Office Hours:

Tues. 2:30 - 4:00 PM

Thurs. 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Fri. 3:30- 5:00 PM

Lectures:

Tues. and Thurs. 1:30 - 2:20 PM, MBH 219

Screening:

Monday, 7:30 PM DANA Auditorium (latecomers are not considered present; be sure to arrive early enough to sign in before the screening begins).

The overall purpose of the course is to study a group of films that might be considered “masterworks,” that is, films with qualities that make it possible to argue for them as works of art, or, if you dislike that term, films of substance. The plan of the course is to convince ourselves that there are films worthy of repeated study, and of being held up as exemplary works.
The structure of this course is rather simple; we see films on Monday night that I then lecture about during the Tuesday and Thursday class meetings. On Thursday and Friday there are meetings of discussion sections.
Please keep in mind that: 1) the films for the course are not the only films that one might consider masterworks of American film; 2) that a number of the films we will view were not considered much more than entertainment when released, fitting only into neat generic conventions; it’s only been with the passage of time that the worth of these films have come to be recognized; 3) as the previous point illustrates, it takes time to evaluate the value of a film, so consequently we will not be viewing any films made after 1980 (which means before you were born!); 4) finally the work of this course is as much about coming up with criteria for evaluating films as it is about demonstrating the quality of the works that we will study.
The date and time of the final exam will be posted soon. It will cover all the films (particularly the clips shown in class), the lectures, the readings, as well as the questions and answers for the discussion sections.
At the College Store you need to purchase the DVD of the film entitled The Searchers, also a book entitled The Searchers, and a Coursepak that includes a Xerox of a short book entitled “Film Guide to The General.” In addition, you need to purchase two British Film Institute monographs: David Thomson, The Big Sleep; and Salman Rushdie, The Wizard of Oz.
There is a six-page paper due on Wednesday, March 16. If you have a good reason, you can get an extension until March 17, but no extension is possible past that date without a written Dean’s excuse.
For the paper you are to view the DVD of The Searchers, which you purchased in the College Store. After you have viewed the DVD several times, you should then read the book entitled The Searchers, which you also bought at the College Store. Since we will be reading the Henderson essay later, you can omit it the in the book. In two-three sentences, summarize the thesis of each of the other essays. After you have done this summary, present an argument, using the summary and your own insights, for why the film should be considered an important American film. Double-space the paper. The grade on your paper will be based on your ability to summarize accurately the arguments in the essays and on whether or not you present a clear, cogent, and convincing argument about the importance of the film. The grade on your paper will be lowered substantially if: 1) there is no argument or the argument is weak; 2) the paper contains mechanical errors (spelling, syntax, grammar); 3) the paper is written poorly (clarity, simplicity, well-organized, etc.); 4) the paper exceeds the page limit.

Attendance at screenings is mandatory and every missed screening lowers your final grade in the course. Watching a movie on a video monitor, in Sunderland or elsewhere, is not an acceptable substitute for watching it on a big screen at our regular screening time. Absences for classes, exams, and for screenings cannot be excused for any reason, nor can deadlines be extended, without permission of the Dean of Students' Office. Half a letter grade is deducted for each day that the paper is late.

Your course grade is based equally on: 1) the paper; 2) the final exam; 3) your attendance at the screenings and in discussion groups, as well as your participation as a member and leader of discussions.

NOTE: ALL EXAMS AND PAPERS MUST CONTAIN THE HONOR CODE PLEDGE. If you don't provide a signed pledge, the grade will be lowered.