Applying Aesthetic Categories in Film

Display Schedule

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
373REK ZK 2 2T Czech winter

Subject guarantor

Jan BERNARD

Name of lecturer(s)

Jan BERNARD

Learning outcomes of the course unit

The lectures define aesthetic categories in application to film arts and entertainment. It covers film in the context of communication theory, computer infomation and systematic understanding. In application, explained are concepts such as aesthetic norms, value, function, aesthetic economics, novelty of information, aesthetics of experience and aesthetic judgement, the relation among modernity, kitsch, realism and stylization, dual categories raised - lowered, tragic - comic, beauty - ugliness, catharsis, irony, humor, satire, suffering, peace, harmony. This covers the formation and deformation of reality in the film image and other aesthetic aspects of film language and prepares students for independent analysis of a film from those viewpoints.

Mode of study

Lecture with film sample analyses and topic discusssions.

Prerequisites and co-requisites

Fundamental knowledge of world and Czech film, literature and fine arts, and theatre. Analytical and review skills.

Course contents

The course teaches students about the aesthetic categories applied in film art and entertainment. It examines film in the context of the theory of communication, IT, and as a system. It explains concepts such as aesthetic norm, value, function, aesthetic economy, novelty of information, aesthetic experience, and aesthetic judgement, the relationship between modernity and kitsch, realism and stylisation, categories of high/low, tragic/comic, beauty/ugliness, catharsis, irony, humour, satire, embarassment, peace, harmony. It examines the formation and deformation of reality in the film image and other aesthetic aspects of film language, and it prepares students to independently analyse films from these perspectives. Soft-core and hard-core aesthetics. The course draws on examples from films and occasionally uses entire films.

Synopsis

The lectures will approach aesthetic categories in their application in the film arts and entertainment. The course deals with film in the context of communication theory, computer information and systems comprehension. In application this clarifies concepts as aesthetic norms, values, functions, aesthetics of economy, information novelties, aesthetic experiences and aesthetic judgement, the relationship between modernity and kitch, realism and stylization, the pairs of categories high - low, tragic - comic, beauty - ugliness, catharsis, irony, humor, satire, uneasiness, peace, harmony. This course covers the formation and deformation of reality in the film image and other aesthetic aspects of film expression and prepares students for independent film analysis from those viewpoints. Soft-core and Hard-core Aesthetics. We work mainly with film samples and occassionaly whole films.

The exam is comprised of an interview over an essay about a selected film or group of films from the viewpoint of some of the lecture topics based on covered literature and orientation issues from other topics.

Grading: Essay and interview - 70%, orientation issue questions - 20%, activity in class - 10%

Credit is awarded based on the essay.

Curriculum:

I) Introduction: The work as a message in the communication model (idea-aesthetic information), content norms and forms, genre and personal styles, innovation as information (Flusser's Loop). Aesthetic experience and judgement. Values and evaluation. Aesthetics and sociological concepts of art. The main rules of aesthetic appreciation.

II) Aesthetic categories as labelling emotions, experience. Peace, harmony, kalokagathia (beauty and good)

III) Beauty categories in art and in film. Film samples.

IV) Categories of Ugliness. Film samples.

V) Categories of Height and the lofty in art and in film. Film samples.

VI) Tragedy and Catharsis in film. Samples.

VII) The common in art and in film. Samples.

VIII) Pornography as a particular form of the common. The difference between art and non-art from the viewpoint of aesthetic function. The position of pornography in today's culture. Film samples.

IX) Kitch as a particular form of the common. Film samples.

X) Irony, parody, pastiche, travesty, naivete and absurdity in film. Samples.

XI) Categories of the Comic in art and film. Humor and satire. Samples.

XII) Uneasiness in film. Samples.

Recommended or required reading

Bachtin Michail M.: Francois Rabelais a lidová kultura středověku a renesance (úvod), Odeon, Praha 1975

Biró Yvetta: Teorie filmové dramaturgie,Praha ČFÚ 1974, s. 44 - 64

Borecký Vladimír: Teorie komiky, Hynek Praha 2000

Frankfurt Harry G.: Sračka. Columbus, Praha 2005

Freelandová Cynthia A.: Vznešeno ve filmu in Iluminace 3 (2002) s. 5 - 21

Gombrich Ernst H.:Vizuální obraz a jeho místo v komunikaci in Iluminace 3 (1995) s. 49 - 71

Hořínek Zdeněk : Divadlo jako hra, Blok Brno 1970,s.131 - 138

Hošková Stanislava: Citace, parafráce, plagiát. Diplomová práce KSS FAMU 2007, rkp.

Hugo Victor: Předmluva ke Cromwellovi, AMU Praha 2006

Kulka Tomáš: Umění a kýč, Torst Praha 2000

Mukařovský Jan: Cestami poetiky a estetiky,Československý spisovatel Praha 1971

Mukařovský Jan: Může míti estetická hodnota v umění platnost všeobecnou? in Studie z estetiky, Odeon Praha 1966, dtto Odeon, Praha 1971, s. 100 - 110

Plažewski Jerzy: Filmová řeč. Praha Orbis 1967

Souriau Étienne: Encyklopedie estetiky, Victoria Publishing Praha, 1994

Zuska Vlastimil (ed.): Umění, krása, šeredno: Texty z estetiky 20. století. Karolinum, Praha 2003, s. 253 - 261, 283 - 365 (J. Baudrillard, B. Saint - Gironsová, M. Gagnebinová)

Assessment methods and criteria

The exam is comprised of an interview about an essay on a selected film or group of films from one of the lecture topic viewpoints and based on the studied literature and general bearing questions from a range of other topics.

Grading: Essay and interview -70%, general bearing question - 20%, class participation - 10%

Credit is provided based on the essay.

Note

The lectures approach the aesthetic category in application in the film arts and entertainment. It deals with film in an understanding in contexts of communication, information and systems theories. Application explains concepts as aesthetic standards, values, functions, aesthetics of economy, newness of information, enjoyment aesthetics and aesthetics of judgement, the relationship between modernity and kitsch, realism and stylization, categories of duality; raised - lowered, tragic - comedic, beauty - ugliness, catharsis, irony, humor, satire, the awkward, peace and harmony. This covers the formation and deformation of reality in the film image and other aesthetic aspects of film language and prepares the students for independent film analysis from those viewpoints.

Further information

This course is an elective for all AMU students

Schedule for winter semester 2018/2019:

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
Wed
Thu
room 240
Room No. 240
(Lažanský palác)
BERNARD J.
13:10–16:25
(lecture parallel1)
Fri
Date Day Time Tutor Location Notes No. of paralel
Thu 13:10–16:25 Jan BERNARD Room No. 240
Lažanský palác 		lecture parallel1

Schedule for summer semester 2018/2019:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans