Fren & Hum 1302:
French Cinema

Professor Sarah Buchanan
211 Camden Hall
589-6292
buchansb@morris.umn.edu

Buchanan's home page

Office Hours:
MWF: 9:00-10:00
 and by appointment

University of Minnesota Classroom Policies

 

 

Return to top

Description of the course :
The French call film “the Seventh Art” (the other six are, according to Hegel, architecture, sculpture, painting, dance, music and poetry). Since the invention of cinema at the end of the 19th century, there have been many debates concerning the definition of this artistic genre and how it differs from the others. The French, being a philosophical people, have developed a cinema that is very artistic, philosophical and avant-garde. In this course, we will study the history of French cinema from its origins in 1895 to today, spending time on each major movement and its importance to the development and philosophy of movies.

 

Goals of the course :
--To develop a deep understanding of the major movements in French Cinema.
--To learn to read a film in a technical and artistic manner
--To sharpen your critical and analytical skills
--To refine your academic writing and your oral presentation skills

 

Required Texts :

French section (Fren 1302)
English section (Hum 1302)

Powrie, Phil and Keith Reader. French Cinema: A Student’s Guide. London: Arnold Publishers, 2002. ISBN: 0-340-76003-6.

Singerman, Alan. Apprentissage du cinéma français. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing, 2004. ISBN:1-58510-104-4.

Course packet of articles

Powrie, Phil and Keith Reader. French Cinema: A Student’s Guide. London: Arnold Publishers, 2002. ISBN: 0-340-76003-6.

Singerman, Alan. French Cinema: The Student’s Book. Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 1-58510-205-9.

Course packet of articles


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to top

Assignments :

Analytical Papers:

 

 

You will write three papers of 1000-1300 words (3-4 pages), analysing several films that we will have discussed in class. For each paper, your analysis will focus on the theme of the section, and you will elucidate how the film treats the theme in its content and in its form (the film’s editing, lighting, mise-en-scène, etc.). These papers will be graded on the depth and originality of your analysis (how much textual evidence do you provide, and do you integrate this evidence into your argument well?) and also on the organization of your argument (is there a clear thesis? Do your paragraphs follow each other logically?).

Oral Presentation:
 

 In consultation with me, you will prepare a 10-15 minute PowerPoint presentation on one of the French film directors or major actors. You will be graded on the detail, organization, and professionalism of your presentation.Click on these links to download the Presentation hand-out and Presentation Grading Sheet

Final Exam:

 

 

 The final exam will be composed of two sections. The first section will focus on the identification of directors, films, characters and/or other important elements that will have been discussed in class. You will have to clearly explain what or who is in question and why this element is important to our class. For the second section of the exam, you will write short essays which will allow you to reflect on the readings, the film screenings and the discussions of the semester.

Participation:

 

 You will be graded on the quality of your participation in class discussions. More than two absences will result in a reduction of your final grade. For each absence after your second, your grade will be lowered 1/3 of a grade.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grade break-down:
Distribution of grades:
3 academic papers: 50%
Power Point Presentation: 15%
Final exam: 20%
Participation: 15%
TOTAL:

100%
94-100% = A 77-79% = C+
90-93% = A- 74-76% = C
87-89% = B+ 70-73% = C-
84-86% = B 67-69% = D+
80-83% = B- 64-66% = D
  0-63% = F

The University of Minnesota's grading policies

 

Return to top

Course calendar

 

I. The Beginnings of French Cinema

29 aug.

 
Introduction: The development of cinema: photography, Zoetrope, Phenakistoscope, etc.
 
31 aug.

 
Presentation #1 on les Frères Lumière  by B.D.
Presentation #2 on Méliès  by P.K.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302

Singerman, Alan. “Lexique technique du cinéma” et “La Lecture du film,” Apprentissage du cinéma français, pp. 3-7, 27-44.

Powrie and Reader, “Key Technical Terms in English and in French,” pp. 192-195.

Singerman, Alan. “Film Terms” et “‘Reading’ A Film,” French Cinema: The Student’s Book, pp. xiii-xvii, 19-36.

Powrie and Reader, “Key Technical Terms in English and in French,” pp. 192-195.

 
 
5 sept.

Powrie and Reader, “History,” pp. 3-53.

WEDNESDAY
6 sept.

SCREENING: Films by the Lumière brothers; Voyage dans la Lune by Georges Méliès PDF List of films to view
Discussion Questions in ENGLISH or in FRENCH

7 sept.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302

Singerman, “Histoire du cinéma I: les débuts,” pp. 9-14

Gunning, Tom. “‘Primitive’ Cinema: A Frame up? Or the Trick’s On Us.” Cinema Journal. Vol. 28, No. 2. (Winter, 1989), pp. 3-12. (packet)

Singerman, “History of Cinema I: The Beginnings,” pp. 1-6

Gunning, Tom. “‘Primitive’ Cinema: A Frame up? Or the Trick’s On Us.” Cinema Journal. Vol. 28, No. 2. (Winter, 1989), pp. 3-12. (packet)

 

 

 

 

Return to top

II. The Years of Experimentation

MONDAY,
11 sept.

SCREENING: L’Inhumaine (Marcel L’Herbier, 1923, 128 min); Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel, 1928, 16 min.)

Translation of title cards for L'Inhumaine
Discussion questions for L'Inhumaine in ENGLISH or in FRENCH
Discussion questions for Un Chien Andalou in ENGLISH or in FRENCH

12 sept.

 
Presentation #3 on L’Herbier by J.H.
Presentation #4 on Buñuel by A. B-T.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302

Singerman, “Histoire du cinéma II: les années vingt,” pp. 15-25.

 Singerman, “History of Cinema II: The Nineteen-Twenties,” pp. 7-17.

Clips from Napoléon (Abel Gance, 1927, 235 min.)
 
14 sept.

Presentation #5 on Gance by K.Z.

Powrie and Reader, “Theory,” pp. 54-84.
 
MONDAY,
18 sept.
 SCREENING: L’Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934, 89 min.); Zéro de conduite, (Jean Vigo, 1933, 44 min)
19 sept.

 
Présentation #6 onVigo by R.K.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302
Singerman, “Le Réalisme poétique,” et “Zéro de conduite,” pp. 45-46; 47-62. Singerman, “Poetic Realism,” and “Zéro de conduite,” pp. 37-38; 39-54.

21 sept.

Présentation#7 on Michel Simon by J.S.

Powrie and Reader, “Writing about French films” pp. 93-126

 
MONDAY
25 sept.

SCREENING: La Règle du jeu, (Jean Renoir, 1939, 110 min); Le Jour se Lève (Marcel Carné, 1939, 93 min)
26 sept.

 
Présentation #8 on Renoir by J.L.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302
Singerman, “La Règle du jeu,” et “Le Jour se lève,” pp. 101-122; 123-139. Singerman, “La Règle du jeu,” and “Le Jour se lève,” pp. 97-119; 121-137.

 
28 sept.

Presentation #9 on Carné by N. A. A-S.
Presentation#10 on Jacques Prévert by L. M.

Powrie and Reader, “Writing about French films,” pp. 127-160.

 

 

 

Return to top

III. War, Censorship and Memory

MONDAY,
2 oct.
SCREENING: Les Enfants du paradis (Marcel Carné, 1945, 163 min)
3 oct.

Paper #1 due

Fren 1302
Hum 1302
Singerman, “Les Enfants du paradis,” pp. 141-161. Singerman, “Les Enfants du paradis,” pp. 139-160.
5 oct.

Presentation#11 on Arletty by C.S.
Presentation#12 on Jean-Louis Barrault

Greene, Naomi. “Mood and Ideology in the Cinema of Vichy France.” The French Review. Vol. 59, No. 3. (February, 1986). pp. 437-445. (packet)
 
MONDAY,
9 oct.
SCREENING: Nuit et Brouillard (Alain Resnais, 1955, 32 minutes); Hiroshima, mon amour, (Alain Resnais, 1959, 90 min)
10 oct.

 
Presentation#13 on Resnais by D.N.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302
Singerman, “Hiroshima mon amour,” pp. 253-270 Singerman, “Hiroshima mon amour,” pp. 253-270.

 
12 oct.

Presentation#14 on Marguerite Duras by S.V.

Burch, Noel. “A Conversation with Alain Resnais.” Film Quarterly. Vol. 13, No. 3. (Spring, 1960), pp. 27-29. (packet)

Moyn, Samuel. “Two Regimes of Memory.” The American Historical Review. Vol. 103, No. 4 (Oct., 1998), pp. 1182-1186. (packet)

Walker, Janet. “The Traumatic Paradox: Documentary Films, Historical Fictions, and Cataclysmic Past Events.” Signs, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Summer, 1997), pp. 803-825. (packet)
17 oct.
VACANCES D’AUTOMNE!!

 

 

Return to top

IV. The New Wave

WEDNESDAY
18 oct.
SCREENING: A Bout de souffle (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960, 87 min)
19 oct.

 
Presentation#15 on Godard by J.F.

Fren 1302
Hum 1302
Singerman, “La Nouvelle Vague” et “A Bout de souffle,” pp. 229-231, 271-286. Singerman, “The New Wave” and “A Bout de souffle,” pp. 229-231, 271-287.

 
 
MONDAY,
23 oct.
SCREENING: Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961, 90 min)
24 oct.

Presentation#16 on Varda by E.H.

Mouton, Janice. “From Feminine Masquerade to Flâneuse: Agnès Varda’s Cléo in the City.” Cinema Journal. Vol. 40, No. 2. (Winter, 2001), pp. 3-16. (packet)
26 oct.

Presentation#17 on François Truffaut by J.F.

Bíró, Yvette and Catherine Portuges. “Caryatids of Time: Temporality in the Cinema of Agnès Varda.” Performing Arts Journal, Vol. 19, No. 3. (Sep., 1997), pp. 1-10. (packet)
 
MONDAY,
30 oct.

SCREENING: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964, 91 min)
31 oct.

Presentation#18 on Demy by A.D.

1 nov.
7:00pm: OPTIONAL SCREENING at Sarah’s house:
400 coups (François Truffaut, 1959, 99 min)
2 nov.

Presentation#19 on Jacques Rivette by S.G.

Johnson, William. “Coming to Terms with Color.” Film Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 1. (Autumn, 1966), pp. 2-22. (packet)

7:00pm: OPTIONAL SCREENING at Sarah’s house (with Fren 2001):
Argent de poche (François Truffaut, 1976, 105 min)

 

 

Return to top

V. The 80s and the Crises of Gender

MONDAY,
6 nov.
SCREENING: La Cage aux folles (Edouard Molinaro, 1978, 100 min)
7 nov.
Paper #2 due
Presentation#20 on Molinaro by G.C.
9 nov.

Presentation#21 on Michel Serrault

Smith, Steven G. “Comment on Hawkesworth’s ‘Confounding Gender’.” Signs, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Spring, 1997), pp. 691-697. (packet)
 
MONDAY
13 nov.
SCREENING: Trois hommes et un couffin (Colline Serreau, 1985, 100 min)
14 nov.
Presentation#22 on Serreau by S.P.
16 nov.

Presentation#23 on Roland Giraud

Durham, Carolyn. “Taking the Baby out of the Basket and/or Robbing the Cradle: ‘Remaking’ Gender and Culture in Franco-American Film.” The French Review, Vol. 65, No. 5. (Apr., 1992), pp. 774-784. (packet)


 

 

 

Return to top

VI. Postmodern Cinema

MONDAY,
20 nov.
SCREENING: Délicatessen (Marc Caro et Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1991, 99 min)
21 nov.

Presentation#24 on Caro by T.T.
Presentation#25 on Jeunet by J.P.


Cubitt, Sean. “Delicatessen: Eco-Apocalypse in the New French Science Fiction Cinema.” Aliens R Us: The Other in Science Fiction Cinema. Ziauddin Sardar and Sean Cubitt, Eds. Pluto, London, England, 2002, 18-33. (packet)

Infantino, Stephen C. “Delicatessen: Slices of Postmodern Life.” Arachne Vol. 4, No. 1, 1997, 91-100. (packet)
23 nov.
THANKSGIVING
 
MONDAY,
27 nov.
SCREENING: Auberge espagnole (Cédric Klapisch, 2002, 122 min)
28 nov.
Presentation#26 on Klapisch by M. S. S.
30 nov.

Presentation#27 on Audrey Tautou by S.H.

Lecture on France’s colonial empire during the 19th and 20th centuries.


 

 



Return to top

VII. Postcolonial and Suburb Cinema

MONDAY,
3 dec.
SCREENING: La Haine (Matthieu Kassovitz, 1995, 96 min.)
5 dec.
Presentation#28 on Kassovitz by L.M.
7 dec.

Presentation#29 on Vincent Cassel

Powrie and Reader, “Writing about French films” pp. 155-160.

Conley, Tom. “A Web of Hate.” South Central Review, Vol. 17, No. 3, “Cinéma Engagé: Activist Filmmaking in French and Francophone Contexts.” (Autumn, 2000), pp. 88-103. (packet)
 
MONDAY,
11 dec.
SCREENING: Caché (Michael Haneke, 2005, 121 min.)
12 dec.

Presentation#30 on Haneke by J.E.

Porton, Richard. “Collective Guilt and Individual Responsibility: an Interview with Michael Haneke.” Cinéaste. Vol. 31, No. 1 (Winter, 2005). (packet)

Rowin, Michael Joshua. “A View to a Kill: Michael Haneke’s ‘Caché’.” IndieWIRE Movies. (packet)
14 dec.
Paper #3 due
Course evaluations
Conclusions

 

Return to top

FINAL EXAM:

Monday, December 18th from 11:00-1:00 in HFA 6