Rhetoric and Media

Catalog description

Seminar in the application of rhetorical theory and criticism to television, film, and other media. CAS 515 CAS 515 Rhetoric and Media (3 per semester/maximum of 9) Seminar in the application of rhetorical theory and criticism to television, film, and other media. In a recent offering of the seminar, we studied the films of Alfred Hitchcock from the point of view of The Rhetoric of the Thriller: The Films of Alfred Hitchcock as Art, Entertainment, and Social Text. This course offered an intensive examination of the art of Alfred Hitchcock, one of the great film artists of the twentieth century. Each week, the class screened one or more of Hitchcock's classic films. The class then met in small discussion sections for intensive analysis of the films and a series of related readings. Our discussions and readings explored Hitchcock as one of Hollywood's most successful popular entertainers, the "master of suspense"; as one of the great artists of the medium; as a critic of American culture; and as a persona whose reputation is a construction of his own efforts, and the product of reviewers and academic critics. Students should consult with the instructor prior to enrolling to ascertain that the course topic is not the same as in prior enrollments.