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Classes

The Politics of Classical Hollywood, Summer 2005

COMM 6910, Summer 2005
Class Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:50-4:30, 1020 One Park Place South
Screenings Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:00 until film’s end, 1020 One Park Place South

Dr. Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Email: tedf@gsu.edu
Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: http://www.tedfriedman.com

Course Description

Movies teach us how the world works. Much of our ideas about war and peace, love and hate, male and female, rich and poor, freedom and tyranny, and justice and oppression come from the movies – not only from the stories movies explicitly tell, but from their underlying assumptions, values, and unresolved anxieties.

The most audience-pleasing form of moviemaking ever devised is what film scholars call “classical Hollywood cinema.” The representational strategies, character types, and narrative formulae established in California in the early 20th Century continue to shape the movies viewers around the globe see today, and thus, the world we all live in.

This class will examine the ideological assumptions behind classical Hollywood cinema. We’ll begin in the early sound era, and move through the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s. The final two weeks of the syllabus will remain open to class choice – depending on the conversations we have over the course of the semester, we may choose to continue our narrative into the present, investigate independent alternatives to Hollywood style, or examine the influence of Hollywood around the world.

Readings
Copies of all readings will be distributed in class and/or via email. Some readings are listed in the syllabus; other readings will be chosen by discussion groups.

Screenings
Each class period will be followed, after a snack break, by a screening session to watch the film assigned for the following class. The screening session is not required. However, if you can’t make it, you will need to track down your own copy of the DVD. Some of the films are available in the Library Media Center. Most can also be found at Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117). In addition, all films should be available through the online Netflix DVD rental service (www.netflix.com).

Email Group
All students will be signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.

Schedule

Part I

6/14 Introduction

6/16 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Capra, 1939)
Read Robert Ray, A Certain Tendency in the Hollywood Cinema, pp. 3-69;
Larry May, The Big Tomorrow, pp. 1-7, 55-100.

6/21 Duck Soup (McCarey, 1933)
Read May, 257-293;
Excerpts from Murray Davis, What’s So Funny?

6/23 Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)
Read Pauline Kael, “Raising Kane”

Part II

6/28 Gone with the Wind (Fleming, 1939)
Readings to be chosen by group

6/30 His Girl Friday (Hawks, 1940)
Readings to be chosen by group

7/5 Hail the Conquering Hero (Sturges, 1944)
Readings to be chosen by group

Part III

7/7 It’s a Wonderful Life (Capra, 1946)
Read Ray, pp. 175-215

7/12 North by Northwest (Hitchcock, 1959)
Read excerpts from Robin Wood, Hitchcock’s Films Revisited

7/14 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (Ford, 1962)
Read Ray, pp. 215-243

Part IV

7/19 Group choice
Readings to be chosen by group

7/21 Group choice
Readings to be chosen by group

7/26 Group choice
Readings to be chosen by group

7/28 Presentations at Ted’s house

Assignments

I. Lead discussions of 3 Films – 15% of final grade for each discussion
You will sign up to lead, with a group, discussions of three films. Your group will be responsible for researching the production background, audience response, and critical reception of the film, then leading the class on the film. In some cases, your group will also choose the class readings. In the final two weeks of the course, your group will choose the movie to be screened, as well.

Here are the steps involved in preparing to lead a class discussion:

A. Watch the film in advance of the class screening.

B. Research the film’s contexts and reception.

Examine these questions to put the film in a broader context:

What was the production context of the film? What was the film’s budget? How was the film marketed? What were the reputations of the film’s director, studio and stars? How does the film compare to other films made by the principals?

What was the audience response to the film? How was the film reviewed when it opened? How was its box office? Has the perception of the film changed since the time of its original release?

What have critics and scholars had to say about the film? Who has written about the film? What interpretations have been offered? What kinds of critical approaches have been employed? What debates exist?

Several resources will be helpful for your research:

Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com) continues to be the best one-stop source for facts about films, including cast, crew, budget and box office stats. However, it’s not very useful as a source for reviews or film scholarship.

The Film Literature Index (http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/fli/index.jsp) indexes articles from all the major film periodicals, searchable by film title. It's the best one-stop source for film research. However, it's an index, not a full-text database. To track down an article cited in the FLI, you’ll then need to look it up in the GSU E-Journal Locator (http://www.library.gsu.edu/ejournals/).

A9 (http://a9.com) is a search engine that includes access to Amazon's powerful "Search Inside the Book" feature. Run a search, then click on the "Books" box.

C. Plan the topics for the class to discuss.

Meet with your group to hash out what’s the most important stuff to talk about, and how you want to structure the conversation. Here are a list of some of the topics that might be addressed:

Style. How does the film’s form relate to its content?

Individualism. How does the film connect individual characters to broader social questions?

Class and economic inequality. How does the film present labor? What is the role of money in the film?

Electoral politics and activism. How does the film envision the political world?

Race and ethnicity. How does the film construct racial others? How does it construct whiteness?

Gender. How does the film construct masculinity? Femininity? Heteronormativity?

Nation. How does the film construct America? How does it envision the rest of the world?

In thinking about each of these topics, consider both the film’s surface meanings, and any possible tensions or subtexts underneath. You don’t need to cover every one of these topics if it’s not relevant to your film, and feel free to add additional topics, such as environmentalism, violence, technology, etc. Pick short clips (5 minutes max, preferably shorter) to anchor your discussion of key topics.

D. Prepare and and distribute handouts for the film screening

Distribute the handouts when the film is screened– in other words, at the end of the class prior to the class your group leads – so that the class can consult the info sheet and agenda before seeing the movie, then read the reading before the discussion at the following class.

An info sheet on the film. Include key credits, available budget and box office stats, awards, and an annotated bibliography of key scholarship on the film. Distribute this handout when the film is screened

An agenda to structure the class discussion. This should be very brief – no more than a page of bullet points. (You can prepare more detailed notes for your group, of course. You just don’t need to hand them out.)

In addition, for some classes you will choose and distribute the class reading. Pick one or two of the most interesting critical works on the film. If not much has been written on the film itself, choose readings on the director, the genre, or the subject of the film.

E. Lead the Discussion

After all this preparation, the temptation will be great to spend the entire class time lecturing on everything you’ve learned. However, the best way to lead a class discussion is to concentrate on asking questions. Make sure the whole class is involved – it’s often helpful to start the class by going around the room and having everybody respond to a specific question. I’ll jump in with my own questions, as well.

II. Final Project – 55%.of the final grade
Option 1: Write a 10-12 page paper on a subject relating to the politics of Hollywood film. You should write this paper with an eye towards eventually presenting it at a conference, expanding it and publishing it. In addition, if you already have a thesis or dissertation topic in mind, consider how this paper might contribute to the larger work.

Option 2: Produce a creative work which engages some of the ideas of the class. The project can be a short film, a screenplay, or a new media work. Along with the project, include a 5-page paper relating your work to ideas from the class.

For either option, the deadlines are the same:
A one-page prospectus is due July 7. I will schedule individual meetings with you to discuss the prospectus.
I will look at drafts of the final project submitted on or before July 28. You’re welcome to submit multiple drafts for feedback.
You will give a short (10 minute) presentation on your research project at the final class on July 28.
The final project is due August 5.

III. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.

Policies

Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to possible disciplinary sanctions.

Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midsemester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midsemester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midsemester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.

Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.

Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.

Posted by tedf at June 3, 2005 02:08 AM

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