A close study of landmark films of the 1970s, sometimes called Hollywood’s New Wave, when a new generation of actors and directors transformed American movies. Films by such directors and with such actors as Altman, Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, Malick, others. This course requires heavy movie-viewing and selected reading in cultural history and film criticism.
All required films will be available for streaming to students’ laptops.
I aim for lively discussion from everyone. In addition to watching our week’s films, I expect students to have searched online for basic general information about our directors’ careers. We’ll begin each class with a brief overview of our director, and then work toward a close reading of the required films. In most weeks we’ll discuss two or three complex movies, so you must be truly prepared, familiar with the material, ready to talk seriously.