Chinese Film

Catalog description

Selected films and directors representing various aspects of Chinese culture and cinema. Topics may vary each semester. Taught in Chinese. CHNS 453 Chinese Film (3) (IL) BA - This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.This course surveys Chinese film from the early twentieth century to the present time, with an emphasis on film and national history. Taught in Chinese; readings and assignments in Chinese. The course will examine the diverse forms of film language in the works of filmmakers from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Readings will include interviews, reviews, film criticism, and other relevant texts (such as a short story that inspired a film). Through this course students can develop a historical and cultural perspective in order to understand the contexts and value systems that have inspired Chinese-language films. Students will investigate such topics as the relation between social institutions and the individual, the traditional patriarchal system, the changing roles of women, westernization, and postmodern consumer culture, among others. Class work will includes lectures or presentations by the instructor and student participation through means such as guided discussions, group discussions, and students' presentations. This participatory approach is intended to deepen students' appreciation of the texts, to help them understand value systems that may differ from, or else be shared with, those predominant in modern Western cultures, and to assist students in developing analytical and expressive abilities. Chinese 453 is designed to be suitable for students (Chinese majors) who have completed Chinese 401. This course will be taught in the active-learning mode, featuring a variety of instructional components such as lecture, discussion, oral presentations, web-based activities, etc., to provide students abundant opportunity for expressing their opinions. The course will include writing, speaking, self-expression; information gathering, synthesis, and analysis; and international/intercultural components.