American Cinema

Catalog description

This course examines the American cinema as an artistic, political, and cultural entity that has uniquely influenced film production and reception through its studio system, its development and employment of genres, and its creation of aesthetic and stylistic conventions. Students will engage in viewing, discussion, and written analysis of American film texts, focusing on how these texts relate to the cultural movements and intellectual history of American civilization. Possible contextual focuses for the course could include: American cinema and identity construction, external forces on American life, American landscapes and regions, American genres, or other emerging topics in the field. Prerequisite: ENG 104.