This course is an introductory survey of classic films. Emphasis falls equally on cultural and on artistic matters: on films as anthropological and historical artifacts that articulate the values and assumptions of particular societies and eras and on films as works of art. The course aims to sharpen students’ analytic skills, to give them a sense of the history and cultural significance of movies, and to improve their writing. The course is organized in three segments: the silent era (films by such directors as Chaplin, Keaton and Murnau); Hollywood genres (Capra, Ford, Huston, Hitchcock, Fosse); international masters (Renoir, DeSica, Kurosawa, Wong Kar-wai).
Format: two lectures, one recitation section, one three-hour screening each week.
