Offered: Spring
C
ourse Description
French cinema represents one of the world’s great film-making traditions, from the invention of moving pictures through the revolutionary aesthetics of the New Wave. Today it is one of a handful of national cinemas that sustain a distinct – and economically viable – alternative to the Hollywood studio system. The history of French cinema is characterized by a dynamic relation between popular entertainment and individual artistic expression that has made it a model for ambitious filmmaking everywhere.
In this course we will study the development of French cinema from the post-World War II period to the present day. We will watch films of enduring interest by classic directors such as Clouzot, Ophuls, Truffaut, Varda, Godard, and Akerman, and more recent films by their successors, including Téchiné, Jeunet, Desplechin, Audiard, and Sciamma. We will examine the legal and economic regime, the system of industrial and artistic practices, and the culture of cinema criticism and spectatorship that underpin the continuing vitality of the industry. We will also pay particular attention to the way in which French cinema interacts with the development of French society, from the development of consumer society and the sexual revolution that accompanied the New Wave to the transformation of urban culture in response to successive waves of immigration.
Students who successfully complete the course will demonstrate the ability to analyze works of cinematic art both in themselves and in relation to specific histories, values, languages, cultures, and technologies.
Please note that the course is taught in English; however, the film screenings are in French (with English or French subtitles available). Students enrolled in French 471 are required to complete some readings and all written assignments in French. [The course is cross-listed with 01:420:471 and Cinema Studies 01:175:306:01].