: Neo-Realism
January 29
View (before class): 1) Cidade de Deus (Brasil: 2002) by F. de Meirelles and K. Lund; 2) (recommended) “City of God – Ten Years Later”
Read/Skim (before class): “Gangland: Who controls the Streets of Rio de Janeiro?,” Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker (Oct. 5, 2009)
Study (before class): Camera Angle; Cinematography; Camera Movement; Point of View; Establishing Shot; Montage;
High Angle Shot; Low Angle Shot; Long Shot; Long Take; Mise-en-Scene; Tracking Shot; Pan Shot; Circular Pan
Review: 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini; 2) “Cinema, Instrument of Poetry,” by Luis Buñuel.
January 31
View (before class): B-Happy (Chile: 2003) by Gonzalo Justiniano A ROOM WILL BE RESERVED TO VIEW FILM W/SUBTITLES
Read (before class): Poetic Realism
Review: 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini; 2) “Cinema, Instrument of Poetry,” by Luis Buñuel
Study (before class): editing, dissolve, Point of View
February 2
View (before class): El violín (Mexico: 2005) by Francisco Vargas
Review: 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini; 2) Poetic Realism; 3) “Cinema, Instrument of Poetry,” by Luis Buñuel”
Study (before class): long shot; deep focus; Long Take; Close-Up
WEEK 4: Neo-Realism
FEBRUARY 5
View (before class): A Better Life (USA: 2011) by Chris Weitz
Skim (before viewing film): East LA: Past and Present by Tomás Benítez
Listen (after watching film): “How former Gang Member Richard Cabral went from Prison to Prime Time” (NPR, 4 mins 45 seconds)
Review: 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini; 2) Poetic Realism; 3) “Cinema, Instrument of Poetry,” by Luis Buñuel“
Study (before class): editing; crane shot; Point of View
FEBRUARY 7
View (before class): Los lunes al sol (Spain: 2004) by Fernando León de Aranoa
Review: 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini; 2) Poetic Realism
FEBRUARY 9
View (before class): Central do Brasil (Brazil: 1998) by Walter Salles
Review: 1) “Some Ideas on the Cinema,” by Cesare Zavattini; 2) Poetic Realism
WEEK 5: Historical Film
FEBRUARY 12
EXAM 1
FEBRUARY 14
View (before class): Como agua para chocolate (México: 1992) by Alfonso Arau
FEBRUARY 16
View (before class): El espíritu de la colmena (Spain: 1973) by Víctor Erice.
Read (before class): 1) Introduction to The Spirit of the Beehive; 2) “Historians and Film” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 50-52).
Study (before class): shot|scene|sequence, lighting, long shot, sound, deep focus
WEEK 6: Historical Film
FEBRUARY 19
View (before class): 1) El Calentito (Spain: 2005) by Chus Gutiérrez; 2) 2) “Varieties of Historical Film” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 52=53).
FEBRUARY 21
View (before class): My Family (USA: 1995) by Gregory Nava
Read (before class): 1) Professor’s post on My Family (in your timed writing, answer at least one of the questions posed in the post and think carefully about the others, since these questions will frame our discussion of the film in class); 2) “How Mainstream Films Construct a Historical World” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 52-57).
February 23
View (before class): Machuca (Chile: 2004) by Andrés Wood
Read (before class): “How Experimental Films Construct a Historical World” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 57-59).
WEEK 7: Historical Film
FEBRUARY 26
View (before class): La historia oficial (Argentina: 1985) by Luis Puenzo
Read/Review (before class): 1) “Children of the Dirty War” (recommended); 2) “Reading and Judging the Historical Film” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 59-62).
February 28
Review (before class): 1) La historia oficial (Argentina: 1985) by Luis Puenzo;
2) “False Invention/True Invention” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 62-64).
March 2
View (before class): La ley de Herodes (Mexico: 1999) by Luis Estrada [Click here for non-subtitled version on Youtube]
Read (before class): 1) “PRI“; 2) “Miguel Alemán“; 3) “A New Kind of History” The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 65-66).
Review (before class): cinematography, lighting, camera angle, mis-en-scene, crane shot
WEEK 8: Historical Film
MARCH 5
View (before class): El laberinto del Fauno (Spain: 2006) by Guillermo del Toro
Review (before class): The Historical Film: Looking at the Past in a Postliterate Age by Robert Rosenstone (pp. 50-66).
Review (before class): cinematography, camera movement, camera angle, mis-en-scene, editing
MARCH 7
EXAM 2
MARCH 9
View (before class): Un Chien Andalou (France: 1929) by Luis Buñuel
Review (before class): montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence
WEEKS 9-10:
SPRING BREAK
WEEK 11: Postmodern Film
MARCH 26
View (before class): Viridiana (Spain: 1961), by Luis Buñuel
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
MARCH 28
View (before class): Los amantes del Círculo Polar (Spain: 2003) by Julio Medem
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
MARCH 30
View (before class): Amores perros (Mexico: 2000) by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
WEEK 12: Postmodern Film
APRIL 2
View (before class): Todo sobre mi madre (Spain: 1999) by Pedro Almodóvar.
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
APRIL 4
View (before class): Madeinusa (Perú: 2005) by Claudia Llosa
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
APRIL 6
View (before class): Hable con ella (Spain: 2002) by Pedro Almodóvar.
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review: A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
WEEK 13: Postmodern Film
APRIL 9
View (before class): Matando Cabos (México: 2004) by Alejandro Lozano.
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3); 2) Santo
Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field, lighting, Long Take;
B. Postmodern Terms
APRIL 11
View (before class): La teta asustada (Perú: 2009) by Claudia Llosa.
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field,
lighting, Long Take; B. Postmodern Terms
APRIL 13
View (before class): Blancanieves (Spain: 2012) by Pablo Berger
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field,
lighting, Long Take; B. Postmodern Terms
WEEK 14: Postmodern Film
APRIL 16
View (before class): También la lluvia (Bolivia: 2010), by Iciar Bollaín [NETFLIX]
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field,
lighting, Long Take; B. Postmodern Terms
APRIL 18
View (before class): Sexo por compasión (México: 2000) by Laura Mañá
Read (before class): 1) Postmodernism (Oxford); 2) Postmodernism (Routledge: summary, 1, 2, 3).
Review (before class): Review (before class): A. montage, sound, mis-en-scene, shot|scene|sequence; deep focus, depth of field,
lighting, Long Take; B. Postmodern Terms
APRIL 20
Research Day (no class)
WEEK 15:
APRIL 23
Review
APRIL 25
EXAM 3
APRIL 27
I.S Symposium: No Class
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WEEK 16: Presentations
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APRIL 30
Presentations (5 minutes): 1) Emily; 2) Anthony; 3) Aly; 4) Eric; 5) Darian; 6) Dan; 7) Carlos; 8) Anna
MAY 2
Presentations (5 minutes): 1) Harley; 2) Mayra; 3) Rianne; 4) Francisco; 5) Hailey; 6) Natalia; 7) Morgan; 8) Alberto
MAY 4
Presentations (5 minutes): 1) Alexis; 2) Jared; 3) Derek; 4) Isaac; 5) Harry; 6) Catalina; 7) Christina; 8) Brianna; 9) Professor Cope
Read (before class): The Multicultural Paradigm (1989) by Guillermo Gómez Peña
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WEEK 17: FINAL EXAMS
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MAY 9 (Wednesday): Research Paper (4PM)
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