Friday, November 21, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
CLASS SYLLABUS
INTERNATIONAL CINEMA
PEL Fall 2 – 2014
Instructor: Tom
Hammond
Contact: hammontm@eckerd.edu,
813-900-4759
Office hours:
before and after class or by appointment
Classroom: We will watch some films in Miller Auditorium. Our regular classroom will be FT210. Be sure to show up at the classroom for the
first session.
Course description: This course surveys the basic trends, genres
and filmmakers that exist outside the American Film Industry. We will study various national film
histories, styles and movements with an emphasis on their cultural, social and
political underpinnings.
Text: “Shadow Philosophy: Plato’s Cave and the
Cinema” by Nathan Andersen
Amazon rentals: You will be required to view some films
outside of class. All of these
assignments will be streamable from Amazon.
Rentals run $2.99 or less. All of
them are available at either the Public or School Libraries. Getting together for viewings is also a good
way to save some money.
Course Requirements:
Two papers, a final exam, blog postings, attendance and participation.
Grade Distribution:
Papers (2) - 40%
Exam - 20%
Att. & Part. - 40%
Class Blog - (+10%)
Essay: You will write two papers (4-5 pages each) on
subjects TBA. A rubric will be handed
out for each assignment.
Exam –
There will be a final take-home exam passed out on the 7th week of
class. It is due during the last class
session.
Attendance and Participation: A brief weekly paper (1 page) will be handed
in covering questions and/or comments on the home viewing assignments. These will count for attendance. Any pattern of absence will adversely affect
your grade. Come prepared to discuss
your viewings and readings.
Extra Credit – Blog
Postings – You will be invited to author on a class blog. You can post on subjects within class studies
and comment on the postings of other students.
Film reviews, research, clips, trailers, stills and links of interest
all qualify for credit.
Disabilities Accommodations: If you have a disability or believe that you
qualify for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or other
laws, please contact Disability support Services at extension8248 or via email
at dss@eckerd.edu
as soon as possible. Appropriate
accommodations can only be arranged through that office, and may not be made
retroactively.
Academic Dishonesty
Policy: students should
familiarize themselves with Eckerd College’s policy on academic
dishonesty. Information can be found at:
http://www.eckerd.edu/library/services/plagiarism/ec-policies.php
Class Schedule
(All readings are from “Shadow Philosophy: Plato’s Cave and
Cinema” - Andersen)
Week 1
Lecture subject: Early German Cinema
Class screening: “A Clockwork Orange”
Viewing assignment: “The Complete
Metropolis”
Reading assignment: Andersen –
Chapter 1
Week 2
Lecture subject: French Film
Class screening: “A Girl Walks Home
Alone at Night” – in Miller Auditorium
Viewing assignment: “Three Colors:
Blue”
Reading assignment: Andersen –
Chapter 2
Week 3
Lecture subject: Italian
Film
Class screening: “Rebirth” – in
Miller Auditorium
Viewing assignment: “Once Upon a
Time in the West”
Reading assignment: Andersen –
Chapter 3
Week 4
Lecture subject: Spanish & Mexican Film
Class screening: “Abacus and Sword” – in Miller Auditorium
Viewing assignment: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Reading assignment: Andersen –
Chapter 4
Week 5
1st paper due
Lecture subject: Scandinavian
Film & Ingmar Bergman
Class screening: “Winter Sleep” – in
Miller Auditorium
Viewing assignment: “The Seventh
Seal”
Reading assignment: Andersen –
Chapter 5
Week 6 – NO CLASS -
THANKSGIVING
Viewing assignment: “Solaris”
(Russian version – Tarkovsky)
Reading assignment: Andersen –
Conclusion (Chapter 6)
Week 7
Hand out of
take-home final exam
Lecture subject: Japanese Film
Class screening: “Spirited Away”
Viewing assignment: “Rashomon”
Reading assignment: TBA
Week 8
Final exam due
2nd
paper due
Lecture subject: Guest
Speaker: Nathan Anderson
Class screening: “A Clockwork Orange”
in Miller Auditorium
Required Films – in viewing order
Clockwork Orange - (GB)
The Complete Metropolis - (Germany)
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night -
(Iran)
Three Colors: Blue - (France)
Rebirth - (Japan)
Once Upon a Time in the West - (Italy)
Abacus and Sword - (Japan)
Pan’s Labyrinth - (Spain)
Winter Sleep - (Turkey)
The Seventh Seal - (Sweden)
Solaris - (Russia)
Spirited Away - (Japan)
Rashomon - (Japan)
A Clockwork Orange - (GB)
Friday, November 7, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Here is the soundtrack to Three Colors Blue: Soundtrack
I found the music interesting and thought I would share it with everyone.
Del
I found the music interesting and thought I would share it with everyone.
Del
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Review: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Many Americans, like my wife, would prejudge
an Iranian Vampire movie and think that it is just another run-of-the-mill B
rated international film. And I would agree with that prevailing school of
thought based on the lack of blockbuster Iranian vampire movies in the
marketplace or any good Iranian movie for that matter, but after seeing A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, I now
dissent from popular opinion. The movie hits you with a compelling cast of
characters, a mood and atmosphere that is iconic for its genre, and even weaves
into it a forbidden love story. One Hollywood reporter said, "This moody
and gorgeous film is finally more about atmosphere and emotions than narrative
-- and none the worse for it."
One is immediately
captivated with the beautiful cast of young characters. Sheila Vand as The Girl
does a wonderful job of playing the seductive vampiress who fights off her
instincts to kill Arash for his life giving blood in exchange for the hope of
them eventually becoming a couple. Although it is not too uncommon for the
modern day, cold-blooded killing vampiress to catch a case of the conscience,
this captivating flick still maintains its uniqueness in other elements of the
film.
Milad Eghbali, TheStreet Urchin, adds an endearing component to the movie. The young boy is
someone that you feel sympathy for immediately as he panhandles for money. He
is a poor street-wise kid that is trying to survive on the street. A moment of
truth in the movie is when the lives of The Girl and The Street Urchan
intersect on the street. This is one of the better scenes in the movie as
viewers are momentarily suspended in anticipation hoping that the vampiress has
mercy on the young, innocent boy. The Girl is following the boy and when she
finally confronts him, she has an opportunity to take his life for a
time-honored vampire motive; a tasty human treat to alleviate any between meal
vampire hunger pangs. However, moral turpitude was pushed aside by her
conscience and she decided to scare The Street Urchan into being a good boy and
said that she is always watching him and will come back for him if he
misbehaves.
Even though The
Girl does voluntarily perform noble acts of community service like killing
Arash’s nemesis, the drug dealer - Saeed, the plot soon thickens when she kills Arash’s
father - Hossein. Arash is overtaken with extreme grief from the loss of his father and
while in this emotional fog convinces The Girl to leave the city with him. As
she is packing her belongings, Arash notices all the jewelry and watches that
she has collected. This tips him off that she is the killer and took all the
jewelry from the bodies of her dead victims. He starts driving with her out of
town and pulls off the side of the road and has what appears to be a moment of
clarity. He is at a moral crossroad. The viewer is led to contemplate if he is going
to confront her about her sins, leave her, or just move past it like it never
happened. The movie ends with Arash getting back in the car and driving off
with her. We are left to assume that he forgave her and moving forward with his
life.
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