Gender and Film

Catalog description

This course will undertake a comprehensive and chronological history of gendered representations on the screen. We will begin in the turn-of-the twentieth century silent era with "damsels in distress," and we will conclude with twenty-first century films that address the continuing and global struggle for gender equality. In between we will cover such subjects as: "The New Woman" of the 1920s; pioneering films exploring lesbian, gay, and transgender issues which date back to the 1930s; femme fatales in film noir; and male filmic stereotypes such as the cowboy. This will be achieved through screenings, readings, lectures, active discussions, and presentations.