Hum 304 - Hollywood Cinema: Theory and Meaning
We mustn't forget that to experience a work of art is not simply letting oneself be fascinated by it, a mere falling in love with it, but rather, it's understanding the process of falling in love. For this, one needs the freedom to move away from the loved object in order to return to it freely. The amorous encounter with the work of art is a practice that can be summarized in the following formula: 'To love renders one intelligent'. - Raúl Ruiz Poetics of Cinema 2
In a way, films occupy a borderless territory and its audience is defined neither by language nor culture. Films by Charlie Chaplin are received with as much enthusiasm in the world of Akira Kurosowa as they are in the world of David Lean. So, how do films erase territorial markings? What makes a film loved? Examining Hollywood cinema, this course will explore films across different decades and genres and see how they are constructed and, in the process, try to understand why we fall in love with them. The goal of this class is to serve as an introduction on how to analyze, write, and talk about films as aesthetic, social and historical artifacts.
Required Text
Lehman, Peter & William Luhr. Thinking About Movies: Watching, Questioning, Enjoying (3rd edition). Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.