The Past on Film
FILM 160
Spring 2008
| Section:
01
|
| Crosslisting:
PHIL 160, HIST 129 |
The Past on Film examines how films represent the past and how they can help us understand crucial questions in the philosophy of history. We begin with three weeks on documentary cinema. How do documentary films achieve what Roland Barthes called "the reality effect"? How is the insinuation of reality onto the screen connected to the work of a strong author or artist? How can such an author subvert his or her own realism? We then move on to classic narrative films to examine tensions between story-telling and documentation. After discussions of films that seem to aim explicitly at historical reconstruction (like NIGHT AND FOG and MAELSTROM) most of the semester will be spent with films whose narratives and mechanisms of representation help us critically engage questions about the depiction of the past. |
|
Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA FILM |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
|
Fulfills a Requirement for: (CSCT)(FILM-MN)(FILM) |
|
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Reading packet with selections by Hegel, Plantinga, Nichols, Williams, P.Arthur, Kierkegaard, H.James, Kant, Cavell, Roth, et al.
Weekly film showings, including NIGHT AND FOG, CITIZEN KANE, HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, OUT OF THE PAST, and others.
|
Examinations and Assignments:
Assessment will be based on three papers. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Attendance is required at all course sessions. Course fee: $60.00. |
| Instructor(s): Roth,Michael S. Times: ..T.... 09:00AM-12:30PM; Location: CFS100; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 400 | | SR major: 50 | JR major: 50 | | |
| Seats Available: 168 | GRAD: 0 | SR non-major: 50 | JR non-major: 50 | SO: 100 | FR: 100 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
|
|