Course Syllabus

Week

Date

Topic

Readings and Written Assignments (to be completed by designated class meeting)

1

Tue

10 Jan

Introduction to the Czechs, Central Europe, and film literacy

Thur

12 Jan

Film Terminology

7pm screening of Loves of a Blonde

Karel Čapek, “At the Crossroads of Europe” (1938, 12 pp.) (Canvas)

2

Tue

17 Jan

Discussion of Loves of a Blonde

Framing & Editing

Thur

19 Jan

WWII

7pm screening of The Shop on Main Street

Corrigan, Chapters 1 & 2 (35 pp.) (Canvas)

3

Tue

24 Jan

Discussion of The Shop on Main Street

Thur

26 Jan

Stalinism & the Fifties

7pm screening of The Ear

Corrigan, Chapter 3 (48 pp.) (Canvas)

4

Tue

31 Jan

Discussion of The Ear

Discussion of Extended Scene Analysis

Thur

2 Feb

Italian Neorealism, French and Czech New Waves, and Miloš Forman

7pm screening of Closely Watched Trains

Bordwell & Thompson, “Italian NeoRealism and French New Wave” (5 pp.) (Canvas)

5

Tue

7 Feb

Discussion of Closely Watched Trains

Scene analysis due in class

Thur

9 Feb

Oratorio for Prague

7pm screening of Daisies

Wikipedia Entry on the Prague Spring (8 pp.)

6

Tue

14 Feb

Discussion of Daisies and the Prague Spring

Thur

16 Feb

Vampires

7pm screening of Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Corrigan, Chapter 4 (26 pp.) (Canvas)

7

Tue

21 Feb

Discussion of Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Thur

23 Feb

And Introduction to “Real” Socialism

7pm screening of Walking Too Fast

Corrigan, Chapter 5 (19 pp.) (Canvas)

8

Tue

28 Feb

Discussion of Walking Too Fast

Thur

2 Mar

Village Life

7pm screening of My Sweet Little Village

9

Tue

7 Mar

Discussion of My Sweet Little Village

Thur

9 Mar

The Artist Under “Real” Socialism

7pm screening of Pupendo

Corrigan, Chapter 6.

Last Day to Drop a Course with an Automatic W (Sun, 12 Mar)

10

Tue

21 Mar

Discussion of Pupendo

Thur

23 Mar

Rock and Roll in the East Bloc

7pm screening of The Identity Card

Ivan Martin Jirous, “Report on the Third Czech Musical Revival” (25 pp) (Canvas)

11

Tue

28 Mar

Discussion of The Identity Card

Animation & Jan Švankmajer

Thur

30 Mar

Sound in Cinema

Animation

7pm Screening of Little Otík

Wikipedia entry on Jan Švankmajer.

Watch Švankmajer's short film Dimensions of Dialogue.

12

Tue

4 Apr

Discussion of Little Otík

The Velvet Revolution

Thur

5 Apr

The Race for the Oscar

7pm screening Kolya

The Film Experience, “Writing an Analytical Film Essay,” Selecting a topic (436–467)

13

Tue

11 Apr

Discussion of Kolya

Thur 13 Apr

7pm screening of Cozy Dens

Corrigan, Chapter 6 (Canvas)

14

Tue

18 Apr

Discussion of Cozy Dens

Thur

20 Apr

Life Under “Real” Capitalism

7pm screening of Something Like Happiness

Corrigan, Chapter 7 (Canvas)

15

Tue

25 Apr

Discussion of Something Like Happiness

Thur

27 Apr