ARHT2653 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Cinema (2006)

Undergraduate - Senior

 

Department: Art History and Theory School: School of Letters, Art and Media Semester(s): Semester 2 Credit Points: 6 Co-ordinator: Dr Laleen Jayamanne. Email: laleen.jayamanne@arts.usyd.edu.au Telephone: 9351 4084

UoS Description

This course has three primary foci: 1. A historical study of independent cinema, or New Wave movements in post-World War II Europe, including Italian Neo- Realism, the French New Wave and New German Cinema among others. 2. The study of Gilles Deleuze’s thesis about these cinematic movements and the cinematic concepts that they gave rise to as elaborated in his books, Cinema 1, Movement Image and Cinema II, The Time Image. 3. A study of the idea of Epic cinema as distinct from Dramatic cinema through a selection of films cross-culturally. In addition there will also be a selection of films of auteurs who help formulate cinematic ideas and concepts, such as for example the gothic, in innovative ways. Despite the historical component of the course it is not structured chronologically but rather, conceptually. And the main concept is that of non-chronological time. This approach will enable an exploration of cinematic invention of new images of time itself. As such it is primarily concerned with cinematic aesthetics across different film cultures and the cultural politics essential to such invention will form an essential background to the course.

UoS Objectives:

A cross-cultural, historical and theoretical study of postwar new wave film movements and the idea of epic cinema.

UoS Outcomes:

Ability to critically analyse images and sounds using theoretical concepts as analytical tools.

UoS Learning Situations:

Lectures, Tutorials, Other ,  one 2hr lecture, one 2hr film screening, one 1hr tutorial
one 2hr lecture, one 2hr film screening, one 1hr tutorial

UoS Assessment:

one essay, one film analysis, one tutorial presentaion totalling 4000-4500 words.

UoS Readings/References:

Recommended Readings:
'Towards Cinema and Its Double Cross-Cultural Mimesis', Laleen Jayamanne (Indiana University Press, Indiana, 2001)

Prerequisites:

ARHT 1001 and ARHT 1002 (For Art History Major) ARHT 1002 or ENGL1025 (for Film Majors).

Prohibition:

ARHT2053

Online Components:

Online components may include:
A listing of Lecture and Tutorial topics
Additional reading references
Assessment topics and assessment criteria

How the Online Components work with the rest of the UoS:

The on line component of this unit is optional. It provides a supplementary guide to information supplied in classes.

Minimum Requirements for Hardware/Software:

WEB BROWSERS:

* for Windows users( Microsoft IE 5.0 or higher, Netscape 6.2 or higher)

* for Macintosh users ( Microsoft IE 5.1 or higher, Netscape 6.2 or higher, Safari 1.2 or higher)

INTERNET CONNECTION: 56k modem