National Cinemas: "Dogme 95" and British Cinema since 1990

Course Description

The goal of this course is to examine in some depth two European national cinemas--that of contemporary Denmark and Great Britain.   With regard to the former, we will focus on what is now famously known as the DOGME 95 movement; with regard to the latter, we will have a slightly wider focus, discussing films that encompass the British (social) realist tradition as well as more "postmodern" approaches to the medium.   In our discussions of these films, we will pay particular attention to their aesthetics and ask how, why, and with what effect these films pursue a logic of audience-address that is at times both intentionally challenging and upsetting and playful?   Some issues we will have to attend to include issues of nationality, gender, and class.

The reading assignments are meant to ground our in-class discussions as well as inform your papers.   My general attitude to the assigned readings is this: I am not going to discuss the readings as such and won't test you on them; however, my own comments will incorporate the readings, and you should always feel free to ask questions about them.   Furthermore, I do expect that you do most of the readings, so that both your in-class participation and your papers are well-informed.

Required Books

•  Murphy, Robert.   British Cinema of the 1990s .   London: BFI Publishing, 2000.

•  Stevenson, Jack.   Dogme Uncut: Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, and the Gang that took on Hollywood .   Santa Monica: Santa Monica Press, 2003.

Additional Readings are available either through Love Library's Electronic Course Reserve site or on the web (links provided in schedule).

 

Dates

Films (screened in class)

Assignments (Note: reading assignments are due the day they are listed)

M, 5/21

Introduction.  

Screening of The Name of this Film is Dogme 95 (2000, dir. Saul Metzstein, 50 min.)

T, 5/22

Dogme #1: The Celebration (1998, dir Thomas Vinterberg, 105 min.)

W, 5/23

Dogme #2: The Idiots (1998, dir. Lars von Trier, 117 min.)

R, 5/26

Dogme #3: Mifune's Last Song (1999, dir. Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, 98 min.)

  • Dogme Uncut 105-112; 159-186

F, 5/27

Dogme #12: Italian for Beginners (2000, dir. Lone Scherfig, 118 min.)

  • Dogme Uncut 118-125

M, 5/28

MEMORIAL DAY BREAK

MEMORIAL DAY BREAK

T, 5/29

Dogme #28: Open Hearts (2002, dir. Susanne Bier, 113 min.)

  • Dogme Uncut 139-149; 201-210

W, 5/30

Dancer in the Dark (2000, dir. Lars von Trier, 140 min.)

R, 5/31

Freedogme (2000, 52 min.)

Introduction to British Cinema

Trainspotting (1996, dir. Danny Boyle, 96 min.)

  • http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/44/train.htm ;
  • Brian McFarlane, "The More Tings Change . . . British Cinema in the 90s";
  • Julia Hallam, "Film, Class and National Identity: Re-imagining commuities in the age of devolution";
  • Geof Brown, "Something for Everyone: British Film Culture in the 1990s" in British Cinema of the 90s , chapter 3;
  • Karen Lury, "Here and Then: Space, Place, and Nostalgia in British Youth Cinema of the 1990s" in British Cinema of the 90s , chapter 10

F, 6/1

Gangster No. 1 (2000, dir. Paul McGuigan, 103 min.)

•  Steve Chibnall, "Travels in Ladland: The British Gangster Film Cycle 1998-2001"

M, 6/4

Naked (1993, dir. Mike Leigh, 131 min.)

1 st PAPER DUE (on DOGME 95) in class.

•  http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/54/noirnaked.htm ;  

•  Claire Monk, "Men in the 90s" in British Cinema of the 90s , chapter 16

T, 6/5

Riff Raff (1990, dir. Ken Loach),

W, 6/6

Sweet Sixteen (2002, dir. Ken Loach, 106 min.)

 
  • Claire Monk, "Underbelly UK: The 1990s underclass film, masculinity, and the ideologies of 'new' Britain"

R, 6/7

Dead Man's Shoes (2004, dir. Shane Meadows, 90 min.)

F, 6/8

24 Hour Party People (2002, dir. Michael Winterbottom, 97 min.)

Class Evaluation

M, 6/11

2 nd PAPER DUE (on BRITISH CINEMA) by no later than 12noon.