Crime Films

Catalog description

(same as FILM 230) This course examines the portrayal of the criminal justice system in cinematic movies. For better or worse, the public’s understanding of the justice system is greatly influenced by its portrayal in popular media, especially film. This course looks at the various modes of presentation which filter and shape the public’s familiarity with the activities of police, the courts and the correctional system. Various forms of the crime story will be examined, along with the portrayal of theories about crime. These elements of analysis will be used to explain and account for the various degrees of accuracy represented in portrayals of the criminal justice system in movies.