Pentium - History of Audiovisualization: Film Noir 1

Code	Completion	Credits	Range	Language Instruction	Semester
373PDAFN1	ZK	2	4/T	Czech	winter

Subject guarantor:

Name of lecturer(s):

Petra DOMINKOVÁ

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

By the end of the course the student will be able to define film noir and understand the specificity of it.

Mode of study:

Lectures supplemented with screened examples or entire films.

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

Attendance: Students are to attend lessons, including screenings.

Activity: Students will join in discussions - debates about film are an important part of the lessons

Presentation: Each student will lead a discussion about a film shown at the previous class time.

Essay (3 pages min./1050 words): Essay about some film noir; Topics will be available for the students. Essay deadline: November 13.

Colloquium: Discussion about film noir. Students demonstrate knowledge on a topic and film selected during the semester. Date: December 18th.

Recommended optional programme components:

Recommended reading:

* Czech/Slovak:

-additional texts on topics in Kinoikon č.1, 2007

-blog on film noir in Czech: http://filmnoirblog.blogspot.cz/ (also relevant web links in English)

-particular editions of the internet magazine 25 fps on filmu noir, here: http://25fps.cz/tag/11-cislo/

* * *

-Dominková, Petra. Dům na samotě ve filmu noir - Slovenská literatúra 56, 2009, s. 474?481.

-Kučera, Jakub. Film noir záblesky černé. Cinepur č. 19, 2002, k dispozici: http://cinepur.cz/article.php?article=29

* English:

Literature for film noir in English is quite extensive. For an overview of key publications up to the middle of the 1990s see note #2 in the article by V. Sobchackové, Lounge time. Chronotop filmu noir a období poválečných krizí in Kinoikonu č. 1, 2007, s. 73-74.

additional publications:

DIMENDBERG, Edward. Film Noir and the Spaces of Modernity. Cambridge (Massachusetts), London : Harvard University Press, 2004.

KAPLAN, E. Ann (ed.). Women in Film Noir. London : BFI Publishing, 1980.

KRUTNIK, Frank. Something More Than Night: tales of the noir city. In CLARK, David B. (ed.). The Cinematic City. London, New York : Routledge, 1997.

SILVER, Alain; URSINI, James (eds.). Film Noir Reader 1. New York : Limelight Editions, 1996. // Film Noir Reader 2, 1999 // Film Noir Reader 3, 2001 // Film Noir Reader 4, 2004.

(and if that weren't enough: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/Noirbib.html je další soupis literatury o filmu noir. (87 pps.)

Course contents:

The aim of the course is to introduce students to one of the most interesting American styles - Film Noir and it predecessors and successors. What is unique about this style that has attracted the attention of film theorists for half a century? What is typical of Film Noir? Why did this arise in the USA at that particular time? And why at all? What is it? Style? Genre? Mood? A movement? A tendency? Each lecture is focused on one aspect of Film Noir. Students will have the opportunity to view a number of excerpts from important and less important films of Film Noir as well as 13 feature films (most in English without subtitles).

Week 1 [Weds, 2.Oct]

Topics: Introduction - What is Film Noir? A style, genre, tendency, movement?

Screening: RAW DEAL (Anthony Mann, 1948, 79", no subtitles)

Week 2 [Weds, 9. Oct]

Topics: Predecessors to Film Noir - German Expressionism, French Poetic Realism, Gangster movies and others.

Screening: YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE (Fritz Lang, 1937, 86", no subtitles)

Reading: Schrader + Borde/Chaumeton.

Week 3 [Weds. 16. Oct.]

Topics: First phase of Film Noir: hard boiled detektive movies (1941-1946)

Screening: THIS GUN FOR HIRE (Frank Tuttle, 1942, 81", English subtitles)

Reading: Naremore, 63-81.

Week 4 [Weds, 23. Oct]

Topics: Second phases of Film Noir: Crime on the streets (1945-1949)

Screening: THE KILLERS (Robert Siodmak, 1946, 103", English subtitles)

Reading: Vernet.

Week 5 [Weds. 30. Oct]

Topics: Third phase of Film Noir: psychopaths and committers of suicide (1949-1958)

Screening: KISS ME DEADLY (Robert Aldrich, 1955, 106", Czech subtitles)

Reading: Lang.

Week 6 [Weds, 6. Nov]

Topics: Visual style

Screening: The BIG COMBO (Joseph H. Lewis, 1955, 89", English subtitles).

Reading: Place - Peterson.

ESSAY SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Week 7 [Weds, 13. Nov]

Topics: Costuming in Film Noir: Mink coats

Screening: BODY AND SOUL (Robert Rossen, 1947, 112", English subtitles)

Reading: Dominková (2008).

Week 8 [Weds, 20. Nov]

Topics: City and Country in Film Noir

Screening: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (John Huston, 1950, 93", English subtitles)

Reading: Dominková (2007; Film Noir and Nature).

Week 9 [Weds, 27. Nov]

Topics: The Femme Fatale and supressed homosexuality

Screening: ANGEL FACE (Otto Preminger, 1952, 91", English subtitles)

Reading: Place.

Week 10 [Weds, 4. Dec]

Topics: The absence of family and home

Screening: OUT OF THE PAST (Jacques Tourneur, 1947, 97", English subtitles)

Reading: Sobchacková.

Week 11 [Weds, 11. Dec]

Topics: B films

Screening: KILLER'S KISS (Stanley Kubrick, 1955, 67" Czech subtitles)

Reading: Naremore (1998), 136-166.

Week 12 [Weds, 18. Dec]

Topics: Closing - lectures discussion, feedback

Colloquium

Recommended or required reading:

REQUIRED READING (All texts will be available electronically)

Borde, Raymond, and Étienne Chaumeton. „K definici filmu noir“ Kinoikon č. 1, 2007, s. 31-38.

Dominková, Petra. „Film noir a příroda.“ Kinoikon č. 1, 2007, s. 127?235.

Dominková, Petra. „I Want That Mink! Film Noir and Fashion.“ In: If looks could kill: Cinema?s Images of Fashion, Crime and Violence, ed. by Marketa Uhlirova, London: Koenig Books, 2008, s. 138-143.

Lang, Robert. „Looking for the `Great Whatzit': Kiss Me Deadly and Film Noir.“ Cinema Journal 27, č. 3 (jaro, 1988), s. 32-44.

Naremore, James. More Than Night. University of California Press, Los Angeles. 1998, s. 63-81, 136-166. (Chapters „Sympathy for the Devil“ a „Low is High: Budgets and Critical Discrimination“))

Place, Janey, and Lowell Peterson. „Some Visual Motifs of Film Noir.“ In: Movies and Methods (vol. 1), ed. by Bill Nichols. University of California Press, Los Angeles 1976, s. 325-338.

Place, Janey. „Women in Film Noir.“ In: Women in Film Noir, ed. by E Ann Kaplan. London: BFI, 1989, s. 35-68.

Sobchacková, Vivian. „Lounge time. Chronotop filmu noir a období poválečných krizí.“ Kinoikon č. 1, 2007, s. 73-110.

Schrader, Paul. „Notes on Film Noir.“ In: Film Noir Reader, ed. by Silver, Alain, and James Ursini. Limelight Editions, New York 2001, s. 53-64.

Also here http://i.mtime.com/Noir/blog/1433838/

Vernet, Marc. „Film Noir on the Edge of Doom.“ In: Shades of Noir, ed. by Joan Copjec. Verso, London/New York 1993, s. 1-31.

RECOMMENDED READING

* Czech/Slovak:

-additional writings on topics in Kinoikon č.1, 2007

-film noir blog in Czech: http://filmnoirblog.blogspot.cz/ (also a number of links to English websites)

-Special edtion of the internet magazine 25 fps about film noir, here: http://25fps.cz/tag/11-cislo/

* * *

-Dominková, Petra. „Dům na samotě ve filmu noir.“ Slovenská literatúra 56, 2009, s. 474?481.

-Kučera, Jakub. „Film noir - záblesky černé.“ Cinepur č. 19, 2002, available here: http://cinepur.cz/article.php?article=29

* Englishy:

Film Noir literature in English is quite extensive. For an overview of key publicatoins up to the mid 1990s se Note #2 in V. Sobchackové „Lounge time. Chronotop filmu noir a období poválečných krizí“ v Kinoikonu č. 1, 2007, s. 73?74.

Additional publications:

DIMENDBERG, Edward. Film Noir and the Spaces of Modernity. Cambridge (Massachusetts), London : Harvard University Press, 2004.

KAPLAN, E. Ann (ed.). Women in Film Noir. London : BFI Publishing, 1980.

KRUTNIK, Frank. Something More Than Night: tales of the noir city. In CLARK, David B. (ed.). The Cinematic City. London, New York : Routledge, 1997.

SILVER, Alain; URSINI, James (eds.). Film Noir Reader 1. New York : Limelight Editions, 1996. // Film Noir Reader 2, 1999 // Film Noir Reader 3, 2001 // Film Noir Reader 4, 2004.

(Also, here http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/Noirbib.html je další soupis literatury o filmu noir. 87 pages)

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

Lectures, screenings

Assessment methods and criteria:

Class Attendance/Participation: I expect students to attend all classes (including screenings). Participation to class discussion will be taken into account in the final grade.

Presentation: A presentation based on a film seen within the class. Bring written outline!

Midterm essay (4 pages minimum, i.e. 1.400 words): An essay about chosen film noir. Due: ???

Final essay (6 pages minimum, i.e. 2.100 words): On a chosen topic that corresponds to the material covered in the course. Due: ???

Assessment and final grade:

The final grade will be calculated as follows: Class Attendance and Participation (20%); presentation (20%); midterm essay (25%); final essay (35%)

Course web page:

http://www2.iim.cz/wiki/index.php/Mediahistory_I_and_II

Note:

The final grade will be calculated as follows: Class Attendance and Participation (20%); presentation (20%); midterm essay (25%); final essay (35%)

Further information:

This course is an elective for all students of this school

Schedule for winter semester 2013/2014:

	06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
Tue
Fri	místnost 207 Učebna 2 (Lažanský palác) DOMINKOVÁ P. 14:50–18:05 (přednášková par. 1)
Thu
Fri

Date	Day	Time	Tutor	Location	Notes	No. of paralel
	Fri	14:50–18:05	DOMINKOVÁ P.	Učebna 2 Lažanský palác		přednášková par. 1

Schedule for summer semester 2013/2014:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

Animation - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Documentary Film - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Documentary Film - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Animation - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Scriptwriting and Dramaturgy - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Scriptwriting and Dramaturgy - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Film Directing - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Film Directing - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Cinematography - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Cinematography - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Production - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Production - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Audiovisual Studies - Bachelor (qualification subject, faculty subject, optional subject)
Editing - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Editing - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Sound Design - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Sound Design - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Photography CZ - Bachelor (faculty subject, optional subject)
Photography CZ - Master (faculty subject, optional subject)
Audiovisual Studies - Master (qualification subject, faculty subject, optional subject)
Restoring of Photogrphy (faculty subject, optional subject)