ANTH 470
American Indians on Film
The course examines the ways in which American Indians have been depicted on film. Ethnographic, documentary, and feature films are examined and compared to understand how film has shaped our image of American Indians. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 430. Prerequisite: ANTH 350 or consent of instructor
ART 340
Intermediate Digital Processes
A continuation of Art 240 with an emphasis on the production of art objects through the use of digital tools. The Mac computer and software are used as an extension of existing art forms such as photography, filmmaking, and book publishing. Lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments focus around the exploration of new media theory and contemporary art issues. 6 units. Prerequisite: ART 240
CHJA 350
Modern Chinese Literature and Cinema in Translation
A survey of 20th-century Chinese fiction and cinema. Iconoclastic works of modern Chinese vernacular fiction from 1919 through the post-Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) will be juxtaposed alongside films dealing with the same period, such as Yellow Earth (1984) and Farewell, My Concubine (1992) made by the so-called Fifth Generation of film directors (born after 1949, when the People’s Republic was founded). Class conducted in English. No knowledge of Chinese required. 6 units. Also listed as East Asian Studies 350
FREN 302
Cinematically Speaking
French films function as a springboard for readings, discussions, oral presentations, and short critical essays. We will briefly examine the history of French film from 1940 to the present, study cinematic techniques, the vocabulary of cinema and explore the principal themes. 6 units. Prerequisite: FREN 202 or consent of instructor
FREN 411
Fascism and Film
This course lets students examine films that were ostensibly made as entertainment or explicitly crafted as propaganda in the historical context of Nazi Germany and occupied France. Aside from learning how governments and their cinematic agents used this relatively new medium to shape public opinion (in support of the war, against Jews, etc.), students will see where and how resistance was possible. 8 units. Prerequisite: One course in French at the 300 level or permission of instructor
GER 277
Introduction to German Film Studies
With its pivotal role in the inauguration of the cinema, knowledge of German film is critical to any understanding of the history of film. This course is intended to be an introduction both to German cinema and to the discipline of film studies. Considered perhaps as one of the most accessible aesthetic forms, the moving image pervades our everyday lives, and yet we seldom think of what we do in the movie theatre as “reading.” Throughout this course, students will be introduced to the practice of reading the filmic text using three structuring lenses: 1) history, 2) formal and generic elements, and 3) film criticism. 6 units.
GER 357
Film in Germany (in English)
This course selects from 90 years of filmmaking in Germany. Films range from expressionism to Nazi propaganda and from escapist comedies to avant garde art. Learning to “read” German films critically also means finding out how to understand movies from Hollywood and beyond. Possible topics include “From Caligari to Hitler,” “German Literature as Film,” and “What Makes Lola Run.” Taught in English. German majors and minors may participate in a two-unit tutorial in which discussions and some course readings will be in German. 6 units. Also listed as Theatre Arts 351
GER 361
Vampires, Monsters, and Man-Eaters (In English)
This course seeks to reveal the ways in which the question of monstrous difference is articulated in a variety of German “texts.” Its main goal is to examine the ways that representations of monstrousness are employed to stage complex public and private anxieties as well as to provide an expression of rebellion against various systems of hierarchy. Featured in the works of canonized authors as well as within the realm of popular culture, the representational functions of the monster can provide valuable insight into numerous aspects of German history and psychosexual relations. 6 units.
GER 362
Vampires, Monsters, and Man-Eaters
This course seeks to reveal the ways in which the question of monstrous difference is articulated in a variety of German “texts.” Its main goal is to examine the ways that representations of monstrousness are employed to stage complex public and private anxieties as well as to provide an expression of rebellion against various systems of hierarchy. Featured in the works of canonized authors as well as within the realm of popular culture, the representational functions of the monster can provide valuable insight into numerous aspects of German history and psychosexual relations. 6 units. Prerequisite: GER 312
GER 411
Fascism and Film (in English)
This course lets students examine films that were ostensibly made as entertainment or explicitly crafted as propaganda in the historical context of Nazi Germany and occupied France. Aside from learning how governments and their cinematic agents used this relatively new medium to shape public opinion (in support of the war, against Jews, etc.) students will see where and how resistance was possible. 6 units.
GER 447
The Literature and Culture of Ethnic Minorities in Germany
Despite a long-term refusal to open itself to immigration, Germany has become a nation of immigrants and asylum-seekers. The course focuses on how both literature and films, including works by and about minorities in Germany, have dealt with key cultural phenomena: multiculturalism, diversity, acculturation, assimilation, “majority culture,” and parallel societies. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 382. Prerequisite: GER 312 or consent of the instructor
HIST 305
Film as History and History as Film
An examination, through selected films, of specific moments in European history and an examination of film itself as a source of historical interpretation. Possible “historical moments” include Medieval England, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust, and possible films include Becket, The Triumph of the Will, and Schindler’s List. 6 units. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
HIST 400
Reel Men: Masculinity in American Film, 1945-2000
At the upper level, the course will serve as a history seminar in preparation for the history department’s capstone course. Those taking it at that level will be required to write at least one paper addressing film or gender theory and to write a 10-15 page research prospectus. Not open to students who have previously received credit for HIST 300. 6 units. Also listed as Gender Studies 423. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above
MUHI 450
Topics in Music History: Genre History
An examination of the historical development of a single genre, stressing the effects of societal changes. Topics in this series vary from year to year. May be repeated with consent of instructor. 6 units. Prerequisite: MUHI 202
SPAN 330
Introduction to Film
A bridge between intermediate and advanced courses. Intensive discussion, reading, and writing practice using films from a variety of genres (documentaries and feature films, including film adaptations of stories, novels, and plays in Spanish). Emphasis on the analysis of film components and structure and, where relevant, on the interconnections between literary texts and film. 6 units. Also listed as Theatre Arts 352. Prerequisite: One course above SPAN 201 or its equivalent
SPAN 400
Latin American Civilization and Culture
A broad introduction to the culture of the Latin American continent and its relations to North American culture. The course presents Latin American civilization, history, economic and political situation, and diverse culture. Emphasis is placed on high cultural manifestations such as art and literature, as well as on the everyday habits of the people. Recommended for students who plan to participate in one of our study-abroad programs in Latin America. 6 units. Also listed as Ethnic Studies 480. Prerequisite: One 300-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
SPAN 410
Gender, Politics, and Current Events in Latin America
A critical analysis of current events in Latin America with a focus on gender and political issues. Through films, magazine articles, fiction, and selected radio and television broadcasts from Latin America, students will study major events that relate and give expression to the cultural mores of Latin Americans within the realm of gender and politics. The course allows students to continue to develop their oral communication skills in the target language and, with a wide range of topics and interests, to work toward an understanding of gender issues and political events that have shaped and transformed Latin America. 6 units. Also listed as Gender Studies 410. Prerequisite: One 300-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
SPAN 570
Narrative: Text and Theory
An advanced study of narrative texts in Spanish (primarily literature), alongside a survey of theoretical approaches to narrative. Emphasis on the application of key concepts in narratology and stylistics to selected texts. Taught in Spanish. 6 units.
Prerequisite: One literary survey (e.g., SPAN 510, SPAN 511, SPAN 520, SPAN 521) or equivalent, or consent of instructor
SPAN 571
Narrative: Text and Theory
An advanced study of narrative texts in Spanish (primarily literature), alongside a survey of theoretical approaches to narrative. Emphasis on the application of key concepts in narratology and stylistics to selected texts. Taught in English. 6 units. Prerequisite: One course in English at the 230-level or above, its equivalent, or consent of instructor
SPAN 575
Latin American Visual Art
The course introduces the cultures of Latin America through a survey of its major movements and artists from the early 19th century to the present. Image-based lectures will be accompanied by discussion of visual and thematically related texts (i.e., biographies, letters, scholarly articles) and carefully selected fragments of videos. Taught in English. 6 units. Also listed as Art History 270.
SPAN 576
Latin American Visual Art
The course introduces the cultures of Latin America through a survey of its major movements and artists from the early 19th century to the present. Image-based lectures will be accompanied by discussion of visual and thematically related texts (i.e., biographies, letters, scholarly articles) and carefully selected fragments of videos. Taught in Spanish. 6 units. Also listed as Art History 271.
Prerequisite: One 400-level Spanish course, its equivalent, or consent of the instructor
THAR 260
The Art of Film
A study of the narrative and visual techniques in films selected from masterpieces of modern cinema. Readings in film history, film theory, and film aesthetics along with viewings of approximately ten movies from various periods and countries, by directors such as Eisenstein, Wells, Fellini, Kurasawa, and Truffaut. 6 units. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
UNIC 142
Introduction to Film Studies
This course provides students with a basic introduction to the vocabulary of film studies and an overview of historical, analytical, and theoretical approaches to film. Students will begin to develop the critical means for engaging with the filmic medium in discussion and writing. These aims will be met through a diverse selection of films rooted in different cultures, times, and ideologies. 6 units.