FILM 320: Topics in Film Studies: Criminal Minds
The Description: Crime has long been one of Hollywood's favorite subjects, first appearing on the silent screen in 1903 with The Great Train Robbery and continuing to be a huge box-office draw in 2007 with No Country for Old Men. Their popularity should come as no surprise given that crime films reflect our ideas about fundamental political, social, and economic issues while, at the same time, influence the way we think about these issues. Whether watching a courtroom drama or a cop film, a police procedural or a gangster flick, a serial killer thriller or a film noir classic, crime films allow us to dwell in a world full of contradictions: where outlaws rule and rebels evade the hand of the law and where determined legal forces protect the innocent and restore moral order. Throughout this class, we will examine a range of criminal subgenres: 1930s gangster films, 1940s film noir, 1980s police films, 1990s cult prison dramas, and more. Focusing mainly but not exclusively on the United States , this course will explore the ways in which crime and criminality have been represented in fictional films and television dramas. In addition to contributing to an on-line discussion board and participating in class discussion, students will compose three essays: a shot-by-shot analysis, an analytical paper, and a research paper. FILM 320: Criminal Minds will be offered again in Spring 2011.
Contact:
For more information about this course, contact April Miller