ENG 349: National Cinema--"New Realisms in Contemporary European Cinema"

(Presession 2008, M, T, W, R, & F 1:00 - 3:50 p.m.)

Course Description and Goals

In this course we will focus on the notion of " realism " in three contemporary European national cinemas of the last decade: those of Denmark (with a focus on the so-called "Dogme 95" films), Great Britain , and Germany (with a focus on the so-called "Berlin School").   In addition to studying these national cinemas in some depth by taking into account the socio-cultural and film historical specificities of these nations and national cinemas, we also strive to come to terms with the notion of "realism" that is often used when addressing the aesthetics of these films.   Given the vexed definitional nature of the term "realism," one of our main goals will thus be to figure out what exactly we mean when we characterize a film as "realist."   To aid our theoretical exploration of this question, we will base our discussions on a series of texts that discuss the notion of realism in the context of the cinema, at times specifically with recourse to one or more of the films screened in class, at others in different film historical contexts.   By looking at how realism works and what it appears to stand for in the context of three different European cinemas (cinema traditions), we ultimately want to discover what kind of work one or multiple versions of "realism" can or might do in specific contexts.

The Reading Assignments

All readings are available online, either through the world wide wed (hypertext links in schedule) or Blackboard.

For each day, I assigned a series of texts that I'd like you to check out in advance of class screenings.   Many of the texts are reviews of the films screened, interviews with the directors, or contextual overviews of the film "movement" of which a given film/director is part.   Other texts do not deal with the film or director at hand but, rather, engage the question of "realism" from various theoretically inflected angles.

How are we going to deal with the texts in class?

In light of limited class discussion time, we are not bound to discuss most of the assigned texts in great detail.   Instead, you can expect my lectures and contributions to our discussions to be informed by the readings; at times I might specifically refer to them, at others I might simply paraphrase, modify, or expand on something that is expressed in the readings.   However, even though I am not likely to go through any given text in paragraph-by-paragraph detail (especially not the reviews or interviews), you should feel free to ask at any time about anything in the assigned texts about which you want to talk .   Furthermore, with regard to the more theoretical texts (i.e., the ones that address the question of "realism") we might, at times, indeed want to go directly to the text to unpack the more difficult or dense passages that could turn out to be useful for our understanding of our course's central theoretical concept.   I therefore strongly urge you not only to read the theoretical texts in advance of class time but also to bring them with you so you can annotate them based on our discussion of them.

How much should you read?

In an ideal world you'd read all of the assigned texts; after all, I assigned the texts with the conviction that reading them will enhance your learning experience.   However, perhaps the best way of thinking about the texts is by keeping in mind the work they can, and indeed have to , do for your paper-writing purposes.   In essence, I have already done all the research for you, which you can, and should, now draw upon when writing your 2 critical essays (see below).   So while you may not feel that you must read each and every text, you should keep in mind that the texts a) constitute one distinct track designed to enhance your learning experience (the others being: i. the film screenings themselves; ii. my lectures; and iii. our in-class discussions); b) form the basis for your papers; and c) are meant to enhance the quality of your class participation.

Written Assignments

You will have to write two critical/analytical papers, with the first being due June 2 and the second being due June 9.   Each paper has to engage in substantial manner at least two films screened in class, but you may choose to engage more than two in each paper.   Furthermore, each paper should critically investigate the course's central theoretical concept--that of "realism."   In other words, whatever questions you try to address in your papers, they should relate to the question of cinematic realism.

Basic Rules:

1. Given the due dates, paper #1 should deal with either Danish or British cinema; you may also choose to do comparative work.   Paper # 2, in turn, should deal with either British or German cinema; again, you may choose to do comparative work.   However, if you choose to write in some fashion on British cinema for paper #1, then the only way you can write again on British cinema for paper #2 is under two conditions: a) that you write a comparative paper (on British and German cinema) and b) that the British films you address in paper #2 substantially differ from the ones you already addressed in paper #1.
2. Each paper should be thesis-driven and thus expressive of a central argumentative insight that you develop with specific examples (close reading of films) and further enhance with recourse to relevant research materials.   I.e., I fully expect that you meaningfully engage the relevant readings assigned for this class, including, importantly, the theoretical readings on "realism," in the context of your film analyses and, furthermore, that you properly cite relevant passages as a way to support your line of argumentation.
3. Because your papers should display sufficient textual specificity , it is imperative that you take good notes during our film screenings.   You want to write down character names, major plot events, significant stylistic characteristics, as well as what strike you as important lines of dialogue, among other things.   Use the Internet Movie Database ( www.imdb.com ) to double-check your facts (name of actors, cinematographers, etc.), as I expect you to provide such information in your papers (i.e., when you mention for the first time a character name, provide in parenthesis the actor's name, as in: "In Christian Petzold's Gespenster (2005), Nina (Julia Hummer), a teenage girl, ...").
4. By definition, readers of critical/analytic papers do not care about your mere personal beliefs or opinions.   It is, quite frankly, beside the point whether you (dis)like this or that film or aspect thereof, or whether you (dis)like this or that critical or theoretical argument.   Rather than wasting everyone's time by narcissistically and essentially anti-intellectually expounding on your personal preferences and opinions, focus your attention and energy on expressing how a given film works, what is of interest about it with regard to a carefully defined problem or question (pertaining to "realism" in our case), and how what you show and argue matters in relation to an ongoing conversation or clearly defined stake of the argument.   Many of the assigned readings model for you what critical/analytical writing is all about, so when reading the texts don't just pay attention to what is being said but also to how and why the authors present their arguments and materials.   The bottom line is: everyone's got opinions, just like we all have bellybuttons.   Hence, stating mere opinions is hardly an accomplishment.   But not everyone has well-articulated, thought-through, and substantiated arguments; therefore, presenting an argument is an accomplishment, especially if it's done well.
5. This class is ENGLISH 349.   It should go without saying, then, that your writing should be free of egregious spelling, grammar, citation, and style errors; excessive sloppiness will result in a lower grade for your paper.   Preferred citation style is MLA, but I accept any citation style as long as you use it meaningfully, correctly, and consistently.
6. Each paper should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words in length.   State word count at the end of your papers (MS Word has the word count function under "Tools").
7. Due dates for papers are non-negotiable.   Late papers will automatically receive an "F"; I do not grant incompletes.

Grades

Your final grade will be based on the 2 papers and your in-class participation.   (Note: mere physical presence does not earn you credit for participation; to receive such credit you actually have to contribute to our in-class activities.)   Failure to abide by the general course rules (see "From the Legal Department" below) will negatively affect your final grade accordingly.   To determine your final grade, I will use the following breakdown:

• Both papers count for 40% each of your final grade.
• Participation counts for 20% of the final grade.
• For insights into how I think about grading, see "Grading" document on Blackboard ("Course Document" section).
• In general, I do not negotiate grades.   Please refrain from asking me to re-consider a grade because of issues that have nothing to do with the quality of your paper, such as issues pertaining to your GPA, etc.

To calculate your final grade, use this formula:

Points for Paper 1 * 40/100 + Points for Paper 2 * 40/100 + Points for Participation * 20/100 = Final Point Total

Grading Scale :

98-100 = A+; 93-97 = A; 90-92 = A-; 87-89 = B+; 83-86 = B; 80-82 = B-; 76-79 = C+; 70-75 = C; 68-69 = C-; 65-67= D+; 62-64 = D; 60-61 = D-; 59 or less = F.

COURSE SCHEDULE

(Subject to Change)

NOTE: Please be aware of the fact that some of the films to be screened contain materials that may be troubling to some sensibilities.   Some of these films feature significant images of graphic violence and explicit sexual content of all kinds (hetero-, homo-, trans- sexual, involving all ages).   Furthermore, many of these films pursue what may be called a 'radical politics': some of these films provide strong critiques of commonly held assumptions about gender, sexuality, religion, the role of the traditional family, (Western) middle-class attitudes, capitalist values, and the role played by the United States (and other powerful nation states) in world politics and cinema history .   I hope that you find such subject matter intriguing--even, or especially, if you usually do not encounter or deal with these issues in your daily life or in your "normal" encounters with cinema.   Yet, if you know for a fact that you would rather not have to deal with these issues and images, I strongly encourage you to drop this course, since I won't change the films and will not shy away from the "controversial" images and subject matters raised by the films .   There won't be any "alternative" viewing options.