Instructor: Jenny Stark
Office: Mend 5012
E-mail: jenstark@csus.edu
Office Hours: 3:30-4:30 & 5:30-6:30 W 4:30-5:30 Thursday

Description:
Research seminar that provides an in-depth investigation of film as an art form, a medium of mass communication and a means of personal expression.

Text: Narration in the Fiction Film, Bordwell
Summary of Text
Online Readings

Supplies: Internet connection, access to SAC CT
Access to Amazon and/or Itunes to watch films outside of class

GOALS:

• Mastery of film analysis
• Mastery of film research
• Ability to find cultural and historical relevance to films
• Exploration of how crime films shape culture
• Exploration of how crime films shape American citizen's understanding of the criminal justice system
  
  
  

  1/26 Week 1 Intro to class and syllabus
  Intro to Crime and Film Storytelling
  Review of the Film
  Laura
  Watch in Class
  Discussion
  Powerpoint
  

  2/2 Week 2 Crime Story Conventions
  Bordwell  1-21  48-61 63-70 
  Intro to Film Terms Be familiar with 1-3 before class
  The Third Man
  Watch in Class
  Quickwrite 5 points

  2/9 Week 3 Moral Ambiguity and the Border, Crime Story Conventions
  Cinematography and Deep Space
  Continued explanation: Bordwell  1-21  48-61 63-70 
  Intro to Film Terms Review 1-3 before class
  Bordwell 99-130
  Touch of Evil (Watch on Amazon or Itunes)
  Quickwrite 5 points
  PPT
  

  2/16 Week 4  Blaxploitation and the Crime Film
  Review
  Reading 1
  Field Trip: Crocker Art Museum
  Event can be found here
  Quickwrite at museum 5 points
  Participation at screening 5 points
  

  2/23 Week 5 Voyeurism and the Cinema, Crime Story Conventions
  Sound Design and Deep Space
  Bordwell 29-40 40-47
  Intro to Film Terms Be familiar with 4-5 before class
  Sound and Lonliness in Rear Window
  Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema
  Rear Window (Watch on Amazon or Itunes)
  Homework 1: Online Questions about Film and Reading 5 points
  Homework 2: Bring to class discussion points about the readings and film 5 points

  3/2 Week 6  The Female Lost Soul, Breaking Conventions
  Long Takes, Alienation, and style
  Bordwell 205-228  274-310
  Intro to Film Terms Be familiar with 6 before class
  For Wanda
  Wanda (Watch in Class)
  Discussion
  Quickwrite 5 points
  

  3/9  Week 7 Voyeurism and Paranoia, Crime Story Conventions
  The Conversation (Watch on Itunes or Amazon)
  Surveillance and Ethics in Film: Rear Window and The Conversation
  Ebert Review
  Notes on The Conversation
  Panopticism
  Homework 1: Online Questions about Film and Reading 5 points
  Homework 2: ring to class discussion points about the readings and film 5 points

  3/16 Week 8: Lecture: Class and Allegory in Contemporary
  Dog Day Afternoon (Watch on Itunes or Amazon)
  Mass Culture: Dog Day Afternoon as a
  Political Film, Fredric Jameson
  Homosexuality in Dog Day Afternoon
  Quickwrite 5 points
  Discussion
  Turn in Outline for Paper

  3/23 Spring Break

  3/30 Week 9
  Documentary Crime Conventions, Documentary and Storytelling, Social Justice
  The Thin Blue Line (Watch on Itunes or Amazon)
  Reading 1
  Reading 2
  Reading 3
  Reading 4
  Homework 1: Online Questions about Film and Reading  5 points
  Homework 2: Bring to class discussion points about the readings and film 5 points

  4/6 Week 10 : The wrongful conviction, race and privilege
  How crime and entertainment affect our view of justice
  The Fugitive (Watch on Itunes or Amazon)
  Bordwell 156-166
  Ebert Review
  Ethan Ham Review
  Homework 1: Online Questions about Film and Reading 5 points
  In-Class Discussion 5 points
  

  4/13 Week 11 The Female Outlaw
  Thelma and Louise (in class)
  Reading 1
  Reading 2
  Reading 3
  Discussion
  Quick Write 5 points

  4/20 Week 12
  Racial representation and policing
  Clockers (Watch on Itunes or Amazon)
  The Green Mile (watch film outside of class--if you haven't seen it)
  Reading 1
  Reading 2
  Reading 3
  Review of Film
  Discussion
  Quick Write 5 points will be due after break 5/4.

  4/27 Week 13
  Movie Night & Panel Discussion "Get Out"
  EVENT TIME
  6:30 pm--9:30
  EVENT LOCATION
  The University Union Ballroom
  ADMISSION
  Free!!!
  The questions will be distributed at the event:
  Please read the following: Reading 1
  and listen to the following Podcast before the screening.
  
  5/4 Week 14
  Quickwrite for Clockers Due
  Quickwrite for Get Out Due
  Crime, Investigation and the open ending
  Zodiac (Watch on Itunes or Amazon)
  There are elements of Zodiac that are similar to horror films. 
  Reading 1
  Reading 2
  If this is too much, please watch Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch
  Homework 1: Online Questions about Film and Reading 5 points
  Homework 2: Bring to class discussion points about the readings and film 5 points
  
  5/11 Week 15
  Hell or High Water Watch in class
  Reading 1
  Reading 2
  Quick Write 5 points
  Papers due final's week
  
  

Grades (200 points total)

• In-class and homework questions/discussion articles 100
• Attendance 30 Points
• Paper outline: 20 Points
  
• Research Paper: 50 points
  
  
  
• A 186-200
• A- 180-185
• B+ 174-179
• B 166-173
• B- 160-165
• C+ 154-159
• C 146-153
• C- 140-145
• D+ 134-139
• D 120-133
• F 0-119