APRIL 24
PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ORDER TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO LEAVE IN TIME TO ATTEND THE CHARACTER ANIMATION PRODUCER'S SHOW ON MAY 8, I WILL BE CHANGING THE SYLLABUS - NEXT WEEK (MAY 1), WE WILL WATCH THE APPLE AND WE WILL SEE BEAU TRAVAIL ON MAY 8. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO END THE FINAL CLASS EARLY.
Films:
Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar Wai 1990) DVD 1160
excerpts:
Supercop: Police Story III (Tong 1992) DVD 3904, volume three 1:23:20 to end (watch credits!)
Happy Together (Wong Kar Wai 1992) DVD 047 opening to 7:41
Reading (to be done by April 30):
J. Hoberman - “Days of Being Wild” in course reader
Assignment for the week:
There are no more short paper assignments. I emailed you all last week with information about which papers you are missing: they are all due before class next week. Graduates, email all missing papers to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net. Undergraduates, print any missing papers and bring them to class, unless they are the 2 page extract (which was due weeks ago and which I want immediately!) - please email those directly to me.
APRIL 17
Films:
To Sleep With Anger (Burnett 1990) DVD 4381
When It Rains (Burnett 1995) DVD 2629
excerpt:
Los Angeles Plays Itself (Andersen 2004) DVD 2020 – DISC TWO 49:56 to end
Reading (to be done by April 23):
Ntongela Masilela - “The Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers” in course reader
Assignment for the week. Graduates, please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net; undergraduates, please bring a printed copy to class:
Compare two performances from films screened this semester. We’ve had everything from the star turns of Henry Fonda and John Wayne in Fort Apache to the non-actors of Bicycle Thieves and Yeelen to Bresson’s “models” in A Man Escaped to Barbara Loden in Wanda and Gena Rowlands in Opening Night. Tonight’s film had a mix of styles, with Danny Glover turning in a charismatic star performance and the rest of the cast playing in a quieter, more naturalistic style. I don't care which two performances you study, but I’d like to see you discuss them in terms of their emotional effect, their ability to engage the viewer and lead you to identification with the character, and their level of theatricality – does the actor fall seamlessly into the role or do you notice the acting as acting, and does that effect how you feel the performance?
Films:
To Sleep With Anger (Burnett 1990) DVD 4381
When It Rains (Burnett 1995) DVD 2629
excerpt:
Los Angeles Plays Itself (Andersen 2004) DVD 2020 – DISC TWO 49:56 to end
Reading (to be done by April 23):
Ntongela Masilela - “The Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers” in course reader
Assignment for the week. Graduates, please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net; undergraduates, please bring a printed copy to class:
Compare two performances from films screened this semester. We’ve had everything from the star turns of Henry Fonda and John Wayne in Fort Apache to the non-actors of Bicycle Thieves and Yeelen to Bresson’s “models” in A Man Escaped to Barbara Loden in Wanda and Gena Rowlands in Opening Night. Tonight’s film had a mix of styles, with Danny Glover turning in a charismatic star performance and the rest of the cast playing in a quieter, more naturalistic style. I don't care which two performances you study, but I’d like to see you discuss them in terms of their emotional effect, their ability to engage the viewer and lead you to identification with the character, and their level of theatricality – does the actor fall seamlessly into the role or do you notice the acting as acting, and does that effect how you feel the performance?
APRIL 10
Films:
Yeelen (Cissé 1987) DVD 926
Borom Sarret (Sembène 1963) DVD 2150
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (Blank 1980) DVD 1630
Reading (to be done by April 16):
Suzanne Macrae - “Yeelen: A Political Fable of the Komo Blacksmiths/Sorcerers,” in course reader.
Nwachukwu Frank Ukadike - "Souleymane Cissé (Mali)," in course reader.
Assignment for the week. Please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net:
If you chose the April 17 deadline, turn in the final paper. (And please understand that you will continue to have short assignments as the semester ends.) If you chose the May 8 deadline for the final, you need to produce two pages of work towards your paper. This can be anything – research notes, an outline, a bibliography – but it is absolutely due next week. Do not print the essay, email it directly to me.
Films:
Yeelen (Cissé 1987) DVD 926
Borom Sarret (Sembène 1963) DVD 2150
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (Blank 1980) DVD 1630
Reading (to be done by April 16):
Suzanne Macrae - “Yeelen: A Political Fable of the Komo Blacksmiths/Sorcerers,” in course reader.
Nwachukwu Frank Ukadike - "Souleymane Cissé (Mali)," in course reader.
Assignment for the week. Please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net:
If you chose the April 17 deadline, turn in the final paper. (And please understand that you will continue to have short assignments as the semester ends.) If you chose the May 8 deadline for the final, you need to produce two pages of work towards your paper. This can be anything – research notes, an outline, a bibliography – but it is absolutely due next week. Do not print the essay, email it directly to me.
APRIL 3
Film:
Opening Night (Cassavetes 1977) DVD 1112
Reading (to be done by April 9):
Jonathan Rosenbaum - "Love Film: A Cassavetes Retrospective," in course reader.
Assignment for the week. Graduates, please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net; undergraduates, please bring a printed copy to class:
Discuss two of the following three essays assigned in the class: Stephen Prince on Kurosawa, Bérénice Reynaud on Loden, or Jonathan Rosenbaum on Cassavetes. How do their approaches to evaluating and contextualizing the films differ? Be specific and cite the essays in your discussion.
Film:
Opening Night (Cassavetes 1977) DVD 1112
Reading (to be done by April 9):
Jonathan Rosenbaum - "Love Film: A Cassavetes Retrospective," in course reader.
Assignment for the week. Graduates, please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net; undergraduates, please bring a printed copy to class:
Discuss two of the following three essays assigned in the class: Stephen Prince on Kurosawa, Bérénice Reynaud on Loden, or Jonathan Rosenbaum on Cassavetes. How do their approaches to evaluating and contextualizing the films differ? Be specific and cite the essays in your discussion.
MARCH 20
Films:
Wanda (Loden 1970) DVD 2553
At Land (Deren 1944) DVD 1620
Reading (to be done by April 2):
Bérénice Reynaud - “For Wanda.” http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/feature-articles/wanda/
Assignment for the week:
If you chose to turn in your final paper May 8, catch up on any late assignments (especially readings!) and watch at least two films as research for your final paper.
If you chose the April 17 deadline, email me two pages of work towards the final paper at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net by the next class session on April 3. These pages can be anything - rough notes, an outline, a bibliography, two polished pages of introduction, whatever will help you get started on the final. This is a required short paper.
Films:
Wanda (Loden 1970) DVD 2553
At Land (Deren 1944) DVD 1620
Reading (to be done by April 2):
Bérénice Reynaud - “For Wanda.” http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/feature-articles/wanda/
Assignment for the week:
If you chose to turn in your final paper May 8, catch up on any late assignments (especially readings!) and watch at least two films as research for your final paper.
If you chose the April 17 deadline, email me two pages of work towards the final paper at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net by the next class session on April 3. These pages can be anything - rough notes, an outline, a bibliography, two polished pages of introduction, whatever will help you get started on the final. This is a required short paper.
MARCH 13
Films:
Daisies (Chytilová 1966) DVD 571
Simon of the Desert (Buñuel 1965) DVD 3281
Duck Amuck (Jones 1953) Blu-Ray 114
Reading (to be done by March 19):
Małgorzata Radkiewicz - “Angry young girls: Gender representations in Věra Chytilová's Sedmikrásky and Pasti, pasti, pastičky.” http://www.kinoeye.org/02/08/radkiewicz08.php
Assignment for the week. Graduates, please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net; undergraduates, please bring a printed copy to class:
Daisies is a provocative and complex film. Rather than ask you to speak to a specific question, I'd like you to discuss the film in whatever way you'd like, with the following ground rules: 1/ as in all these exercises, "I liked it" or "I hated it" is an insufficient response - you need to go beyond your opinion and discuss something substantial about the work; 2/ you must root your discussion in close analysis of a single scene from the film. Consider this as practice for your final paper.
LiLiPUT / Kleenex
Films:
Daisies (Chytilová 1966) DVD 571
Simon of the Desert (Buñuel 1965) DVD 3281
Duck Amuck (Jones 1953) Blu-Ray 114
Reading (to be done by March 19):
Małgorzata Radkiewicz - “Angry young girls: Gender representations in Věra Chytilová's Sedmikrásky and Pasti, pasti, pastičky.” http://www.kinoeye.org/02/08/radkiewicz08.php
Assignment for the week. Graduates, please email essay to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net; undergraduates, please bring a printed copy to class:
Daisies is a provocative and complex film. Rather than ask you to speak to a specific question, I'd like you to discuss the film in whatever way you'd like, with the following ground rules: 1/ as in all these exercises, "I liked it" or "I hated it" is an insufficient response - you need to go beyond your opinion and discuss something substantial about the work; 2/ you must root your discussion in close analysis of a single scene from the film. Consider this as practice for your final paper.
LiLiPUT / Kleenex
MARCH 6
Film:
High and Low (Kurosawa 1963) DVD 3180
excerpt:
Yojimbo (Kurosawa 1961) DVD 067 – 16:05 to 19:49
Readings (to be done by March 12):
Stephen Prince - The Warrior's Camera (pages 188-199), in course reader.
Assignment for the week. Please email proposals to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net:
Please refer to the handout emailed to you last week to write a one paragraph proposal for your final project. Do not print the proposal; instead, email it directly to me. Please note that March 13 is an absolute deadline.
And since several people asked about this week's music:
Film:
High and Low (Kurosawa 1963) DVD 3180
excerpt:
Yojimbo (Kurosawa 1961) DVD 067 – 16:05 to 19:49
Readings (to be done by March 12):
Stephen Prince - The Warrior's Camera (pages 188-199), in course reader.
Assignment for the week. Please email proposals to me at elkrugamigos@earthlink.net:
Please refer to the handout emailed to you last week to write a one paragraph proposal for your final project. Do not print the proposal; instead, email it directly to me. Please note that March 13 is an absolute deadline.
And since several people asked about this week's music:
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