COURSE SYNOPSIS – fall 2008
DEPARTMENT Romance Languages & Literature PROGRAM/STUDY: FRENCH
COURSE NUMBER: FR 341 COURSE TITLE: FRENCH FILM / Le cinéma français
PROFESSOR Jean-Jacques Thomas
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION, if any:
Prerequisistes: none
SYNOPSIS OF COURSE CONTENT:
The purpose of this course is to analyze contemporary French films.The purpose of the analysis is to study the differences in cinema historyand cinema production that distinguish a "French" and an "American" film. Beyond intranationalistic references that would not be understood in another foreign culture, we will study how a different culture has selected (since WW II) to represent its own attitude, language and cultural dispositions in given situations. We will also study the general framework of the film representation and mentalities The course will lead to a better understanding of the French film industry and its adaptation to specifically predetermined cultural patterns. The course will include in-depth studies of the following films: Baisers volés (Truffaut), Le Boucher (Chabrol), Week-end (Godard), La Femme Nikita (Besson), La Haine (Kassovitz), Les Choristes (Barratier), La Môme (Dahan), Amélie (Jeunet), L'Appartement (Mimouni).
READING ASSIGMENTS:
Mandatory:
Course web site http://www.ieeff.org/frenchfilm08.htm
Beylie, Claude, Une histoire du cinéma français, Paris : Larousse, 2005.
Suggested:
Journot, Marie-Thérèse, Le vocabulaire du cinéma, Paris:
Armand Colin, 2006.
Vanoye, Francis, Précis d’analyse filmique, Paris : Armand Colin, 2007
Class presence is mandatory. Any absence should be justified.
EXAMINATIONS:
special assignment 40%
final exam 40%
class participation 10%
GRADE TO BE BASED ON:
Special research paper; exposé multimedia presentation ; film project
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/COMMENTS: Suggested course for students interested in film studies, cross-cultural inquiry, coming back from a study abroad stay in France or students interested in going abroad in a francophone country; interested in improving their fluency in oral French.
