Latinx in Hollywood

Catalog description

For over a hundred years, cinema has played a key role in shaping your social imaginaries and in creating types and stereotypes. Different national cinemas have their own lists of typical characters that speak eloquently of the economic, political, and cultural structures of their societies. Mainstream American cinema, arguably, exceeds the constraints of a national cinema and has become your conscience of the global subject, but it still formulates ideas and builds subjectivities that are deeply ingrained in your American imagination. Among these constructions is the portrayal of 'Latin America' and, more specifically, 'Latin Americans.' In this course, you will explore, analyze, and question the constructions devised by mainstream Hollywood films around Latin America and its characters. From studio recreations of South American cities in classic films (Gilda, Charles Vidor, 1946) or the US-Mexico border (Touch of Evil, Orson Welles, 1958) to solemn reflections on colonial history (The Mission, Roland Joffé, 1986) to enchanted versions of Mexican traditions (Coco, Disney-Pixar, 2017), American cinema has consistently imagined Latin America. In discussing six films and key critical readings, you will identify, describe, and critique this process. You will also reflect on its connections to current debates in the US.