ENGH 472: Topics in Film/Media Theory

ENGH 472-001: Cinemas of Resistance
(Spring 2018)

04:30 PM to 07:10 PM W

Section Information for Spring 2018

What is resistance? What is cinema’s role in violent and non-violent forms of resistance? Can a film itself be an act of resistance? These questions have been a part of film theory since the silent era, but they became increasingly central to world cinema after 1945, with the success of key national struggles for independence from colonial and neocolonial domination. This course will address theories of resistance in world cinema, beginning with stylistic experiments in the 1960s in Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere. We will look at the contributions and limits of these movements and their legacy for cinematic resistance in the decades that followed. A central concern of this course will be how film challenges dominant ideologies and power structures, but we will also consider cinema’s role in supporting and shaping forms of marginalization and exclusion. Other key topics include: film’s relationship to nationalism and national identity, media constructions of martyrdom, subversive comedy, and cinema as a guardian of cultural memory. Screenings include: Omar, Heaven on Earth, Hunger, Bad Hair, The Terrorist, The Missing Picture, Selma, No, and Offside.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Advanced studies of theories about various aspects of production, distribution, and reception of film-mediated experiences. Topics may include theories of spectator, semiotics, feminist film theory, theories of narrativity, structuralist film theory, or deconstruction. Notes: May be repeated when topic is different. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 6 credits.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Recommended Prerequisite: ENGH 372 or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lec/Sem #1, Lec/Sem #2, Lec/Sem #3, Lec/Sem #4, Lec/Sem #5, Lec/Sem #6, Lec/Sem #7, Lec/Sem #8, Lec/Sem #9, Lecture, Sem/Lec #10, Sem/Lec #11, Sem/Lec #12, Sem/Lec #13, Sem/Lec #14, Sem/Lec #15, Sem/Lec #16, Sem/Lec #17, Sem/Lec #18
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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