Film and American Culture Honors

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the critical study of the representation and construction of American culture in film. Lectures, readings and screenings focus on the cinematic depiction of values and major events, political and social realities, and the portrayal of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class. Special attention will be paid to issues unique to documentary films: objectivity and subjectivity, ethical considerations, aesthetic developments, and production practices. As an honors course, students will encounter more demanding film texts as well as challenging readings in the areas of race, class, sexuality and gender criticism and theory. Enriched assignments will require a higher level of engagement expressed in written and oral forms. Credit may be earned in either HUM 72 or 72H, but not both.