Offered: Spring
Course Description
This course surveys the history of French cinema from World War II to the present. These are tumultuous years; they include the "New Wave" of the late 1950s and 1960s (works of Resnais, Godard, and others), the return to traditional forms in the 1970s and 1980s (but often with untraditional content, as in the disturbing comedies of Bertrand Blier), the "New New Wave" that followed (films by Olivier Assayas and Claire Denis, among others), and the radically diverse cinema of the present day. Films screened will be examined both in their historical-political context and as works of art and/or entertainment. paper. Please note that several films contain adult themes and situations, and occasional (full) nudity. [Taught in English. The course is cross-listed with Cinema Studies 01:175:377:02].
Satisfies SAS Core Learning Goals - AHp
Language of Instruction - English
Exams, Assignments, and Grading Policy
There will be a midterm exam and a final, and students will write one 7-10 pp. paper.
Materials
Alan Williams, Republic of Images: A History of French Filmmaking (Harvard University Press, 1992), I.S.B.N. = 978-0674762688
Tim Palmer, Brutal Intimacy: Analyzing Contemporary French Cinema (Wesleyan University Press, 2011), I.S.B.N. = 978-0819568274
Faculty - Prof. Alan Williams
