The Films of the Coen Brothers

Catalog description

This course will focus on the varied cinema of the Coen Brothers. By screening not only notable works by this filmmaking duo but also the films that inspired them, students will gain an understanding of how Joel and Ethan Coen have both drawn on the conventions of established film genres but also reinvented them. The course will focus on the following films and genres: Comedy, Crime, Film Noir, and Western. While the course will focus primarily on the narrative and directing styles of the Coens, it will also look at the other craft areas (cinematography, editing, music, etc.) as many of the films feature the same contributors. Students will synthesize relevant published academic work with the films viewed in the course in advancing their own scholarship.