Taking a chronological approach, students will explore cinema history from the start of silent films and the formulation of “classic Hollywood cinema” to the artistic movements seen in Europe that ran parallel to it (including German Expressionism, French Impressionism, and Soviet Montage). Students will then study the post WWII era of film and the various countries’ film directions taken in response. They will learn about Italian Neorealism, British Kitchen Sink, and the French New Wave. For each topic, students will watch canonical films within each of these movements and discuss them in class and write journal responses.
The next section of this seminar will discuss national cinema in terms of Auteur Theory. Discussing famous directors from various countries and how they established their countries as cinematic innovators. Alfred Hitchcock (USA), Fredrico Fellini (Italy), Jaques Tati (France), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), Akira Kurosawa (Japan), and Satyajit Ray (India) will be discussed in class while students will be required to do presentations on other well-known present-day auteurs.
The final part of the seminar will discuss the modern concept of national cinemas and its position in art house cinema, popular cinema, and independent cinema and the effect globalization has on national cinemas. The seminar will look at specific countries’ national cinemas (Brazil, Spain, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea) what created them, why they faded, and what keeps them going. Here students will, in groups, write a final paper and do presentations on a single country’s national cinema (one which has not yet been discussed in class).
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course students should be able to:
• Be introduced to and have a basic working knowledge of the ideas inherent in “Classic Hollywood Cinema,” Auteur Theory, and National Cinemas.
• Be able to apply these ideas to the cinema of the east, especially Taiwanese film.

Taking a chronological approach, students will explore cinema history from the start of silent films and the formulation of “classic Hollywood cinema” to the artistic movements seen in Europe that ran parallel to it (including German Expressionism, French Impressionism, and Soviet Montage). Students will then study the post WWII era of film and the various countries’ film directions taken in response. They will learn about Italian Neorealism, British Kitchen Sink, and the French New Wave. For each topic, students will watch canonical films within each of these movements and discuss them in class and write journal responses.
The next section of this seminar will discuss national cinema in terms of Auteur Theory. Discussing famous directors from various countries and how they established their countries as cinematic innovators. Alfred Hitchcock (USA), Fredrico Fellini (Italy), Jaques Tati (France), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), Akira Kurosawa (Japan), and Satyajit Ray (India) will be discussed in class while students will be required to do presentations on other well-known present-day auteurs.
The final part of the seminar will discuss the modern concept of national cinemas and its position in art house cinema, popular cinema, and independent cinema and the effect globalization has on national cinemas. The seminar will look at specific countries’ national cinemas (Brazil, Spain, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea) what created them, why they faded, and what keeps them going. Here students will, in groups, write a final paper and do presentations on a single country’s national cinema (one which has not yet been discussed in class).
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course students should be able to:
• Be introduced to and have a basic working knowledge of the ideas inherent in “Classic Hollywood Cinema,” Auteur Theory, and National Cinemas.
• Be able to apply these ideas to the cinema of the east, especially Taiwanese film.

Required Texts:
A reading pack will be provided.
Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.
Supplementary Texts:
Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
— Film History: An Introduction. New York McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
— The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960. New York: Columbia UP, 1985. Print.
Film and Nationalism. Ed. Alan Williams. New Brunswick: Rutger UP, 2002. Print.
Cinema Taiwan: Politics, Popularity and State of the Arts. Ed. Darrel William Davis and Ru-shou Robert Chen. London: Routledge, 2007. Print.

Required Texts:
A reading pack will be provided.
Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.
Supplementary Texts:
Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
— Film History: An Introduction. New York McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
— The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960. New York: Columbia UP, 1985. Print.
Film and Nationalism. Ed. Alan Williams. New Brunswick: Rutger UP, 2002. Print.
Cinema Taiwan: Politics, Popularity and State of the Arts. Ed. Darrel William Davis and Ru-shou Robert Chen. London: Routledge, 2007. Print.