Difference between pages "Douglas Sirk as Auteur (Discussion)" and "JCM412-512 Seminar in American Cinema"

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==Equivalent characters in the 1934 and 1959 versions of ''Imitation of Life''==
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[[Image:DoubleIndemnity.jpg|thumb|Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in the film noir, ''[[wikipedia:Double Indemnity|Double Indemnity]]''.]]
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'''TCF 440/540 Seminar in American Cinema''' is a discussion-oriented course taught by [[User:Jeremy Butler|Jeremy Butler]].
  
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<table width="200" border="0">
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== Course objectives ==
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  <tr>
 
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    <td><strong>1934</strong></td>
 
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    <td><strong>1959</strong></td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Bea</td>
 
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    <td>Lora</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Delilah</td>
 
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    <td>Annie</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Jessie</td>
 
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    <td>Susie</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Peola</td>
 
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    <td>Sarah Jane</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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  <tr>
 
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    <td>Steve</td>
 
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    <td>Steve</td>
 
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  </tr>
 
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</table>
 
  
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==Readings==
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The student will learn the three major critical methods applied to the American cinema: genre study, the auteur "theory," and the star "system." We will begin with the film noir, director Howard Hawks and actor Humphrey Bogart, and then, during the second half of the semester, turn our attention to the melodrama, director Douglas Sirk, and actress Lana Turner.
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==="Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life"===
 
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Lucy Fischer sums the previous approaches to ''Imitation of Life'' and then addresses her own concerns about the film:
 
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# "The question of women and work"
 
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# "The issue of race"
 
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# "The matter of star biography"
 
  
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Discuss these "concerns":
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Our focus will shift back and forth from the primary texts (the films themselves) to the writings on them. The latter will eventually lead us into considerations of feminism, Marxism, structuralism and semiotics.
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#'''All Groups:''' According to Fischer, what "cliché" is there about women's employment in the decade 1948-58? Why is it untrue?
 
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#'''Group 3:''' Often, films place women in the position of choosing between work outside the home and staying at home and nurturing children. How does ''Imitation of Life'' deal with this conflict—both in terms of Lora ''and'' Annie? Does Annie fit a "mammy" stereotype? What does Fischer have to say about African Americans and domestic labor?
 
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#*And how does the presentation of work vs. motherhood differ in the 1934 and 1959 versions?
 
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#'''Group 4:''' It's not just work and motherhood that are inflected with issues surrounding race. Fischer also sees a connection between race and "performance," between race and imitations (plural) of life. What different forms of performance, of playing a role, are evident in ''Imitation of Life''? Who performs and why?
 
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#*How does changing the white mother form the "Pancake Queen" to a performer change the story's meaning?
 
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#'''Grad Group:''' We'll discuss Turner as a star more fully next week, but what themes (or polysemy) does Fischer say were associated both with Turner (embodied in the Johnny Stompanato scandal) and Turner's ''character'' in ''Imitation of Life''?
 
  
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==="Distanciation and Douglas Sirk"===
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== Online study guides ==
 +
===Chronological order===
 +
#Film Analysis: [[BordwellThompson/Narrative Form (Discussion)|Discussion]] of film form chapters, ''Film Art''
 +
#Classical Style I: [[TCF440540/Mise-en-scene (Discussion)|Discussion]] of mise-en-scene
 +
#Classical Style II: [[TCF440540/Cinematography (Discussion)|Discussion]] of cinematography
 +
#Editing: [[TCF440540/Editing (Discussion)|Discussion]] of editing
 +
#Sound: [[TCF440540/Sound (Discussion)|Discussion]] of sound
 +
#Concept of Genre: [[Concept of Genre (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Concept of Genre (Discussion) | Discussion]] of Kitses (6-27), Buscombe (33-45), Collins (157-163).
 +
#Film Noir as Genre: [[Film Noir as Genre (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Film Noir as Genre (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Silver & Ursini (17-26, 37-52, 53-64, 65-76).
 +
#Concept of Authorship: [[Concept of Authorship (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Concept of Authorship (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Caughie (9-16, 22-67).
 +
#Howard Hawks as Auteur: [[Howard Hawks as Auteur (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Howard Hawks as Auteur (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Sarris (on Hawks, 52-56), Caughie (138-151), Hillier & Wollen (26-31, 32-34, 68-71, 83-86, 111-119).
 +
#Noir & Sexuality: [[Noir & Sexuality (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Noir & Sexuality (Discussion) | Discussion]] of Place (47-68), Dyer (52-72).
 +
#Concept of Star: [[Concept of Star (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Concept of Star (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Dyer (Stars, 106-50; recommended: 88-105).
 +
#Humphrey Bogart as Star: [[Humphrey Bogart as Star (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Humphrey Bogart as Star (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Sklar (104-120, 165-176, 227-251).
 +
#Domestic Melodrama as Genre: [[Domestic Melodrama as Genre (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Domestic Melodrama as Genre (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Haskell (153-188) -- in-class discussion preempted by midterm exam.
 +
#Domestic Melodrama Since World War II: [[Domestic Melodrama Since World War II (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Domestic Melodrama Since World War II (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Gledhill (5-39), Elsaesser (43-69).
 +
#Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera: [[Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Butler ("Apparatus," 53-70), Butler ("Actors," 75-91).
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#Douglas Sirk as Auteur: [[Douglas Sirk as Auteur (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Douglas Sirk as Auteur (Discussion)| Discussion]] of Sarris (on Sirk, 109-110), Fischer (3-28, 268-272); recommended: Doherty ([http://www.tcf.ua.edu/EO/SirkEssay.htm online]).
 +
#Lana Turner as Star: [[Lana Turner as Star (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Lana Turner as Star (Discussion)| Discussion]] of Dyer (30-52) [Also in Fischer (186-206)].
  
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#How does Sirk "intensify" elements of the melodrama genre?
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===List of lecture notes===
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#Willemen concludes that the "distanciation effect" can be "used to parody the stylistic procedures which traditionally convey an extremely smug, self-righteous and ''petit bourgeois'' world view paramount in the American melodrama."
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[[:Category:TCF440/540 Lecture]]
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#*''Petit bourgeois'' (pronounced "petty boor-jwah") is a French word meaning, literally, the "small middle-class", but more generally referring to a conservative wocial class of shop keepers and professionals. Thus, a ''petit bourgeois'' world view is one that is politically and morally conservative.
 
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#*'''Group 1:''' How might ''Imitation of Life'' be seen to be an attack on conservative values of the 1950s? Doe you think it succeeds at that?
 
  
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==Thinking further about remakes==
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===List of discussion notes===
 +
[[:Category:TCF440/540 Discussion]]
  
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#'''All Groups:''' There are many differences between the two versions of ''Imitation of Life''. One subtle change is the endings. How does each film end? (Refer to [http://www.tcf.ua.edu/jbutler/Diss/AppC/index.htm frame grabs here].) How do the endings signify different resolutions of the black daughter plotline and the white mother-boyfriend-daughter plotline?
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==Study groups==
 +
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
 +
|-
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 1===
 +
*Mark Lent
 +
*Tyler Allison
 +
*John Mark Alston
 +
*Jason Atchley
 +
*Kevyn Bowling
 +
*Lindsey Sway
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 2===
 +
*Samuel Bubis
 +
*Nalisa Capers
 +
*Geoff Carroll
 +
*Matthew Cocozza
 +
*Katherine Tuebner
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 3===
 +
*Sean Fleming
 +
*Jaime Kaufman
 +
*Joshua Key
 +
*Melissa Lockhart
 +
*Devon Young
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 4===
 +
*Christopher McCarter
 +
*Brandon Lowe
 +
*Alison O'Neil
 +
*Ashley Polyne
 +
*Shelby Ross
 +
*Connor Simpson
 +
|}
  
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[[Image:ImitationOfLife1934qq01 47 59qq.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Final scene, 1934 version.]]
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== Texts & resources ==
−
[[Image:ImitationOfLife1934qq01 49 48qq.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Final shot, 1934 version.]]
 
−
<br style="clear:both;"/>
 
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[[Image:ImitationOfLife1959qq02 02 53qq.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Final scene, 1959 version.]]
 
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[[Image:ImitationOfLife1959qq02 03 35qq.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Final shot, 1959 version.]]
 
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<br style="clear:both;"/>
 
  
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==Bibliography==
+
===Books===
−
# Lucy Fischer, "Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'' ed. Lucy Fischer (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 3-28.
+
 
−
# Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk'', Director, 268-272.
+
#David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, ''Film Art: An Introduction''.
 +
#John Caughie, ed., ''Theories of Authorship'' (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981).
 +
#Richard Dyer, ''Stars'', Second Edition, Supplementary Chapter by Paul McDonald (London: British Film Institute, 1998).
 +
#Recommended, not required: Lucy Fischer,ed., ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'' (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1991).
 +
 
 +
===Articles and book chapters===
 +
#Jim Kitses, ''Horizons West'' (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969) 6-27.
 +
#Edward Buscombe, "The Idea of Genre in the American Cinema," ''Screen'', 11.2 (1970): 33-45.
 +
#Richard Collins, "Genre: A Reply to Ed Buscombe," ''Movies and Methods'', ed. Bill Nichols (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) 157-163.
 +
#Alain Silver and James Ursini, eds., ''Film Noir Reader'' (New York: Limelight, 1996).
 +
#Andrew Sarris, ''The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973) 52-56, 109-110.
 +
#Jim Hillier and Peter Wollen, eds., ''Howard Hawks American Artist'' (London: British Film Institute, 1996).
 +
#Janey Place, "Women in Film Noir," ''Women in Film Noir'', ed. E. Ann Kaplan (London: British Film Institute, 1998) 47-68.
 +
#Richard Dyer, "Homosexuality and Film Noir," ''The Matter of Images: Essays on Representations'' (London and New York: Routledge, 1993) 52-72.
 +
#Robert Sklar, ''City Boys: Cagney, Bogart, Garfield'' (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992).
 +
#Molly Haskell, "The Woman's Film," in ''From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies'' (New York: Penguin, 1974) 153-188.
 +
#Christine Gledhill, "The Melodrama Field: An Investigation," ''Home is Where the Heart Is: Studies in Melodrama and Woman's Film'', ed. Christine Gledhill (London: British Film Institute, 1987) 5-39.
 +
#Thomas Elsaesser, "Tales of Sound and Fury: Observations on the Family Melodrama," ''Home is Where the Heart Is'', 43-69.
 +
#Jeremy G. Butler, "Notes on the Soap Opera Apparatus: Televisual Style and ''As the World Turns''," ''Cinema Journal'', 25.3 (1986): 53-70.
 +
#Jeremy G. Butler, "'I'm Not a Doctor, But I Play One on TV': Characters, Actors, and Acting in Television Soap Opera," ''Cinema Journal'' 30.4 (1991): 75-91.
 +
#Lucy Fischer, "Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk'', Director ed. Lucy Fischer (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 3-28.
 +
#Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'', 268-272.
 +
#Recommended, not required: Thomas Doherty, "Douglas Sirk: Magnificent Obsession," ''The Chronicle Review'', 49, no. 12 (November 15, 2002), p. B16. Available online.
 +
#Richard Dyer, "Four Films of Lana Turner," ''Movie'' 25: 30-52.
 +
 
 +
[[Category:TCF440-540]]
 +
[[Category:TCF Classes]]

Revision as of 15:58, 18 January 2012

Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in the film noir, Double Indemnity.

TCF 440/540 Seminar in American Cinema is a discussion-oriented course taught by Jeremy Butler.

Course objectives

The student will learn the three major critical methods applied to the American cinema: genre study, the auteur "theory," and the star "system." We will begin with the film noir, director Howard Hawks and actor Humphrey Bogart, and then, during the second half of the semester, turn our attention to the melodrama, director Douglas Sirk, and actress Lana Turner.

Our focus will shift back and forth from the primary texts (the films themselves) to the writings on them. The latter will eventually lead us into considerations of feminism, Marxism, structuralism and semiotics.

Online study guides

Chronological order

  1. Film Analysis: Discussion of film form chapters, Film Art
  2. Classical Style I: Discussion of mise-en-scene
  3. Classical Style II: Discussion of cinematography
  4. Editing: Discussion of editing
  5. Sound: Discussion of sound
  6. Concept of Genre: Lecture / Discussion of Kitses (6-27), Buscombe (33-45), Collins (157-163).
  7. Film Noir as Genre: Lecture / Discussion of Silver & Ursini (17-26, 37-52, 53-64, 65-76).
  8. Concept of Authorship: Lecture / Discussion of Caughie (9-16, 22-67).
  9. Howard Hawks as Auteur: Lecture / Discussion of Sarris (on Hawks, 52-56), Caughie (138-151), Hillier & Wollen (26-31, 32-34, 68-71, 83-86, 111-119).
  10. Noir & Sexuality: Lecture / Discussion of Place (47-68), Dyer (52-72).
  11. Concept of Star: Lecture / Discussion of Dyer (Stars, 106-50; recommended: 88-105).
  12. Humphrey Bogart as Star: Lecture / Discussion of Sklar (104-120, 165-176, 227-251).
  13. Domestic Melodrama as Genre: Lecture / Discussion of Haskell (153-188) -- in-class discussion preempted by midterm exam.
  14. Domestic Melodrama Since World War II: Lecture / Discussion of Gledhill (5-39), Elsaesser (43-69).
  15. Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera: Lecture / Discussion of Butler ("Apparatus," 53-70), Butler ("Actors," 75-91).
  16. Douglas Sirk as Auteur: Lecture / Discussion of Sarris (on Sirk, 109-110), Fischer (3-28, 268-272); recommended: Doherty (online).
  17. Lana Turner as Star: Lecture / Discussion of Dyer (30-52) [Also in Fischer (186-206)].

List of lecture notes

Category:TCF440/540 Lecture

List of discussion notes

Category:TCF440/540 Discussion

Study groups

Group 1

  • Mark Lent
  • Tyler Allison
  • John Mark Alston
  • Jason Atchley
  • Kevyn Bowling
  • Lindsey Sway

Group 2

  • Samuel Bubis
  • Nalisa Capers
  • Geoff Carroll
  • Matthew Cocozza
  • Katherine Tuebner

Group 3

  • Sean Fleming
  • Jaime Kaufman
  • Joshua Key
  • Melissa Lockhart
  • Devon Young

Group 4

  • Christopher McCarter
  • Brandon Lowe
  • Alison O'Neil
  • Ashley Polyne
  • Shelby Ross
  • Connor Simpson

Texts & resources

Books

  1. David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction.
  2. John Caughie, ed., Theories of Authorship (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981).
  3. Richard Dyer, Stars, Second Edition, Supplementary Chapter by Paul McDonald (London: British Film Institute, 1998).
  4. Recommended, not required: Lucy Fischer,ed., Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1991).

Articles and book chapters

  1. Jim Kitses, Horizons West (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969) 6-27.
  2. Edward Buscombe, "The Idea of Genre in the American Cinema," Screen, 11.2 (1970): 33-45.
  3. Richard Collins, "Genre: A Reply to Ed Buscombe," Movies and Methods, ed. Bill Nichols (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) 157-163.
  4. Alain Silver and James Ursini, eds., Film Noir Reader (New York: Limelight, 1996).
  5. Andrew Sarris, The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973) 52-56, 109-110.
  6. Jim Hillier and Peter Wollen, eds., Howard Hawks American Artist (London: British Film Institute, 1996).
  7. Janey Place, "Women in Film Noir," Women in Film Noir, ed. E. Ann Kaplan (London: British Film Institute, 1998) 47-68.
  8. Richard Dyer, "Homosexuality and Film Noir," The Matter of Images: Essays on Representations (London and New York: Routledge, 1993) 52-72.
  9. Robert Sklar, City Boys: Cagney, Bogart, Garfield (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992).
  10. Molly Haskell, "The Woman's Film," in From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies (New York: Penguin, 1974) 153-188.
  11. Christine Gledhill, "The Melodrama Field: An Investigation," Home is Where the Heart Is: Studies in Melodrama and Woman's Film, ed. Christine Gledhill (London: British Film Institute, 1987) 5-39.
  12. Thomas Elsaesser, "Tales of Sound and Fury: Observations on the Family Melodrama," Home is Where the Heart Is, 43-69.
  13. Jeremy G. Butler, "Notes on the Soap Opera Apparatus: Televisual Style and As the World Turns," Cinema Journal, 25.3 (1986): 53-70.
  14. Jeremy G. Butler, "'I'm Not a Doctor, But I Play One on TV': Characters, Actors, and Acting in Television Soap Opera," Cinema Journal 30.4 (1991): 75-91.
  15. Lucy Fischer, "Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life," Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director ed. Lucy Fischer (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 3-28.
  16. Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk," Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director, 268-272.
  17. Recommended, not required: Thomas Doherty, "Douglas Sirk: Magnificent Obsession," The Chronicle Review, 49, no. 12 (November 15, 2002), p. B16. Available online.
  18. Richard Dyer, "Four Films of Lana Turner," Movie 25: 30-52.
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