From bird’s eye to fish-eye, from mise-en-scène to meaning, from close-up to closure, this course will use basic concepts of film analysis and explore them in greater depth in order to analyse a variety of films. We will look at a wide range of American and European films from different eras and by a variety of film-makers. This approach allows us to get a sense of film history as well.
In the first two weeks we will concentrate on individual aspects of film analysis, such as mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, with particular emphasis on sound. The third-week screening of ‘M’ by Fritz Lang gives us the opportunity to analyse an early sound film in more detail, focusing on the above micro-aspects.
The course then continues with a closer look at narrative and genre. The second screening (DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS) will be used as a basis for analysis of those two macro-aspects of film analysis. We will also work towards a critical understanding of institutional and ideological practices, and of our own participation in the process of making meaning. Developing an awareness of representational issues is essential in this context.
Since this is a course at intermediate level, it assumes a familiarity with basic ideas of film studies and builds upon knowledge gained, for example, in the Basic Introduction to Film Course.
A good introduction to basic concepts of film analysis is: Roberts, Graham and Wallis, Heather, Introducing Film, Arnold, 2001.
During the course further reading will be suggested, and photocopies of relevant articles handed out to the participants.
It would be useful if you could watch some or all of the following films in their totality at some point. In the course we will be using clips from many of them.
Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur)
Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)
Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk)
North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock)
Chinatown (Roman Polanski)
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)
Manhattan (Woody Allen)
Code Unknown (Michael Haneke)
The Limey (Steven Soderbergh)
In addition:
Any early sound films
Any film with Sidney Poitier/Harry Belafonte/Denzel Washington in it
Any film with representations of ethnic minorities (please make a note of when, where and by whom they were made).