AEST.3800 Understanding Movies: Cinema as Social Commentary (Formerly 79.380)

Id: 037494 Credits: 3-3

Description

This film theory seminar has several main objectives: to study the production of meaning in films; to analyze how moving images are used in social representation; and to introduce students to the visual and critical language of cinema. In this course, we will view a series of films by international authors. These address some of the most pressing issues of today's global world such as identity, subjectivity, difference and otherness, race relations, representations of gender and sexuality, immigration, war, colonialism and post-colonialism, poverty, and social inequalities. The films that we watch will be studied not as isolated cinematic texts but as illustrations and examples of theories of representation. Students will develop their critical analysis skills by being introduced to theoretical concepts such as "the gaze" in art and cinema as well as formal elements such as mise-in-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound.

Prerequisites

42.102 College Writing II, This is a 300 level course intended for Junior and Seniors.

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Course prerequisites/corequisites are determined by the faculty and approved by the curriculum committees. Students are required to fulfill these requirements prior to enrollment. For courses offered through online or GPS delivery, students are responsible for confirming with the instructor or department that all enrollment requirements have been satisfied before registering.