History of American Cinema

Catalog description

This course offers a survey of the rich history of American Cinema concentrating on classic, influential, creative films from the 1930s to the 1970s. While some international influences will be addressed, the primary focus will be the huge domestic industry deriving from Hollywood, which will give the course greater clarity and pertinence. This class will appeal to movie lovers, “film buffs,” and amateur filmmakers, as well as to a wide range of other interested students. The formal aesthetics, cultural and intellectual content and controversy, and expressive components of the medium are traced through its key decades of development. Readings will include popular and critical reviews. The actual film list will vary semester by semester.